Known as the Test of the Champion, the Belmont Stakes is run every year at Belmont Park Race Track as the third and final leg of the US Triple Crown. Run at 1 1/2 miles (12 furlongs) on the dirt track, the Belmont is open to Thoroughbred colts, fillies, and geldings ages three and up and offers a total purse of $1.5 million. Held five weeks after the Kentucky Derby and three weeks after the Preakness Stakes, the 2023 Belmont Stakes will take place on Saturday, June 10 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
If you want to be on the Belmont Stakes online, then we will provide odds from a range of top-tier American providers below. We’ll include more information on betting on the Belmont Stakes shortly.
Belmont Stakes Horses Odds
You can get Belmont Stakes odds, multiple wagering options, handicapping tips, race results and cashback, first deposit and other bonuses if you open an account and bet the race with one of these online wagering platforms. The Belmont Stakes betting odds were last updated on May 14, 2023:
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| Mage | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Tapit Trice | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Arcangelo | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Bishops Bay | TBA | TBA | TBA |
| Kingsbarns | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Belmont Stakes Betting Online
One of the most important decision that all bettors should make before the Belmont Stakes is where to bet the race online. There are many choices for online sportsbooks and racebooks. Our expert reviews make it easier to make a confident, profitable choice. All of our recommended sites offer market-leading odds, trusted deposits and payouts, and great user interfaces. Many of them also offer betting apps for Android and iPhone. This means you can bet the Belmont Stakes (as well as do sports betting and horse betting all year long!) with just one tap.
These are the best options for betting on the Belmont Stakes online:
Belmont Stakes History and Predictions
From Ruthless to Man o' War to Citation to Secretariat to Seattle Slew through to the latest Triple Crown winner Justify, some of the greatest horses in history have worn the blanket of Belmont Stakes carnations.
When American Pharoah won the Belmont Stakes in 2015 to become the first horse since 1978 to win the Triple Crown, it was of the easiest Belmont Stakes predictions to make in years. As shown by his domination in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, American Pharoah was clearly the best of the three-year-old crop in North America that year, and short of suffering some sort of injury, his Belmont win was as close to a sure thing as you'll ever see.
So what about other recent Belmont Stakes winners, and what can we find in their past performances to indicate they were ready to take the win when the gates opened for the Belmont?
Mo Donegal Wins in 2022
Mo Donegal only finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby, but that day he was buried on the rail in a full field. He freshened up five weeks after the Derby to be ready for the Belmont, and Todd Pletcher had him well primed. The smaller field of the Belmont Stakes helped him carve out a better trip than he got in the Kentucky Derby. He also had an excellent pedigree for the step up to a mile and a half, being by Uncle Mo out of a Pulpit mare.
Mo Donegal sat in range of the pace; though he was sixth at the first call, he was still only 2 3/4 lengths off the pace being set by We the People at that point. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. kept him in range, made his major move into the lane, and cleared off to win by three lengths over his stablemate Nest, who also had an excellent pedigree for stamina. The field also included Skippylongstocking, Peter Pan winner We the People, and longshot Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike.
Essential Quality wins in 2021
Tapit sons have won four editions of the Belmont Stakes to date, with Essential Quality being his most recent Belmont winner. Though he was defeated for the first time ever in the Kentucky Derby, he was only beaten a length for top honors. Being by Tapit out of an Elusive Quality mare from a deep Godolphin family, he had the pedigree to be an interesting candidate for the stretch out. And, being trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Luis Saez, his connections were well proven in big races.
He was more of a late-running sort than usually wins the Belmont. However, his consistency and his ability to take his form to tracks across the country helped him out. Essential Quality made an early bid, approaching the half-mile pole, and outclassed Hot Rod Charlie down the lane to win by a length and a half.
Tapwrit Wins in 2017
After reeling off three wins in four starts - including the (G2) Tampa Bay Derby by more than four lengths, Tapwrit's form appeared to fall off for his next two starts. He ran very poorly to finish fifth in the (G2) Blue Grass Stakes, and then, like several others, had a tough trip on the sloppy Churchill Downs track to run sixth in the Kentucky Derby.
However, unlike several others, despite starting far back and having to get through trouble, he was one of few horses in the 2017 Derby to make steady forward progress throughout the race, suggesting he ran much better than the final result would indicate.
He then skipped the Preakness and came back fresh for the Belmont. His pedigree suggested he would have no problem getting the 1 1/2 mile distance, and jockey Jose Ortiz gave him an excellent ride, tracking off the leaders through the early part of the race and keeping plenty in reserve to surge to the front as they came down the long Belmont final stretch.
It was the third Belmont Stakes win in four years for a colt sired by Tapit, and in a race where being able to handle the long distance is always a question mark for most horses, pedigree proved to be a key handicapping angle.
Creator Wins in 2016
Creator had taken a shot in the Kentucky Derby and only managed to run 13th. He was in close quarters out of the gate, settled off the pace near the back of the packn and started to make his run as they came off the last turn.
He was bumped hard by another horse, almost had to come to a complete stop, but somehow managed to get going again. That's a race, that as a handicapper, you can toss out, simply because he didn't get a fair shot at the leaders in the stretch.
Looking at his win prior to the Kentucky Derby in the Arkansas Derby, we find that he also ran near the back of the pack early and made his run going into the stretch. In a race that was slowing with every quarter mile, he ran the last 1/8 to the wire faster than the leader had run any eighth of a mile. This indicates that Creator starts very slowly and picks up speed as the race goes on, so it's not surprising that he was able to get up in time to beat the front-running horse as they went through the stretch.
Tonalist Wins in 2014
The 2014 winner, Tonalist, is a different story. He was a fairly fresh horse, having not run in either of the previous Triple Crown races, and prepped for the Belmont by running - and winning - the Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont Park.
An excellent "stalking" horse, he was able to get into the position he wanted early in the race, took over the lead a half-mile in and slowly edged away from the pack.
The fact the race was held at Belmont is significant as it showed he could handle the track (in fact, five of his six lifetime graded-stakes wins have now come at Belmont), and his running style is historically the perfect fit for winning the Belmont, as most winners (with Creator being an exception) don't usually come from way back to win.
Belmont Stakes Handicapping Keys
So there are some key factors to consider when handicapping the Belmont and making your Belmont Stakes picks. One, horses that have shown to be able to pick up the pace late in their winning races have a shot at running down the leaders in the long Belmont stretch drive.
Two, horses that have scored a win with an upfront, stalking style over the Belmont track are likely to be in the mix late in the race. And three, pay attention to pedigree when considering whether a horse can win at 1 1/2 miles.
Belmont Stakes Contenders for 2023
The Belmont Stakes draw happens Tuesday, June 6. On that day the post time, post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds will be determined. Even before that date, though, you can get a head start on betting the Belmont Stakes by following the news and watching the field come together.
These are horses to keep your eye on as the Belmont Stakes field solidifies.
Horses from the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes
If Kentucky Derby winner Mage prevails in the Preakness Stakes as well, then he will be the favorite. Horses with a live bid to be Triple Crown winner usually are. Assuming he holds his form, Mage does have some appeal in the Belmont. He has a strong pedigree for distance. He also showed tactical speed in his early races in Florida. He will have to get a better start than he did in the Florida Derby (G1) or the Belmont, but if he does, there is a good argument.
The board opens up if Mage does not have a Triple Crown bid alive at Belmont time. It would be no surprise if a horse from the Todd Pletcher barn ends up contending for the Belmont. Both Tapit Trice and Kingsbarns, horses Todd Pletcher ran in the Derby, may go to the Belmont. If they do, they have things to recommend them.
Tapit Trice is well bred for distance, being by Tapit; Kingsbarns is out of a Tapit mare by Mo Donegal's sire Uncle Mo. Kingsbarns may have the pace edge, as he has shown tactical speed earlier. He was burned in a hot pace in the Kentucky Derby, and may have it better at Belmont. Tapit Trice is going to have to come away better than he has been, but the smaller field may help him get into contention sooner and not leave himself too much to do.
New Horses in the Belmont Stakes
Horses coming from races other than the other legs of the Triple Crown can shine in the Belmont, too. One of the major prep races to follow is the Peter Pan (G3), a local prep that was run at Belmont Park on May 13, 2023. The top two finishers, Arcangelo and Bishops Bay, finished well clear of the rest of the field. This highlights them as the two most likely Belmont Stakes contenders coming from the Peter Pan.
Between the two, Arcangelo has the most upside. He is by Arrogate, a horse who thrived with time to develop and loved being stretched out to the classic distance, out of Modeling, a mare by Tapit from the family of Belmont winners Rags to Riches and Jazil. And, he was able to outgame Bishops Bay even over the shorter Peter Pan distance. Unlike Bishops Bay, Arcangelo has a better chance to be a longshot compared to his true odds, as well, given that Bishops Bay is from the barn of well-known trainer Brad Cox while Arcangelo is trained by experienced yet under-the-radar conditioner Jena Antonucci.
Belmont Stakes Betting Options
If you bet the Belmont Stakes online at a major sportsbook, you will be able to play the same kinds of bets that you can put on horse races all year long.
If your strongest opinion on the Belmont is who will win the race, then your best option could be a win bet, place bet, or show bet. Those are classics for a reason; if your pick runs well, you cash. You can also go for huge scores by playing exotics. They are harder to hit, but they can also cash for a life-changing amount.
Consider betting exactas, trifectas, or superfectas if your strongest opinions are on horses who can run well in the Belmont. If you pick the first two, three, or four horses across the wire correctly, you win. Alternately, if you have opinions on races before or after the Belmont Stakes, your best bet might be a Daily Double, Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5, or Pick 6. In these bets, you win if you pick the winners of consecutive races.
By betting the Belmont Stakes online at a trusted sportsbook, you can also get the opportunity to play prop bets. Those include things like head-to-head matchups or the time of the race. You won't find these at the racetrack or an off-track betting parlor, which is another reason that playing the Belmont Stakes online is your best bet.
