Belmont Stakes 2023 Post Positions: Complete Listing for Every Horse

The post positions for the 2023 Belmont Stakes are set, highlighted by Preakness winner National Treasure starting from the fourth gate.

While the nine-horse field won't include Kentucky Derby champion Mage, who finished third at Pimlico, the competition will be high among the thoroughbreds trying to prevent National Treasure from winning the final two legs of the Triple Crown.

Here's the full list of horses, their starting position and odds for Saturday's race:

1. Tapit Shoes (20-1)
2. Tapit Trice (3-1)
3. Arcangelo (8-1)
4. National Treasure (5-1)
5. Il Miracolo (30-1)
6. Forte (5-2)
7. Hit Show (10-1)
8. Angel of Empire (7-2)
9. Red Route One (15-1)

National Treasure's triumph at the Preakness was a bit of a surprise, which helps explain why he's not the betting favorite heading into the Belmont Stakes.

He had the third-best odds in the field, but the Bob Baffert-trained horse had just one career victory going into the race and hadn't finished higher than third in any of his previous three outings.

Now all the focus will be on National Treasure and jockey John Velazquez coming off the biggest win of the horse's racing career. The horse has had terrific practice runs already this week, including a sub-60-second five-furlong jog on Monday.

The top challenger to National Treasure, based on the betting odds, is Forte. The three-year-old colt has won each of his last five races, but the Belmont will mark his first appearance on the track since the Florida Derby on April 1.

Forte was the betting favorite going into the Kentucky Derby before getting scratched the morning of the race because of concerns over a bruised foot.

The Maryland Racing Commission honored the Kentucky veterinarian's recommendation to keep the horse shut down for 14 days, making Forte ineligible to compete at the Preakness Stakes.

While it's easy to justify why Forte will command a lot of attention going into Saturday's race, there are reasons to be skeptical about his odds of winning.

Asking a horse that hasn't raced for two months and missed multiple weeks with an injury to come back for the longest race (12 furlongs) of the Triple Crown schedule is tough.

Angel of Empire, who took over as the betting favorite at Churchill Downs after Forte was scratched, could be in the mix this weekend. The sire of Classic Empire has the second-best odds in the field and overcame a slow start at the Kentucky Derby to finish third after a strong push down the final stretch.

The Test of the Champion will be settled when the nine horses take their spot at the starting gate on Saturday at 6:50 p.m. ET.