At the Gate - Thursday
We turned a modest profit with my top picks on Wednesday at Belmont Park, with the highlight being Elegant Bess ($12.00) in the seventh race, topping a recommended exacta ($72.50) and trifecta ($596.00).
The opener and the fifth race were taken off the turf, which was labeled as ?good? for the other races that stayed on the turf course.
Six of the nine races on today?s card are on the turf, and we should see a steady diet of turf races for the remainder of the meeting, which ends on Sunday.
We just need the weather to cooperate.
Del Mar?s opening day was marred by a spill in the third race. Jockey Rafael Bejarano was aboard Mi Rey, who broke down in the stretch, sending Bejarano hard to the track, and it appeared the jockey was clipped by a trailing horse.
The early reports are that Bejarano broke his jaw, nose, and orbital bones. He was taken to Scripps Hospital in La Jolla for further tests.
Bejarano was the leading jockey at last year?s Del Mar meeting and most recently was second in the jockey standings at the Hollywood Park meeting.
Mi Rey, who is trained by Doug O'Neill, suffered a right front leg injury and was euthanized.
I will probably get around to handicapping a few races from Del Mar, but I am going to spend today and tomorrow handicapping one of my favorite events, the Claiming Crown, which takes place at Canterbury Downs on Saturday.
I will have a few selections in Saturday?s column.
Here is today's opener from Belmont Park to get our day off to a good start:
BEL Race 1 Clm $16,000 (1:00 ET)
#1 Inter Galactic 8/5
#5 In for a Dime 10/1
#4 Dressmaker 9/5
#7 Jewel of the Sky 20/1
Analysis: #1 Inter Galactic is returning off a three-month break while dropping into a soft spot here tagged for just $16K. Last out the mare made a mild late run to finish third last out against $25K claimers. Two back he beat $25K foes over soft footing at the Big A, his eighth career victory on the turf. The Parisella barn is 29% winners (with a +ROI) with horses coming back off a 61-180 day layoff. Ramon sticks and hits at a 31% clip when riding for the barn. She is going to be the short price favorite but none of these look capable of winning so we have to start the day off with a chalk.
#5 In for a Dime checked in a non threatening third last out at Philly versus $20K for non winners of two races in six months. She exits a race that produced three next out winners and the other two ran second in their next starts. The mare sports just a 1 for 17 mark on turf in her career, but does appear to be heading in the right direction and she catches a real weak group here and someone has to stagger home second.
Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 7/5 or better.
EX: 1,5 / 1,4,5,7
TRI: 1,5 / 1,4,5,7 / 1,3,4,5,7
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Belmont Park:
BEL Race 8 OClm $50,000N2X (4:45 ET)
#6 Southside Babe 9/2
#4 Nedjma 7/2
#8 Queen of Protocol 8/1
#5 Doree Daze 8/1
Analysis: #6 Southside Babe made her local debut last out in state bred stakes company, checking in fifth over yielding footing in the Sabellina. She drops into the allowance ranks and she passed the Alw-2 level at Remington last August and has run well on the grass in nearly every outing (16-4-4-4). She makes her second start off a 2 1/2 month break and for a sharp outfit. This looks like a good spot and her 9/2 ML looks more than fair.
#4 Nedjma makes her second start off a seven-month layoff, last out making a mild late run to finish third going seven furlongs over yielding ground. She was in the mix in NY bred stakes company going lone last summer and should be fitter second off the bench here for the Hushion barn. The mare is a three-time winner over the turf here.
Wagering
WIN: #6 to win at 7/2 or better.
EX: 4,6 / 4,5,6,8
TRI: 4,6 / 4,5,6,8 / 4,5,6,8,9,10
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
R1: #5 In for a Dime 10/1
R1: #7 Jewel of the Sky 20/1
R4: #2 Kissmycheeks 8/1
R5: #2 Mind Boggling 10/1
R5: #8 Always Fishin 8/1
R8: #8 Queen of Protocol 8/1
R8: #5 Doree Daze 8/1
R9: #8 Phone Jazz 10/1
R9: #2 First Flute 8/1
We turned a modest profit with my top picks on Wednesday at Belmont Park, with the highlight being Elegant Bess ($12.00) in the seventh race, topping a recommended exacta ($72.50) and trifecta ($596.00).
The opener and the fifth race were taken off the turf, which was labeled as ?good? for the other races that stayed on the turf course.
Six of the nine races on today?s card are on the turf, and we should see a steady diet of turf races for the remainder of the meeting, which ends on Sunday.
We just need the weather to cooperate.
Del Mar?s opening day was marred by a spill in the third race. Jockey Rafael Bejarano was aboard Mi Rey, who broke down in the stretch, sending Bejarano hard to the track, and it appeared the jockey was clipped by a trailing horse.
The early reports are that Bejarano broke his jaw, nose, and orbital bones. He was taken to Scripps Hospital in La Jolla for further tests.
Bejarano was the leading jockey at last year?s Del Mar meeting and most recently was second in the jockey standings at the Hollywood Park meeting.
Mi Rey, who is trained by Doug O'Neill, suffered a right front leg injury and was euthanized.
I will probably get around to handicapping a few races from Del Mar, but I am going to spend today and tomorrow handicapping one of my favorite events, the Claiming Crown, which takes place at Canterbury Downs on Saturday.
I will have a few selections in Saturday?s column.
Here is today's opener from Belmont Park to get our day off to a good start:
BEL Race 1 Clm $16,000 (1:00 ET)
#1 Inter Galactic 8/5
#5 In for a Dime 10/1
#4 Dressmaker 9/5
#7 Jewel of the Sky 20/1
Analysis: #1 Inter Galactic is returning off a three-month break while dropping into a soft spot here tagged for just $16K. Last out the mare made a mild late run to finish third last out against $25K claimers. Two back he beat $25K foes over soft footing at the Big A, his eighth career victory on the turf. The Parisella barn is 29% winners (with a +ROI) with horses coming back off a 61-180 day layoff. Ramon sticks and hits at a 31% clip when riding for the barn. She is going to be the short price favorite but none of these look capable of winning so we have to start the day off with a chalk.
#5 In for a Dime checked in a non threatening third last out at Philly versus $20K for non winners of two races in six months. She exits a race that produced three next out winners and the other two ran second in their next starts. The mare sports just a 1 for 17 mark on turf in her career, but does appear to be heading in the right direction and she catches a real weak group here and someone has to stagger home second.
Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 7/5 or better.
EX: 1,5 / 1,4,5,7
TRI: 1,5 / 1,4,5,7 / 1,3,4,5,7
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Belmont Park:
BEL Race 8 OClm $50,000N2X (4:45 ET)
#6 Southside Babe 9/2
#4 Nedjma 7/2
#8 Queen of Protocol 8/1
#5 Doree Daze 8/1
Analysis: #6 Southside Babe made her local debut last out in state bred stakes company, checking in fifth over yielding footing in the Sabellina. She drops into the allowance ranks and she passed the Alw-2 level at Remington last August and has run well on the grass in nearly every outing (16-4-4-4). She makes her second start off a 2 1/2 month break and for a sharp outfit. This looks like a good spot and her 9/2 ML looks more than fair.
#4 Nedjma makes her second start off a seven-month layoff, last out making a mild late run to finish third going seven furlongs over yielding ground. She was in the mix in NY bred stakes company going lone last summer and should be fitter second off the bench here for the Hushion barn. The mare is a three-time winner over the turf here.
Wagering
WIN: #6 to win at 7/2 or better.
EX: 4,6 / 4,5,6,8
TRI: 4,6 / 4,5,6,8 / 4,5,6,8,9,10
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
R1: #5 In for a Dime 10/1
R1: #7 Jewel of the Sky 20/1
R4: #2 Kissmycheeks 8/1
R5: #2 Mind Boggling 10/1
R5: #8 Always Fishin 8/1
R8: #8 Queen of Protocol 8/1
R8: #5 Doree Daze 8/1
R9: #8 Phone Jazz 10/1
R9: #2 First Flute 8/1
