Forte is featured in the Belmont Stakes props
Horse Racing

2023 Belmont Stakes Prop Bets: Will Forte Beat Angel of Empire?

Prop bets are something very different from a standard Belmont Stakes wager as they give you the option to use your skill and judgment. More often than not, a prop bet is one where you have a YES or NO decision to make.

A few examples are below.

  1. Will Forte finish in front of Angel Of Empire?
  2. Will Forte finish last?
  3. Will the opening quarter of the race be run in under or over 23 seconds?

The sportsbooks love coming up with different types of prop bets and a lot of them are pretty weird and whacky.

Some prop bets are more for serious handicappers and horse racing bettors, while others are more fun and are a great way to bet on the Belmont Stakes for the novice and newbie to horse racing betting.

A simple way to explain a prob bet is that it means placing a wager on one of two possible results or outcomes. Let's take a look at some of our favorite Belmont Stakes prop bets.

Belmont Stakes Prop Bets 

Looking at the field for this year's race, it looks like we'll have 10 runners, which is great for the sportsbooks as they can split the field in half and offer prop bets.

As an example, a prop bet on 10 runners would likely see the sportsbook offer two different bets.

  • Who will win the race? Horses drawn 1-5 or horses drawn 6-10.
  • Who will win the race? A horse-drawn in an even number post or a horse drawn in an odd number post.

The odds here will be shorter depending on where the chalk is drawn. So if Forte, the favorite in the Belmont Stakes odds, was to be drawn into gate 4, then the odds for horses drawn 1-5 or horses drawn with an even number are likely to be the favorite for this prop bet.

These prop bets above are great for experienced handicappers as they will take into account where the fancied runners are drawn, they will also take into account if the draw leads to a pace bias.

So let's look at some of the more fun prop bets that novices can get involved in.

Will Brad Cox train the winner of the 2023 Belmont Stakes?

Brad Cox trains three of the fancied horses in this year's Belmont Stakes, including Angel Of Empire, along with Hit Show and Tapit Shoes, so what will the odds be that one of his horses will be entering the winner's enclosure on Saturday at Belmont.

Will A Brad Cox-trained Horse Win The Belmont Stakes
OptionOdds
YES+120
NO-150

Belmont Stakes Props - First Quarter/Half Mile

This prop bet is a simple YES or NO prop bet and it is based on the time of the horse leading after the first quarter (two furlongs) of a mile and the first half (four furlongs) of a mile. Odds below are hypothetical, look for these markets to come out closer to the event.

Belmont Stakes Props -- First Quarter Mile Time
OptionOdds
OVER 23 Seconds-140
UNDER 23 Seconds+200

Belmont Stakes -- First Half Mile Time

  • OVER 46.5 seconds -140
  • UNDER 46.5 seconds EVEN

The best way to judge this prop bet is to look at the racecard and see which horse is likely to be on the speed. You can then check his quarter and half-mile times and make an informed decision as to whether that horse will go over or under the two times above.

This year does not have a standout speed horse (maybe National Treasure) so our bet is that we'll see the OVERs having the best chance on these prop bets.

Belmont Stakes - Head-To-Head Matchup

This year is a very open race so we will likely see a couple of close match-ups from the sportsbooks. This is an interesting matchup using the two horses below as both like to sit mid-pack and stalk the pace. It means tactics and a little bit of luck will be needed.

This is a bet that has one foe against the other, and sportsbooks will pick two horses that are close together in the betting.

For example, in this 155th running of the Belmont Stakes, we have Forte who is the chalk at 3/1 followed by Angel Of Empire who is the second favorite at 7/2.

Belmont Stakes Props -- Forte vs Angel of Empire
HorseOdds
Forte-140
Angel of Empire+125

Forte will be odds on in this prop bet with Angel Of Empire odds against.

The thing about this matchup prop bet is that it does not matter where these horses finish in the race. Forte might win and beat Angel Of Empire by a nose at the wire. This means if you backed Forte in the prop bet you would win.

Now let's say they both ran terrible races and Angel Of Empire finished ninth and Forte finished last of the 10 runners, then if you backed Angel Of Empire, you are a winner.

Crazy & Strange Belmont Stakes Prop Bets

We’ve covered some of the more mainstream prop bets above but the sportsbooks like to come up with some truly whacky bets for the novice punter, and we have picked out two of the most fun ones below. 

This season we have already seen the Kentucky Derby won by Javier Castellano and the Preakness Stakes won by Jon Velazquez.

Castellano thanked God first while Jon Velazquez thanked the horse first. Here are what the odds might look like for this Belmont Stakes prop bet.

Belmont Stakes - Who will the winning jockey thank first 
OptionOdds
God+200
The Horse+250
The Trainer+250
His/Her Family+275
Other+600

If you are thinking about this bet then maybe go for God if it is one of the South American jockeys as they do come from very religious backgrounds. Or if it is a younger jockey then maybe the trainer will be the first thought that comes to mind. It would be mine for sure.

Belmont Stakes - How Long Will It Take To Sing The Race Anthem: New York, New York?

This Frank Sinatra classic is sung before the event begins and most sportsbooks will offer odds on how long it will take for the song to be sung. So you can have a wager before the race even begins and use your winnings to back your favorite horse in the Belmont itself.

  • OVER 2 minutes -120
  • UNDER 2 minutes -120

For those novice punters reading, don’t think you can back both and win, because the odds are both odds-on.

This means If you put $100 on each result then you are laying out $200. The max you can win at the odds shown is $182.50 so you would lose $17.50 backing both.

Final Thoughts

Prop bets are a lot of fun and easier to understand for novice players than exotic wagers like exacta’s, trifecta’s, and Superfectas.

Whatever bet you place on the big race, make sure to have fun and enjoy the big day on June 10th, 2023.

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