The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival which started Thursday finally comes to a close at the conclusion of the Belmont Stakes. We have an incredible day of racing with 9 Stakes headlined by the last leg of the Triple Crown. Here’s a full breakdown of Saturday’s Card at Belmont Park.
Race #1- $90,000 Maiden
We start off the card at 11:35 am ET, with a $90,000 Maiden sprint that goes 5 1/2 Furlongs (F). WIT is one of the favorite’s due to the Pletcher and Ortiz Jr. combo. However, Ortiz Jr. took a spill on Thursday that will require him to miss some time. He posted on twitter Thursday morning that he will be out for a few weeks so some other jockey will pick up this mounts for Saturday. HAGLER is another favorite, due to his first race where he finished 2nd in an Maiden Special Weight (Msw). Rounding out the morning line favorites, is KEEPCALMCARRYON another Pletcher horse who will be ridden by Johnny V. H was sired by the 2012 Belmont Champion UNION RAGS, this horse looks to have the pedigree to win this race.
Pick: Win – 2, 4
Pick: Exacta – 2, 4/ 1, 2, 3, 4
Race #2- $90,000 Maiden
In Race 2, we have another Maiden Race that stretches out to 7 F. The quality in horses definitely drops a bit here, but still should be a good race none the less. PIPELINE is the morning line favorite, ridden by Javier Castellano. He’s coming off a 5th place finish on April 24th in a $90,000 Msw. RANGER FOX goes off in the 8th Post Position (PP) following a 2nd place finish in a $90k Msw in May as well. In that race RANGER FOX bested the #7 horse KING JAMES who took home third. KING JAMES was sired by 2016 Derby winner NYQUIST. Another horse with some pedigree in this race is MACH ONE who was sired by AIR FORCE BLUE, one of the best two year old’s in Europe who won three consecutive Group One wins.
Pick: Exacta Box – 6, 7, 8
Race #3- Gl Woody Stephens Stakes
The 3rd Race officially kicks off the stretch of Stakes races that end in Race #11. JACKIE’S WARRIOR headlines this race who has a 5-for-5 record around one turn races. He returns to Belmont where he won the GI Champagne running his best speed figure. DRAIN THE CLOCK looks to be one best challengers JACKIE’S WARRIOR will face. He is set to run his first Gl Stakes after winning two G3 Stakes and placing in a G2 Stakes race. CADDO RIVER is coming off a 2nd place finish in the Arkansas Derby and will cut back in distance here. DREAM SHAKE looks to have another go at JACKIE’S WARRIOR where he finished second to him in the G2 Pat Day Mile. Prior to that he ran third to Kentucky Derby entrants (and winner?), ROCK YOUR WORLD and MEDINA SPIRIT.
Pick: Exacta – 3/ 2,4,6
Race #4- Gll Brooklyn Stakes
In the Brooklyn Stakes, we have a 9 horse field that doesn’t really have a clear cut favorite in my opinion. For me, this is probably the toughest race to handicap through the first four races. This race has two Pletcher horses, both of which are contenders in MORETTI and AJAAWEED. AJAAWEED is a potential up-and-comer at marathon distances, and MORETTI is coming off a victory in the Birdstone Stakes where he defeated fellow YOU’RE TO BLAME and ROCKETRY. MORETTI also has some Pedigree as he was sired by MEDAGLIA D’ORO who had a very successful career at Saratoga taking home the 2002 Travers Stakes and the 2003 Whitney Handicap. Another morning line favorite, is LONE ROCK who won the Marathon Overnight Stakes defeating RY’S THE GUY. MUSICAL HEART is also fresh off a Stakes win where he held off AJAAWEED and ROCKETRY.
Pick: Exacta Box – 5, 6, 9
Race #5- Gl Acorn Stakes
Finally in Race 5 we have our first heavy favorite of the day in SEARCH RESULTS. She is the morning line (ml) favorite, with starting odds of 1-1. She looks to rebound here, fresh off a disappointing finish in the Gl Kentucky Oaks where she finished second losing to MALATHAAT. TRAVEL COLUMN is one of the other ml favorite’s who finished fifth in that same Kentucky Oaks race. She cuts down in distance in the Acorn Stakes which may benefit her. OBLIGATORY won her last race which was a G2 Stakes race defeating fellow contestants in DAYOUTOFTHEOFFICE and MAKE MISCHIEF. However, prior to that race she was defeated by TRAVEL COLUMN where she ended up running 4th. DAYOUTOFTHEOFFICE starts off at better odds than OBLIGATORY here and that’s due to her last race. She came off a long lay off ran well and is expected to continue that upward trajectory here making her a contender. MISS BRAZIL is also live in this race and goes off at 5-1 ml odds. She’s the daughter of PALACE MALICE who won the 2013 Belmont and has given SEARCH RESULTS a challenge in a previous race.
No Pick: You can try to beat the #1 with an ex box of ALL/1 or you can key the #1 in a multi race exotic wager. I may bet this race closer to post time, but as of now there’s really no value.
Race #6- Gl Jackpocket Jaipur Stakes
In Race 6, the 7 year old BOUND FOR NOWHERE is the ml favorite ridden by Junior Alvarado. BOUND FOR NOWHERE has had issues in the past but according to Trainer Wesley Ward, the horse is fully healthy and has never looked better. FAST BOAT enters this race off a Gll Turf Classic win where he defeated SOMBEYAY. We have two fillies in this race in GOT STORMY and OLEKSANDRA. GOT STORMY has bested the boys before in the Gl Fourstardave where she set the course record. OLEKSANDRA has defeated fellow starter STUBBINS back in June of 2020 where she won the Gl Jaipur Stakes. STUBBINS however, goes off at 6-1 compared to OLEKSANDRA, who has 15-1 ml odds. He finished fourth in his last outing, the Glll Turf Sprint, but took a bad step along the turn ruining his chances.
Pick: Exacta Box – 6, 10, 11
Race #7- Gl Ogden Phipps Stakes
What a treat we have here in the Ogden Phipps Stakes with Preakness winner SWISS SYDIVER, Kentucky Oaks winner SHEDARESTHEDEVIL and Apple Blossom winner LETRUSKA in the field. LETRUSKA is the favorite in the race coming off that Apple Blossom win but will have a jockey change that has yet to be announced. I’m guessing it’ll likely be Kendrick Carmouche as he’s the only jockey at Belmont that has ridden this horse before. SWISS SKYDIVER struggled in her last outing finishing third in that Apple Blossom Handicap but wasn’t 100% fit due to a scratch on her right foot. SHEDARESTHEDEVIL has beaten SWISS SKYDIVER and LETRUSKA before and could very well go off as the favorite by the time this race starts. VALIANCE is another horse to consider in the Ogden Phipps who is coming off a second place finish to MONOMOY GIRL in Breeders’ Cup Distaff. This will be her five year old debut but has shown she has the class to win.
*** EDIT #1 Swiss Skydiver, and #2 Valiance are out
Pick: Exacta Box – 3, 5. 7
Race #8- Gl Longines Just a Game Stakes
In Race 8 we have 12 Stakes winners in the field who are all looking for their first Gl Turf win. BLOWOUT leads the three Chad Brown horses, and is coming off an G2 Distaff Turf Mile gate to wire win. In this race, Brown also has TAMAHERE and POCKET SQAURE. Chad Brown has said that TAMAHERE has been training well and should benefit from the cut back in distance to a mile. POCKET SQUARE will have a new jockey aboard and will step up in class for this race. SUMMER ROMANCE and ALTHIQA have been shipped in from England for this race. Both of these 4 year old fillies took home stakes victories during Meydan Racecourse’s 2021 Dubai World Cup Carnival. Peter Brant who also owns favorite BLOWOUT has entered REGAL GLORY in this race again, who looks for redemption after finishing 4th in the Just A Game Stakes last year.
Pick: Exacta Box – 6, 9, 10
Pick: Exacta – 10/ 1, 6, 9, 11
Race #9- Gl Hill ‘N’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap
KNICKS GO comes into this race as the favorite, based off his previous results and speed figures. In his last out, he took fourth in the $20 million Saudi Cup. However, prior to take race he won the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational and Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. MISCHEVIOUS ALEX is coming off a win in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap where he ran his best Beyer Speed Figure of 109. He’s mainly only ran in sprint races so far, besides his first race ever, the G3 Gotham Stakes where he did win. It’ll be interesting to see if the return to distance gives him any trouble. DR. POST trained by Todd Pletcher, is coming off a G3 win but has yet to take home a win in any Grade 1 or 2 race. SILVER SLATE has had success in his previous races winning his last five races including the Gll Oaklawn Stakes but will have a step up in class here.
Pick: Exacta – 6/ ALL
Race #10- Gl Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes
This is one of the deepest fields on the card for Saturday and should be an entertaining race. Trainer Chad Brown enters this race with four out of the ten horse field in the Grade l Manhattan Stakes. However, none of those horses are the favorite as that belongs to Todd Pletcher’s COLONEL LIAM. He comes into this race unbeaten in his past four races but will stretch out a little here to a 1 1/4 Mile and have a new jockey since Ortiz Jr. is out for a few weeks. In his last race, the Turf Class, DOMESTIC SPENDING and COLONEL LIAM dead-heated. In addition to COLONEL LIAM, DOMESTIC SPENDING has faced GUFO before where he defeated him twice. In addition to DOMESTIC SPENDING, GUFO has struggled in his last few outings losing to fellow entrant CHANNEL CAT as well. Chad Brown rounds out his entrants with MASTER PIECE and ROCKEMPEROR.
Pick: Exacta – 4, 9/ 4, 6, 9, 10
Race #11- Gl Belmont Stakes
Capping off the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival we have the “Test of the Champion”. ROMBAUER the winner of the PREAKNESS looks to capture the third leg of the Triple Crown. However, he’ll face ESSENTIAL QUALITY who was the Kentucky Derby favorite that finished a disappointing 4th. He looks for redemption here after taking the first loss of his career. HOT ROD CHARLIE is another contender who finished third in the Kentucky Derby but this colt’s pedigree for the distance is a bit lacking compared with some of the other Belmont starters. KNOWN AGENDA comes into this race as another horse looking for redemption after finishing 9th in the Kentucky Derby. ROCK YOUR WORLD had an awful trip in the Kentucky Derby finishing 17th but should have a much better trip in the Belmont. He’ll look to try to get to the lead early but may be joined by ESSNETIAL QUALITY and HOT ROD CHARLIE who will hope to do the same.
Pick: Win – 2, 7
Pick: Trifecta Box – 2, 4, 6, 7
Pick: 10 c Superfecta – 6, 7/ 2, 6, 7/ 2, 4, 6, 7/ 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7
Races #12 and #13 Picks will be up on my twitter @GatorBetting
