Belmont Stakes 2023: National Treasure can take advantage of easy lead
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The Belmont Stakes will be run for the 155th time on Saturday, June 10 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The Test of the Champion features the deepest field of any of the Triple Crown races this year. They will all face a new challenge of going 1 ½ miles on the dirt, but the spoils are excellent: $1.5 million in purse funds, and a place in horse racing history for the winner.
This is also an excellent time for horseplayers, since the uniqueness of the Belmont makes it one of the best wagering opportunities of the year. Keep reading to find out what you need to know about betting the Belmont Stakes online!
Where to Bet the Belmont
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Belmont Stakes Information
The Belmont Stakes is the last of three Triple Crown races. This third and final jewel of the series is run five weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks after the Preakness Stakes, meaning it typically falls in early- to mid-June.
The Belmont Stakes began in 1868, making it the oldest of the three Triple Crown races. It has been run at four different New York tracks throughout its history: Jerome Park, Morris Park, Aqueduct, and of course Belmont Park.
There have been 13 Triple Crown winners to date, all of whom completed their sweep in the Belmont Stakes: Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977), Affirmed (1978), American Pharoah (2015), and Justify (2018).
The most successful Belmont Stakes trainer to enter a horse in this year’s race is Todd Pletcher. Pletcher has trained four Belmont Stakes winners: the filly Rags to Riches (2007), Palace Malice (2013), Tapwrit (2017), and Mo Donegal (2022). Pletcher’s 2023 entrants include two of the market leaders, Forte and Tapit Trice. In 2022, he had two of the market leaders, and they ran 1-2: Mo Donegal and Nest.
Belmont Stakes Favorites
Favorites have won the Belmont Stakes 42% of the time. In the last 15 years only five favorites have won the Belmont Stakes, though four of the last six years have seen the favorite win, and in the other two of the last six years the favorite ran second.
- 2022: Mo Donegal – $7.20 (Favored)
- 2021: Essential Quality – $4.60 (Favored)
- 2020: Tiz the Law – $3.60 (Favored)
- 2019: Sir Winston – $22.40 (Tacitus second)
- 2018: Justify – $3.60 (Favored)
- 2017: Tapwrit – $12.60 (Irish War Cry second)
- 2016: Creator – $34.80 (Exaggerator eleventh)
- 2015: American Pharoah – $3.50 (Favored)
- 2014: Tonalist – $20.40 (California Chrome fourth)
- 2013: Palace Malice – $29.60 (Orb third)
- 2012: Union Rags – $7.50 (Dullahan seventh)
- 2011: Ruler On Ice – $51.50 (Animal Kingdom sixth)
- 2010: Drosselmeyer – $28.00 (Ice Box ninth)
- 2009: Summer Bird – $25.80 (Mine that Bird third)
- 2008: Da’ Tara – $79.00 (Big Brown distanced)
Coming into the 2023 Belmont Stakes, Forte is expected to be the favorite. However, other horses like Angel of Empire, Tapit Trice, and Preakness winner National Treasure are expected to take money in the race, making who will actually be the post-time favorite a close question.
Belmont Stakes Horses
These are the official entrants for the 2023 Belmont Stakes, along with their post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning line odds:
- Tapit Shoes (Brad Cox/Jose Ortiz) - 20/1
- Tapit Trice (Todd Pletcher/Luis Saez) - 3/1
- Arcangelo (Jena Antonucci/Javier Castellano) - 8/1
- National Treasure (Bob Baffert/John Velazquez) - 5/1
- Il Miracolo (Antonio Sano/Marcos Meneses) - 30/1
- Forte (Todd Pletcher/Irad Ortiz) - 5/2
- Hit Show (Brad Cox/Manuel Franco) - 10/1
- Angel of Empire (Brad Cox/Flavien Prat) - 7/2
- Red Route One (Steve Asmussen/Joel Rosario) - 15/1
The morning line can be a good guide to who is expected to take money. However, these are not guaranteed prices. Odds on track fluctuate until the moment the gates open and betting closes. Your best bet on the Belmont Stakes is to play at an online sportsbook. They offer fixed-odds wagering on major races, meaning you can lock in your Belmont Stakes odds the moment you bet.
These are the Belmont Stakes odds on leading contenders at the best online racebooks:
 | |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forte | +200 | +250 | +250 |
| Angel of Empire | +350 | +350 | +350 |
| Tapit Trice | +400 | +300 | +300 |
| National Treasure | +600 | +500 | +500 |
| Arcangelo | +600 | +800 | +800 |
| Hit Show | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
Belmont Stakes Handicapping
Belmont Stakes Best Bet
The best bet in the Belmont Stakes is National Treasure. He showed in the Preakness that he wasn’t just an underneath finisher: he put the blinkers back on, set the pace, and kept going to win. He should get a similarly easy pace in the Belmont Stakes. And, though the field chasing him down is a deeper group, he is a strong horse who can ride a pace advantage to victory.
Belmont Stakes Favorites
Trainer Todd Pletcher sends out the two shortest prices on the morning line: Forte and Tapit Trice. Between these two, Forte is stronger. Though he was scratched from the Kentucky Derby, he has been working regularly and well, and can run effectively off a layoff. He can also get a clean trip from his post, and settle midpack, ahead of the deeper closers.
On the other hand, Tapit Trice lost the post draw. He is mired down toward the inside, opening up more room for early trouble for a horse who isn’t the best out of the gate. It’s not impossible that Luis Saez will be able to work him outside in a timely fashion, as he did in the eleven-horse Blue Grass, though in such a deep race it is worth being skeptical about a short-priced horse set up for trouble.
Angel of Empire has been consistently good leading into the Belmont. Though he was the beaten favorite in the Kentucky Derby, he still closed up well late to be third, and did so with enough energy to suggest he may want the further distance. That may not be enough to overcome the poor pace setup, but he should be able to hit the exotics.
Belmont Stakes Longshot
Arcangelo is the most appealing price horse in the Belmont Stakes. He gets a class test this time around, as he comes out of the less deep Peter Pan (G3). However, that race showed he was improving, that he could dig in well when challenged, and that he handles the sandy Belmont footing well.
Arcangelo has tactical speed, as well; he should be one of the closest up to National Treasure in the early to middle stages of the race. That means, if National Treasure does not end up taking to 1 ½ miles, Arcangelo will be right there to pick up the running. And, being by Arrogate out of a Tapit mare from the family of Belmont winners Jazil and Rags to Riches? His pedigree looks good for the trip.
Another horse worth considering for deeper exotics is Tapit Shoes. Though the inside post could lead to some trouble early, one can be a bit more forgiving if both pace and price weigh in his favor. If Tapit Shoes does break well, he can get a good trip in close range of the pace as one of the longest shots on the board, and a step forward could mean he sweetens up the exotics.
Belmont Stakes Picks
These are the best bets for the 2023 Belmont Stakes:
- $20 to win - #4 National Treasure
- $1 exacta key - #4 National Treasure with #3 Arcangelo, #6 Forte
- $1 trifecta key - #4 National Treasure with #3 Arcangelo, #6 Forte, #8 Angel of Empire
- 20 cent superfecta key - #4 National Treasure with #1 Tapit Shoes, #3 Arcangelo, #6 Forte, #8 Angel of Empire
