King: How I'll play Belmont for Sunday, June 26

My pick three play at Belmont Park on Sunday that begins with race 4 is structured around singling a horse I view as solid favorite, Classy Chris, and culminates on race 6 by betting against the morning-line favorite, Taoiseach.

Race 4: As noted, Classy Chris (4) looks tough, having run second first out in a grass maiden race before following that with a third in an off-the-grass race contested in the slop. In addition, some of her key rivals look disadvantaged, either by not having raced, or by returning from layoffs.

I’m singling Classy Chris.

Race 5: The New York Stallion Stakes for 3-year-old colts and geldings is up next, and I feel comfortable going two deep, using the proven grass performer in Silent Waters (6), who just ran fourth in the Grade 3 Penn Mile, and Sudden Surprise (3), a speedy, six-time winner who appears to have the pedigree to make the transition from dirt to turf.

Silent Waters is an ‘A’ runner under DRF’s Ticketmaker program; Sudden Surprise is a B.

Race 6: Not liking Taoiseach, the strategy is to spread with three alternatives, using, in order of preference, Thirst for Glory (2), Testosterstone (4), and Beyond the Green (3). Thirst for Glory and Beyond the Green look set to move forward on a fast track after catching the mud last out, while Testosterstone takes a key class drop out of an open allowance and is now back with New York-bred opposition.

I don’t see a lot separating this trio – so they all go down as ‘A’ horses.

The play: Plugging the horses into Ticketmaker, I will play $3 pick three combinations with Silent Waters in the New York Stallion Stakes and $2 combinations with Sudden Surprise. Total cost is $15.