News - 04/04/24
Belmont Stakes 2023: California-based National Treasure can win again
Category : News
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Thu 08/06/2023 - 07:49 EDT
Coming up on Saturday, June 10 is the final jewel of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes. One of the top betting horse races of the year, the race offers a $1.5 million purse for leading three-year-olds going 1 ½ miles on the dirt track at Belmont. In addition to the huge purse, there is also a place in horse racing history ready for the winner!
Even though there is not a Triple Crown at stake this year, since Kentucky Derby winner Mage finished third in the Preakness Stakes, there are still many important storylines for the horse racing world. Preakness winner National Treasure will run in the Belmont, as will beaten Derby favorites Angel of Empire and Tapit Trice.
Keep reading to find out the best horses to bet in the Belmont Stakes, as well as the best sites for betting the Belmont Stakes online in California.
Belmont Stakes Betting Online
Though all of us would love to travel to New York to see the Belmont Stakes in person, you can still be a part of the action from anywhere by signing up for an online betting site! Online racebooks give you the best Belmont Stakes odds from anywhere with an internet connection, and you don’t have to wait in line!
All of our recommended online racebooks offer trusted payouts, great user interfaces, and market-leading odds. Each one also offers horse racing bonuses you’ll never find at the track like sign-up bonuses, horse racing rebates, and referral benefits. Boost your bankroll by hundreds or even thousands of dollars by taking a few minutes now to read our reviews and find the best bonuses for your betting style!
Belmont Stakes Field
This is the official field for the 2023 Belmont Stakes including draw numbers, trainers, jockeys, and morning lines:
- 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
Keep in mind that the odds are just the racetrack’s best estimate of the Belmont Stakes odds. Betting on track means you won’t know your real price until post time. Betting at an online sportsbook is better because you can lock in your odds at the moment you bet on major horse races. Thus, you know what you will get when your horse wins!
These are the odds on horses at the top of the Belmont Stakes market at leading California racebooks:
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Belmont Stakes Handicapping
There is no handicapping challenge like the Belmont. After all, no horse in the field has tried 1 ½ miles yet. Therefore, in addition to checking the race form to find out who is improving with more distance, pedigree handicapping is more important than ever. Jockey experience matters, too; Belmont is an uncommonly large track so there is an advantage to jockeys who ride the course often
Keep running style in mind, too. There is a fallacy that closers will improve with more distance, but often that is not the case. Looking at actual results, horses with tactical or even frontrunning speed win the Belmont more often than closers do. Late-runners can fill out trifectas or superfectas, but need a lot of speed up front in order to be win candidates.
Belmont Stakes Best Bet
National Treasure is the best bet in the Belmont Stakes. He comes off of a frontrunning score in the Preakness, and should get just as favorable a pace scenario in the Belmont as he had then. The only other horse who tends to go to the lead is Il Miracolo, and National Treasure is faster early anyway. This should mean he sets the pace and has enough left to leave the closers chasing after him.
Belmont Stakes Favorites
With both Forte and Tapit Trice, trainer Todd Pletcher has the two shortest prices on the morning line for the Belmont Stakes. Forte is a strong choice, particularly for exotics. He should be able to get a good midpack trip, and even though he missed a start in the Kentucky Derby, he has been working well and can come back strong off of a layoff.
Forte should be able to work a better trip than Tapit Trice, who is suspect after a disappointing Kentucky Derby as well as a poor post draw in the Belmont. He was losing ground late at 1 ¼ miles, a poor sign for the Belmont distance. And, from an inside post, it’s going to be tougher for him to get out for room, especially without losing a lot of position early.
Angel of Empire makes sense for exotics. He ran on well for third in the Kentucky Derby, gaining ground on the lead late. Though the lack of early pace hurts his closing style, he showed in the Arkansas Derby (G1) that he can run a good race without a cracking pace. Even though a win may be too much to ask, it would be no shock to see him hit the board.
Belmont Stakes Price Horses
Make sure to put Arcangelo on your tickets, especially exotics. He has class to prove coming out of the Peter Pan (G3), but he won that race in game fashion and proved he could handle the footing at Big Sandy well. Arcangelo has also shown that he has the right running style for the Belmont; unlike many shorter-priced foes, he should be able to track in range of the lead.
Arcangelo also has the best 1 ½-mile pedigree in the field. He is by Arrogate, a sire whose progeny have moved forward with distance. His dam is by Belmont Stakes super-sire Tapit, and from the direct female line that produced both Jazil and Rags to Riches, a pair of recent Belmont winners. All in all, there is a lot to like about Arcangelo at a square price.
For deeper exotics, consider Tapit Shoes as well. The rail draw may be tough, but it’s more easily forgivable for a price horse with other upside compared to the bad draw for short-priced Tapit Trice. Tapit Shoes has shown tactical speed in previous races, and should get up closer to the pace than most of the favored horses. Under leading Belmont rider Jose Ortiz, he could get the right trip to outrun his odds.
Belmont Stakes Bets
Now that you have made your online racebook account and gotten to know the top contenders, it is time to place your bets! These are the best bets on 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
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