Reigning two-year-old champion Forte will make his long-awaited Triple Crown debut when he faces eight other horses in the 2023 Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Forte was the morning-line favorite for the Kentucky Derby, but was scratched with a foot bruise. Because of the timing, he also could not run in the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes. However Forte is the 5-2 favorite in the 2023 Belmont Stakes odds. Post time is 7:02 p.m. ET.
With an evenly matched field set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you'll want to see what astute racing reporter and analyst Michelle Yu has to say before making any Belmont Stakes picks. Join SportsLine here to see who she's picking!
Few people in racing are as well-connected as Yu. An on-air host and reporter who has provided racing analysis for TVG, HRTV and the Breeders' Cup, Yu has spent a lifetime in racing. Prior to her television career, she worked for trainers Steve Asmussen and Ron Moquett. She also is married to Santa Anita-based trainer Ryan Hanson.
Yu also has tremendous handicapping chops. In a wide-open Kentucky Derby in 2021, she gave out Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first, as the winner at 12-1. In Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager last year, she suggested a play on All Other 3-Year-Olds, which cashed at a whopping 18-1 when Rich Strike won the Derby. In last year's Belmont Stakes, she correctly picked the winner (Mo Donegal) and exacta (Mo Donegal and Nest).
Since the end of February, she has crushed the Saudi Cup, riding a 15-1 winner, nailed Derma Sotogake to win the UAE Derby and hit the exacta in the Santa Anita Derby. In the last three weeks, she has hit the exacta in the Preakness Stakes and Hollywood Gold Cup and had both the winner and exacta in the Summertime Oaks.
For Saturday, Yu has handicapped the 2023 Belmont Stakes horses, made her picks and constructed her bets. Join SportsLine here to see them!
One surprise: Yu's top pick is not Forte, even though he is the reigning 2-year-old champion and 5-2 Belmont Stakes favorite. "Forte is hard to ignore, but there are enough reasons to play against him," Yu told SportsLine. Yu is using Forte only sparingly in her wagers.
Moreover, Yu's top pick is a horse who is "finding his stride." She is also high on a horse who has a chance to "run a big one." She is including these horses in her 2023 Belmont Stakes bets, and so should you. You ABSOLUTELY need to see her picks before locking in any of your own.
So who wins the 2023 Belmont Stakes? And how has Yu constructed her wagers? ... Join SportsLine right now to get Michelle Yu's 2023 Belmont Stakes picks, all from the insider who nailed the Preakness Stakes and last year's Belmont exacta!
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