Belmont Derby 2023: Wizard of Westwood is ready to upset

Rowan Ward
By , Updated on: Jul 4, 2023 12:00 AM
A black-and-white photo of jockeys riding horses, emerging from starting gates during a horse race. The horses are in mid-stride while racing forward, and the jockeys are focused and poised. Race officials are visible in the background.

On Saturday, July 8, the $1 million Belmont Derby will showcase the finest three-year-old turf horses from around the world at Belmont Park. This prestigious event serves as the opening race of the New York Turf Triple, a series of million-dollar races on the lawn. The highly anticipated race has attracted a remarkable field of 11 runners from both Europe and North America, making it one of the most significant horse racing betting events of the summer.

Since its beginning in 2014, the Belmont Derby has seen triumphs from both American and European contenders. Notable European victors include Deauville and Bolshoi Ballet, both trained by the esteemed Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien. Prominent American winners include Oscar Performance, who claimed the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), and Catholic Boy, the triumphant winner of the Travers (G1).

The question of who will join the list of champions this year remains unanswered. Continue reading to find out which talented horse will etch their name into Belmont Derby history, and find out where to bet the Belmont Derby online!

Belmont Derby Field

This is the official field for the 2023 Belmont Derby including post positions, trainers, and jockeys:

  1. Mendelssohns March (Ken McPeek/Dylan Davis)
  2. Boppy O (Mark Casse/Luis Saez)
  3. Cyber Ninja (Bill Mott/Junior Alvarado)
  4. Webslinger (Mark Casse/Javier Castellano)
  5. Far Bridge (Todd Pletcher/Jose Ortiz)
  6. Silver Knott (Charlie Appleby/Richard Mullen)
  7. Wizard of Westwood (Michael McCarthy/John Velazquez)
  8. Kalik (Chad Brown/Irad Ortiz, Jr.)
  9. Mondego (Christophe Clement/Joel Rosario)
  10. Redistricting (Chad Brown/Flavien Prat)
  11. The Foxes (Andrew Balding/Oisin Murphy)

Closer to post time, the track will release a morning line. However, if you play at the track, those odds change all the way until the moment the runners break from the gate. Your best bet is the play the Belmont Derby at an online sportsbook. Online sportsbooks offer fixed-odds markets for major races, meaning you can guarantee odds the moment you wager.

This means that you can watch the race knowing you have the best odds on your pick in the race.

BovadaBetOnlineBetUS
The FoxesTBATBATBA
Silver KnottTBATBATBA
Far BridgeTBATBATBA
KalikTBATBATBA
WebslingerTBATBATBA
RedistrictingTBATBATBA

Belmont Derby Online Betting

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Belmont Derby Handicapping

With your wagering account ready to go, it is time to get to know the Belmont Derby field! These are the horses, both favorites and long shots, to keep in mind:

Belmont Derby Favorites

Kalik has won three straight including the Pennine Ridge (G2), the local prep for the Belmont Derby. He has wired his last two races; he probably gets outrun to the lead this time, but showed in his maiden-breaker that he can stalk, too. Though the Belmont Derby is one of the few turf prizes that still eludes Chad Brown so far, Kalik gives him a good chance to annex his first.

A pair of classy international runners ships out for this, The Foxes and Silver Knott. The Foxes appeals more. He comes out of a fifth-place finish in the Derby (G1) at Epsom, a race in which the top two horses have already come back to win more top European prizes. Though his late-running style may be a liability, both his class and his upside on the cutback to 1 ¼ miles make him a strong contender.

Silver Knott often finds the frame, but it is a concern (especially for a trainer who wins so often with international shippers as Charlie Appleby) that Silver Knott got the job done in neither the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) or the Pennine Ridge. He hit the board both times, and may again, though he is another who may find the modest pace this time to be a challenge.

Belmont Derby Value Horses

The price play in the Belmont Derby is Wizard of Westwood. Trainer Michael McCarthy has a great reputation for shipping long shots to major races and seeing them outrun their odds, and he fits that profile. He is already a winner at 1 ¼ miles on lawn, and in a race without a lot of speed he shapes as the pacesetter. This gives him a great chance to steal it on the front end, just like Classic Causeway did last year.

Wizard of Westwood To win the Belmont Derby
BetOnline
TBA

Webslinger steps up in class after a victory in the Audubon last out, but he has already shown graded class in the American Turf (G2) as well. What makes him particularly interesting out of the Audubon was the way he was able to swap his closing style for a stalking style in response to a slower pace in the race. With that versatility, he can get a good trip again here.

Free Belmont Derby Picks

These are your free expert picks for the 2022 Belmont Derby:

  • $20 to win - #7 Wizard of Westwood
  • $1 exacta box - #7 Wizard of Westwood, #8 Kalik, #11 The Foxes
  • $0.50 trifecta box - #4 Webslinger, #7 Wizard of Westwood, #8 Kalik, #11 The Foxes
  • $0.20 superfecta box - #4 Webslinger, #7 Wizard of Westwood, #6 Silver Knott, #8 Kalik, #11 The Foxes
Wizard of Westwood To win the Belmont Derby
BetOnline
TBA

Meet the author

Rowan Ward

Rowan has been a regular at the Chicago tracks for over a decade and has also been to some of the biggest racing events including the Breeders' Cup, Kentucky Derby, and Woodbine Mile. Since then their writing has appeared in their own blog and across the horse racing in...

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