The summer turf racing season kicks into high gear Saturday, July 8 with the Belmont Derby! Run at iconic Belmont Park, the race is a 1 ¼-mile grass race for three-year-olds, and it draws the best turf horses from at home and abroad to compete for a $1 million purse. A group of 11 horses will line up to contest the 2023 edition, which will be one of the best betting horse races of the year!
Even though the Belmont Derby has only existed as such since 2014, its reputation has skyrocketed in that short time. Major winners include Deauville (2016), Oscar Performance (2017), Catholic Boy (2018), and Bolshoi Ballet (2021). And, for bettors, it can be a longshot extravaganza, as 26-1 outsider Classic Causeway (2022) showed just last year!
Keep reading to meet the contenders and find out the best places to bet the Belmont Derby online.
2023 Belmont Derby Contenders
These are the contenders for the 2023 Belmont Derby including their trainers, jockeys, and post positions:
- Mendelssohns March (Ken McPeek/Dylan Davis)
- Boppy O (Mark Casse/Luis Saez)
- Cyber Ninja (Bill Mott/Junior Alvarado)
- Webslinger (Mark Casse/Javier Castellano)
- Far Bridge (Todd Pletcher/Jose Ortiz)
- Silver Knott (Charlie Appleby/Richard Mullen)
- Wizard of Westwood (Michael McCarthy/John Velazquez)
- Kalik (Chad Brown/Irad Ortiz, Jr.)
- Mondego (Christophe Clement/Joel Rosario)
- Redistricting (Chad Brown/Flavien Prat)
- The Foxes (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy)
Closer to race day, Belmont Park will release a morning line. Even though that can be a decent guide to which horses are expected to take money or not, it is no guarantee of a price since odds at the track fluctuate all the way until post time.
Your best bet is to play the Belmont Derby at a trusted online racebook. Since online racebooks offer fixed-odds wagering on major races, they let you lock in your overlay the moment you see it and bet it, instead of having to wait for late odds fluctuations closer to post time. That way, you can just watch the race confidently knowing what you’ll get when you win!
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Foxes | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Silver Knott | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Far Bridge | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Kalik | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Webslinger | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Redistricting | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Betting the Belmont Derby Online
Choosing the right online sportsbook can seem difficult at first since there are so many options. Our expert betting site reviews are here to help! Take a few minutes to read them now: all of our recommended sites offer trusted payouts, real Las Vegas odds, and great user interfaces. The reviews also show you what bonuses each site offers, so you can make a confident choice quickly!
Remember, taking a few minutes to compare online betting bonuses now can mean hundreds or even thousands of dollars for your bankroll! Different structures for sign-up bonuses, deposit bonuses, and horse racing rebates benefit different kinds of bettors more, so let us help you find the one that will make you the most money!
These are the best places to bet the Belmont Derby online!
Belmont Derby Handicapping
With your online betting account all set up, it is time to get to know the most important betting horses for the Belmont Derby:
Belmont Derby Favorites
Kalik has the best chance among the favored horses in the Belmont Derby. He rides a three-win streak into the race. And, even though he likely gets outjumped to the front, he showed in his maiden win that he can stalk the pace and run a winning race. In a race where the pace will not be fiery, this means he can get a good trip. This gives him a solid chance to win for trainer Chad Brown, a top turf trainer who still seeks to add this race to his laurels.
The Foxes comes out of a much tougher race: the Derby (G1) at Epsom, where he ran fifth behind Auguste Rodin and King of Steel. Both of them came back to win Group-level races out of the Derby, franking the form. The pace may prove challenging for The Foxes, but he has the class and the cutback to 1 ¼ miles from the 1 ½ of the English Derby should play right to The Foxes’ strengths.
Belmont Derby Best Bet
Trainer Michael McCarthy has made a career of sending improving horses to ambitious spots and springing upsets, and Wizard of Westwood looks like he can work exactly that kind of magic. He shapes as the speed of the speed. he won his last race at 1 ¼ miles, the same distance as the Belmont Derby. And, McCarthy sees fit to ship him clear across the country.
As a trainer who runs so hot with shippers, even ones who look ambitiously spotted on paper, there is enough to like about Wizard ot Westwood to think he can do exactly what Classic Causeway did last year: lull them to sleep on the front end and find enough to hold them off late.
Belmont Derby Exotics Horses
Webslinger proved himself in the graded ranks when winning the American Turf (G2) on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Though his return in the Audubon was against a less difficult field, he showed a nice new dimension in that race. Instead of closing, he stalked a slow race and kicked on to win the race. With that ability, he should be able to work a good trip.
Silver Knott has done most of his racing in Europe, but he has raced twice in the U.S. as well for globetrotting trainer Charlie Appleby. He has been beaten narrowly both times, including losing on the square to Kalik in the Pennine Ridge (G2), the local prep. He will be an underlay on top, his consistency and class should be enough to work him in for a piece of the exotics once again.
Belmont Derby Best Bets
You have met the contenders and made your wagering account. Now, it is time for the best part of all: placing your bet for the Belmont Derby. These are your expert wagers for the test of the champion:
- $20 to win - #7 Wizard of Westwood
- $1 exacta box - #7 Wizard of Westwood, #8 Kalik, #11 The Foxes
- $0.50 trifecta box - #4 Webslinger, #7 Wizard of Westwood, #8 Kalik, #11 The Foxes
- $0.20 superfecta box - #4 Webslinger, #7 Wizard of Westwood, #6 Silver Knott, #8 Kalik, #11 The Foxes
