Hersh: Belmont pick four play for Sunday, Sept. 28

Late pick four – races 7-10

The Miss Grillo and the Pilgrim comprise half the sequence, and I’m not really looking for upsets in either of those 2-year-old turf stakes. On a more expensive earlier version of this play, there were five “A” horses in race 10, a New York-bred older maiden special-weight sprint, and there’s little doubt one should aim for as much coverage as can be comfortably afforded in a tricky cashing leg. The cost outlined here is $50, but at just $6 per 50-cent increment, all A’s could be pushed more than once.

Race 7: Chad Brown has dominated 2-year-old grass racing this year in New York, and I don’t see why that trend would ease today. TAMMY THE TORPEDO (#1) seemed at least as impressive as PARTISAN POLITICS (#10) at Saratoga, and while the latter already had a second-start forward move, the former is eligible for one today.

ANCIENT GODDESS (#2) is the backup. After reading about how she supposedly did everything right after coming over from France, she proceeded to undo her chances racing rank early in the P.G. Johnson.

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Race 8: Think the race shape is fast early, slow late, with an edge to stalkers and closers and like the 3-year-olds over elders in this New York-bred N2X allowance mile with a $40,000 claiming option. Of the two A’s, I prefer SIOUX (#5), who grew increasingly appealing the more the race took shape on paper. His blinker-less debut was decent, and he’s 2 for 2 since in the races in which he had a fair shot.

Two back, facing the good horse Samraat, he stumbled at the start and might have gotten hurt in the running. The trip in his comeback at Saratoga was favorable, but he definitely made the most of it, and the barn appears to have given him time, seeking to avoid a bounce following the career-best off the shelf.

EFFINEX (#3) only has been on Lasix three starts and only with trainer Jimmy Jerkens for one. He might well favor this one-turn mile over the nine-furlong route in which he was a solid second last out at Saratoga.

The favorite is QUICK MONEY (#10), whose speed-figure edge will attract many players. While he’s in for $10,000 more than the last claim price paid, the short chart comment shows he bled two back, and his one-paced finish – albeit in a stakes – last out at Saratoga does not especially encourage in that vein. He’s made 51 starts, yet none has come at this mile trip, which is odd.

Race 9: STARTUP NATION (#2) did get a great setup winning the With Anticipation, but as was the case in his debut victory, he really finished off the race well after making a sharp move off the turn and into the stretch. Don’t see him going backward today, and he’s a lone “A.”

There are several entrants with upside here, among them STRONG COFFEE (#8), who is first Lasix after an even fourth in the With Anticipation and won sharply in his debut. IMPERIA (#4) also is first Lasix and ran well enough to win his debut, and it would be too frustrating to have Brown’s second, OFFERING PLAN (#5), break through and not be on the ticket.

Race 10: Have questions about the two favorites, WILDNITEATTHEOPERA (#5) and READYHEARTANDSOUL (#10). The former just missed in what seemed like a decent career debut at Saratoga, but the track was muddy, and there were just four others in the field. Still, he’s come back with what seems like a favorable work pattern and is more appealing than Readyheartandsoul, who has lost late ground in his “good” dirt races, both at six furlongs compared to this 6 1/2.

MAN OF MYSTERY (#1) has the difficult rail draw for a barn showing no recent debut winners, but I still think he can win with a strong pedigree for this trip and an encouraging Fair Hill work pattern. The same can be said of Christophe Clement first-timer DOMER (#7), though nearly all his works have been local.

Here’s the play on DRF’s invaluable Ticketmaker: