Hersh: Belmont pick four play for Sunday, July 12
How heavily does this pick four play hang on A LOT (#5) in race 9? Well, a lot.
A Lot might not even truly be a miler, at least around two turns, but he is very good at seven furlongs or even this mile trip around one turn, and by rights, he should do to this field something like he did to the last one he faced on this course. The wager depends on it.
The opening leg, race 7, seems somewhat manageable, but the last two are spreads as far as I can see.
Race 7: AUSSIE PRAYER (1) missed by a head on a drop to this level last out, and the form looks sustainable. KITTY KAT (3) first-time tagged, and the published purchase price was half this claiming tag. Comebacker NOT NOW JOANIE (8) looks well meant on a totally reasonable third-start class drop for a capable barn. Backing up with lone B, the Asmussen first-timer WHIMSEY’S GIRL (5).
Race 8: LITTLE POPSIE (1) got an easy lead en route to second-start maiden special weight score last out but even so might yet be an improver, albeit at a short price. The work pattern on the morning-line favorite WHALE ROCK (2) is something significantly less than encouraging but still using. CLOCKWORK (4) is the one I’d really want to get home. Potential excuses in both starts this year and was a stakes horse last year at 2 with course and distance win in debut. Three A’s and backups galore.
Race 9: See above. Nutshell – all in on A Lot.
Race 10: The more you look, the less you find in this conditioned turf-sprint claimer. WELL LAWYERED (3) ran well in his lone turf race to date, though that was longer than this. One of three A’s with two other logicals – and don’t feel at all confident in any of them, which is why the backups are B’s and not C’s.
