At the Gate - Friday
June 11, 2009
The first Party at the Park gets underway at Belmont Park today. On each Friday between today and July 24 (with the exception of July 3) racing will get underway at 3:00 ET.
That means two extra hours for handicapping, or for sleeping, your choice. I picked handicapping, but that?s just me.
The nine race card features the $65,000 Kashatreya Stakes, a mile race on the main track for New York breds.
The race drew just a field of five and is not much of a betting race. However, it will be interesting to watch as Commentator returns to action.
The multiple Grade 1 winner is tuning up for his defense of the Whitney Stakes (G1) he won last July at Saratoga. The Nick Zito trainee also won the Whitney back in ?05.
The gelding was fourth in his last start in the Charles Town Classic, a three turn nine furlong race.
I thought he was a huge underlay in that race, and if you remember, we backed the Charles Town specialist Researcher, who got the job done and paid $8.40.
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Researcher is leaving the comfy confines of West Virginia on Saturday to compete in the $600,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) at Churchill Downs.
Commentator is back on his favorite surface at Belmont Park this afternoon, but it is tough to get excited about backing him at his 1/5 morning line price.
The race is likely a pass, but I did pick Stud Muffin to pull off the upset. The five year old will be making his second start off the bench for trainer David Duggan.
He won the Empire Classic last fall and has won three of his seven starts at Belmont Park. If we see the 4/1 morning line he might be worth a small play. If not I?ll be a spectator, and will actually be rooting for Commentator to bounce back with a stronger effort than he showed last out.
The handicap division can use all the help it can get right now.
I?ll break down the Stephen Foster in tomorrow?s column.
To purchase my full card report for Belmont Park that includes analysis, selections, fair odds, and wagering recommendations for today click here.
Here is today's opener from Belmont Park to get our day off to a good start:
BEL Race 1 Clm $10,000N1Y (3:00 et)
#7 Winaway 7/2
#4 Silver Ferrari 2/1
#1 Brooker D 7/2
#5 Wild Geese 5/2
Analysis: #7 Winaway cuts back to six furlongs here after racing wide around the far turn and coming up short in the stretch in a sixth place finish against $16K non winners of a race in six months. The gelding caught a main track that was favoring inside speed that day. The runner up in the race was Debating, who came back to win against $16K non winners of one in six months on 5/30. Now the gelding goes for the Parisella barn that has hit at a 32% clip overall this year. The barn is showing just a 1 for 5 mark first off the claim. Going back three years the barn shows a 3 for 22 mark first off the claim. The gelding finds a god spot here tagged for $10K and picks up Ramon, who hits at a 42% clip (with a +ROI) when riding for the barn.
#4 Silver Ferrari acted up at the start, breaking through the gate pre race and then leaping in the start at the actual break, getting off last in the field of five as the short priced chalk. He came with a four wide bid but the winner had a clear lead heading for home. The fifth place finisher Acclimate came out of the race to beat $5K restricted claimers in his next start at Monmouth Park on 5/25. Makes his first start for the Imperio barn that is 13% winners first off the claim. The gelding has a decent off track pedigree if the track comes up wet again today.
Wagering
WIN: #7 to win at 5/2 or better.
EX: 4,7 / 1,4,5,7
TRI: 4,7 / 1,4,5,7 / 1,4,5,6,7
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Belmont Park:
BEL Race 8 OClm $50,000N2X (6:36 et)
#1 Cable 2/1
#6 Viva La Flag 5/2
#7 Quarayed 5/1
#1 Manitoba Miss / #1a Encanto Park 7/2
Analysis: #1 Cable makes her first start since running a good third over the poly at Keeneland. She exits a good field, two coming out of that race to win next out. She is undefeated o turf, a perfect 2 for 2 including her maiden win, which came in her debut over the turf here. She still appears to have tons of upside and has a very attractive pedigree. She is by Dynaformer out of the stakes winner Sterling Pound ($155K) who has dropped four other winners including a couple of nice runners in Exchange Rate ($480K) and Sabre D'Argent ($159K).
#6 Viva La Flag set the early fractions while down along the inside and weakened to finish fourth last out in the G3 Gallorette. The runner up in that race was All Is Vanity, who came back to win the G3 Eatontown in her next outing on 6/7 at Monmouth Park. She has had a few too many seconds at today's condition but looks like a good fit here as she makes her third start of her current form cycle.
Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 9/5 or better.
EX: 4,6 / 1,4,6,7
TRI: 4,6 / 1,4,6,7 / 1,2,4,6,7
Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.
Belmont Park
R3: #2 Naughty New Yorker 8/1
R3: #5 Joe Corrigan 12/1
R5: #4 Lil O?s Expression 8/1
R6: #1 Money Thief 15/1
R7: #2 Enjoyable / #2b What She Said 8/1
R9: #10 Brockly Bob 8/1
June 11, 2009
The first Party at the Park gets underway at Belmont Park today. On each Friday between today and July 24 (with the exception of July 3) racing will get underway at 3:00 ET.
That means two extra hours for handicapping, or for sleeping, your choice. I picked handicapping, but that?s just me.
The nine race card features the $65,000 Kashatreya Stakes, a mile race on the main track for New York breds.
The race drew just a field of five and is not much of a betting race. However, it will be interesting to watch as Commentator returns to action.
The multiple Grade 1 winner is tuning up for his defense of the Whitney Stakes (G1) he won last July at Saratoga. The Nick Zito trainee also won the Whitney back in ?05.
The gelding was fourth in his last start in the Charles Town Classic, a three turn nine furlong race.
I thought he was a huge underlay in that race, and if you remember, we backed the Charles Town specialist Researcher, who got the job done and paid $8.40.
Advertisement
Researcher is leaving the comfy confines of West Virginia on Saturday to compete in the $600,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) at Churchill Downs.
Commentator is back on his favorite surface at Belmont Park this afternoon, but it is tough to get excited about backing him at his 1/5 morning line price.
The race is likely a pass, but I did pick Stud Muffin to pull off the upset. The five year old will be making his second start off the bench for trainer David Duggan.
He won the Empire Classic last fall and has won three of his seven starts at Belmont Park. If we see the 4/1 morning line he might be worth a small play. If not I?ll be a spectator, and will actually be rooting for Commentator to bounce back with a stronger effort than he showed last out.
The handicap division can use all the help it can get right now.
I?ll break down the Stephen Foster in tomorrow?s column.
To purchase my full card report for Belmont Park that includes analysis, selections, fair odds, and wagering recommendations for today click here.
Here is today's opener from Belmont Park to get our day off to a good start:
BEL Race 1 Clm $10,000N1Y (3:00 et)
#7 Winaway 7/2
#4 Silver Ferrari 2/1
#1 Brooker D 7/2
#5 Wild Geese 5/2
Analysis: #7 Winaway cuts back to six furlongs here after racing wide around the far turn and coming up short in the stretch in a sixth place finish against $16K non winners of a race in six months. The gelding caught a main track that was favoring inside speed that day. The runner up in the race was Debating, who came back to win against $16K non winners of one in six months on 5/30. Now the gelding goes for the Parisella barn that has hit at a 32% clip overall this year. The barn is showing just a 1 for 5 mark first off the claim. Going back three years the barn shows a 3 for 22 mark first off the claim. The gelding finds a god spot here tagged for $10K and picks up Ramon, who hits at a 42% clip (with a +ROI) when riding for the barn.
#4 Silver Ferrari acted up at the start, breaking through the gate pre race and then leaping in the start at the actual break, getting off last in the field of five as the short priced chalk. He came with a four wide bid but the winner had a clear lead heading for home. The fifth place finisher Acclimate came out of the race to beat $5K restricted claimers in his next start at Monmouth Park on 5/25. Makes his first start for the Imperio barn that is 13% winners first off the claim. The gelding has a decent off track pedigree if the track comes up wet again today.
Wagering
WIN: #7 to win at 5/2 or better.
EX: 4,7 / 1,4,5,7
TRI: 4,7 / 1,4,5,7 / 1,4,5,6,7
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Belmont Park:
BEL Race 8 OClm $50,000N2X (6:36 et)
#1 Cable 2/1
#6 Viva La Flag 5/2
#7 Quarayed 5/1
#1 Manitoba Miss / #1a Encanto Park 7/2
Analysis: #1 Cable makes her first start since running a good third over the poly at Keeneland. She exits a good field, two coming out of that race to win next out. She is undefeated o turf, a perfect 2 for 2 including her maiden win, which came in her debut over the turf here. She still appears to have tons of upside and has a very attractive pedigree. She is by Dynaformer out of the stakes winner Sterling Pound ($155K) who has dropped four other winners including a couple of nice runners in Exchange Rate ($480K) and Sabre D'Argent ($159K).
#6 Viva La Flag set the early fractions while down along the inside and weakened to finish fourth last out in the G3 Gallorette. The runner up in that race was All Is Vanity, who came back to win the G3 Eatontown in her next outing on 6/7 at Monmouth Park. She has had a few too many seconds at today's condition but looks like a good fit here as she makes her third start of her current form cycle.
Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 9/5 or better.
EX: 4,6 / 1,4,6,7
TRI: 4,6 / 1,4,6,7 / 1,2,4,6,7
Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.
Belmont Park
R3: #2 Naughty New Yorker 8/1
R3: #5 Joe Corrigan 12/1
R5: #4 Lil O?s Expression 8/1
R6: #1 Money Thief 15/1
R7: #2 Enjoyable / #2b What She Said 8/1
R9: #10 Brockly Bob 8/1
