Top Pick: #8 Angel of Empire to Win at Caesars Sportsbook* (Only selected states)
With no Triple Crown possibility, it would have been nice to at least have the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winners go head-to-head, but Mage is not in the field.
However, that doesn’t mean we won’t have excitement. We still have the Preakness champ, National Treasure, and hopefully, he’ll be joined by the original Derby favorite, Forte.
With the post drawing complete and morning line odds set, Forte is again the favorite to win this year’s Belmont Stakes, but two others have lower odds than National Treasure, setting up a lot of excitement.
Remember that top sportsbooks such as Caesars Sportsbooks and BetMGM offer their racebook app in states like Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts and Ohio. Remember to check your local legislation to find out which options are available.
155th Belmont Stakes
Saturday, June 10, 2023 – Post Time 07:02 EDT at Belmont Park
Race Info
- Race 12 – 1 1/2 Miles, 3-Year-Olds
- Purse: $1.5 Million
Post
Here is the complete field for the Belmont Stakes (with trainer, jockey and morning line betting odds)
| Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Odds (Morning Line) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Tapit Shoes | Brad Cox | Jose Ortiz | 20-1 |
| 2. Tapit Trice | Todd Pletcher | Luis Saez | 3-1 |
| 3. Arcangelo | Jena Antonucci | Javier Castellano | 8-1 |
| 4. National Treasure | Bob Baffert | John Velazquez | 5-1 |
| 5. Il Miracolo | Antonio Sano | Marcos Menenses | 30-1 |
| 6. Forte | Todd Pletcher | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 5-2 |
| 7. Hit Show | Brad Cox | Manny Franco | 10-1 |
| 8. Angel of Empire | Brad Cox | Flavien Prat | 7-2 |
| 9. Red Route One | Steve Asmussen | Joel Rosario | 15-1 |
The Field
1. Tapit Shoes
A very interesting horse in this race. Like the other horse just below with – Tapit – in the name, his namesake got better with age. In five starts, Tapit Shoes has a win, place, and show and could be an intriguing pick in a vertical wager.
2. Tapit Trice
This horse has the pedigree to run this distance and be a factor at the end.
However, he only hit the board once in four tries (show finish) and was a distant 7th at the Kentucky Derby. The odds suggest something more than we’ve seen.
3. Arcangelo
This horse is likely to draw attention as a long shot. With two wins and a place in four tries, Arcangelo has shown excellent closing speed in both victories and will have Derby-winning rider Javier Castellano in the irons. Some minor questions on the distance, but they could pull a shocker.
4. National Treasure
The Preakness champ figures to be a money-maker with a 2-1-2 record (Win-Place-Show) in a half dozen trips.
National Treasure prefers to run from the front and will likely do the same (just at a bit slower pace), with jockey John Velazquez looking to save something for the added distance. A contender along with a trifecta choice.
5. Il Miracolo
Miracolo is one of two horses with 10 races and has ample experience. With two 1sts and three 2nds, that sounds better than it is because those happened against lesser fields.
In his last five starts, which were all stakes races, the highest finish was 5th. Pass.
6. Forte
The class of the field with six wins in seven showings, we finally should see what Forte is about.
Of concern is nine weeks off on race day since Forte was competing and to do so at this length might be a challenge especially if the horse is too anxious early and run itself empty. He’s a closer, does he shine in the moment?
7. Hit Show
Jockey Manny Franco will have to find the sweet spot of Hit Show to keep him engaged near the lead and be able to call on him when needed.
He has shown a tendency like in the Derby to flatten out when running with the pack. Probably best to use it at the bottom of a trifecta wager.
8. Angel of Empire
After finishing a third at Churchill on Derby Day, trainer Brad Cox set his sights on this horse for this race.
With plenty of experience and results (7 starts, 4-1-1) Angel of Empire went from 8th to 3rd five weeks ago and showed he might have won if not been boxed around the far turn and forced wide. Cox likes to pick his spots and won here two years ago.
9. Red Route One
Known as a deep closer, the length of this race is hardly ideal for Red Route One. Nonetheless, trainer Steve Asmussen sees something he likes about this horse in this spot. Other than a superfecta slot, it is hard to make a case for RRO, who has two seconds in six graded races.
Picks
This should be an excellent race and the added distance makes many of the dynamics unknown, but we’ll go with the quality.
- Win: #8 Angel of Empire
- Place: #4 National Treasure
- Show: #7 Hit Show
