Litfin's preview: Carryover tempts turf-loving bettors

As the days grow inexorably shorter, first post, formerly 1:05 p.m., has been moved up 15 minutes to 12:50 beginning with Wednesday’s card, which happens to be the first day of the fall meeting that is officially being run in autumn.

PICK SIX CARRYOVER

After four of six winners in Sunday’s pick six sequence paid anywhere from $11 to $16, there is a carryover of $29,459 into Wednesday.

The pick six begins with race 4. Five of the races are scheduled for turf. The exception is race 6, a starter allowance at 6 1/2 furlongs with nine betting interests, including the David Jacobson-trained entry of Back Forty and Glickman.

Glickman was haltered on the first Sunday at Saratoga, and returned here opening day to post a wire-to-wire score over restricted claimers with a lifetime Beyer Figure top of 92. The 6-year-old gelding enjoyed an uncontested lead that day, but projects to face more pace pressure in this matchup, as he is drawn in between rival speed merchants Regulus and The Big Deluxe.

BIO PRO AND GOLDEN RIFLE CLASH

Six scheduled turf races on the program are highlighted by race 7, an $85,000 optional claimer at seven furlongs on the Widener course.

Under the legalese of the conditions, Bio Pro is eligible for this spot only because he has not won $20,000 twice since Feb. 15. He was in against Grade 1 winners Big Blue Kitten and Wise Dan in two starts at Saratoga, and won a race very similar to this on Belmont’s inner turf back in May for Bill Mott.

Golden Rifle should also relish the switch back to Belmont, where he swept three starts at progressively tougher levels at the spring meet after being claimed by Chad Brown, including two scores at Wednesday’s distance. He was given a freshening after that, and returned during the final week at Saratoga with a useful tune-up at 5 1/2 furlongs.

Strong Impact, a hard-knocking gelding with 11 exacta finishes from 22 starts over the local turf, also gets some class relief after chasing multiple stakes winner Za Approval in the Real Courage Stakes opening weekend.

HORSES TO WATCH

ONTHECURVE

Trainer: Bruce Levine
Last race: Sept. 21, 5th
Finish: 3rd by 8 3/4
Beyer: 49

Raced in next-to-last position through the opening half-mile of his first race, and found his best stride late in the muddy off-the-turf sprint.