Essential Quality has won 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes, beating runner-up Hot Rod Charlie by a length and a half after the two were neck-and-neck in the final straightaway.
Essential Quality, the favorite for the Kentucky Derby and Saturday's race at Belmont Park, hung out near the rear of the eight-horse field for the majority of the race before jockey Luis Saez made an outside move heading into the final turn. Pacesetter Hot Rod Charlie fought hard, but Essential Quality had more in the tank and eventually took the lead. The unofficial winning time for the 1 1/2-mile race was 2 minutes, 27.11 seconds.
Rombauer, winner of the Preakness Stakes, finished third.
Sporting News tracked the 2021 Belmont Stakes. Follow along below for highlights, finish order and more from Belmont Park:
MORE: Watch the Belmont Stakes live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
Belmont Stakes finish order
| Order | Horse | Win | Place | Show |
| 1 | Essential Quality | $4.60 | $3.00 | $2.60 |
| 2 | Hot Rod Charlie | $4.10 | $2.90 | |
| 3 | Rombauer | $3.50 | ||
| 4 | Known Agenda | |||
| 5 | Bourbonic | |||
| 6 | Rock Your World | |||
| 7 | Overtook | |||
| 8 | France Go De Ina |
Watch the 2021 Belmont Stakes
TOO GOOD.
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) June 5, 2021
ESSENTIAL QUALITY WINS THE 153rd @BelmontStakes!
NBC Sports // @WhiteClaw pic.twitter.com/hGMyNuVqV6
Belmont Stakes live updates, highlights, results
All times Eastern
6:54 p.m.: And Essential Quality wins it with an unofficial time of 2:27.11! He beats runner-up Hot Rod Charlie by a length and a half.
6:53 p.m.: Essential Quality making his way outside heading into the straightaway.
6:51 p.m.: And they're off! Hot Rod Charlie takes the lead heading into the first turn.
6:39 p.m.: And here comes Essential Quality, the favorite at Belmont Park:
It’s almost time for the big one... the #BelmontStakes presented by @NYRABets! pic.twitter.com/X2jyFtGERp
— Belmont Stakes (@BelmontStakes) June 5, 2021
6:34 p.m.: It's about that time:
Jockeys have made their way to the paddock for the 153rd running of the #BelmontStakes presented by @NYRABets! pic.twitter.com/HSzgmfHq4M
— Belmont Stakes (@BelmontStakes) June 5, 2021
5:55 p.m.: Domestic Spending wins the Manhattan Stakes:
#DomesticSpending rolls home late to get up for the W in the Manhattan (G1) on the @BelmontStakes undercard for @TheRealChadCBr1.
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) June 5, 2021
Watch the #TwinSpiresReplay⤵️ pic.twitter.com/HtRX65mZAp
4:57 p.m.: Silver State wins the Met Mile.
The #SilverState train keeps on rolling, as the 4yo son of @DarleyAmerica’s #HardSpun rides the rail to an emphatic victory in the Met Mile (G1) with @RSantana_jr up for #SteveAsmussen.
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) June 5, 2021
Watch the #TwinSpiresReplay🎥 pic.twitter.com/Te1DLFwAQO
4:05 p.m.: Your winner of the Just a Game Stakes: Althiqa.
It’s #Althiqa with a late run up the rail to take the Just a Game Stakes (G1) on the @BelmontStakes undercard with money #MikeSmith aboard.
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) June 5, 2021
Watch the #TwinSpiresReplay⬇️ pic.twitter.com/dZ9qh9uG7Y
3:29 p.m.: Letruska wins the Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park:
It’s @jose93_ortiz with another G1 win on the @BelmontStakes undercard in his brother’s stead as #Letruska wires the Ogden Phipps in a tour de force.
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) June 5, 2021
Watch the #TwinSpiresReplay⤵️ pic.twitter.com/cB6L4ATGCV
2:52 p.m.: Casa Creen wins the Jaipur:
#CasaCreed roars home late on the lawn to go right on by, winning the Jaipur (G1) with #JuniorAlvarado up for #BillMott.
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) June 5, 2021
Watch the #TwinSpiresReplay🎥 pic.twitter.com/rTBpxvIYMi
2:14 p.m.: Search Results wins the Acorn Stakes:
#SearchResults, by @Claibornefarm’s #Flatter, cuts back in distance and holds off the late charge of #Obligatory to take the Acorn Stakes (G1) with @jjcjockey up for @TheRealChadCBr1.
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) June 5, 2021
Watch the #TwinSpiresReplay🎥 pic.twitter.com/9dq5VCPUCR
1:37 p.m.: Lone Rock wins the Brooklyn Stakes:
#LoneRock hits the wire all alone in the Brooklyn Stakes (G2) on the @BelmontStakes undercard with @JockeyRamonVazq aboard.
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) June 5, 2021
Watch the #TwinSpiresReplay 🎥 pic.twitter.com/It3H87X8YH
2021 Belmont Stakes post time
- Post time: 6:49 p.m. ET
- TV coverage: NBC
- Live stream: NBCSports.com | fuboTV (seven-day free trial)
Coverage of the Belmont Stakes began at 3 p.m. ET Saturday on NBCSN before moving to NBC at 5 p.m. for pre-race and post-race coverage as well as the race itself. The race has a scheduled post time of 6:49 p.m. ET at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.
Belmont Stakes post positions
Eight horses will race in Saturday's Belmont Stakes after Medina Spirit was banned from running in the race and after Rebel's Romance was announced to be out of the race due to an infection, according to Godolphin.
Preakness winner Rombauer will leave from the third post position and had 3-1 betting odds to win the Belmont Stakes. Essential Quality was the early betting favorite at 2-1.
| Post position | Horse | Odds |
| 1 | Bourbonic | 15/1 |
| 2 | Essential Quality | 2/1 |
| 3 | Rombauer | 3/1 |
| 4 | Hot Rod Charlie | 7/2 |
| 5 | France Go de Ina | 30/1 |
| 6 | Known Agenda | 6/1 |
| 7 | Rock Your World | 9/2 |
| 8 | Overtook | 20/1 |