Belmont kicks off four-day week with $63K carryover in pick six

ELMONT, N.Y. - After racing five-day weeks in October, racing at Belmont Park returns to a four-day-a-week schedule beginning Thursday with an eight-race card that has a $63,668 pick-six carryover after the wager went unhit on Sunday.

First post in November at Belmont is now 12:40 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays for eight-race cards, and 11:40 a.m. on Saturdays when there are 10-race cards.

There are five weeks, or 19 cards, remaining in the Belmont fall meet; there is no racing on Thanksgiving Day Nov. 26. Beginning Nov. 19, handicappers will start to see scheduled Tapeta races carded along with dirt and turf races. As a reminder, beginning Dec. 10, the start of the winter meet, all races will take place on Tapeta.

For now, the Tapeta is only used for off-the-turf races, and given Thursday’s forecast, all four scheduled turf races in the pick six sequence should remain on the turf.

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Meet-leading rider Manny Franco will sit out Thursday and Friday this week due to a suspension handed to him by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority due to a whip violation aboard Papa Yo, on whom he won the seventh race on Oct. 16. Franco got two days because it was his second whip violation in 180 days. He was also fined $1,000.

Flavien Prat is not here Thursday as he is named to ride several horses at Churchill Downs.

Here’s a look at Thursday’s pick six sequence:

Race 3: Azizam finished fourth a month ago as favorite in this same $40,000 claimer going six furlongs on turf for horses who have not won two races. Horses from that race came back to run 1-2-3 in this same spot on Sunday. Azizam goes out for trainer George Weaver, who also runs Navy Chief, returning from a 16-month layoff after winning his debut when in the barn of Wesley Ward.

Life Is Gravy runs for a tag for the first time and shortens up from an allowance try going a mile in turf debut.

Race 4: Ace in Hand, with blinkers on for the first time, showed good speed when finishing third for maiden $40,000 claiming and now drops to the $20,000 level. Lough Currane finished fourth in this condition last out, a race from which the second- and third-place finishers came back to win their next starts, both for maiden $35,000.

Cruisin Crossboy, returns from a 10-month layoff as a new gelding, goes out first time for Linda Rice and first time for a claiming price.

Race 5: Summer Brother ran a respectable third when favored in his debut, a sprint for 2-year-olds that was rained off the turf and run on Tapeta. This same maiden $75,000 claimer is set for a mile and Summer Brother should handle the stretch-out being by Grade 1 winning miler Raging Bull out of a dam who recorded her lone win at 1 1/16 miles in second career start.

My Man Max, trained by Horacio De Paz, makes first start on turf and is a half-brother to three turf winners.

Hetch Hetchy and Proper Jack were second and third, respectively, in this same race on Oct. 8.

Race 6: Amberjack looms the one to catch in this second-level allowance/optional $80,000 claimer. Toss his ill-advised graded stakes tries in Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens and Grade 2 Gallant Bob. Three of the five horses to run out of the Gallant Bob won their next start, including Dr. Kapur, who upset the Grade 3 Perryville.

Two Eagles River, based on his 4-for-9 record at seven furlongs, should be used as well.

Race 7: Clear Conscience, the 2025 Kingston Stakes winner, drops to the lowest level of his career in this $25,000 claimer. His effort three back in Saratoga for $50,000 claiming puts him in the mix. Problem is, three others from that race are in this field, including Ice Chocolat, the runner-up from that race who most recently won at this price and now goes first off the claim for Ilkay Kantarmaci.

Kantarmaci also sends out Late Call, third to Ice Chocolat in this same race on Oct. 10.

Race 8: Unlikely Queen is a new face to this group of starter allowance/optional $45,000 claiming turf horses. Bruce Levine, trainer of Unlikely Queen, has already won twice at this meet with a horse making first start for him, including Kayla’s Komet for the same owner, Hardway Racing. Greyjoy, trained by John Terranova, did win a restricted stakes two back. Money Trail showed late interest but did get nice pace setup when second in this same condition on Oct. 7.

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