King: How I'd play Belmont on Saturday, July 16
Liking the first half of Saturday’s card better than the second, I will try my hand at the 50-cent Pick 5 that begins the card at Belmont. Here’s a look at the sequence, and a modest Ticketmaker ticket.
First Race
The day’s best bet goes in the first race, SECOND CITY (5), a winner of 10 of 29 races on dirt. He enters with strong $50,000 claiming form, and though stepping up in class after being claimed, this seems a soft optional-claimer. So let’s roll with him a single, meaning he is an obvious ‘A’ play under the Ticketmaker platform.
Second Race
KNEE SOCKS (7) and EMERALD POND (2) are the ‘A’ plays of the second race, being in strong grass form and having good numbers.
I will back them up with one secondary ‘B’ runner, INDYGITA (4), who offers a price at her 8-1 morning line
Third Race
Stakes winner SILVER MISSION (5) is the ‘A’ play of this stake, having a valuable experience edge over first-out maiden winners RUNAWAY LUTE (4) and MANIFEST DESTINY (3) – though the latter two get tossed in the mix as ‘B’ horses on talent alone.
Fourth Race
Willing to use just two horses, both ‘A’ runners, in the fourth race… MINI SALA (1), who chased the leader in a salty maiden race in his debut before tiring to be fourth in a fast race, and T R CREW (5), who just missed by a nose in his second start.
Fifth Race
The early Pick 5 ends with two ‘A’ plays: C D'CAT (6) and SAUVIGNON (3) both of whom ran well in their seasonal bows and rate as ‘A’ prospects.
The Tickets
Inserting the above-mentioned horses into Ticketmaker, for $36 an all ‘A’ ticket can be played for $1.50; any combination of four ‘A’ horses and ‘B’ for $1; and combos of three ‘As’ nd two ‘B’ runners for $0.50 apiece.
