Wizard of Westwood can surprise on class rise at the 2023 Belmont Derby
Eleven of the leading sophomore turf horses in America and abroad line up Saturday, July 8 for the $1 million Belmont Derby! The race always draws a competitive and top-class field, making it one of the greatest betting races at Belmont Park all year long. The Belmont Derby covers 1 ¼ miles on the lawn, making a true test of stamina and opening it up for a long-winded longshot to shine!
Even though the Belmont Derby has only been part of the racing calendar since 2014, it has quickly ascended to become one of the feature races of the summer. American stars like Oscar Performance and Catholic Boy have won it, as have important international horses like Deauville and Bolshoi Ballet.
Keep reading to find out more about the 2023 Belmont Derby contenders and who is most likely to join this illustrious list!
Betting the 2023 Belmont Derby Online
Of course, it matters to pick a winner in the 2023 Belmont Derby. However, even before you get to know the horses, it is just as important to make sure you select the best place to bet the Belmont Derby online. Our expert racebook reviews are the perfect tool to help make that decision quick, easy, and profitable!
All of our recommended racebooks are trusted sites with reliable payouts, market-leading odds and smooth user interfaces. Each of them also offers lucrative horse racing bonuses like rebates, deposit bonuses, and referral incentives, things you will never get at the track! Take a few minutes now to read the reviews and choose the best one for your betting style, and be rewarded with hundreds or even thousands of dollars in cash and free bets!
The Best Online Racebooks
This is a list of the best online sportsbooks for playing the 2023 Belmont Derby:
| Rank | Racebook | Bonus | Review | Link to site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 |  | $250 Free Bet on Props + Head-to-Heads | VISIT RACEBOOK! | |
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| #3 |  | 50% up to $1,000 + $25 Risk Free Bet + 7% Rebates | VISIT RACEBOOK! | |
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| #7 |  | $100 Free Bet on Props + Head-to-Heads! | VISIT RACEBOOK! |
Belmont Derby Handicapping
Once you have created your account, it is time to get handicapping. Keep on reading to meet the field for the 2023 Belmont Derby, and find out all you need to know to pick a winner!
Belmont Derby 2023 Field
This is the official field for the 2023 Belmont Derby including post positions, trainers, and jockeys:
- Mendelssohns March (Ken McPeek/Dylan Davis)
- Boppy O (Mark Casse/Luis Saez)
- Cyber Ninja (Bill Mott/Junior Alvarado)
- Webslinger (Mark Casse/Javier Castellano)
- Far Bridge (Todd Pletcher/Jose Ortiz)
- Silver Knott (Charlie Appleby/Richard Mullen)
- Wizard of Westwood (Michael McCarthy/John Velazquez)
- Kalik (Chad Brown/Irad Ortiz, Jr.)
- Mondego (Christophe Clement/Joel Rosario)
- Redistricting (Chad Brown/Flavien Prat)
- The Foxes (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy)
As the race approaches, the track will publish a morning line. However, the morning line is no guarantee of a post-time price. If you bet at the track, you have to wait until the race begins to know what your odds are, and you might see your actual odds plummet if late bettors like the same horse you do.
Your best bet is to play the Belmont Derby at an online sportsbook. With fixed-odds wagering on major races, you can lock in the best Belmont Derby odds at the moment you bet. That way, even if late action drops the price on your horse, you’ve already locked in the best price at the moment you placed your bet, and you can be confident that’s what you’ll get!
 | |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Foxes | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Silver Knott | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Far Bridge | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Kalik | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Webslinger | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Redistricting | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Belmont Derby Favorites
Kalik is the most interesting among the projected favorites for the Belmont Derby. He rides a three-race win streak for Chad Brown, including a victory over Far Bridge and Silver Knott in the local prep, the Pennine Ridge (G2). Though he is likely to get outjumped to the front, he showed in his maiden race that he can win with a stalking style, giving this Chad Brown trainee a chance to work out the right trip.
The Foxes, coming out of the Derby (G1) at Epsom, is the class of the field. Though he was only fifth in the English Derby, the top two runners (Auguste Rodin and King of Steel) have already come back to win major European races, meaning he comes out of a truly good race. The pace may prove a bit of a challenge as he does his best running late, but he can hold his own against top horses and the cutback to 1 ¼ miles should suit him perfectly.
Belmont Derby Best Bet
Wizard of Westwood is the best bet in the Belmont Derby. He will be a long shot, as this race is his graded stakes debut. However, he is already a winner at the 1 ¼-mile distance. He shapes as the speed of the speed as well. This means he should be able to set a comfortable rhythm and have something left late: the exact same thing that long shot Classic Causeway did to win the race last year.
What makes him particularly appealing is that he is trained by Michael McCarthy. McCarthy’s ambitiously spotted shippers tend to outrun their odds, meaning that he has a method to his madness when he decides to step a horse up in class and send them across the country to do so. Despite such a good record of doing that, his horses tend to remain long shots, making a horse like Wizard of Westwood a great bet.
Belmont Derby Exotic Horses
Webslinger has won two straight stakes races. He showed his more customary late-running style when winning the American Turf (G2) two back, but showed an interesting new dimension in the Audubon last out. He sat closer to the pace that day and made a strong run to the lead. That kind of trip may serve him well her, so if he can handle the class rise and the extra distance, he has claims for exotic wagers.
Silver Knott has spent most of his career in Europe for top trainer Charlie Appleby, though he has come to the United States for two races so far. He has stayed stateside to train after finishing third in the Pennine Ridge behind Kalik, even. His late-running style may prove a liability, but at least his consistency and class could get him a share of the exotics once again.
2023 Belmont Derby Free Picks
You have your online betting accounts et up, and you have gotten to know the field. Now, it’s time to place your wager! Here are the best bets for Saturday’s 2023 Belmont Derby:
- $20 to win - #7 Wizard of Westwood
- $1 exacta box - #7 Wizard of Westwood, #8 Kalik, #11 The Foxes
- $0.50 trifecta box - #4 Webslinger, #7 Wizard of Westwood, #8 Kalik, #11 The Foxes
- $0.20 superfecta box - #4 Webslinger, #7 Wizard of Westwood, #6 Silver Knott, #8 Kalik, #11 The Foxes
Belmont Derby Post Time
Post time for the 2023 Belmont Derby is scheduled for 5:49pm Eastern, 2:49pm Pacific, on Saturday, July 8. It will be run as the tenth of Belmont’s 12 races on Saturday’s card.
