Prior to the 2023 Kentucky Derby, Forte was favored to win and also held a decent chance at competing for a Triple Crown. Just before the Derby, Forte was pulled due to a bruised right foot.
This injury placed Forte on a veterinarian’s exclusion list, and his owners are now waiting on his blood test results to return from the lab for clearance to race in the 2023 Belmont Stakes.
The oddsmakers at horse racing betting sites are confident that Forte will not only take part in the Belmont Stakes – they’re implying that he’ll win.
Odds To Win The 2023 Belmont Stakes
- Forte +250
- Tapit Trice +350
- Angel of Empire +400
- National Treasure +650
- Arcangelo +1500
- Hit Show +1500
- Red Route One +1800
- Reincarnate +2200
- Raise Cain +1700
- Sun Thunder +2800
- Prove Worthy +3300
- Il Miracolo +5000
- BetUS*
Three of the top Belmont Stakes betting sites are offering odds that favor Forte to win the final leg of the Triple Crown. BetUS and BetOnline are offering a +250 moneyline on Forte, with MyBookie offering +275.
Those odds roughly convert to a 26%-28% likelihood of winning for Forte, with payouts that range between $2.50 and $2.75 on the dollar.
2023 Belmont Stakes Odds
- Forte +250
- Tapit Trice +350
- Angel of Empire +400
- National Treasure +600
- Reincarnate +1400
- Raise Cain +1600
- Arcangelo +1600
- Hit Show +1600
- Red Route One +1600
- Sun Thunder +2500
- Prove Worthy +3300
- Il Miracolo +5000
- BetOnline*
Tapit Trice and Angel of Empire are holding steady at +350 and +400, respectively, across the board. After that is where it gets interesting, as the variance in the horse racing odds provides plenty of opportunity for line shopping to find the highest payout.
For instance, the fourth-ranked horse, National Treasure, is featuring +600, +650, and +700 Belmont Stakes betting odds at three different racebooks. These are incredibly profitable money lines for National Treasure, considering he’s coming off of a victory at the 2023 Preakness Stakes.
Here is National Treasure’s run at this year’s Preakness.
Belmont Stakes Betting Odds
- Forte +275
- Tapit Trice +350
- Angel of Empire +400
- National Treasure +700
- Arcangelo +1400
- Raise Cain +1400
- Hit Show +1600
- Red Route One +1600
- Reincarnate +1600
- Sun Thunder +2500
- Prove Worthy +3300
- Il Miracolo +5000
- MyBookie
Notably absent from the above Belmont Stakes betting lines is Kentucky Derby winner Mage. Owners have decided to allow Mage to rest up for races later in the season.
While holding seemingly healthy horses out of big-time races may be frustrating to fans and gamblers, there has been an alarming number of deaths in the sport as of late. With the spotlight now shining on the health of these racehorses, owners could be taking a less aggressive stance regarding rushing them back into action after an injury.
The 2023 Belmont Stakes begins Saturday, June 10th, at 6:50 PM on FOX. If you want to gain a deeper perspective on the Stakes, then check out the full day of coverage beginning on FS1 at 11 AM and switching over to FOX at 4 PM.
Belmont Stakes Official Website | Bleacher Report
