Belmont Stakes 2023: Take a look at the horses in Saturday’s race

Forte was the nation’s best 2-year-old thoroughbred in 2022, and the colt came to the Kentucky Derby for the opportunity to show he was the best 3-year-old in 2023. But the Florida Derby winner didn’t get the chance.

Scratched on the day of the Kentucky Derby because of a bruised hoof, Forte also missed the Preakness Stakes. But the colt will be back on the track on Saturday for the Belmont Stakes.

Forte will be joined by eight other contenders in the 155th Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., and was made the morning-line favorite at 5-2 over Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure.

The horses will tackle the 1.5-mile challenge at Big Sandy – the longest race that any of them have ever competed in or likely ever will, which makes Tapit part of the Belmont Stakes storyline.

Tapit’s last race came in 2004, and the horse didn’t enter the Belmont Stakes during his career. But Tapit’s progeny have proven they can go the distances.

Tapit has sired four Belmont Stakes winners – Tonalist in 2014, Creator in 2016, Tapwrit in 2017 and Essential Quality in 2021. That’s tied for the most in the race’s history. Lexington had four sons win the Belmont Stakes – General Duke in 1868, Kingfisher in 1870, Harry Bassett in 1871 and Duke of Magenta in 1878.

Tapit has two sons running on Saturday – Tapit Shoes and Tapit Trice. Tapit also is the damsire of Belmont Stakes entries Arcangelo, Il Miracolo and Red Route One.

There’s no Triple Crown on the line on Saturday. Mage won the Kentucky Derby on May 6. But after finishing third in the Preakness Stakes on May 20, Mage isn’t among the Belmont runners.

The 155th Belmont Stakes has a post time of 6:02 p.m. CDT Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. FOX will televise the race.

The entries for the Belmont Stakes by post position with morning-line odds include:

1. Tapit Shoes 20-1

Tapit Shoes will make his graded-stakes debut in the Belmont Stakes. The colt’s lone victory came by 7.5 lengths at the Fair Grounds on Dec. 3. Tapit Shoes is coming off a second-place finish in the Bath House Row Stakes on April 22 at Oaklawn Park, where Red Route One won by a head. Trainer: Kent Desormeaux. Jockey: Jose Ortiz, who won the Belmont Stakes on Tapwrit in 2017. Record: 5-1-1-1. Earnings: $82,878. Pedigree: Awesome Flower by Tapit.

2. Tapit Trice 3-1

Tapit Trice had a four-race winning streak entering the Kentucky Derby on May 6, but didn’t factor in the finish in the Run for the Roses. Running last at the half-mile pole, Tapit Trice passed four horses in the stretch for a seventh-place finish. On March 11, Tapit Trice won the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby by running from eighth entering the stretch to a 2-length victory. At the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes on April 8, Tapit Trice trailed by 4 lengths entering the stretch and edged Verifying for the victory. It was the second win by a neck on Tapit Trice’s record. Trainer: Todd Pletcher, who saddled Belmont Stakes winners Rags to Riches in 2007, Palace Malice in 2013, Tapwrit in 2017 and Mo Donegal in 2022. Jockey: Luis Saez, who won the Belmont Stakes on Essential Quality in 2021. Record: 6-4-0-1. Earnings: $883,650. Pedigree: Danzatrice by Tapit.

3. Arcangelo 8-1

Arcangelo comes to the Belmont Stakes after winning the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes on May 13 at Belmont Park by a head over favorite Bishops Bay. The ridgling’s previous experience had come at Gulfstream Park, where Arcangelo had finishes of second and fourth before a 3.5-length victory over 1 mile on March 18. Trainer: Jena Antonucci. Jockey: Javier Castellano. Record: 4-2-1-0. Earnings: $167,400. Pedigree: Modeling by Arrogate.

4. National Treasure 5-1

National Treasure was without a win since capturing his debut in September and coming off his worst showing, a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 8, when the colt ran to victory in the Preakness Stakes on May 20 by a head over Blazing Sevens. National Treasure ran second in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes on Oct. 8, third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Nov. 4 and third in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes on Jan. 8 before the Santa Anita Derby. Trainer: Bob Baffert, who saddled Belmont Stakes winners Point Given in 2001, American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018. Jockey: John Velazquez, who won the Belmont Stakes on Rags to Riches in 2007 and Union Rags in 2012. Record: 6-2-1-2. Earnings: $1,335,000. Pedigree: Treasure by Quality Road.

5. Il Miracolo 30-1

Il Miracolo is a well-campaigned colt with not a lot to show for 10 races – all but one at Gulfstream Park. After five consecutive races without finishing better than fifth, Il Miracolo won his most recent outing in an allowance optional claiming race on May 11. Il Miracolo has run in four grade-stakes races, with the best showing a fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes on Feb. 4. Trainer: Antonio Sano. Jockey: Marcos Meneses. Record: 10-2-3-0. Earnings: $103,125. Pedigree: Tapit’s World by Gun Runner.

6. Forte 5-2

Forte was the morning-line favorite for the Kentucky Derby on May 6, but the colt didn’t make it past the morning of the Run for the Roses. Scratched from the field about 10 hours from post time, Forte also had to sit out the Preakness Stakes. Forte won three Grade 1 races – Hopeful Stakes, Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile – to capture the Eclipse Award as the nation’s best 2-year-old. As a 3-year-old, the hard-charging stretch runner has won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes on March 4 and the Grade 1 Florida Derby on April 1 at Gulfstream Park in his most recent outing. Trainer: Todd Pletcher, who saddled Belmont Stakes winners Rags to Riches in 2007, Palace Malice in 2013, Tapwrit in 2017 and Mo Donegal in 2022. Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr., who won the Belmont Stakes on Creator in 2016 and Mo Donegal in 2022. Record: 7-6-0-0. Earnings: $2,409,830. Pedigree: Queen Caroline by Violence.

7. Hit Show 10-1

Hit Show was running third and 2 lengths off the lead at the mile post in the Kentucky Derby on May 6, but faded to a fifth-place finish, 6.25 lengths behind the winner. The colt had won three of his four races, including the Grade 3 Withers Stakes on Feb. 11 by 5.5 lengths, before being beaten by a nose as the favorite by 59-1 long shot Lord Miles in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 8. Trainer: Brad Cox, who saddled Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality in 2021. Jockey: Manny Franco, who won the Belmont Stakes on Tiz the Law in 2020. Record: 6-3-1-0. Earnings: $494,375. Pedigree: Actress by Candy Ride.

8. Angel of Empire 7-2

Angel of Empire comes to Belmont Park after a fast-finishing third-place showing at the Kentucky Derby on May 6. The colt had been 16th at the half-mile post and came in 1.5 lengths behind winner Mage. Angel of Empire had been 2-for-2 in graded-stakes races before the Kentucky Derby. On Feb. 18, Angel of Empire won the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes in Louisiana, then captured the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 1. In the Risen Star, Angel of Empire came from third in the stretch to beat Sun Thunder by 1 length. In Arkansas, the colt rolled to a 4.25-length victory over King Russell. Trainer: Brad Cox, who saddled Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality in 2021. Jockey: Flavien Pratt. Record: 7-4-1-1. Earnings: $1,369,375. Pedigree: Armony’s Angel by Classic Empire.

9. Red Route One 15-1

Red Route One is coming off a fourth-place finish at the Preakness Stakes on May 20, the colt’s seventh graded-stakes outing without a win. Red Route One had back-to-back second-place finishes in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes on Jan. 28 and Grade 2 Rebels Stakes on Feb. 25 before a sixth-place showing at the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 1. The colt won for the second time by beating Tapit Shoes by a head with a big stretch run in the Bath House Row Stakes on April 22 at Oaklawn Park. Trainer: Steve Asmussen, who saddled Belmont Stakes winner Creator in 2016. Jockey: Joel Rosario, who won the Belmont Stakes on Tonalist in 2014 and Sir Winston in 2019. Record: 10-2-2-1. Earnings: $732,525. Pedigree: Red House by Gun Runner.