I am fonder of a particular wager than a single horse at Belmont Park on Saturday, specifically the late pick four, which begins with race 7 and involves only stakes races. I view the sequence as competitive, and this looks like the time to spread while emphasizing preferred horses using DRF’s online TicketMaker wagering tool. Here’s a look at the four stakes, starting with the Grade 3 Athenia, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares. If Off Limits (7) runs back to her 4 3/4-length romp in the Grade 3 Noble Damsel last out, this race is over. She was spectacular in that race, blowing away a good field and running a 105 Beyer Speed Figure, the kind of number typically good enough to win a Grade 1 stakes race, let alone a Grade 3. There is no doubt that she goes into TicketMaker as an “A” horse – a likely winner. But given that her other races weren’t quite on the same level as her Noble Damsel win, there may be value to be found by using several others as secondary “B” runners. Those runners, listed in numerical order, are Elysea’s World (1), My Impression (3), and Time and Motion (5). All three are of Grade 3 quality or better when at their best, and could be right there at square prices if Off Limits regresses as the favorite. Race 8, Turnback the Alarm Four-time graded stakes winner Miss Sky Warrior (3) is fond of victory, something that can’t be said of many of her rivals. But because she has not raced since an eighth-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks and is a 3-year-old filly untested against older horses, I can’t feel comfortable singling her. She is an “A,” but not the only one. I also will use 8-1 outsider Birdatthewire (5) as an “A” runner while hoping that she can register the upset by drawing upon some of the class that made her a Grade 1 winner as a 3-year-old in the La Brea a couple of years ago. I will back them up with one “B” horse: Eskenformoney (7), who most recently ran decently to be a distant third in the Grade 1 Beldame behind Elate, a leading contender for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Race 9, Bold Ruler I found this race to be the most wide open of the sequence and will use three “A” horses and two “B” backups. The “A” runners, in numerical order, are Stallwalkin’ Dude (7), Mr. Crow (10), and Divining Rod (11), with the backups being Tommy Macho (5) and Seymourdini (9). Divining Rod is a deserving top selection, being favorably drawn on the outside and coming off a runner-up finish to the elite miler Sharp Azteca in the Grade 2 Kelso, but his margin for error seems small in this contentious race. So, I’ll hope to connect with a better price. Race 10, Awad Lightly raced 2-year-olds on grass close out the pick four, and given their inexperience, I decided to go four deep. The favored War Chest (6) and 10-1 outsider Empirically (7) are my primary plays, with Looking Ready (3) and Bourbon Currency (4) my “B” choices. War Chest certainly was eye-catching in victory at Belmont first out, while Empirically should benefit from a class drop and a return to New York after shipping to Woodbine and running eighth in the Grade 2 Summer. Looking Ready drops from graded company, while Bourbon Currency has moderate appeal after a determined win over fellow Awad starter Devine Entry in a six-furlong maiden race. The tickets Inserting the horses outlined above into TicketMaker with a $128 budget, a $1.50 all-“A” ticket can be played, along with a $1 ticket with three “A’s” and one “B” and a ticket for the 50-cent minimum with two “A’s” and “B’s.”