At the Gate - Sunday
Einstein failed to become the second horse in history to win Grade 1 races on synthetic, turf, and dirt when had had a rough trip in a third place finish in Saturday?s $600,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) at Churchill Downs.
The seven year old bobbled coming out of the gate, had to check off heels at the 7/8?s, was bottled up in traffic heading down the backstretch and into the far turn, and could not find clear sailing in the stretch in just a nightmare trip.
Macho Again was the upset winner, paying $17.40 for trainer Dallas Stewart and West Point Thoroughbreds.
The winner had a dream trip, coming with a five wide run around the far turn and finishing strongly winning by a length over Asiatic Boy.
The exacta returned $140.20, and the trifecta with Einstein paid $372.20.
My top pick Researcher had no excuse. He tracked the early pace while three wide under Calvin Borel, made a move to get into the mix with a quarter mile to go and just finished evenly while not a real threat in the stretch.
Jockey Robby Albarado won his third consecutive Foster, while West Point was taking its second in three years.
The ownership group won the race in 2007 with Flashy Bull.
Leparoux knew he was going to have a target on his back riding the heavy favorite, and admitted he had a tough time finding running room.
?I?m on the horse to beat, so of course they?re trying to beat me, ? the jockey said. ?I had nowhere to go; I just had to wait. I was in a pretty good spot, but I had nowhere to go. So I just waited and when he got room at the eighth pole, he finished strong. He was probably the best horse, but that?s horse racing. Sometimes you get a tough trip and that?s that.?
Einstein will have a couple of more opportunities this year to join Lava Man as the only horses to win Grade 1?s over all three surfaces, but it was not meant to be on Saturday, although few would argue the seven year old was not the best horse on the track.
He just did not get the best of trips.
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 $30,000N2L (1:00 et)
#7 Brown's Hill 4/1
#1 Missile 6/1
#3 Mr. Universe 5/2
#2 Weekend Action 4/1
Analysis: #7 Brown's Hill is making his first start since last fall where the colt made a good late rally up the rail and was beaten just a nose at this condition. The winner and fifth place finisher in the race came back to win their next starts. The Klesaris barn is sending out live runners at the meeting as usual and is 29% winners (with a +ROI) with horses coming back off a +180 day layoff. Ramon is 4 for 9 riding for the barn through Friday and the colt has a couple of quick works on the morning tab.
#1 Missile took to the grass last out, taking $25K maiden claimers gate to wire in a razor sharp effort. Now he returns to the main track here for his first start against winners and his third start of his current form cycle. The colt owns the edge in early and mid pace numbers and with the rail draw Coa figures to have this guy flying early. If he shakes loose, he will prove tough to catch.
Wagering
WIN: #7 to win at 3/1 or better.
EX: 1,7 / 1,2,3,7
TRI: 1,7 / 1,2,3,7 / 1,2,3,5,7
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Belmont Park:
BEL Race 8 Poker Hcp G3 (4:44 et)
#1 Sailor's Cap 10/1
#6 Kip Deville 4/5
#3 Tam Lin 5/2
#5 Operation Red Dawn 5/1
Analysis: The question is what is a fair price on #6 Kip Deville as he makes his first start since getting badly outrun in Dubai. The race looks like a skip unless we see a decent enough price on #1 Sailor's Cap, who also returns off the bench. The colt had a productive three-year-old campaign, winning the G3 Colonial Cup, missing winning the G3 American Turf in a photo, and checking in third in the G2 Va. Derby behind Gio Ponti, who won the G1 Manhattan in his most recent start. The colt has done his best running over yielding and soft ground, and he should catch similar ground here.
#6 Kip Deville returned from Hong Kong and won the G1 Gulfstream Park 'Cap, and now he returns from Dubai to defend his title in this race, which he won last year over a couple of these he faces again. He has run well fresh and the Dutrow barn is 26% winners with horses coming back off a 61-180 day layoff. He won the '07 BC Mile over soft ground but has he lost a step or two since then?
Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 5/1 or better.
EX: 1,6 / 1,3,6
TRI: no play
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
R2: #6 Tonsina 12/1
R4: #7 Bocce Ball 8/1
R7: #5 Cat On the Line 15/1
R8: #1 Sailor?s Cap 10/1
R10: #10 Vaughndidit 10/1
Good luck today!
Einstein failed to become the second horse in history to win Grade 1 races on synthetic, turf, and dirt when had had a rough trip in a third place finish in Saturday?s $600,000 Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) at Churchill Downs.
The seven year old bobbled coming out of the gate, had to check off heels at the 7/8?s, was bottled up in traffic heading down the backstretch and into the far turn, and could not find clear sailing in the stretch in just a nightmare trip.
Macho Again was the upset winner, paying $17.40 for trainer Dallas Stewart and West Point Thoroughbreds.
The winner had a dream trip, coming with a five wide run around the far turn and finishing strongly winning by a length over Asiatic Boy.
The exacta returned $140.20, and the trifecta with Einstein paid $372.20.
My top pick Researcher had no excuse. He tracked the early pace while three wide under Calvin Borel, made a move to get into the mix with a quarter mile to go and just finished evenly while not a real threat in the stretch.
Jockey Robby Albarado won his third consecutive Foster, while West Point was taking its second in three years.
The ownership group won the race in 2007 with Flashy Bull.
Leparoux knew he was going to have a target on his back riding the heavy favorite, and admitted he had a tough time finding running room.
?I?m on the horse to beat, so of course they?re trying to beat me, ? the jockey said. ?I had nowhere to go; I just had to wait. I was in a pretty good spot, but I had nowhere to go. So I just waited and when he got room at the eighth pole, he finished strong. He was probably the best horse, but that?s horse racing. Sometimes you get a tough trip and that?s that.?
Einstein will have a couple of more opportunities this year to join Lava Man as the only horses to win Grade 1?s over all three surfaces, but it was not meant to be on Saturday, although few would argue the seven year old was not the best horse on the track.
He just did not get the best of trips.
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 $30,000N2L (1:00 et)
#7 Brown's Hill 4/1
#1 Missile 6/1
#3 Mr. Universe 5/2
#2 Weekend Action 4/1
Analysis: #7 Brown's Hill is making his first start since last fall where the colt made a good late rally up the rail and was beaten just a nose at this condition. The winner and fifth place finisher in the race came back to win their next starts. The Klesaris barn is sending out live runners at the meeting as usual and is 29% winners (with a +ROI) with horses coming back off a +180 day layoff. Ramon is 4 for 9 riding for the barn through Friday and the colt has a couple of quick works on the morning tab.
#1 Missile took to the grass last out, taking $25K maiden claimers gate to wire in a razor sharp effort. Now he returns to the main track here for his first start against winners and his third start of his current form cycle. The colt owns the edge in early and mid pace numbers and with the rail draw Coa figures to have this guy flying early. If he shakes loose, he will prove tough to catch.
Wagering
WIN: #7 to win at 3/1 or better.
EX: 1,7 / 1,2,3,7
TRI: 1,7 / 1,2,3,7 / 1,2,3,5,7
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Belmont Park:
BEL Race 8 Poker Hcp G3 (4:44 et)
#1 Sailor's Cap 10/1
#6 Kip Deville 4/5
#3 Tam Lin 5/2
#5 Operation Red Dawn 5/1
Analysis: The question is what is a fair price on #6 Kip Deville as he makes his first start since getting badly outrun in Dubai. The race looks like a skip unless we see a decent enough price on #1 Sailor's Cap, who also returns off the bench. The colt had a productive three-year-old campaign, winning the G3 Colonial Cup, missing winning the G3 American Turf in a photo, and checking in third in the G2 Va. Derby behind Gio Ponti, who won the G1 Manhattan in his most recent start. The colt has done his best running over yielding and soft ground, and he should catch similar ground here.
#6 Kip Deville returned from Hong Kong and won the G1 Gulfstream Park 'Cap, and now he returns from Dubai to defend his title in this race, which he won last year over a couple of these he faces again. He has run well fresh and the Dutrow barn is 26% winners with horses coming back off a 61-180 day layoff. He won the '07 BC Mile over soft ground but has he lost a step or two since then?
Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 5/1 or better.
EX: 1,6 / 1,3,6
TRI: no play
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
R2: #6 Tonsina 12/1
R4: #7 Bocce Ball 8/1
R7: #5 Cat On the Line 15/1
R8: #1 Sailor?s Cap 10/1
R10: #10 Vaughndidit 10/1
Good luck today!
