Belmont Horse Racing Picks for Friday 5/12/23

The Belmont Spring/Summer Meet continues on Friday with 9 races. Post time is 1:00 p.m. ET from Belmont Park. Get in the game with mobile betting on FanDuel Sportsbook.

As always, check the program for scratches and changes, and check the weather and track conditions.

(I will reference Equibase's Speed Figure in selected races, which tells you how fast a horse has been running in each of its races -- adjusted for track, distances, and conditions).

Belmont Park Betting Picks

Check out the biggest stakes races ahead at Belmont Park, including on May 13 for the Grade 1 Man o' War and Grade 3 Peter Pan.

According to numberFire horse racing projections and Guaranteed Tip Sheet, these are some of the best bets to make at FanDuel Racing today.

1. Heathcliff and Air Invasion, Race 2

FanDuel Racing Odds: 2/1 and 3/1
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Race 2 is a Maiden Special Weight for baby 2-year-olds sprinting 5 furlongs on the turf. The win contenders according to numberFire and Guaranteed Tip Sheet (GTS) are Heathcliff (2/1) and Air Invasion (3/1). Both horses have top jockeys riding in Jose Ortiz and Manny Franco, Jr. Heathcliff is a son of Ghostzapper making his debut with a fast bullet work in place. Air Invasion also debuts with a 3-furlong bullet.

2. Jill's a Hot Mess and Strong Odor, Race 4

FanDuel Racing Odds: 3/1 and 2/1
Bet Now at TVG | Bet Now at FanDuel

Race 4 is a Claiming race for older fillies and mares sprinting 6 furlongs on the inner turf. The numberFire algorithm projects the order of finish as Jill's a Hot Mess (3/1), Spicy Margarita (5/1) and Strong Odor (2/1). Jill's a Hot Mess breaks from the inside with Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Javier Castellano riding.

3. Joey Freshwater and Squire Creek, Race 8

FanDuel Racing Odds: 4/1 and 7/5
Bet Now at TVG | Bet Now at FanDuel

Race 8 is the $150,000 Gold Fever Stakes for 3-year-olds sprinting 6 furlongs. Both numberFire and Guaranteed Tip Sheet have Joey Freshwater (4/1) and Squire Creek (7/5) as top win contenders. Joey Freshwater continues to improve and is 2-for-2 with jockey Kendrich Carmouche riding. He won a Grade 3 race a month ago and hit triple-digit speed figures in his previous runner-up finish in March. Squire Creek is undefeated (2-for-2) and looks like the speed of the speed in his stakes debut. Drew's Gold (3/1) is also undefeated (3-for-3) and won a minor stakes in Feb. in his third start. He's got strong morning works over the Belmont surface. Andiamo A Firenze (6/1) can add value to your exotics.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.