The 155th edition of the Belmont Stakes is coming up Saturday, June 10, 2023. The oldest and longest Triple Crown race, it is known as the Test of the Champion. The test is indeed demanding: 1 ½ miles on the sweeping, sandy Belmont dirt course. The prizes are worth it, though: the lion’s share of a $1.5 million purse, and a place in horse racing history.
Anyone who enjoys betting horse racing looks forward to the Belmont Stakes, as well. The race features the deepest field of any of the three Triple Crown races in 2023, including juvenile champion Forte, Preakness winner National Treasure, Kentucky Derby favorite Angel of Empire,and Peter Pan winner Arcangelo. Anyone who solves the puzzle correctly will be paid well!
These are the odds on leading 2023 Belmont Stakes contenders at major sports betting sites:
 |  |  |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Forte | +200 | +250 | +190 |
| Angel of Empire | +350 | +350 | +350 |
| Tapit Trice | +400 | +300 | +350 |
| National Treasure | +600 | +500 | +600 |
| Arcangelo | +600 | +800 | +1400 |
| Hit Show | +1000 | +1000 | +1200 |
Though many bettors and fans want to go to New York for the Belmont Stakes, not everyone can make it there. Fortunately, you can be part of the action from anywhere with an internet connection. The best online sportsbooks let you play the Belmont, as well as racing and sports events all year long, from your smartphone, tablet, or computer without waiting in line!
All of our recommended sportsbooks have real Vegas odds, great user interfaces, and trusted payouts. They also offer excellent betting bonuses like deposit and sign-up bonuses, referral benefits, and horse racing rebates all year long! Let our experts help make your choice of an online sportsbook an easy one: we are here to help you maximize your Belmont Stakes betting profits.
This is the official field for the 2023 Belmont Stakes including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning line odds:
Keep in mind that the morning line does not reflect guaranteed Belmont Stakes odds, but rather show the track’s estimate of the prices. On track, odds fluctuate until post time. Your best bet for the 2023 Belmont Stakes is to bet online. Online sportsbooks offer fixed-odds wagering on major events, meaning you can lock in the best odds right when you place your bet.
The Belmont Stakes is unlike any other event of the horse racing year, so keep these things in mind.
People often bet horses who finished well in the Kentucky Derby or another long race. However, this reflects a fallacy: closers do not usually win the Belmont Stakes. Instead, horses with tactical speed tend to fare a lot better. Unless a pace collapse looks likely, with multiple need-the-lead types, you are better off picking a horse with tactical speed to win.
No horse in the field has ever gone the Belmont distance. So, make sure that your horse has a good distance pedigree. Many horses in the United States are bred to go sprint or middle distances, so look for a horse who has a lot of close relatives who have stretched out to Classic distances or even longer successfully.
The Belmont course is not like other racetracks, so give more credit to jockeys who have experience riding at Belmont Park. With Belmont being a larger, more sweeping course than many others, jockeys who do not know the track well can move their horses too early instead of saving their energy for the long, demanding stretch.
Trainer Todd Pletcher has a pair of short-priced Belmont Stakes entrants: Forte and Tapit Trice. Between these two, Forte has a significantly better shot. Even though he missed the Kentucky Derby, he has been working well. He drew better than his stablemate, and should be able to get a better start and sit tactically closer…think midpack and not the rear.
That tactical speed is important, because National Treasure should get the run of the race. In fact, National Treasure is the best bet in the Belmont Stakes. He comes off of a frontrunning Preakness Stakes win, and keep the blinkers he wore that day. He should be fast enough to either outjump longshot Il Miracolo or at least shake him off quickly, and he should set a soft enough pace to make him hard to catch.
Angel of Empire comes in off of a third-place finish in the Kentucky Derby as the favorite in that race. He finished well and was closing up on Mage and Two Phil’s, running a race that suggests he is holding the good form he had through the prep season. He will have to face the same pace questions as the other late runners like Forte, but should be among the better finishers.
The most interesting longshot in the 2023 Belmont Stakes is Arcangelo. He has class to prove in the race because his only stakes start came in the Peter Pan (G3), not a Triple Crown race or even the Triple Crown prep season. But, he showed grit and stamina in the Peter Pan, and also proved he could handle the deep Belmont footing well.
Arcangelo has tactical speed, a running style that does well in the Belmont in general, and should be especially important without a lot of speed in the race. He also has the best 1 ½-mile pedigree in the field. He is by stamina sire Arrogate out of a Tapit mare from the family of Belmont winners Jazil and Rags to Riches. All in all, there is a lot to like about Arcangelo.
Tapit Shoes also merits consideration for exotics. Though he is mired on the rail, that is less of a concern at as big a price as he will be. As long as he gets away well, he should be able to work a tactical tracking trip, and get the jump on so many of the closers in this race. He has class to prove and will likely find a few too good, but a good race should see him in the money.
You have set up your Belmont Stakes betting account. You have gotten to know the contenders. There is only one thing left to do, and it’s the most fun thing: placing your bet!
These are the expert bets for the 2023 Belmont Stakes.
About the Author
For a decade, Rowan Ward has been making horse race predictions and wagers in Chicago, and has been writing about horse racing for nearly just as long. Understanding the various factors that influence a race's outcome, they often find that the age-old saying "the pace makes the race" can uncover worthwhile betting opportunities. When it comes to handicapping, their favorite races are those held locally in Chicago, major stake races across the country, and two-year-old maiden races with intriguing bloodlines.
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