We are back at beautiful Belmont Park for another great Thursday of racing! This and next week (4th of July) are the final Thursday’s of the Belmont meet. We are 2 weeks away from Saratoga! Let’s continue to pick some winners downstate and get hot!
Race 1: 2-3-5
#2 FALLINGINLOVEAGAIN is coming in off the layoff here but is coming at a career low level and is up for purchase for the first time. Saez jumps aboard today and and this geldings former speed figures are the best in the field here. The major step down in class makes me very optimistic and the last work we see is a bullet up at the Spa.
Race 2: 3-8-1
#3 ALLEY TO CAVALRY is interesting here as she is taking a slight step up in class, however we need to look at her running lines here. 6 wide in the last race first off the layoff, in the 5 path in the race before that, 4-5 wide in the 3rd to last race in November 2018. Rajiv was up on all those races and today we get Javier up who is a better option. Javier can get him a better trip from the 3 hole today and the races shes had the best trips shes run the best.
Race 3: 4-5-2
#4 HOKULEA is going to get my nod by a very slim margin here in a wide open 5 horse race. This gelding is taking a huge step down in class here and has done his best running at the 16K level or below (we have a 14K claimer here). Joel Rosario jumps up today who has been on him for his last win and two very solid starts since. We get the longest shot in this 5 horse field but this race is very wide open.
Race 4: 3-4-6
#3 HANDLE WITH CARE has run a couple of decent races over the dirt and Junior has been up for those starts. Two of her three starts where she has run ITM she has been on dirt. There’s also the elder factor in play here as this 4 year old will face against all younger 3 year olds today and she has the second most races in the field.
Race 5: 3-6-5
#3 FORGE just missed at a slightly higher level last time out but ran a very solid race. This horse is a constant runner at today’s distance and knows it extremely well. The speed figures we see are by far the best in the crop here and theres a bullet work to back as well. The rider change doesn’t worry me too much as last time Luis Reyes was on he won by 9 lengths.
Race 6: 4-7-1
#4 SO CHARMING has run this distance the past 4 races and position wise has been improving up through this past race. The works of this mare are very consistent and Irad jumps up for the first time since January 2018, that race this mare ran very well. Her collection of speed figures are very solid and there is value in this race starting with this mare, boxing these three up.
Race 7: 6-3-5
#6 CANARSIE KID is a consistent runner at not only this distance but also at this level and has had success. This geldings last win was at this distance at this level. He’s dropping down in lass today after a solid race last time out and is back up for sale. This guy is coming back off the layoff but is 3 for 4 in off the layoff attempts. Finally he just missed by a neck on his one attempt on this turf course, which was a very solid race and his highest ever speed figure.
Race 8: 5-3-2
#5 NOT THAT BRADY is coming back for his first race since the Wood Memorial. This gelding was a head shy of being a grade 3 winner in the Withers and is 2 for 3 at this distance with an ungraded stake win. Today this is a very solid race and a wide open one at that but, this guy gets the nod after a very solid string of workouts and the best speed figures of the field.
Race 9: 6-7-1
Lots of value in this last race as usual, but we have decided on #6 MISS YOU BLUES. Ran her best race two races ago at the distance and was running a great race until the saddle slipped. Joel climbs up giving us a rider upgrade today and we see some very solid works and they’re all consistent. We get good value here at 6/1 ML and this is a very solid and wide open finale.