The final Triple Crown race of the 2023 season is creeping into sight, as Belmont Park plays host to the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 10. It will be an interesting final race of the series, as the contenders will compete over 1 ½ miles for the first time.
This year’s race promises to be an insightful renewal, as we could learn more about the contenders that could potentially line up in the Breeders’ Cup Classic later in the season. You can check the results for the past Belmont Stakes here: twinspires.com/belmont-stakes/results
So, who are five of the most likely contenders in the Belmont Stakes this year?
Forte
Todd Pletcher landed a famous success in the race 12 months ago, as Mo Donegal landed victory in the Belmont Stakes. He could have a solid chance of landing a third win in the race since 2017 this year, with Forte likely to be the leading contender in the betting.
The three-year-old landed Breeders’ Cup Juvenile success last year, before winning the G2 Fountain of Youth and G1 Florida Derby earlier this campaign. However, it will be fascinating to see his condition after being forced to bypass the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes following injury.
Tapit Trice
Pletcher will be well represented at the top of the betting for the Belmont Stakes this year, with Tapit Trice likely to go off as the second favourite. The three-year-old was slightly disappointing in the Kentucky Derby, as he could only finish back in seventh.
That run saw him score his lowest speed figure since defeat on his debut, but there would be little surprise to see him bounce back at Belmont Park. He certainly has form in the book to merit support after claiming victories in the G3 Tampa Bay Derby and G1 Blue Grass Stakes earlier this calendar year.
Angel of Empire
Angel of Empire could be the value angle in the betting this year for 2021 winning trainer Brad Cox. This three-year-old is constantly hitting higher speed figures with every appearance, and further improvement could be likely over this first attempt over 1 ½ miles.
Angel of Empire finished strong in the Kentucky Derby, as he took a narrow third in the race behind Two Phil’s. That run scored a speed rating of 104, which will be considerably the highest in this year’s Belmont Stakes. Prior to that run, he had landed victory in the G2 Risen Star and G1 Arkansas Derby. There is a widespread belief that the Belmont distance could bring out the very best in Angel of Empire.
National Treasure
Bob Baffert has already revealed that Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure will be aimed toward the Belmont Stakes this year. The three-year-old battled strong toward the line at Pimlico in late May, as he held on to win the middle Triple Crown race. That run scored a speed rating of 95, but he could have been well-positioned to take advantage of a tired Mage.
This year’s Preakness didn’t boast much depth, and winning the Belmont Stakes would be a much more challenging task. National Treasure has already finished behind Forte during his career, while he will also have form to find with Reincarnate after finishing third in the G3 Sham.
Hit Show
Another Cox runner that will be returning in the Belmont Stakes following an encouraging effort in the Kentucky Derby comes in the form of Hit Show. This three-year-old scored a career-best rating of 98 when taking fifth at Churchill Downs, and his strong finishing ability could make him a value play at Belmont Park.
He landed victory in the G3 Withers earlier this year, and was beat by shock contender Lord Miles in the G2 Wood Memorial. At a huge price, he could be primed to run a massive race over this extended distance.
