The 2021 Belmont Stakes runs on Saturday, June 5 at Belmont Park. Post time is approximately 6:49 p.m. ET, and former Kentucky Derby favorite Essential Quality is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in the 2021 Belmont Stakes odds. Before making any 2021 Belmont Stakes picks, you NEED to see what legendary handicapper Hammerin' Hank Goldberg is saying.

The former horse racing analyst for ESPN and NBC, Goldberg became a legendary handicapper by going straight to the source. In 2004, he had dinner before the Belmont Stakes with trainer Nick Zito at a pizzeria in Queens. The dinner led Goldberg to play Zito's 36-1 monster longshot Birdstone to win and on top of his exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets. When Birdstone shocked the world, Goldberg won $24,000!

His success has continued at SportsLine. In the San Felipe Stakes in March of last year, Hammer gave out a $20 exacta that paid 9-1. In the Belmont Stakes last June, Goldberg was all over Tiz the Law, who scored a convincing victory in the year's first Triple Crown race.

In the 2020 Blue Grass Stakes, Hammer nailed the Art Collector-Swiss Skydiver exacta. Last July, he hit the Authentic-Ny Traffic exacta in the Haskell. And in August in the Pacific Classic, he gave out the Maximum Security-Sharp Samurai exacta.

Before last year's Kentucky Derby, trainer Bob Baffert told Goldberg that Authentic was his best Derby runner. As a result, Goldberg listed him among his top horses, and Authentic held off Tiz the Law by almost four lengths. Anyone who has followed Goldberg's lead is WAY UP!

Now, he's turned his attention to the 2021 Belmont Stakes.

For the 153rd Run for the Carnations, we can tell you Goldberg is fading Rock Your World at 9-2. He doesn't see a repeat of the disastrous 17th-place run at the Kentucky Derby, but he's questioning his ability to handle the 1 1/2 miles at the Belmont. Goldberg says he barely hits the board and sees better values for Belmont Stakes bets. 

Instead, Hammer's top choice is a horse set to stun the field with a late charge. The horse's trainer is confident, and Hammer is pouncing on this surprising pick. You ABSOLUTELY need to see what Hammer has to say before locking in any picks of your own!

So what does Goldberg have to say about the top 2021 Belmont Stakes contenders? And which horse is set to make a charge at the end of the 2021 Belmont Stakes? ... Join SportsLine now to get Hank Goldberg's 2021 Belmont Stakes predictions, all from the legendary expert who goes straight to the source!