The 2023 Triple Crown races have been overshadowed by a spate of equine fatalities — requiring Churchill Downs to close its doors for the rest of the Spring Meet — so it’s no surprise horses were kept from training this week at Belmont Park due to the poor air quality from the wildfires in Canada that blanketed New York.
Training for Saturday’s Belmont Stakes finally resumed on Friday morning and it’ll worth watching to see how the contenders hold up after a bit of extra rest.
Bettors will be watching, too, as the lines have barely moved since the morning line draw on Tuesday.
Here’s a look at where the odds stand one day before the race.
Following significant improvement in air quality conditions and in consultation with the New York State Gaming Commission, the NYRA announced that live racing will resume at Belmont Park today. Training resumed this morning.
— Byron King (@BH_BKing) June 9, 2023
1
Tapit Shoes

(AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Odds: 20-1
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
2
Tapit Trice

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Odds: 3-1
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Luis Saez
3
Arcangelo

(AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Odds: 8-1
Trainer: Jena Antonucci
Jockey: Javier Castellano
4
National Treasure

(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Odds: 5-1
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: John Velazquez
5
Il Miracolo

(AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Odds: 30-1
Trainer: Antonio Sano
Jockey: Marcos Meneses
6
Forte

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Odds: 5-2 (morning-line favorite)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
7
Hit Show

(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Odds: 10-1
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Manny Franco
8
Angel Of Empire

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Odds: 7-2
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Flavien Prat
9
Red Route One

(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Odds: 15-1
Trainer: Steven M. Asmussen
Jockey: Joel Rosario