2023 Belmont Stakes runner-by-runner guide: Horses, analysis, odds and best bet

Horse racing at Belmont Park
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Ron Wood

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Handicapper for Racing Post and Pickswise, specializing in US and Dubai horse racing with over two decades of expertize and experience. For Ron Wood media enquiries, please email contact@pickswise.com.
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When is the 2023 Belmont Stakes Race?

The 2023 Belmont Stakes will be run on Saturday, June 10, at Belmont Park racetrack in Elmont, New York.

2023 Belmont Stakes Post Time

The post time for the 2023 Belmont Stakes is 7:02 pm ET. It is Race 12 on the card.

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Belmont Stakes Odds – Who is Favorite to Win the Belmont Stakes in 2023?

Forte, trained by Todd Pletcher, is the current favorite to win the Belmont Stakes at 5/2 odds, with Tapit Trice next in the market at 3/1 and Angel of Empire close up in the betting at 7/2. Below is a list of each horse running in the Belmont Stakes and their odds from FanDuel.

Forte 5/2
Tapit Trice 3/1
Angel Of Empire 7/2
National Treasure 5/1
Arcangelo 8/1
Hit Show 10/1
Red Route One 15/1
Tapit Shoes 20/1
Il Miracolo 30/1

Belmont Stakes 2023 Horses and Runner-by-Runner Guide

There are 9 horses declared to run in the Belmont Stakes, which is Race 12 on the Saturday card at Belmont Park. Below is the name and number of each horse, as well as a quick guide to how they might perform from our horse racing expert.

1 Tapit Shoes
One of two Belmont runners by Tapit, who has sired 4 winners and been the grandsire of another in the last 8 runnings of this race as a 1m 4f contest (the race was run over 1m 1f in 2020). His dam’s sire is also a stamina influence. He was a head 2nd to Red Route One in the 1m 1f Oaklawn stakes race last time out and may do better now.

2 Tapit Trice
Tapit Trice lacks early speed but won the 1m 1f Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland in April. He should have fared better than 7th in the Kentucky Derby considering that race set up well for him but he finished behind two of these rivals. Still, his sire has strong record in this (see Tapit Shoes) and his dam’s sire was 2nd in the 2009 running. His trainer has won this 4 times, including with 3 who had been beaten in the Kentucky Derby.

3 Arcangelo
Arcangelo has had the least racing of this field with just 4 starts. He did well to win the 1m 1f Grade 3 Peter Pan at this track in his latest race as he was drawn on the rail and had to come around runners off a steady pace. The runner-up was 2-2; and there was almost 9 lengths back to the 3rd horse. The 2019 Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston was 2nd in the Peter Pan. Arcangelo is open to significant improvement now he is getting more of a stamina test, as his sire ran like he could gallop all day and the dam’s sire has a strong record in this race.

4 National Treasure

National Treasure got his own way in front from gate 1 but had just a head to spare in the 9.5-furlong Grade 1 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico and the time was ordinary for a race of such high standing. He is not a sure stayer on pedigree, even acknowledging that his dam’s sire was 2nd in the 2002 Belmont Stakes.

5 Il Miracolo

The outsider of the field was unplaced in 5 stakes races before a minor win from the front over a mile at Gulfstream Park.

6 Forte

Forte has won 6 of his 7 races, including 4 Grade 1s and has won at this track. He has had some kind trips but won the 1m 1f Grade 1 Florida Derby in April, getting behind before keeping on past Mage, who made premature move. Mage went on to win the Kentucky Derby, but this colt was scratched from the Churchill Downs race due to a foot bruise and missed some work. It’s a big ask to win a top 1m 4f contest off an interrupted preparation, and his sire isn’t much of a stamina influence.

7 Hit Show

Hit Show looked a stayer in ordinary 1m 1f Graded races at Aqueduct but didn’t see out the Kentucky Derby, although his finishing effort was compromised by an early move into the heat of the race out wide on the final turn, and 5th place behind Angel Of Empire wasn’t bad. He has the pedigree for this test.

8 Angel Of Empire

Angel Of Empire won the 1m 1f Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn before a no-excuses 3rd in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. He now gets blinkers and if the headgear helps at all he should be involved again, although stamina is a slight question mark.

9 Red Route One

This horse will probably stay, but doesn’t look good enough on his 4th place behind National Treasure in the Preakness at Pimlico.

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2023 Belmont States Picks, Predictions & Best Bets

It might be worth recalling that there were five scratches from the Kentucky Derby, including Forte (who doesn’t appeal now), and the winner Mage did nothing for the form when 3rd behind National Treasure in the Preakness. Neither of the first two Triple Crown races looked particularly strong. Hit Show, having shaped better than his 5th place at Churchill Downs suggests, is nevertheless of some interest. But ARCANGELO, a new face for this final leg of the Triple Crown, looks one to be on at a nice price. He looked to win his prep race in spite of the way it unfolded and is bred to stay this distance, so he has plenty of upside.

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