Florida Derby winner Forte will try to repeat the success of favorites in the Test of the Champion when he faces eight other three-year-olds in the 2023 Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park. In the 154 previous editions of the Belmont, 66, or 42.9%, have been won by the Belmont Stakes betting favorite. That includes the favorite winning the last three years and four of the last five. This year Forte, is the 5-2 favorite in the 2023 Belmont Stakes odds. Blue Grass Stakes winner Tapit Trice is the second choice at 3-1 in the nine-horse 2023 Belmont Stakes field. Angel of Empire (7-2), National Treasure (5-1) and Arcangelo (8-1) round out the top five 2023 Belmont Stakes horses according to oddsmakers.
The 2023 Belmont Stakes post time is 7:02 p.m. ET. With an accomplished and evenly-matched field set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you'll want to see what SportsLine writer Gene Menez has to say before making any 2023 Belmont Stakes picks.
A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI's handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010. In 2015, while writing for Sports on Earth, Menez accurately gave out the Kentucky Derby superfecta (American Pharoah, Firing Line, Dortmund and Frosted). In 2017, he tweeted out his Kentucky Derby picks, including Always Dreaming to win, and hit the Pick 4.
In a span of seven races earlier this year, he cashed the winner of the Lecomte Stakes, the exacta in the Southwest Stakes, the winner of the Holy Bull Stakes, the winner of the Sam F. Davis Stakes, the place horse of the Rebel Stakes, and the trifecta in the Jenny Wiley Stakes. Three weeks ago, he nailed National Treasure's win at the Preakness Stakes. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, he has handicapped the 2023 Belmont Stakes lineup, made his picks and constructed his bets. You can only see them here.
Top 2023 Belmont Stakes expert predictions
One surprise: Menez is low on Forte, even though he is the top favorite. A son of Violence, Forte has six wins in seven career starts. He has won his last five races, including the Grade 1 Florida Derby in his last start.
However, his speed figures have declined over his last two races. After winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November with a 100 Beyer Speed Figure, he earned a 98 in the Fountain of Youth and a 95 in the Florida Derby. "Forte faces the daunting challenge of going 1½ miles off a 10-week layoff," Menez told SportsLine. "His sire, Violence, is known more for producing sprinters than classic runners, so the distance is a concern. As the field races down the stretch on Saturday, I would not be surprised to see Forte come up short." See which other 2023 Belmont Stakes horses to fade here.
Another curveball: Menez is high on Arcangelo, even though he's an 8-1 longshot. A modest $35,000 purchase two years ago, Arcangelo already has earned more than $167,000 in his short career. He is coming off a career-best effort in winning the Peter Pan Stakes by a head over the talented Bishops Bay.
Menez believes Arcangelo, a son of Arrogate and out of a Tapit mare, has the pedigree to excel at the Belmont's 1½-mile distance. "If the Test of the Champion is not too much too soon for Arcangelo, he could be right there at the end," Menez told SportsLine. Menez is using Arcangelo prominently in his 2023 Belmont Stakes bets. See which 2023 Belmont Stakes contenders he is backing at SportsLine.
How to make 2023 Belmont Stakes bets
Menez's top pick is a horse who's "sitting on a big effort." He also is high on a double-digit longshot who is coming off a "sneaky good race." He's sharing which 2023 Belmont Stakes horses to back only at SportsLine.
So who wins the Belmont Stakes 2023? What double-digit longshot has a big chance, and how has Menez constructed his wagers? Check out the latest 2023 Belmont Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Menez's picks for the Belmont Stakes, all from the expert who nailed the Preakness and has crushed prep races.
2023 Belmont Stakes odds, horses, post draw
| Prg # | Horse | Odds | Projection |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tapit Shoes | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 2 | Tapit Trice | 3-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 3 | Arcangelo | 8-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 4 | National Treasure | 5-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 5 | Il Miracolo | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 6 | Forte | 5-2 | SEE PICKS |
| 7 | Hit Show | 10-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 8 | Angel of Empire | 7-2 | SEE PICKS |
| 9 | Red Route One | 15-1 | SEE PICKS |
