Horse racing Best Bets on Saturday
The air has cleared in New York and we have the Belmont Stakes going off today as originally scheduled.
Team Tuley’s picks for the Belmont were posted Thursday, but this day isn’t all about the last leg of the Triple Crown as we look for value at tracks from coast to coast (plus John Lauro adds his Belmont pick below as he wasn’t in the earlier piece). We also have plays on the Belmont undercard as well as Monmouth Park in New Jersey and Santa Anita Park in California from regulars Ed Sehon (who also has his
Mr. Ed’s breakdown of the full Belmont Day Card) and Rampart race and sportsbook manager Duane Colucci, who gave us a $654.25 Pick 4 last Saturday.
Good luck today (and every day!).
Belmont Races Nos. 6-9 (2:22 p.m. ET/11:22 a.m. PT)
Duane Colucci likes a $.50 Pick 4 (cost $48)
Race 6: 2,3,4,7
Race 7: 2,4
Race 8: 3,6,13
Race 9: 2,8,11,12
Belmont Race No. 8 (3:42 p.m. ET/12:42 p.m. PT)
John Lauro likes #13 Drew’s Gold (8-1 morning line) in the Grade 1, $400,000 Woody Stephens Stakes. “Drew’s Gold has the outside box where the air is fresh and clear. He has speed to follow inside of him and track until the top of the lane and then open up. It’s a very tough field. As far as the Trifecta goes, we’ll definitely use Drew’s Gold with #3 Arabian Lion (4-1) an #4 General Jim (7-2).”
Monmouth Race Nos. 8-11 (3:56 p.m. ET/12:56 p.m. PT)
Ed Sehon likes a $.50 Pick 4 (cost $40.50)
Race 8: 2,5,9
Race 9: 1,4,8
Race 10: 2,4,5
Race 11: 1,2,3
Belmont Race No. 9 (4:19 p.m. ET/1:19 p.m. PT)
Dave Tuley likes #10 Big Invasion (6-1 morning line) in the Grade 1, $400,000 Stakes. “In 6-furlong sprints, even on turf, most handicappers look for speed horses, but closers win just as often and I like Big Invasion to be closing fastest of all under Joel Rosario (14% with deep closers and 18% with trainer Christophe Clement the past two months). Big Invasion is a consistent closer and is also 1-for-1 at this track from a minor stakes win last May. Wager: Win and Place.”
Monmouth Race No. 9 (4:27 p.m. ET/1:27 p.m. PT)
Ed Sehon likes #8 Shotgun Hottie (7-2 morning line) in the $100,000 Lady’s Secret Stakes. “This 4-year-old daughter of popular sire Gun Runner has been doing well vs. tougher since being transferred to conditioner Cherie DeVaux in March. Capable rider Paco Lopez picks up mount. Hottie has what it takes. Wager: Win.”
Monmouth Race No. 10 (4:55 p.m. ET/1:55 p.m. PT)
Ed Sehon likes #4 Breakwater (6-1 morning line). “Shug McGaughy drops colt down for allowance turf route. I’ll pitch last at Belmont, counting on him to return to previous consistently good record. Paco Lopez named to ride. Wager: Win.”
Belmont Race No. 10 (5:04 p.m. ET/2:04 p.m. PT)
Dave Tuley likes #2 Slow Down Andy (10-1 morning line) in the Grade 1, $1 million Metropolitan Handicap. “This son of Nyquist makes his 4-year-old debut for trainer Doug O’Neill and has the right to improve. His series of works make it look like he’s ready to fire fresh and could take this field wire-to-wire. Hopefully the layoff helps our price. Wager: Win and Place.”
Belmont Races Nos. 10-13 (5:04 p.m. ET/2:04 p.m. PT)
Duane Colucci likes a $.50 Pick 4 (cost $30)
Race 10: 1,3,5,8,9
Race 11: 3,4,8
Race 12: 4,8
Race 13: 1,9
Monmouth Race No. 11 (5:23 p.m. ET/2:23 p.m. PT)
Ed Sehon likes three colts: #1 Army Times (7-2 morning line) for Chad Brown; #2 Rush Center (3-1) for Robert Mosco; and first-timer #3 Gabagool (3-1) for Kelly Breen. Wager: Exacta Box of 1,2,3.
Belmont Race No. 12 (7:02 p.m. ET/4:02 p.m. PT)
John Lauro likes #2 Tapit Trice (3-1 morning line) in the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes. “Trainer Todd Pletcher (who also trains Forte) has used this pattern before with Tapit Trice being sired by Tapit out of a stakes-winning mare. Tapit Trice will appreciate the mile and a half distance and will get plenty of pace to run at.”
Santa Anita Race No. 7 (7:55 p.m. ET/4:55 p.m. PT)
Dave Tuley likes #1 Broadway Girls (8-1 morning line) in the Grade 3, $100,000 Honeymoon Stakes. “The rail is hitting at 28% this meet at this distance, so we have to look at #1 Broadway Girls here with the New York name on Belmont Day. As for actual handicapping, he should be the controlling pace of this 1 1/8-mile route. Even more than the favorites, the biggest threat to me looks like the Bob Baffert-trained #7 Fast and Shiny, so we’ll box this in Exactas (1,7) and wheel in Trifectas (1,7 with 1,7 with ALL plus 1,7 with ALL with 1,7) in addition to Win and Place on the 1.”