Seven fillies will seek their first Grade 1 victory at the 2025 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday. Saratoga is hosting the July 4th Racing Festival for the first time as construction continues at Belmont Park. Post time for Saturday’s race is 12:35 p.m. ET. Nitrogen is a perfect five-for-five in 2025 and is the 4-5 morning line favorite in the 2025 Belmont Oaks Invitational odds. Fionn has four wins in six career starts and is listed next at 5-1 odds, and Totally Justified rounds out the top three at 6-1.
With several talented fillies set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you’ll want to see what SportsLine horse racing expert Gene Menez has to say before making any 2025 Belmont Stakes picks or horse racing predictions.
A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI’s handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.
In 2015, Menez accurately gave out the Kentucky Derby superfecta, which paid $1,268.20 for $2. In 2017, he tweeted out his Kentucky Derby picks, including Always Dreaming to win, and hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet.
In May of last year, Menez nailed 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby. In November, he crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders’ Cup Saturday for a $5,303 jackpot. This year, he hit the winner and exacta in the Holy Bull Stakes and the winner, trifecta and superfecta in the Florida Derby. At the Kentucky Derby earlier this month, Menez hammered the exacta and trifecta for a $1,045 payout. Anyone who has followed him on betting apps like FanDuel Racing and TwinSpires could have been way up, even more if they used the latest FanDuel Racing promo code and TwinSpires offer code.
For the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes, Menez has handicapped the 2025 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes field, made his picks, and constructed his best bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2025 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes predictions
One of Menez’s surprising Belmont Oaks Invitational 2025 picks: He is fading Nitrogen, even though she is the 4-5 betting favorite in the 2025 Belmont Oaks Invitational odds. The 3-year-old filly has won five straight races, most recently besting the Wonder Again Stakes (Gr. 3) field at Saratoga on June 7. She has yet to win a Grade 1 race, however, finishing second Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes last September and third at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November.
Menez is also wary of Nitrogen only having four weeks of rest since her massive effort at Saratoga last month. “If she repeats that effort she wins on Saturday, but if she backs up a little off that effort, others will have a chance. And I doubt you will get 4-5 on her,” he told SportsLine. See which horses to back here.
How to make 2025 Belmont Oaks Invitational bets, picks
Instead, Menez’s top pick is a horse who won her last race at Saratoga and “is worth a look as the most likely upsetter.” Menez is sharing who he likes, along with his top 2025 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes picks, over at SportsLine.
Which horse wins the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes 2025, and how should you construct your wagers? Check out the latest 2025 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Menez’s picks for the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes, all from the expert who hammered the exacta and trifecta at the Kentucky Derby.
