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2023 Belmont Results


Jockey Javier Castellano celebrates aboard Arcangelo after winning his first Belmont Stakes
  • Belmont Stakes
  • Undercard Stakes
  • Friday Belmont Festival
  • Wednesday Belmont Works
  • Saturday Belmont Works
  • Date: 06/10/2023

    The $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (G1) presented by NYRA Bets, contested at 1 1/2 miles, one lap of the Belmont Park main track for 3-year-olds, is the third jewel of the Triple Crown, contested before 48,089 fans (attendance is capped at 50,000). Conditions were excellent with cloudy skies, temperatures in the high 70's, and the main track fast. With no Triple Crown on the line, a field of 9 went to post on Long Island for the 155th "Test of the Champion", 50 years after Secretariat's Triple Crown run and still-unbeaten track record in 1973. All-sources handle for the Belmont Stakes was $56,533,820.

    Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Forte was sent off as the 9-4 favorite, unraced since winning the Fountain of Youth (G2) and Florida Derby (G1), having been scratched as the morning line favorite in the Kentucky Derby (G1). In to challenge him included 7-2 second choice Angel of Empire, winner of the Arkansas Derby (G1) before finishing third in the Kentucky Derby, and 5-1 third choice Tapit Trice, winner of the Blue Grass (G1) before disappointing in 9th in the Derby. Preakness Stakes (G1) winner National

    Down the stretch with Arcangelo out front.
    Treasure was the 11-2 fourth choice.

    21-1 Tapit Shoes and National Treasure dueled for the lead first time by and around the clubhouse turn through opening fractions of 23.63 and 47.69. National Treasure led down the backstretch and around the far turn through fractions of 1:12.56, 1:37.41, and 2:02.68 pressed by 8-1 Arcangelo and stalked by 9-1 Hit Show and Angel of Empire. Turning for home, National Treasure tired as Arcangelo took over and opened up a 3 1/2 length lead through 11f in 2:15.64. Kept to task by Javier Castellano, Arcangelo held off late-running favorite Forte to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 2:29.23. It was a nose back to Tapit Trice third, and 3/4 more to a dead heat between Hit Show and Angel of Empire in fourth.

    Pgm  Horse              Jockey         Win   Place   Show
     3   Arcangelo          Castellano   17.80    7.20   4.90
     6   Forte              Ortiz Jr.             4.30   3.30
     2   Tapit Trice        Saez                         4.10
    
    Winning Time:  2:29.23
    
    $1 Exacta 3-6                  34.00
    $1 Trifecta 3-6-2             133.24
    $1 Superfecta 3-6-2-7         292.50
    $1 Superfecta 3-6-2-8         191.50
    
    Full results chart from DRF

    Left: Arcangelo takes his walk down Victory Lane. Winning trainer Jena Antonucci (far right), the first female trainer to win a Triple Crown race, said, "It's the horse and I am so grateful. I will forever be indebted to his honesty to us, his heart, and he is why you get up seven days a week. I didn't get a lot of sleep the last few nights, I'm not going to lie. I'm so grateful. When we were walking out, I said there is not a table made for you. You make the table. You put great people around you, you work hard. Work your tail off. It will come if you do it the right way. Do it the right way."

    Right: Arcangelo in the winner's circle.

    Left: The trophy celebration for the Belmont Stakes with owner Jon Ebbert, trainer Jena Antonucci, and jockey Javier Castellano. Winning owner Jon Ebbert said, "It's amazing. What an amazing ride. I'm so proud of the horse. He's an amazing horse. He's all heart. We knew he had it in him. Javier rode him perfectly and Jena is an amazing trainer. I'm so lucky to find her. The rest is history."

    Right: Arcangelo heads back to the barn after the race. Trainer Jena Antonucci added, "He's just figuring it all out. He's just a big kid. Javier did such a great job. There were a lot of horses taking up in the first turn and he sorted that out and got it together and on the backside made his way up the rail. We knew we wanted to get a little jump on them. We weren't even worried about the distance. His cruising speed is just stupid, stupid fast."

    Left: Arcangelo with Javier Castellano aboard heads out to the track before the race. This is Castellano's first Belmont win, 5 weeks after he won his first Kentucky Derby. He said, "This is a dream come true. To win two Triple Crown races in the same year, it's amazing. Everything worked out good. There's always something to shoot for, but I'm just going to keep working hard. But this is so special. [Arcangelo] was so impressive. He was always there for me."

    Right: Arcangelo returns after the race.

    Left: Second place finisher and beaten favorite Forte returns after the race. Trainer Todd Pletcher said, "1 1/2 miles wasn't far enough. I knew we were asking a lot coming off the 10-week layoff. He got shuffled back a little bit and once he got him outside in the clear, he was still making impact at the end but he just ran out of time getting there." Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. added, "I was able to get close and I kept the position for a while going into the backside. I gave him a little break and he came back and kept coming back. I was in the clear and he started going forward, and I said ‘Alright, let's stay here.' I just had to go a little wider, I think the [Arcangelo] cut the corner. He was best today."

    Right: Third place finisher Tapit Trice heads out to the track before the race. Jockey Luis Saez said, "Perfect trip. Broke from there and we were following the speed. Right at the 3/8, I started making a little move. He kind of took a little while to get going, but I feel like he was coming. He tried. The winner, he was gone. But Tapit Trice, he tried." Trainer Todd Pletcher added, "Tapit Trice got the trip we wanted. He got out in the clear and made that move and then he kept steadily grinding away."

    Left: The horses break from the gate for the 155th Belmont Stakes. Bob Baffert, trainer of sixth place finisher National Treasure (post 4) said, "[Arcangelo] was an Arrogate. What did they say about Arrogate when he won [the Travers]? Arrogate steals the show. I'm so happy for [Antonucci]. Johnny [Velazquez] said he could never turn him off today. He was really tense. He never got a chance to relax. He never shut it down. But he ran hard. He gave us a little bit of a thrill turning for home, but he was just wasn't... he didn't relax. He couldn't relax. He couldn't get him to turn off. He was on the bit the whole way."

    Right: Javier Castellano celebrates his first Belmont Stakes win.

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