The 2023 Belmont Stakes will take place on Saturday. Forte appeared to have legitimate Triple Crown potential after winning six of his first seven starts, but the Kentucky Derby favorite was scratched on race day by a state veterinarian at Churchill Downs. However, Forte has returned to training, with Todd Pletcher hoping that the talented three-year-old can give him a fifth victory at the Belmont Stakes. The champion two-year-old, who also won the Florida Derby, drew the No. 6 post and is the 5-2 favorite in the 2023 Belmont Stakes odds. Tapit Trice (3-1) and Tapit Shoes (20-1) are half-brothers sired by the legendary Tapit, whose progeny already includes four previous Belmont Stakes winners.

Post time is scheduled for 7:02 p.m. ET at Belmont Park. With so much to consider while making your 2023 Belmont Stakes picks, a little expert help can go a long way.

The third leg of the Triple Crown is often billed as the “test of the champion” because of the 1 1/2-mile distance. This is the 50-year anniversary of Secretariat’s jaw-dropping 31-length win at Belmont Park to win the 1973 Triple Crown and the horse still holds the timed record in all three American horse racing Triple Crown races. This will be the 112th time that the Run for the Carnations has been held at Belmont Park on Long Island outside New York City.

Given all the history, there’s a method to picking which horses to focus on for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets in a Belmont Stakes like this, and SportsLine expert Jody Demling knows what it is. He can help you make the best 2023 Belmont Stakes picks possible.

A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling nailed the winner, trifecta and superfecta in the 2023 Preakness Stakes. Demling also enters the Belmont Stakes 2023 having nailed the winner of the final Triple Crown race four of the last five years, including an exacta in 2022 with Mo Donegal and Nest. He also called Flightline’s win at the Breeders’ Cup Classic last November.

Additionally, he has hit 10 of the last 15 Derby-Oaks doubles at Churchill Downs. That means he held a ticket with the winners of both races all but five times in the last 15 tries. Anybody following him in those races saw huge returns. Now, he’s sharing all of his 2023 Belmont Stakes bets here.

Top 2023 Belmont Stakes expert picks

Here’s a refresher on these types of bets from SportsLine’s Jody Demling:

Exacta: Pick the first- and second-place finishers in the correct order. A $2 exacta returned $27.60 at the 2022 Belmont Stakes with Mo Donegal and Nest.

Trifecta: Pick the first-, second- and third-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 trifecta returned $187.50 at the 2022 Belmont Stakes with Mo Donegal, Nest and Skippylongstocking.

Superfecta: Pick the first-, second-, third- and fourth-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 superfecta returned $692 at the 2022 Belmont Stakes with Mo Donegal, Nest, Skippylongstocking and We the People.

While Demling has no quibbles with the favorite status of Forte (5-2), he is also holding tickets with Tapit Trice (3-1) and is using a middle-of-the-pack longshot in his exotics who could spice up the payouts. You can see his picks here.

How to make 2023 Belmont Stakes bets

Demling has specific recommendations for exacta, trifecta and superfecta wagers so you can cover all your bases at the Belmont Stakes 2023. He’s sharing them over at SportsLine.

So which horses do you take? And in what combinations? Visit SportsLine to get Demling’s picks for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets for the 2023 Belmont Stakes.

2023 Belmont Stakes odds, lineup