National Treasure, ridden by Flavien Prat and trained by Bob Baffert, emerged victorious in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational after engaging in an early speed duel with Hoist the Gold. Despite a challenging pace, National Treasure showcased his class and held off a late-closing Señor Buscador to secure a half-length triumph. The 4-year-old colt's ability to adapt to the race dynamics impressed the connections, leaving the next steps for the talented horse open for consideration.
The $1.5 million Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown, takes place on Saturday with Forte, last year's Juvenile champion, and National Treasure, the Preakness winner, among the top contenders. The Belmont Park card includes six Grade 1 races, offering a chance to add clarity to several different divisions beyond the 3-year-olds. The day kicked off with Love To Shop winning a $90,000 maiden race, followed by Emmanuel winning The Poker and Elite Power winning the True North.
Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert of The New York Times assess the contenders for the 155th Belmont Stakes on Saturday. National Treasure, coming off a victory in the Preakness Stakes, will try to add another leg of the Triple Crown to his résumé with a win in the 155th Belmont Stakes on Saturday. Forte, the Derby favorite who was scratched the morning of the race with a foot bruise, is back and considered a strong contender. The Belmont horses are listed in order of post position, with comments by Joe Drape and Melissa Hoppert of The New York Times.
The 2023 Belmont Stakes will feature a strong field of nine horses, with Forte (5-2) and Tapit Trice (3-1) as the top favorites. However, expert handicapper Jody Demling is fading Tapit Trice and has locked in his picks for Angel of Empire (7-2) and Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure (5-1). Forte, who was scratched from the Kentucky Derby due to a hoof injury, is the morning-line favorite and will have to prove his fitness. Demling also likes a double-digit longshot who has looked sharp in his return to the track.
The Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown, will take place on Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Nine horses will compete, including Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure. The race will be televised on Fox for the first time, with coverage starting at 11 a.m. ET on FS1 and the race itself beginning at 7:05 p.m. ET. The Belmont is the longest of the Triple Crown races at 1½ miles. Odds for each horse to win are listed, with Todd Pletcher's Tapit Trice and Forte as favorites.
Trainer Bob Baffert is ready for Belmont Stakes day with two horses, National Treasure and Arabian Lion, but scratches Fort Bragg due to a fever. National Treasure is 5-1 on the morning line to win the Belmont and become the first horse since 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify to win back-to-back classics. Arabian Lion has 4-1 odds to win the Woody Stephens (G1). Baffert is confident in his horses but acknowledges the competition from other top jockeys.
The 2023 Belmont Stakes will take place on Saturday at Belmont Park, with Forte as the 5-2 favorite, followed by Tapit Trice, Angel of Empire, and Preakness winner National Treasure. Elite horse racing handicapper Jody Demling is sharing his picks and predictions, including fading Tapit Trice and backing Angel of Empire and National Treasure. Forte, who was scratched from the Kentucky Derby due to a hoof injury, will try to salvage his elite 3-year-old campaign. Demling is also high on a double-digit longshot.
The 155th running of the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown, is set to take place on Saturday, June 10th at Belmont Park in New York. Forte, the Kentucky Derby favorite who was scratched due to a bruised hoof, is favored to win the race. Preakness winner National Treasure will also be competing. The odds and post positions for all nine horses have been announced.
The Belmont Stakes will feature a field of nine horses, including Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure, morning-line favorite Forte, and Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Angel of Empire. The race marks the end of a fifth straight Triple Crown chase without a sweep. The author's pick to win is Angel of Empire, with Hit Show as a live longshot and a suggested superfecta of 8-4-6-7.
The 2023 Belmont Stakes will feature a talented field of nine horses, including Forte and National Treasure. Forte is the favorite at 5-2 odds, while National Treasure is at 5-1. Elite horse racing handicapper Jody Demling is sharing his picks and predictions for the race, including fading Tapit Trice despite his 3-1 odds. Demling is also high on Angel of Empire and has a double-digit longshot pick. The race will take place on Saturday at 7:02 p.m. ET.
The 2023 Belmont Stakes will take place on Saturday with Forte as the favorite. Horse racing expert Jody Demling, who has a strong track record at Belmont, is fading Tapit Trice and backing National Treasure, a 5-1 longshot. Demling also likes a double-digit longshot who has looked sharp in his return to the track. The post time for the Belmont Stakes is 6:50 p.m. ET.
The 2023 Belmont Stakes will feature Preakness winner National Treasure and Juvenile champ Forte among the nine horses expected to compete. The post-position draw will be held on Tuesday, with the race taking place on Saturday evening. The 12-furlong distance is unique in that it is likely the only time any of the contestants will run that long in their careers. Bob Baffert will be going for his 18th Triple Crown race win and fourth Belmont.
Bob Baffert is considering running National Treasure and Arabian Lion in the Belmont Stakes after their front-running victories in the Preakness Stakes and Sir Barton, respectively. Baffert is leaning towards stretching National Treasure from the 1 3/16 miles of the Preakness to the 1 1/2 of the Belmont on June 10. Arabian Lion and Reincarnate, a Grade 3 winner who is back at Santa Anita, also might be considered for the last of the 2023 classics.
National Treasure, trained by Bob Baffert, won the 148th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico, holding off a hard-charging Blazing Sevens down the final stretch. Kentucky Derby champion and third-place finisher Mage took third place. Baffert wins his record eighth The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans and Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez completes the career Triple Crown with his first Preakness win in 13 attempts. The race was overshadowed by the death of Havnameltdown, another Baffert-trained horse, who broke his ankle and was euthanized.
Trainer Bob Baffert won his record eighth Preakness Stakes with National Treasure, ridden by jockey John Velazquez, who won all three legs of the American Classics. Baffert was emotional after the win, having lost one of his colts, Havnameltdown, earlier in the day. The horse broke his left front fetlock and was euthanized on the track. The win comes amid increased scrutiny of horse racing after a spate of horse deaths at Churchill Downs.
