Handicapping the 155th Belmont Stakes

Posted On 09 Jun 2023

By Rick Francis —

This year’s 155th Running of the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, also marks the 50th Anniversary of one of sports greatest moments, Secretariat’s legendary 31 length victory in the “Test of the Champion”. A field of nine 3-year olds will load the starting gate for the 1&1/2 mile contest with a $1.5 million purse on the line, and though none come with the high expectations that “Big Red” carried on that June day 50 years ago it still promises to be hotly contested affair; let’s look at the starters. As has become the custom, the Ladies of the Gretna Jockey Club offer their Belmont picks.

BELMONT PARK

Race 12) 1½ Mile. Belmont S. Presented by NYRA Bets PRESENTED BY NYRA BETS. Grade I. Purse $1,500,000 FOR THREE YEAR OLDS.
Post Time: ( 7:02)/ 6:02/ 5:02/ 4:02

1) Tapit Shoes (Cox/Ortiz, J.); caught at the wire by outside foe Red Route One last out at Oaklawn in the Bath House Row stakes; colt out of Tapit is but a maiden winner.

2) Tapit Trice (Pletcher/Saez); Grade 1 Blue Grass winner rallied from last in the Kentucky Derby to finish seventh. Obviously connections had wnted him him to be a bit more forwardly placed given the Derby field size, however with facing eight rivals and an extended distance he’ll be around the line at the end.

3) Arcangelo (Antonucci/Castellano); enters on a 2-race win streak the last a “Win and You’re In” head score here in the G3 Peter Pan. Out of the late multiple Grade 1 winner Arrogate and given the way this race season has gone, literaly has a good a shot as any.

4) National Treasure (Baffert/Velazquez); Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert let the world know what his plan was for this son of Quality Road in the Grade 1 Preakness, go to the front and catch me if you can, they didn’t. Colt turned in a solid work here on Monday and with an unknown pace scenerio coming from a couple of the field’s longshots it could be “Catch Me” part two.

5) LL Miracolo (Sano/Meneses); the proverbial “Bolt form the Blue” entry.,; pass.

6) Forte (Pletcher/Ortiz, I. Jr.); 2022 champion 2-year-old, multiple Grade 1 winner and Kentucky Derby morning line favorite was scratched from Derby hours before that contest with a bruised foot consequently making him ineligible for the Preakness. Violence colt has been off since his Grade 1 Florida Derby victory April 1st, so obvioulsy conditioning shouldn’t be a problem. They say the great one’s, Secretariat, know when it’s “game-time”, well it’s “game-time” !!!

7) Hit Show (Cox/Franco); after missing by a nose in the Wood Memorial, Candy Ride colt was a hard closing fifth in the Kentucky Derby. Make no bones about it, this guy is a closer, so I’m keeping in my exoctic plays.

8) Angel of Empire (Cox/Prat); G2 Risen Star and Grade 1 Arkansas Derby winner was the real closing threat to Derby champ Mage; have loved this colt out of Classic Empire from all of his Fair Grounds works and start; very professional and the threat to all.

9) Red Route One (Asmussen/Rosario); beaten by 5-lengths in Preakness, exits Oaklawn stakes score but think he’s a mid-American track type of colt.