The 2023 Belmont Stakes is coming up Saturday, June 10 at Belmont Park! The deepest field of three-year-old dirt horses yet will go 1 ½ miles around the dirt course, longer than any of them have ever gone. The spoils are rich: a $1.5 million purse, an iconic blanket of carnations, and a place in horse racing history forever.
Players in the know are also looking forward to the challenge of betting this horse race. Finding out who can carve out the right pace and who can stay the distance is one of the great puzzles, especially since the whole field is still maturing by the day. This is the place for expert insight about the horses in the race, and the best places to bet the Belmont Stakes online.
Betting the Belmont Stakes Online
Thanks to online sportsbooks, you can be a part of the Belmont Stakes action from anywhere with an internet connection! Our expert online sportsbook reviews will help you choose the best place to bet the race. All of our recommended sites have the basics: trusted payouts and deposits, smooth user interfaces, and market-leading betting odds.
Each site also offers incentives like sign-up bonuses, deposit bonuses, referral benefits, and horse racing rebates. Taking a few minutes to read our reviews and choose the best bonuses for your betting style can mean hundreds or even thousands of dollars in cash or free bets. This can make your Belmont, and your wagering all year long, even more profitable.
The Triple Crown So Far
There is no Triple Crown at stakes in the Belmont Stakes, as Mage won the Kentucky Derby but finished third to National Treasure in the Preakness. Though Mage is resting up for a summer campaign, National Treasure will return in the Belmont and stands to be part of the early pace in the race.
Other major contenders in the race include Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Angel of Empire, the beaten favorite in the Derby, as well as Tapit Trice, the beaten second-favorite from the Run for the Roses. Forte, who was scratched from the Kentucky Derby on the morning of the big race, is expected to be well bet in the Belmont, maybe even the favorite.
Belmont Stakes Field and Odds
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
Remember that the morning line is not a guarantee, but rather the track’s estimate for what the tote board will look like come post time. Your best bet in the Belmont Stakes is to watch the odds at leading online sportsbooks. Since they offer fixed-odds betting on major events, you can lock in the best price when you see an overlay on your selection in the race.
These are the Belmont Stakes odds on leading contenders in the race:
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Belmont Best Bet
The pace makes the race, which means National Treasure is the best play in the Belmont Stakes. He did get things his own way on the front end in the Preakness. However, that should be the case once again in the Belmont. The only real speed horse is outclassed longshot Il Miracolo; if National Treasure is fast enough to either outjump him or shake him off early, which he should be, he will be difficult to catch.
Belmont Favorites
Trainer Todd Pletcher sends out the two shortest-priced horses on the morning line, Forte and Tapit Trice. Between them, Forte is significantly preferred. Tapit Trice drew a bad near-inside gate, leaving him vulnerable to a poor break and sitting too far off of a slow pace. Forte drew better, and should be able to work out a spot that is more midpack than deep-closing. That will make a difference.
Angel of Empire is another runner who should be able to run on late for a piece. He showed good improvement when winning the Risen Star (G2) and then the Arkansas Derby (G1), and was finishing well for third in the Kentucky Derby. Though the slower pace up front hurts his chances given his late-running style, he didn’t have a fiery pace in the Arkansas Derby and still finished well. This should get him in the money.
Belmont Longshots
Arcangelo is the most interesting longshot in the 2023 Belmont Stakes. He should be able to get a good tactical trip, in close range behind National Treasure. It also weighs in his favor that he has a win at Belmont Park, since that track can be love-it-or-hate-it due to its sandy texture.
Arcangelo also has the best Belmont pedigree. Being by Arrogate out of a Tapit mare from the direct family of Jazil and Rags to Riches, he has more upside at a mile and a half than the vast majority of American dirt horses. This means that if National Treasure hits a wall in the final quarter-mile, he seems the closest and most-likely beneficiary.
Tapit Shoes also interests for the underneath shares of deeper exotics. He has significant class to prove in the Belmont Stakes, but if he breaks well from the rail draw he should be among the horses closest up behind the pacesetter. With a bit of pedigree upside (though his underside may be more nine-furlong, he is by stamina merchant Tapit), he could work a good trip at a big price.
Free Belmont Bets
Here are your 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
