The most exciting race of the year in New York is coming up on Saturday, June 10 and you can be a part of it by betting the Belmont Stakes! The race drew the classiest, deepest field of any of the Triple Crown races. And, the spoils are excellent: $1.5 million, the iconic blanket of carnations, and a place in horse racing immortality.
Todd Pletcher, a New York trainer who has already won the Belmont Stakes four times, should have two of the favorites in 2023: champion Forte and Blue Grass Stakes (G1) winner Tapit Trice. With other contenders like Preakness winner National Treasure, Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Angel of Empire and Peter Pan (G3) winner Arcangelo in the fray, it will be an excellent race.
Read on to find out the best horses to bet, and the best places to bet the Belmont Stakes online in New York.
Choosing a place to play the Belmont Stakes can seem difficult because there are a lot of options. Our experts are here to help you quickly and confidently make a choice with their trusted horse betting site reviews. All of our recommended sites offer the basics: trusted payouts, market-leading odds, and the convenience of betting anywhere with an internet connection.
Our recommended sites also offer great bonuses like sign-up and deposit bonuses, referral incentives, and horse racing rebates that pay you back for every bet you make. So, take a few minutes now to pick the most profitable one for your betting style, and get ready to maximize your Belmont Stakes betting profits!
These are the official entrants for the 2023 Belmont Stakes, along with their post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning line odds:
Keep in mind that the morning line is the track’s best estimate of what the odds will be come post time. Odds on track are not final until the race begins. When you bet Belmont Park’s biggest horse race, you can maximize your profits by playing the race at an online racebook. Since racebooks offer fixed-odds betting on major races, you can lock in the best odds at the moment you bet!
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
The Belmont Stakes is a challenge unlike any other of the horse betting year. Between the long distance, the pace demands, and the necessity for knowledge of the track, keep these things in mind as you pick a Belmont Stakes horse.
Belmont Park is unique. Most of the tracks around the United States are a lot shorter, which many of the major tracks only being a mile or a mile and an eighth around. A full circuit of the Belmont dirt is a mile and a half, and it takes both knowledge and finesse to give a horse a good ride while leaving enough energy to finish well.
Experienced jockeys at Belmont Park tend to ride this unique track better. Note that the three current leading jockeys at Belmont Park all have mounts in the Belmont Stakes: Jose Ortiz takes the call on Tapit Shoes, Irad Ortiz, Jr. rides Forte, and Manuel Franco has the ride on Hit Show.
Looking at the trainers who have horses in the Belmont Stakes, Todd Pletcher does well at New York tracks year in and year out. He has a pair in the 2023 Belmont Stakes, Forte and Tapit Trice. He has won the Belmont four times already including a 1-2 finish in 2022 with Mo Donegal and Nest.
National Treasure is the best bet in the Belmont Stakes. He did get things his own way on the front when winning the Preakness last out, but he stands to get things just as easily up front in the Belmont. The outclassed Il Miracolo may try to make a race of it early, but it is unlikely he can provide a meaningful challenge to National Treasure. With a soft lead early, it would be no surprise for National Treasure to carry it to the wire.
Trainer Todd Pletcher sends out the two shortest prices on the morning line: Forte and Tapit Trice. Tapit Trice has a good Belmont pedigree but both the inside post and his closing style weigh against him. Forte is more appealing. He drew a cleaner post toward the outside, and should be able to sit midpack under Irad Ortiz. Forte runs well enough fresh that he should be able to mount a good late run.
Angel of Empire should also be able to muster a strong finish. He was coming on sharply late in the Kentucky Derby, well enough to suggest that he will mount a legitimate late challenge in the Belmont. Though the pace scenario suggests that he’ll be running for an underneath piece again, he is a consistent horse and does not need an absolute collapse to show up, like he did in the Arkansas Derby (G1).
The most appealing longshot in the Belmont Stakes is Arcangelo. He should be able to get an excellent trip in the Belmont, as he is tactical enough to grab a spot in close range behind National Treasure. This means that if the Preakness winner cannot quite get the Belmont trip, Arcangelo will be ready to pick up the mantle.
On pedigree, Arcangelo has the most appealing Belmont breeding of anyone. Sire Arrogate has been throwing foals who get better as the distances get longer. And, he is out of a Tapit mare from the direct family of Jazil and Rags to Riches, both of whom won the Belmont. It is as much of a 1 ½-mile dirt pedigree as you will ever see nowadays.
Tapit Shoes, for leading Belmont jockey Jose Ortiz, has a chance based on trip. The inside post is not great, but if he comes away well, he can get a good spot near the lead for a rider who is familiar enough with the track to know the right time to make a move. This could get him a piece of the exotics at a huge price.
At Belmont Park you can wager on many of the same wagers that you get all over the country. You can bet to win, meaning the horse must run first. You can bet to place, meaning the horse must run first or second. A show bet means the horse must run first, second, or third. Across the board means betting a horse to win, place, or show.
You can also chase higher payouts with exotic wagers. An exacta requires picking the first two horses in order, the trifecta the first three in order, superfecta the first four. Boxing these wagers costs more, but ensures you have every order covered, so your horses can finish in any order.
You can also pick winners in multiple races. A Daily Double requires you to pick the winners of two races in a row. A Pick 3, Pick 4, and Pick 5 require you to pick winners of 3, 4, and 5 races in a row. The Empire 6, a $1 minimum Pick 6, makes you pick six winners in a row: every race from the Jaipur through the Belmont.
Finally, New York Racing Association racetracks also offer the unique Grand Slam bet. Offered in races 7 through 10 on Belmont Day, your horse has to finish first, second, or third in the first three legs, and then win the final leg.
You have learned about the race, the horses, and the wagers available. You have created your online betting account. Now, it’s time to bet the Belmont! Here are the best bets for the 2023 Belmont Stakes:
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