The 2023 Belmont Stakes will mark the third leg of the Triple Crown horse race on Saturday as Preakness winner National Treasure will attempt to compete in the top three-year-old horse races back-to-back. With his Hall of Famer connections, trainer Bob Baffert and jockey John Velasquez, National Treasure will be looking to take the lead like he did in Pimlico three weeks ago. If National Treasure is defeated by its rivals, it would be the fifth straight year and seventh time in eight years that no horse has won multiple stages of the Triple Crown. Forte, widely regarded as the best three-year-old in the country prior to his Kentucky Derby retirement, is 5-2 in the 2023 Belmont Stakes odds, followed by Tapit Trice among the 2023 Belmont Stakes horses, also trained by Todd Pletcher (3-1).
The release time for the 2023 Belmont Stakes is 7:02 PM ET. Before you start making predictions for the 2023 Belmont Stakes, check out Elite Horse Racing Handicapper Jody Demling’s 2023 Belmont Stakes tips and analysis.
Demling, a fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing, talking and betting on races for years, took home the winner, trifecta and superfecta at the 2023 Preakness Stakes. Demling also competes in the 2023 Belmont Stakes , having crowned the winner of the last Triple Crown race in four of the last five years, including an Exacta in 2022 with Mo Donegal and Nest. He also named Flightline’s win at the Breeders’ Cup Classic last November.
In addition, he has beaten 10 of the last 15 Derby Oaks doubles at Churchill Downs. That means he’s had a ticket to the winners of both races in all but five of the last 15 attempts. Everyone who followed him in these races experienced tremendous success.
As the 2023 Belmont Stakes draws closer, Demling is sharing his tips and predictions at SportsLine. Click here to see them.
2023 Belmont Stakes Predictions for Tapit Trice, Angel of Empire, Forte, National Treasure
A surprise: Demling leaves Tapit Trice behind, despite being one of the top favorites at 3-1. He has the second-lowest odds of winning the 2023 Belmont Stakes, despite finishing a career-worst seventh in his most recent start in the Kentucky Derby. Bettors obviously believe that the result is unique despite a very competitive field. The chestnut stallion won four straight races including the Blue Grass Stakes before the Kentucky Derby. He will start from second position on Saturday.
Tapit Trice appears to have what it takes to be a strong horse at the 2023 Belmont Stakes. Trained by the respected Todd Pletcher, Tapit Trice is the son of Tapit, who has produced four previous Belmont Stakes winners. However, his lineage has pushed his price down too much to find value at odds of 3:1. At odds of 3-1, the risks could outweigh the rewards in backing Tapit Trice for victory at the 2023 Belmont Stakes. See here who else you can support.
Demling also made his 2023 Belmont Stakes picks for Angel of Empire, who finished third in the Kentucky Derby. Coached by Brad Cox, Angel of Empire won the Arkansas Derby before failing to defeat Two Phil’s in the Kentucky Derby and being passed down the stretch by eventual race winner Mage. With the Belmont Stakes being run over 1 1/2 miles, he gets a chance to gain ground in the last furlong like he has in five of his seven career races.
Coach Brad Cox is looking to win his second Belmont Stakes (Essential Quality, 2021) with Angel of Empire, Hit Show and Triple Crown newcomer Tapit Shoes. The Kentucky Derby third-place finisher also has the highest Beyer speed number of any horse in the race (104) and will have ample opportunity to impress in what should be a competitive race. Watch Demling’s prediction for Angel of Empire here.
National Treasure was expected to trail his stablemates (5-1) as a two-year-old, but coach Bob Baffert wasn’t concerned. Last fall, Baffert said National Treasure would be a “really nice horse” by spring, and he had just the thing. National Treasure upset Kentucky Derby favorite Mage by winning the Preakness Stakes by a margin.
Since Red Route One is the only other Preakness horse in the 2023 Belmont Stakes field, that means only one other Belmont horse has attempted a race longer than 1 1/8 miles. That could be an advantage for National Treasure, who has proven he can last more than 1 1/8 miles when almost everyone else hasn’t. View Demling’s prediction for National Treasure here.
Forte, who started the Triple Crown season with perhaps more fanfare than any other horse, will return at the 2023 Belmont Stakes. He was the morning favorite in the Kentucky Derby before suffering a hoof injury on race day. That injury put him on a 14-day vet ban list, which also kept him out of the Preakness Stakes.
He is the 5-2 favorite and was seeded 6th in Tuesday’s 2023 Belmont Stakes draw. His five-race winning streak is the reason for his status as a favourite, but now he has to prove that the injury hasn’t affected his training or overall speed. He hasn’t competed since his Florida Derby win on April 1, so rust could be a factor as Forte tries to salvage what appears to be an elite season for the three-year-olds. Check out Demling’s prediction for Forte here.
How to meet Belmont Stakes 2023 tips and bets
Demling is also up there on a double-digit longshot who “made a good impression on his return to the circuit”. Anyone who bets on this horse could have great success. Demling shares with SportsLine which horse it is, along with his entire projected leaderboard.
Who will win the 2023 Belmont Stakes? And which big double-digit longshot is a must? Check out the latest 2023 Belmont Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling’s 2023 Belmont Stakes picks, all from the expert who found the winner, trifecta, superfecta and four of the latter at preakness named five Belmont winners.