The 2023 Belmont Stakes, the Test of the Champion, is coming up on Saturday, June 10. Horseplayers look forward to betting the Belmont Stakes all year long, and no wonder. The race draws some of the classiest horses in the sophomore division, and the uncommonly long 1 ½-mile distance makes it a handicapping puzzle unlike any other.
The Belmont Stakes offers a purse of $1.5 million again in 2023; the winner gets the lion’s share of this money as well as an iconic blanket of carnations and a spot in horse racing history. Keep reading to find out the top contenders, and see where to get real Vegas odds on the race online!
These are the official entrants for the 2023 Belmont Stakes, along with their post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning line odds:
The morning line does not reflect guaranteed horse racing betting odds. Instead, it is the racetrack’s best estimate for what the odds will be come post time. It can be a useful reference to track which horses are taking more or less betting action than they are expected to. But, at the track, you are stuck wherever the odds move by post time.
Your best bet is to play the Belmont online from a trusted online sportsbook. These sites offer real Vegas odds on races all year long. And, like in Vegas casinos, they offer fixed-odds wagering on major events so you can be confident about your price and maximize your profit by locking in Vegas odds the moment you bet.
These are Belmont Stakes Vegas odds at the leading betting sites. The odds were last updated on June 7, 2023:
| Belmont Stakes 2023 |  |
|---|---|
| Forte | +175 |
| Angel of Empire | +300 |
| Tapit Trice | +400 |
| National Treasure | +700 |
| Arcangelo | +1200 |
| Hit Show | +1400 |
| Red Route One | +1600 |
| Tapit Shoes | +3300 |
You no longer have to go to Las Vegas, or even a local casino, to get the best odds on the Belmont Stakes and other racing and sports betting events all years long. Online sports books give you real Vegas odds anywhere with an internet connection! You can bet from your phone, tablet, or computer and lock in the best profits.
Our expert reviews will help you find the best online betting sites quickly. All sites we recommend have the basics of a great experience: real Vegas odds, trusted payouts, and smooth user interfaces. Each site also offers incentives like sign-up bonuses, referral benefits, and horse racing rebates. Take a few minutes, read our review, and find out which bonuses will maximize your bankroll for the Belmont Stakes!
No race is like the Belmont Stakes. All of the runners are trying 1 ½ miles for the first time; many never will again. Look for horses improving with distance, and horses with both sires and dams who have shown Classic-distance success through themselves or their progeny.
The Belmont dirt oval is a sweeping 1 ½ mile course, broader than any other American track, giving an advantage to jockeys who have experience riding there. A rider who is unfamiliar with the size of the turns or the stretch can move too early. Furthermore, a rider who knows it should also know enough to keep his horse close enough not to have too much to do late.
National Treasure used his speed to take the Preakness, and he should be ready to do so in the Belmont as well. Longshot Il Miracolo may try to go with him early, but National Treasure should be able to shake him off. He broke a streak of being an underneath type with that Preakness win, and has gained the maturity and stamina to take this group gate to wire.
Trainer Todd Pletcher has both Forte and Tapit Trice, two of the favorites in the Belmont Stakes. Between them Forte appeals more. Though he was scratched from the Kentucky Derby, he has worked regularly since. He should be able to sit closer to the pace than his stablemate, and he has both the consistency and the grit to fight on to the end.
Tapit Trice has a strong Belmont Stakes pedigree on paper, but he disappointed in the Kentucky Derby. He sat well off the pace, something that should have suited him given the surprisingly fast pace that unfolded in the Derby, but he finished worse than his form and pedigree suggested he would. That is not a good sign for a mile and a half.
Angel of Empire has been on an upward trajectory since his upset victory in the Risen Star (G2). In the Arkansas Derby (G1) he proved he didn’t need a fiery pace up front to run well, and he finished well to be third in the Kentucky Derby. The pace works against him in the Belmont, but an in-form closer often finds his way into the exotics.
Arcangelo is the most interesting longshot in the 2023 Belmont Stakes. He has class to prove, as he comes out of the Peter Pan (G3) and not the Kentucky Derby trail, but there is a lot to like. Arcangelo handled the Belmont course beautifully in the Peter Pan, and he has enough tactical speed to be one of the few to hold National Treasure close.
He also has the best Belmont Stakes pedigree in the field. Arcangelo is by Arrogate, a sire whose progeny do better with distance. His mare is by Tapit, sire of four Belmont winners, out of a granddaughter of Better Than Honour, the dam of Belmont winners Jazil and Rags to Riches. All in all, if there is an American dirt pedigree equipped to go a mile and a half, this is it.
Tapit Shoes could also surprise for a piece of the exotics. Though he has class to prove and is buried on the rail, if he breaks well he can get a good trip close to the pace, ahead of the many closers. It is a positive that Jose Ortiz is riding, too: Ortiz is the leading jockey at Belmont headed into the racing week, so he knows where to sit and when to move over the unique track.
Here are your best bets for the 2023 Belmont Stakes!
