For this Sunday card at Belmont, I’ll take a look at the early pick five.
I’ll just try to get through the first leg using three horses, adding a little weight to the first two. #1 MAR VISTA MIGUEL looks obvious on form and figures and may improve again after showing improved early speed last time and still having enough finish to cruise home in front.
Brett Davis
R1: 3-2-1-6
R2: 12-2-5-8
R3: 5-4-1-10
R4: 10-4-9-1
R5: 5-1-7-6
R6: 3-4-1-7
R7: 2-9-1-7
R8: 3-5-1-2
R9: 14-1-6-11
R10: 5-2-3-11
Best Bet: R5 N5 Solar Patch
Longshot: R9 N14 Wishful Thinker
Best Play: R9 Q/Qp 1,6,14
Paul Lally
R1: 2-5-6-3
R2: 7-12-13-14
R3: 5-3-4-13
R4: 4-1-10-8
R5: 9-6-13-2
R6: 3-1-9-8
R7: 9-7-1-2
R8: 5-1-7-3
R9: 6-1-14-9
R10: 11-2-3-5
Race 4:
Last Chant (#3)
Improved significantly when switched to turf last time.
Ran better than it seems in that turf debut given that he was at least three wide around both turns.
Gets some class relief as he moves back into New York-bred company.
12-1 on ML
Belmont Park | Race 9 | Post Time 5:50 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs
Race 4:
Realm (#2)
May be rounding back into form following a disappointing string of performances.
Was compromised by a slow pace two back (indicated by blue color-coded pace figures in TimeformUS PPs).
Possesses the tactical speed to lay closer to the early pace this time in a race that doesn’t feature much speed.
12-1 on ML
Belmont Park | Race 9 | Post Time 5:50 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs
Not already a TimeformUS member? Sign up now
Yes, there was no column last week since we were ankle, knee and hip deep in the OBSAPR sale. Our Pix two weeks ago turned out to be a split—Perfect Ice blew away his opponents at Parx for a $30 payoff, while Native Angel showed nothing at Tampa Bay. The juveniles are now coming out a little more often, most of them at Keeneland where the first two winners of the year came home on Thursday, both courtesy of the usual “torrid two’s” barn of Wesley Ward.
Race 3:
Connie A (#3)
Was wide against gold rails in each of her last two starts.
Has run competitive speed figures in the past.
Would appreciate moisture in the track, since her only win came over a sloppy surface.
4-1 on ML
:: Get TimeformUS PPs for these races at Belmont
Race 8:
Roman Approval (#1)
Saturday’s stakes schedule is light, as one might expect one week before the Kentucky Derby Day crush. There are only three graded stakes on the docket, two are at Santa Anita: the Grade 2, $200,000 Californian, and the Grade 3, $100,000 Santa Barbara; and the third is the Grade 3 Whimsical at Woodbine.
Elsewhere, the $125,000 Elusive Quality is the feature on the first Saturday card of the Belmont spring-summer meet, and the $100,000 William Walker is the headliner on the opening-night card at Churchill Downs.
Elusive Quality Stakes
Scatsuku
Trainer: Linda Rice
Last Race: April 18, 4th
Finish: 3rd by 1 3/4
Beyer: 67
First-time starter made a wide move into a slow pace and finished gamely to gain ground on the ground-saving leaders in the stretch in promising debut sprinting on turf.
