Test of the Champion: Betting Belmont Stakes Lineup and Top Contenders

Previous Betting News

The year’s final Triple Crown race starts on Saturday, June 10. Todd Pletcher sends the morning line favorite, Forte, and the second choice, Tapit Trice, to the gate. Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure is the fourth choice. The third choice is Brad Cox trained and third place Kentucky Derby finisher Angel of Empire.

Check out Belmont Stakes odds and an odds analysis for the 50th Anniversary of Secretariat.

2023 Belmont Stakes Odds Final Analysis: Betting Favorites and Predictions | MyBookie Horse Racing Preview

2023 Belmont Stakes | 50th Anniversary of Secretariat
Saturday, June 10 at 6:50 pm ET
Belmont Park, Elmont, NY
NBC/Peacock

Forte will Go off the Favorite but the Odds will Rise above +250

Forte, the 5/2 morning line chalk, will enter the starting gate the favorite, but the odds will drift. Questions surround Forte and the field is much deeper than oddsmakers realize.

Horseplayers have a lot of different ways to go. Also, Forte will have not raced for close to 10 weeks when he breaks from the Belmont starting gate. So the favorite’s odds will drift to +300.

Angel of Empire will Go off Second Choice

The buzz is out on Angel of Empire. The Kentucky Derby favorite after Forte scratched, Angel is fresh and has the closing kick to win the Test of Champions.

Brad Cox gave Angel of Empire a short freshening after the Derby. For sure, Angel goes off the second choice. Don’t be surprised if the Derby’s third place horse doesn’t end up a co-favorite with Forte.

Tapit Trice’s Odds will Rice from a +300 Morning Line to +500

Tapit Trice showed nothing in the Derby. More alarming than that is the works leading up to Belmont Stakes leave much to be desired.

Some horseplayers will jump on Tapit Trice. However, the Belmont will be his fifth race of the year without a real break. So many more horseplayers will go a different direction than back the second morning line choice.

National Treasure will Go off Third Choice at +400

Bob Baffert has is detractors but the greatest trainer in history also has his fans. After Baffert’s National Treasure won the Preakness, the Bob bandwagon got fuller.

No doubt, many horseplayers will study the past performances and conclude that National can wire the Belmont the same way he wired the Preakness. The odds on the Baffert runner will drop from the +500 morning line to +400.

Arcangelo’s Odds will Drop from +800 to +500

Jena Antonucci isn’t a name trainer, which might be the reason Arcangelo is 8-to-1 on the morning line. Form and talent trumps the trainer’s name.

No doubt, horseplayers will jump all over the Peter Pan winner. Closing against soft fractions to beat a front runner of Bishops Bay’s quality doesn’t happen often. Arcangelo will be this year’s Belmont Stakes’ wise guy choice, dropping from +800 odds to +500, maybe even lower, before the gate break.

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Belmont Stakes Updated Odds – Pre-draw

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Triple Crown Betting Alert
Get ready to witness history in the making in 2024! As we gear up for the Kentucky Derby, remember to keep an eye on the news for the Preakness Stakes odds and the Belmont Stakes odds. Will there be a Triple Crown winner in 2024? Join us as we analyze the contenders and explore the thrilling possibilities, guiding you towards your winning bets on each leg of the Triple Crown journey!

Previous Betting News

The final leg of this year’s Triple Crown happens on Saturday, June 10. Morning line Kentucky Derby favorite Forte, who had to scratch from the Derby, is the Belmont morning line favorite.

Todd Pletcher trains Forte and second choice on the morning line Tapit Trice. Angel of Empire, from the Brad Cox barn,  is the morning line third choice.

Check out updated Belmont Stakes odds, analysis, and free picks for this Saturday’s massive horse race.

2023 Belmont Stakes Updated Odds and Early Predictions | MyBookie Horse Racing Preview

2023 Belmont Stakes | 50th Anniversary of Secretariat
When: Saturday, June 10 at 6:50 pm ET
Where: Belmont Park, Elmont, NY
TV/Streaming: NBC/Peacock

Belmont Stakes Pace Prediction

Tapit Shoes and National Treasure will ensure a faster pace in the Test of Champions than what horseplayers are used to seeing. National Treasure can’t effectively rate, which means the Baffert runner will be close to the lead, while Tapit Shoes will send from the 1-hole.

Forte, Tapit Trice, and Hit Show will sit behind the two front runners. Angel of Empire, Arcangelo, and Red Route One should be further back. There’s no telling where Il Miracolo, who has the least chance of winning, will be.

Win: Arcangelo +800

The Grade 3 Peter Pan winner is turning into one of the better three-year-olds in the nation. Arcangelo went from breaking the maiden to winning a 1 1/8 mile graded race at Belmont Park. What makes Arc’s victory in the Peter Pan so amazing is that the Arrogate sired runner had to close against a super soft pace against a top front runner in Bishops Bay.

Bishop got the half-mile in 48.4. Unless Arc bounces from the tough victory, he should have no trouble closing into the fractions in this. Even if National Treasure and Tapit Shoes cut soft fractions, Arc will be flying in the stretch. 

Place: Angel of Empire +350

A couple of more lengths, or if Angel had a clear run, and the Brad Cox trained horse would have won the Kentucky Derby. Like Arcangelo, Angle of Empire has a wicked turn of foot.

Angel also has an uncanny ability to start and stop his fantastic closing runs. If the odds difference between Angel and Arc wasn’t so significant, the Cox runner would be the choice.

Show: National Treasure +500

The Bob Baffert trained Preakness winner can for sure add the Belmont Stakes trophy to the mantle. However, we must question how legit the Preakness win was.

National Treasure got away with soft fractions to win the second jewel. Also, outside of Mage, the field wasn’t deep because First Mission scratched the day before the race.

On Saturday, National Treasure takes on Angel of Empire, Arcangelo, and 2-year-old champ Forte. In addition, Tapit Shoes is likely to go for the lead and dare National Treasure to press.

The Preakness winner won’t finish off the board because National Treasure is still one of the most talented equines in the race. But a second straight Triple Crown race victory doesn’t seem possible.

Fourth: Forte +250

Because Todd Pletcher trains we must take the Derby morning line chalk seriously to win the Belmont Stakes. There are some serious questions, though, like is there any truth to the story that Forte failed a drug test last fall in New York?

Also, what about the injury to Forte’s right leg that led to the Derby scratch? In addition, Forte may have to improve in this, and that isn’t likely since the Belmont is a 1 ½ mile race.

A deserving favorite, yes, but the top choice against this field? Not even close.

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Previous Betting News

The final leg of this year’s Triple Crown takes place on Saturday, June 11, when only the strongest three-year-old horses on the planet step onto Big Sandy to contest the 1 ½ mile Belmont Stakes. The Test of Champions, the Belmont will the first and only time many of the participants run 1 ½ miles. Check out our Horse Racing Betting analysis regarding this year’s Belmont Stakes along with info for five other grade one races happening at Belmont Park on Saturday. 

Horse Racing Odds & Picks June 6th Edition | Belmont Stakes on Saturday

Top Stakes Races for the Week

When: Saturday, June 11

Belmont Park 

Grade 1 Ogden Phipps – 1 1/16 miles dirt – 4 year old fillies & mares

So far, just seven 4-year-old fillies and mares will run in the Ogden Phipps. Although the field won’t be full, we can’t question it’s quality. The seven scheduled to run are the seven best older filles and mares in North America.

Letruska and Malathaat will demand most of the action. But Clariere, Ce Ce, Royal Flag, Search Results, and Bonny South can cross the finish line first. Make sure your handicapping pencil is sharp when you sit down to find the Ogden Phipps’ winner.  

Grade 1 Woody Stephens – 7 furlongs dirt – 3 year olds

Chad Brown trained Jack Cristopher should be very difficult to beat. Cristopher is a solid racehorse. The undefeated sophomore blasted his rivals in the Pat Day Mile in his last.

If you want to beat Jack Cristopher, look to one of the Todd Pletcher runners. Provocateur finished second behind Senbei in the Gold Fever in his last. Wit won the Grade 3 Bay Shore. So take that one seriously. Key Point, from the Brown barn, second-place Pat Day Mile finisher Pappacap, and Runninsonofagun should also break from the gate. 

Grade 1 Just A Game – 1 mile turf – 4 year old fillies & mares

So far, connections for five horses have said they will run in the Grade 1 Just A Game. Three of the five come from the Chad Brown barn: Speak of the Devil, Regal Glory, and In Italian. Leggs Galore and Wakanaka should also run. You’re handicapping must start with the Brown horses. If you find a key equine, it will likely to be one of Chad’s runners.   

Grade 1 Manhattan – 1 ¼ miles on turf – 4 year olds & up

Nine runners are confirmed for the Manhattan. Christophe Clement trained Gufo figures to break from the starting gate the chalk. The likely second choice will be one of the Chad Brown trained equines, L’Imperator, Rockemperor, or Adhamo. Grade 2 Elkhorn winner Channel Maker also figures to attract action. So will Tokyo Gold, which trains in Japan.    

Grade 1 Metropolitan – 1 mile dirt – 4 year olds & up

Jackie’s Warrior will either run in the Grade 2 True North or the Grade 1 Metropolitan. If Jackie runs, the Steve Asmussen trainee will go off as one of the chalks. The outright favorite figures to be Caddo River from the Brad Cox barn. If Jackie and Caddo both run, Aloha West, the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Sprint runner, will be an attractive choice. Aloha has a great turn of foot. And Caddo and Jackie are confirmed front runners. 

Grade 1 Belmont Stakes – 1 ½ miles dirt – 3 year olds

Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike returns to the races for the Triple Crown’s final leg. Pre-draw odds make Rich Strike third choice behind Todd Pletcher trained runner Mo Donegal and Grade 2 Peter Pan winner We the People. Fourth choice in the early betting is third-place Preakness finisher Creative Minister. Pletcher trained filly Nest if fifth choice. 

Underdogs include Skippylongstocking, Howling Time, Golden Glider, Barber Road and Ethereal Road. If We the People gets an easy lead, all other entrants should be running for second. 

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Previous Betting News

On Saturday, the favorite in a 2021 Triple Crown race finally came through. Essential Quality, the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Champion easily won the Belmont Stakes. The Brad Cox trainee is the first favorite to win a TC event this year. Check out how Essential Quality won the Belmont along with what happened to a few other runners in the 2021 Test of Champions so you can continue betting against MyBookie’s Horse Racing odds.

Complete Review of the 2021 Belmont Stakes Winner

2021 Belmont Stakes

When: Saturday, June 5

How did Essential Quality win the Belmont Stakes?

There are two reasons for Essential Quality’s Belmont Stakes victory. The first is the Godolphin owned runner matured from the first Saturday in May to the first Saturday in June.

In earlier blogs, we discussed how Tapit sired three-year-olds often show their best in the late spring and early summer. North America’s top sire has now bred three Belmont Stakes winners. 

Essential Quality didn’t have the same lung capacity in the Derby that he showed in the Belmont. If he had, he would have run right by Medina Spirit. 

So, the first thing that led to Essential Quality’s win is growth. He got bigger, stronger, the lungs were able to expand more, and he could last the 1 ½ miles.

The second reason Essential Quality won is due to pace. Hot Rod Charlie, Rock Your World, and France Go de Ina blasted the first-quarter in less than 23 seconds.

Less than 23 seconds is fast in a 1 1/8 mile race much less a 1 ½ mile race. The pace set things up perfectly for Essential Quality to put in one of his patented come from behind runs.  

What happened to Rock Your World?

The pace cooked the Santa Anita Derby winner. Simply put, Rock Your World ran too fast early on to have anything left for the stretch.

Few horses can run a blistering first-half like what Rock and Hot Rod Charlie did in the Belmont on Saturday and hang around to get its picture taken. Once the first-quarter came up in less than 23 seconds, anyone watching knew one of the closers, including Essential Quality, was going to win the race. 

What’s next for second place finisher Hot Rod Charlie and third place finisher Rombauer?

Hot Rod Charlie ran one of the most amazing Belmont Stakes in history. Yes, Essential Quality beat the Doug O’Neill trainee, but Hot Rod was the leader through blistering fractions.

Charlie pulled away from the rest of the field and fought valiantly in the stretch. O’Neil can put Hot Rod Charlie in any race he wants. 

The biggest event at the Del Mar meet this summer is the Grade 1 Pacific Classic. O’Neil may send Hot Rod to that race. Mike McCarthy, Rombauer’s trainer, is also based in Southern California. Rombauer could also run in the P. Classic.

There are also a few three-year-old races coming up including the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational and the Grade 1 Travers. O’Neil or McCarthy could decide to send their top three-olds to either of those big events.    

What race is Brad Cox pointing winner Essential Quality to?

After Churchill disqualifies Medina Spirit, Cox trained Mandaloun will become the official Kentucky Derby winner.  The trainer has said Mandaloun will run in the $1 million Haskell Invitational. 

If Mandaloun does show up at Monmouth for the Haskell, there’s a good chance Cox runs Essential Quality in the Travers.

Either way, Cox figures to separate his two stars from each other until the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Juddmonte Farms owns Mandaloun while Godolphin owns Essential Quality. Neither wants to face the other’s three-year-old star until necessary.

Preakness Stakes Betting News

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Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Belmont Stakes takes place before the Kentucky Derby this year. Not only that, but the Belmont happens at 1 1/8 miles over dirt instead of at 1 ½ miles. Although the changes have thrown a wrench into some plans, the top-rated Kentucky Derby prospect, Tiz the Law, will run at Big Sandy on Saturday. Will Tiz the Law take the first jewel in this year’s Horse Racing Triple Crown? Check out top plays and Horse Racing Odds from Belmont Stakes for Saturday, June 20. You can also visit our Online Racebook to place your bets on active racetracks.

2020 Belmont Stakes

When: Saturday, June 20 at 5:42 pm ET
Where: Belmont Park, Elmont, NY
Distance/Surface: 1 1/8 miles over dirt

2020 Belmont Stakes Morning Line Odds

Win: Tap It To Win 6-1

Make no mistake, Tiz the Law will be super tough to beat. The Barclay Tagg trained runner looked like a beast when dominating his peers in the Grade 1 Florida Derby in early March. But the Law faces a much better group on Saturday in the Belmont than he did in the Florida Derby.

Mark Casse won the Preakness and Belmont last year. Tap It To Win resembles War of Will, Casse’s Preakness winner, more than he does Sir Winston, the trainer’s 2019 Belmont Stakes winner. The thing to like about Tap It To Win is how he’s improved in his last couple of races.

The key to winning Triple Crown events is to get your horse to peak at the right time. Tiz the Law may have already peaked while Tap It To Win has more upside. We’re on him to upset the chalk.

Place: Tiz the Law 6-5

Even if Tiz the Law takes a step back, he should finish no worse than second. Sired by Constitution and from a Tiznow mare, Tiz the Law has 4 wins from 5 races. His Grade 3 Holy Bull win was spectacular while he could have beaten the Florida Derby competition by much more than 4 ½ lengths.

If Tap It To Win doesn’t more forward, Tiz the Law figures to dominate again. If you don’t mind accepting low odds on a horse in a Triple Crown race, back the Law to take no prisoners on Saturday.

Show: Dr. Post 5-1

The main reason to like Dr. Post? A fellow named Todd Pletcher trains. Pletcher won his first Belmont Stakes with a filly named Rags to Riches. She upset Curlin, one of the greatest horses to ever race, to take the Belmont.

Dr. Post has won two in a row. He’s a seriously talented runner. He may not be ready to beat Tap It To Win or Tiz the Law. But he should get into the trifecta.

Fourth: Sole Volante 9-2

The Tampa Bay Derby second place finisher rates as the “wise guy” runner. Although on paper there’s enough speed to flatter his closing kick, he’s never come close to facing top 3-year-olds like Tiz the Law, Dr. Post, and Tap It To Win.

Volante should run on for fourth. He’s not of the same quality as the top 3 choices, though. Who knows? Maybe, he surprises. It’s probably a wise move to use him underneath, and leave it at that.