Last week we had 3 winners in 9 races and nearly broke even. We have another 9 races on today’s Belmont card, let’s get hot!
Race 1: 7-2-8
#7 LION IN WAIT is coming back down in class after competing in an ungraded stakes race down at the Fair Grounds. This mare will most likely be the favorite in the opener and rightfully so, she won two straight races above this level in her third and second to last starts, we see a collection of very consistent workouts as well. Brad Cox has been hot in the early stages of the Belmont meet and we get the DQ’d Derby jockey in Luis Saez up who has won on this mare 3 times in 4 tries in the last year.
Race 2: 1/1A-5-2
The 1/1A ENTRY are by far the best looking maidens in this very short field. You get two Todd Pletcher horses with Johnny V and Irad up, the 1A last time out ran a solid race at Aqueduct and the extra half furlong could help him hit the wire first.
The second horse looks solid as well and we get them both.
Race 3: 2-5-7
#2 TIDE OF THE SEA didn’t show all that much last time out admittedly, but did have a poor break where he stutter stepped. His pedigree suggests that he will like this longer distance this race. Also we get one of, if not the best turf finisher in the game in Joel Rosario and at 12/1 ML with a solid pedigree, a better break, and no world beaters, why not take a shot?
Race 4: 5-1-2
#5 TRANCE got a bump after the break and has some solid turf pedigree. This gelding is 3 for 3 at 40K or lower and we see a 40K claimer today. With that stat at 15/1 ML why not let it fly here since we don’t really see any world beaters and this guys speed figures are comparable to the favorites here.
Race 5: 7-6-2
#7 SICILIA MIKE gets Jose Ortiz up as regular rider Dylan Davis opted for the favorite in this race. So we get a rider upgrade on an 8/1 ML shot who’s dropping down in class, who constantly hits the board and does well at this distance. We see a bullet workout since the last race where he finished an encouraging third.
Race 6: 2-3-5
#2 WILDCAT BELLE tired in her last time out which was an ungraded stake. Let’s throw that race out and we are left with a very solid track record. 3 wins and a second in 5 races (one of the races she was DQ’d from first), 4 of those races were at this distance. This mare loves the trip, gets to her lowest level in quite some time today, she has consistent workouts and to round off this 10/1 ML shot she is fantastic in third off the layoff tries, 4 races under that stipulation and shes won 2 and ran 3rd once.
Race 7: 8-6-5
#8 REAL MONEY already has 3 starts and is coming off the shelf for Mark Casse and we get Johnny V up. We see multiple bullet workouts and as usual I will go with the experience angle and put this colt on top in this maiden showing.
Race 8 Flat Out Stakes: 5-4-7
#5 ROCKETRY is a professional at this point and has won multiple stakes races even above the ungraded level. Joel Rosario jumps back up today and these two have won two straight together. This guy has the best speed figures in the race by far and can easily get the distance today. Last but certainly not least this guy has seen this specific Belmont turf course a few times before and does very well over it.
Race 9: 8-12-3
#8 SADIE LADY is coming off a layoff since November today. That last race this filly lost her footing and never fully recovered. She’s getting a step down in class today after running in two straight ungraded stakes to today’s allowance. Her speed figures are some of the best in the field, Javier Castellano decided to ride her today over other options and we see very consistent works.