155th Belmont Stakes Betting
The 155th running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 10th won’t have a Triple Crown on the line, but it could be an excellent race. We finally get to see Forte, who would have been the Kentucky Derby favorite if he had run, plus we will find out of Tapit Trice can bounce back from a disappointing Derby. Not to be forgotten is Angel of Empire who finished third as the Kentucky Derby betting favorite and Preakness winner National Treasure for trainer Bob Baffert. Trainers Todd Pletcher and Brad Cox have more than half of the horses in the Belmont Stakes field, as Cox has three horses, while Pletcher has two. Let’s look at the 2023 Belmont Stakes field.
2023 Belmont Stakes At a Glance
Date: Saturday, June 10, 2023
Location: Belmont Park, Elmont, NY
Length: 1 1/2 miles ( 12 furlongs ), dirt track
Purse: Approximately $1.5 million
Belmont Stakes TV Coverage: NBC
In 1905, Belmont Park became the permanent home of the Belmont Stakes and the usual distance of 1 1/2 miles was set in 1926. That makes this the longest of the three Triple Crown races, testing horses’ endurance.
Fillies don't run in the Belmont Stakes often, but they do from time to time. With the Triple Tiara becoming less and less notable as time goes on, you'll sometimes see a filly get off that trail and run in the Belmont instead. A total of 23 fillies have run in the Belmont Stakes with three winning it. Rags to Riches was the last filly to win the Belmont Stakes in 2007.
155th Belmont Stakes Betting Odds
2023 Belmont Stakes Field
PP - Horse - Jockey - Trainer - Odds
1 – Tapit Shoes – Jose Ortiz – Brad Cox – 20/1
2 – Tapit Trice – Luis Saez – Todd Pletcher – 3/1
3 – Arcangelo – Javier Castellano – Jena Antonucci – 8/1
4 – National Treasure – John Velazquez – Bob Baffert – 5/1
5 – Il Miracolo – Marcos Meneses – Antonio Sano – 30/1
6 – Forte – Irad Ortiz Jr. – Todd Pletcher – 5/2
7 – Hit Show – Manny Franco – Brad Cox – 10/1
8 – Angel of Empire – Flavien Prat – Brad Cox – 7/2
9 – Red Route One – Joel Rosario – Steve Asmussen – 15/1
There is no question that the 2023 Belmont Stakes will be competitive. There are five horses listed at single-digit odds and you can’t rule out a few horses at odds of 10/1, 15/1 and 20/1. The only horse that doesn’t look to have a chance is Il Miracolo at odds of 30/1.
The top four contenders to win the Belmont Stakes are Forte, Tapit Trice, Angel of Empire and National Treasure. Forte was the favorite leading up to the Kentucky Derby but then was scratched. The horse could have been a Triple Crown contender, so he is a deserving favorite. Tapit Trice looked good leading up to the Derby with four straight wins, but then flopped in the Derby, finishing 7th. Angel of Empire went off as the Derby favorite but couldn’t rally and finished third behind Mage and Two Phil’s. National Treasure won the Preakness but there are serious questions as to whether the horse can handle the mile and a half distance of the Belmont.
Darkhorse contenders to win the Belmont are Arcangelo who has Javier Castellano in the irons, Hit Show who is trained by Brad Cox, and Red Route One who has Steve Asmussen as his trainer. The longshots are Tapit Shoes who is trained by Cox and Il Miracolo who has the relative unknown Antonio Sano as his trainer.
Belmont Stakes Winners (2000)
YEAR |
WINNER |
ODDS |
JOCKEY |
TRAINER |
TIME |
2022 |
Mo Donegal |
2.60 |
Irad Ortiz Jr. |
Todd Pletcher |
2:28.28 |
2021 |
Essential Quality |
1.30 |
Luis Saez |
Brad Cox |
2:27.11 |
2020 |
Tiz the Law |
.80 |
Manny Franco |
Barclay Tagg |
1:46.53 |
2019 |
Sir Winston |
10.20 |
Joel Rosario |
Mark E. Casse |
2:28.30 |
2018 |
Justify |
.80 |
Mike Smith |
Bob Baffert |
2:28.18 |
2017 |
Tapwrit |
5.30 |
Jose Ortiz |
Todd Pletcher |
2:30.02 |
2016 |
Creator |
15.00 |
Irad Ortiz Jr. |
Steve Asmussen |
2:28.51 |
2015 |
American Pharoah |
0.75 |
Victor Espinoza |
Bob Baffert |
2:26.65 |
2014 |
Tonalist |
12.00 |
Joel Rosario |
Christophe Clement |
2:28.52 |
2013 |
Palace Malice |
13.00 |
Mike Smith |
Todd Pletcher |
2:30.70 |
2012 |
Union Rags |
3.00 |
John Velazquez |
Michael Matz |
2:30.42 |
2011 |
Ruler on Ice |
24.00 |
Jose Valdivia Jr. |
Kelly Breen |
2:30.88 |
2010 |
Drosselmeyer |
13.00 |
Mike Smith |
William Mott |
2:31.57 |
2009 |
Summer Bird |
12.00 |
Kent Desormeaux |
Tim Ice |
2:27.54 |
2008 |
Da'Tara |
38.00 |
Alan Garcia |
Nick Zito |
2:29.65 |
2007 |
Rags to Riches |
4.00 |
John Velazquez |
Todd Pletcher |
2:28.74 |
2006 |
Jazil |
6.00 |
Fernandez Jara |
Kiaran McLaughlin |
2:27.86 |
2005 |
Afleet Alex |
1.15 |
Jeremy Rose |
Timothy Ritchey |
2:28.75 |
2004 |
Birdstone |
36.00 |
Edgar Prado |
Nick Zito |
2:27.50 |
2003 |
Empire Maker |
2.00 |
Jerry Bailey |
Robert Frankel |
2:28.26 |
2002 |
Sarava |
70.25 |
Edgar Prado |
Kenneth McPeek |
2:29.71 |
2001 |
Point Given |
1.35 |
Gary Stevens |
Bob Baffert |
2:26.56 |
2000 |
Commendable |
18.80 |
Pat Day |
D. Wayne Lukas |
2:31.19 |
There really isn't a way to put Secretariat's run at the 1973 Belmont Stakes into perspective. To say that he was phenomenal that day is an understatement, as he ran the race in a record 2:24 flat and won by a record 31 lengths. There aren't many unbreakable records in sports, but this is one of them. We've never even seen a horse run the third leg of the Triple Crown in 2:25, let alone in 2:24, and to win any race by 30+ lengths is just stupefying.
Fastest Times
YEAR |
HORSE |
TIME |
1973 |
Secretariat |
2:24.00 |
1989 |
Easy Goer |
2:26.00 |
1992 |
A.P. Indy |
2:26.13 |
1988 |
Risen Star |
2:26.40 |
2001 |
Point Given |
2:26.56 |
You should consider anything under 2:27 a great time to win the Belmont Stakes. American Pharoah blazed through the mile and a half in 2:26.65, the second fastest time ever for a Triple Crown winner behind Secretariat, and he and Point Given are the only two horses to run the Belmont in less than 2:27 since 2000. The next closest since then was Birdstone in 2004, and he needed 2:27.50 to finish the race.
Longest Odds To Win
YEAR |
HORSE |
TIME |
2002 |
Sarava |
70.25 |
1961 |
Sherluck |
65.05 |
1980 |
Temperence Hill |
53.40 |
2008 |
Da' Tara |
38.00 |
2004 |
Birdstone |
36.00 |
Upsets in the Belmont Stakes have certainly been more frequent in recent years than in the past, and there have been some massive upsets in that mix. Sarava pulled off the upset of all upsets when he cashed in at a whopping price of 70 to 1 in 2002, ending the Triple Crown bid of War Emblem. He's one of the three who have ever won this race at a price of 50 to 1 or better.
Most Jockey Wins
JOCKEY |
WINS |
YEARS WON |
Jim McLaughlin |
6 |
1882, 1883, 1884, 1886, 1887, 1888 |
Eddie Arcaro |
6 |
1941, 1942, 1945, 1948, 1952, 1955 |
Earl Sande |
5 |
1921, 1923, 1924, 1927, 1930 |
Bill Shoemaker |
5 |
1957, 1959, 1962, 1967, 1975 |
It really shouldn't be shocking that the old-time jockeys are the ones who have won the Belmont Stakes most often. The record of six held by Eddie Arcaro and Jim McLaughlin will probably never be touched. Arcaro is considered by many to be the greatest jockey of all-time, and it’s unlikely anyone surpasses him.
Most Trainer Wins
TRAINER |
WINS |
YEARS WON |
James G. Rowe Sr. |
8 |
1883, 1884, 1901, 1904, 1908, 1910, 1913, 1931 |
Sam Hildreth |
7 |
1899, 1909, 1916, 1917, 1921, 1923, 1924 |
Jim Fitzsimmons |
6 |
1930, 1932, 1935, 1936, 1939, 1955 |
Woody Stephens |
5 |
1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986 |
Todd Pletcher |
4 |
2007, 2013, 2017, 2022 |
Max Hirsch |
4 |
1928, 1946, 1950, 1954 |
D. Wayne Lukas |
4 |
1994, 1995, 1996, 2000 |
R. Wyndham Walden |
4 |
1878, 1880, 1881, 1898 |
The greatest run in the history of any of the Triple Crown races for trainers came from 1982 through 1986 when the great Woody Stephens trained five consecutive winners at the Belmont Stakes. Stephens immediately became one of the best trainers in NYRA history, and no one will ever touch five straight Belmont Stakes victories ever again. James G. Rowe Sr.'s record of eight Belmont victories will very likely also never be touched.
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