At the Gate - Sunday
July 25, 2009
Sunday is closing day at Belmont Park, meaning we are just a couple of days away from the opening of the Saratoga meeting.
If the first two days are any indication, the upcoming meeting at the Spa is going to be fun.
Wednesday?s card drew 134 entries for the ten race card, with six of the ten races filled to the brim, with also eligibles sitting on the outside trying to get in.
The feature is the $100,000 Schuylerville (G3) for two year old fillies. The race drew a field of 13.
Thursday?s ten race card also features large fields, nine of the ten races with ten or more runners entered.
The feature on Thursday is the $150,000 Sanford (G2) for two year olds. The race drew nine including Bashford Manor (G3) winner Backtalk, who figures to go off as the favorite.
The Spa will race Wednesday through Monday, six days a week through Labor Day, Monday, Sept 7. The meet will feature 34 graded races, including 15 Grade 1 stakes.
The first Grade 1 on the menu is Saturday?s $500,000 Diana. The race is for fillies and mares, three year olds and upward.
The co-feature on Saturday is the $500,000 Jim Dandy (G2), which is for three year olds and is a prep for the marquee event of the meeting, the $1 million Shadwell Travers Stakes (G1) on Aug. 29.
It would be good to end the Belmont Park meeting on a good note. We hit three exactas yesterday, but overall it was a very frustrating day.
The toughest beat was the final race where my top pick New York Bobby stumbled coming out of the gate, and made a good late rally but came up a half length shy of catching my fourth choice Judge Well.
If he caught him at the wire, we would have had a nice exacta and trifecta with runners that went off at 7/1, 8/1, and 9/1.
Let?s hope for better
Here is today's opener from Belmont Park to get our day off to a good start:
BEL Race 1 Clm $15,000N2L (1:00 ET)
#4 Mocha Shake 5/1
#2 Typify / #2b Eastern Prime 8/5
#3 Read the Post 4/1
#5 Lady Wynne 2/1
Analysis: #4 Mocha Shake is making her first start since February where she pressed the early pace and faded to finish a well beaten seventh against straight three year olds for a $20K tag. The winner of that race was Spunky, who returned to beat $25K claimers in her next start on April 8. The filly has a good strong of quick works on the morning tab for the Toner barn that is having a slow '09, picking up just two wins. She drops into a soft spot here facing $15K non winners of two and we should catch a fair price.
#2 Typify makes her third start of her current form cycle. Last out she tracked the early pacesetter while three wide and weakened in the stretch to finish third. The runner up Gin Tango came back to beat $15K non winners of two in her next start on June 26. Entry mate #2b Eastern Prince ran third to Gin Tango last out, which was her first start against winners. Her last pair of speed figs are tops in the field here.
Wagering
WIN: #4 to win at 3/1 or better.
EX: 2,4 / 2,3,4
TRI: no play
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Belmont Park:
BEL Race 7 Alw $44,000N1X (4:12 ET)
#3 Sax in the City 9/2
#7 Lemon Punch 2/1
#5 Defarge 5/1
#8 Ms Stilleto 3/1
Analysis: #3 Sax in the City regressed last out after coming up just a head shy of passing the condition two back off a six month layoff. The mare also caught a "good" turf and could catch firmer ground today. The barn has been live at the meeting, hitting at a 25% clip and I am looking for this gal to bounce back with a better effort here in her third start of her current form cycle. The mare is a three time turf winner and ran second in a NY Stallion series last fall.
#7 Lemon Punch ships in from the left coast and she was only beaten 2 1/2 lengths last out going nine furlongs on the turf against open Alw-1 foes. She lands with a red hot barn with Bush who does some of his best work with NY breds and this filly will appreciate the easier company here facing state breds.
Wagering
WIN: #3 to win at 3/1 or better.
EX: 3,7 / 3,5,7,8
TRI: 3,7 / 3,5,7,8 / 2,3,5,7,8
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: #4 Casa Di Vino 15/1
R3: #5 Dreary Day 15/1
R4: #1 Love of Life 15/1
R5: #1 Arcata 8/1
R9: #10 Bentley Babe 8/1
Good luck today!
July 25, 2009
Sunday is closing day at Belmont Park, meaning we are just a couple of days away from the opening of the Saratoga meeting.
If the first two days are any indication, the upcoming meeting at the Spa is going to be fun.
Wednesday?s card drew 134 entries for the ten race card, with six of the ten races filled to the brim, with also eligibles sitting on the outside trying to get in.
The feature is the $100,000 Schuylerville (G3) for two year old fillies. The race drew a field of 13.
Thursday?s ten race card also features large fields, nine of the ten races with ten or more runners entered.
The feature on Thursday is the $150,000 Sanford (G2) for two year olds. The race drew nine including Bashford Manor (G3) winner Backtalk, who figures to go off as the favorite.
The Spa will race Wednesday through Monday, six days a week through Labor Day, Monday, Sept 7. The meet will feature 34 graded races, including 15 Grade 1 stakes.
The first Grade 1 on the menu is Saturday?s $500,000 Diana. The race is for fillies and mares, three year olds and upward.
The co-feature on Saturday is the $500,000 Jim Dandy (G2), which is for three year olds and is a prep for the marquee event of the meeting, the $1 million Shadwell Travers Stakes (G1) on Aug. 29.
It would be good to end the Belmont Park meeting on a good note. We hit three exactas yesterday, but overall it was a very frustrating day.
The toughest beat was the final race where my top pick New York Bobby stumbled coming out of the gate, and made a good late rally but came up a half length shy of catching my fourth choice Judge Well.
If he caught him at the wire, we would have had a nice exacta and trifecta with runners that went off at 7/1, 8/1, and 9/1.
Let?s hope for better
Here is today's opener from Belmont Park to get our day off to a good start:
BEL Race 1 Clm $15,000N2L (1:00 ET)
#4 Mocha Shake 5/1
#2 Typify / #2b Eastern Prime 8/5
#3 Read the Post 4/1
#5 Lady Wynne 2/1
Analysis: #4 Mocha Shake is making her first start since February where she pressed the early pace and faded to finish a well beaten seventh against straight three year olds for a $20K tag. The winner of that race was Spunky, who returned to beat $25K claimers in her next start on April 8. The filly has a good strong of quick works on the morning tab for the Toner barn that is having a slow '09, picking up just two wins. She drops into a soft spot here facing $15K non winners of two and we should catch a fair price.
#2 Typify makes her third start of her current form cycle. Last out she tracked the early pacesetter while three wide and weakened in the stretch to finish third. The runner up Gin Tango came back to beat $15K non winners of two in her next start on June 26. Entry mate #2b Eastern Prince ran third to Gin Tango last out, which was her first start against winners. Her last pair of speed figs are tops in the field here.
Wagering
WIN: #4 to win at 3/1 or better.
EX: 2,4 / 2,3,4
TRI: no play
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Belmont Park:
BEL Race 7 Alw $44,000N1X (4:12 ET)
#3 Sax in the City 9/2
#7 Lemon Punch 2/1
#5 Defarge 5/1
#8 Ms Stilleto 3/1
Analysis: #3 Sax in the City regressed last out after coming up just a head shy of passing the condition two back off a six month layoff. The mare also caught a "good" turf and could catch firmer ground today. The barn has been live at the meeting, hitting at a 25% clip and I am looking for this gal to bounce back with a better effort here in her third start of her current form cycle. The mare is a three time turf winner and ran second in a NY Stallion series last fall.
#7 Lemon Punch ships in from the left coast and she was only beaten 2 1/2 lengths last out going nine furlongs on the turf against open Alw-1 foes. She lands with a red hot barn with Bush who does some of his best work with NY breds and this filly will appreciate the easier company here facing state breds.
Wagering
WIN: #3 to win at 3/1 or better.
EX: 3,7 / 3,5,7,8
TRI: 3,7 / 3,5,7,8 / 2,3,5,7,8
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: #4 Casa Di Vino 15/1
R3: #5 Dreary Day 15/1
R4: #1 Love of Life 15/1
R5: #1 Arcata 8/1
R9: #10 Bentley Babe 8/1
Good luck today!
