Belmont Derby Invitational 2023: Odds, free PPs, preview, more
The spring racing season centered on 3-year-olds going two turns around the dirt in some of the sport’s biggest events. Now, with summer in full swing and Saratoga nearing, 3-year-old turf runners get their turn in the limelight.
The Foxes is the 7-2 morning-line favorite for the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational. Post time from Belmont Park is scheduled for 5:49 p.m. EDT, with FS2 showing the 1 1/4-mile race for sophomores over the lawn.
Saturday’s Belmont Derby is the first of three events that the New York Racing Association labels as the Turf Triple Series. Still to come are the $600,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1) on Aug. 5 and the Jockey Club Derby this fall back at Belmont.
The Belmont Derby leads a Saturday card in Elmont, N.Y., that includes four graded stakes. Closing day at Belmont is Sunday, after which the NYRA circuit heads upstate to Saratoga starting Thursday.
Trained by Andrew Balding, The Foxes comes to the U.S. after a fifth-place finish June 3 in the Epsom Derby (G1). Prior to that, he won Group 2 races at Newmarket and York.
Balding has won three graded stakes in North America, the most recent being Blond Me’s victory in the 2017 E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1). Jockey Oisin Murphy makes the trip across the Atlantic, seeking his first U.S. win since mount Marche Lorraine shocked the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Distaff at 49-1 odds.
The Foxes, a son of four-time Group 1 hero Churchill, will break Saturday from the outside No. 11 post.
Far Bridge (4-1) carries the shortest odds among domestic runners. Trained by Todd Pletcher, he was second in both the American Turf Stakes (G2) on the Kentucky Derby undercard and the local Pennine Ridge Stakes (G2) on June 3.
Webslinger (9-2) carries longer odds than Far Bridge despite beating him two starts back in the American Turf by a nose. The Mark Casse trainee raced back at Churchill Downs on June 3, winning the Audubon Stakes.
Kalik (5-1) won the Pennine Ridge for trainer Chad Brown, who, despite his plethora of star turf runners over the last decade, has not won the Belmont Derby. The Pennine Ridge marked a third straight victory for Kalik.
Silver Knott (6-1) finished third in the Pennine Ridge behind Kalik and Far Bridge. Trained by Charlie Appleby, his prior form is highlighted by a runner-up finish last November in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.
Here is a look at the field for the 2023 Belmont Derby Invitational (trainers and jockeys in parentheses) with morning-line odds:
1. Mendelssohns March (Kenny McPeek, Dylan Davis), 30-1
2. Boppy O (Mark Casse, Luis Saez), 12-1
3. Cyber Ninja (Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado), 30-1
4. Webslinger (Mark Casse, Javier Castellano), 9-2
5. Far Bridge (Todd Pletcher, Jose Ortiz), 4-1
6. Silver Knott (Charlie Appleby, Richard Mullen), 6-1
7. Wizard of Westwood (Michael McCarthy, John Velazquez), 15-1
8. Kalik (Chad Brown, Irad Ortiz Jr.), 5-1
9. Mondego (Christophe Clement, Joel Rosario), 20-1
10. Redistricting (Chad Brown, Flavien Prat), 8-1
11. The Foxes (Andrew Balding, Oisin Murphy), 7-2
TimeformUS pace projections show 15-1 shot Wizard of Westwood going to the lead under jockey John Velazquez. Note that TimeformUS lacks pace data on morning-line favorite The Foxes.
Visit Horse Racing Nation’s free past performances page for more information on the Belmont Derby, plus PPs on a host of other stakes races on Saturday’s schedule.
Belmont Derby links
“He ran a good race in the Derby, but we felt he didn't get the mile and a half,” The Foxes trainer Andrew Balding said. “Obviously, the option to drop back to 10 furlongs was attractive. Hopefully, it's a good fit for him.”
Belmont Derby starter Far Bridge is among runners on J. Keeler Johnson’s horses to watch racing this weekend, along with a scratched Kentucky Derby starter.
Far Bridge can deliver trainer Todd Pletcher his fifth Grade 1 win of the season Saturday with a Belmont Derby score. Pletcher is lining up his top horses for the summer, including champions Forte and Nest.
Trainer Kenny McPeek won this event last year with 26-1 shot Classic Causeway, who posted a gate-to-wire score over favored Nations Pride. This year, he returns with the improving Mendelssohns March, who is 30-1 on the morning line.
This week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod, handicapper David Levitch offers tips on four weekend races at Belmont Park, including the Belmont Derby, the Belmont Oaks (G1) and the Suburban Stakes (G2).
NYRA will host a cross-country Pick 5 on Saturday featuring an all-stakes sequence from Belmont Park and Horseshoe Indianapolis that includes the Belmont Derby.
The Belmont Derby leads into the next leg of New York’s Turf Triple Series, the $600,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational (G1) on Aug. 5. NYRA and Moonee Valley Racing Club announced the race will offer the winner an automatic berth into the Cox Plate (G1) on Oct. 28 in Australia.
Earlier this week, jockeys at Belmont Park banded together to question what they believed was the severe suspension of an apprentice rider for a repeat offense of careless riding.
Other Saturday stakes
Here is a look at other graded stakes taking place Saturday on a busy day of racing across the U.S. All post times are EDT.
3:09 p.m. – $350,000 Suburban Stakes (G2), 4-and-up, 1 1/4 miles, Belmont Park, FS2
Charge It (3-5) won his first start of 2023 in a Gulfstream Park allowance race but is 0-for-3 since, with his most recent effort a fourth-place finish June 10 in the local Metropolitan Handicap (G1). Jockey John Velazquez has the mount on the Grade 3-winning, 4-year-old Tapit colt for trainer Todd Pletcher. Linda Rice trains Tonal Impact (4-1), who makes his stakes bow off back-to-back Belmont allowance wins, the last of which came June 15. Stakes victor Red Run (5-1) backs up in distance after a third-place effort June 10 in the local Brooklyn Stakes (G2) at 1 1/2 miles for trainer Mike Maker.
4:43 p.m. – $500,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1), 3-year-old fillies, 1 1/4 miles (turf), Belmont Park, FS2
Mission of Joy (2-1), twice a Grade 3 winner, aims for Grade 1 laurels off a Regret Stakes (G3) score June 3 at Churchill Downs. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione and trainer Graham Motion team up with the daughter of Kitten’s Joy in the first leg of NYRA’s Turf Triple Series for fillies. Mark Casse trains Papilio (4-1), a Grade 2 winner who was runner-up in the Regret to Mission of Joy by 1 1/2 lengths. Prerequisite (5-1) enters off a local score June 11 in the Wonder Again Stakes (G2) for trainer Chad Brown.
4:46 p.m. – $500,000 Delaware Handicap (G2), 3-and-up fillies and mares, 1 3/16 miles, Delaware Park, FanDuel TV
Idiomatic (7-5), winner of Churchill’s Shawnee Stakes (G3) on June 3, is favored for this event whose past winners include the likes of Blind Luck, Royal Delta and Songbird. Jockey Florent Geroux is in Delaware to ride the 4-year-old Curlin filly for trainer Brad Cox. Butch Reid trains Morning Matcha (5-2), who prepped for this race with a second-place finish May 27 in the local Obeah Stakes. Classy Edition (7-2), a Grade 3 victor for trainer Todd Pletcher, took the Critical Eye Stakes on May 29 at Belmont.
6:03 p.m. – $200,000 Indiana Oaks (G3), 3-year-old fillies, 1 1/16 miles, Horseshoe Indianapolis, FanDuel TV
Defining Purpose (8-5) upset Keeneland’s Ashland Stakes (G1) at 20-1 odds in April, then was seventh in the Kentucky Oaks. With jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. up, the Cross Traffic filly aims to get back in the winner’s circle for trainer Kenny McPeek. Randy Morse trains Taxed (2-1), winner of the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) as an 11-1 shot May 19 at Pimlico. Lily Poo (5-1) comes east off a third-place finish June 3 in Santa Anita’s Summertime Oaks (G2) for trainer Michael McCarthy.
6:21 p.m. – $175,000 Victory Ride Stakes (G3), 3-year-old fillies, 6 1/2 furlongs, Belmont Park, FS2
Maple Leaf Mel (9-5) has won all four of her career starts for trainer Melanie Giddings, including a Miss Preakness Stakes (G3) triumph May 19 at Pimlico. Jockey Joel Rosario will pilot the Cross Traffic filly. Rusty Arnold trains Red Carpet Ready (3-1), who won the Eight Belles Stakes (G2) on the Kentucky Oaks (G1) undercard May 5 at Churchill. Interpolate (5-1) makes her first start since a runner-up finish April 16 at Keeneland in the Beaumont Stakes (G2) for Brown.
6:40 p.m. – $300,000 Indiana Derby (G3), 3-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles, Horseshoe Indianapolis, FanDuel TV
Verifying (8-5) has finished second in three graded stakes, including June 11 at Ellis Park in the Matt Winn Stakes (G3), for Cox. Jockey Marcelino Pedroza Jr. takes over the mount on the Justify colt, who faded to a 16th-place finish two months ago in the Kentucky Derby. McPeek trains stakes winner Hayes Strike (3-1), who continues his tour of the Midwest off a third-place finish June 24 at Thistledown in the Ohio Derby (G3). Act a Fool (6-1) also wheels back off a recent effort, his being a Hawthorne Derby victory June 25 for trainer Larry Rivelli.
9:40 p.m. – $225,000 Iowa Oaks (G3), 3-year-old fillies, 1 1/16 miles, Prairie Meadows, FanDuel TV
Imonra (5-2) has won back-to-back starts, including an allowance race May 26 at Gulfstream Park, for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Gulfstream-based jockey Edgard Zayas goes to Iowa to pilot the Violence filly in her stakes debut. McCarthy trains Friendlypersuasion (3-1), fifth-place finisher June 11 at Ellis in the Leslie’s Lady Overnight Stakes. Love Tank (4-1) steps up off a Lone Star allowance score May 20 for trainer Ray Ashford Jr.
10:09 p.m. – $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3), 3-and-up, 1 1/8 miles, Prairie Meadows, FanDuel TV
Skippylongstocking (3-1) has won a trio of Grade 3 races for Joseph, including in the Challenger Stakes two starts back at Tampa Bay. Zayas rides the 4-year-old Exaggerator colt, whose last race was a fifth-place effort April 22 at Keeneland in the Ben Ali Stakes (G3). Kelly Von Hemel trains Ain’t Life Grand (5-2), the 2022 Iowa Derby victor who enters off a local Jim and Sandra Rasmussen Stakes win June 10. Warrant (4-1) is a Grade 3 winner for Cox who was fourth last out in the Brooklyn Stakes on the Belmont Stakes card.