Yours truly has been tasked with writing about Saturday’s all-stakes pick four at Belmont Park, the one that ends with the Belmont Stakes. And that’s great. If I’m still breathing, I will play this sequence. Happily. With gusto. However, there is one caveat (Caveat – winner of the 1983 Belmont Stakes. By the way; I was there for him and every Belmont Stakes since). I had to file this column Thursday morning, more than 48 hours before this sequence will actually unfold. So while I will make the play I outline below – that’s my policy, I won’t offer a play I don’t also bet – be aware that a play presented so early is subject to adjustment once we get closer to game time. Anyway, here we go. Race 8, Just a Game: This is a spread race for me, with four “A” horses and three backups in this field of 13. My mains are My Miss Sophia, who ran off early in her recent seasonal bow, but who has a few back races good enough to win and who should improve; Mrs McDougal, a Chad Brown horse on turf, and flattered by the Beaugay result; Irish Rookie, runner-up in last year’s French 1000 Guineas, ’nuff said; and Faufiler, a dangerous closer coming off two big efforts. Strike Charmer, Tapitry, and Recepta, the one-two-three finishers in the Beaugay, are my backups. Race 9, Met Mile: I could stand alone here with Noble Bird. His connections now know Noble Bird must be allowed roll early, which he did last time in the Pimlico Special despite getting crossed early by a rank longshot. It was a race he won by slightly more than 11 lengths, despite getting the business early. However, I have a contract to follow Donworth to the grave (his or mine), and since he had an absurd trip when third in the zero-pace Charles Town Classic most recently, I’ll use him as a main. My only backup here, just in case this race falls apart late, is Calculator, who ran quite well in stakes in his last two starts. :: Bet Belmont Park with DRF Bets and get FREE access to this article and all of DRF Plus, including Belmont selections, video, and real-time analysis. Race 10, Manhattan: Look, if Flintshire shows up with his best effort, everyone else in this race is running for second. Flintshire’s victory in the Sword Dancer at Saratoga last summer was by far the best U.S. performance by a turf male all year. And yet, he wasn’t even a finalist for a divisional Eclipse Award, which I believe was an injustice, even if that was his only U.S. start of the year. But on the (off) chance Flintshire isn’t ready for his best, I’ll use Ironicus as an “A” and Slumber and Big Blue Kitten as backups. Ironicus is an unknown at this 10-furlong distance, but only because he just hasn’t had the opportunity to go this far yet in a career that has had its share of layoff lines. But Ironicus is hugely talented, and he was really good winning last month’s Fort Marcy in his first start back off injury. Big Blue Kitten, who was voted last year’s champion turf male, and Slumber, an emphatic upset winner of this race last year, are backups primarily because they’re deep closers who need favorable setups. Race 11, Belmont Stakes: My analysis of this race can be found elsewhere in this edition and online. But for a multi-race exotic wager like this, I’m using three mains and two backups. My mains are my first and second picks – Creator (had no chance in the Derby after big trouble into the stretch) and Suddenbreakingnews (a rolling fifth in the Derby who doesn’t have to be that far back early), and Exaggerator (only for defensive reasons). Exaggerator might just be better than these, but he’s not as perfectly pace and surface set up as he was in his last three starts, and I think that makes him somewhat vulnerable. My backups are Stradivari and Destin. I picked Stradivari third in my Belmont analysis over Exaggerator, and I do think he has room to improve off a fourth in the Preakness. But I’m not sure he has a better win chance than Exaggerator, and pick fours are about identifying winners. As for Destin, I really don’t like that he’s had but one start the last 13 weeks, a schedule dictated by the sheet guys. But I’ll throw him in just in case the sheet guys are right. Here’s the play, in main/backup format: Race 8: 5,7,9,10/1,2,3 Race 9: 3,4/11 Race 10: 6,10/2,5 Race 11: 4,11,13/2,5