Belmont | Race 10 | Post Time 6:22 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs
Belmont | Race 10 | Post Time 6:22 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs
The ninth race on Saturday's Delaware Park card is, of course, the centerpiece of the meet, the Grade 1 Delaware Handicap, but with prohibitive favorite Songbird seemingly unbeatable, I'll look elsewhere on the program for value. I landed on a midcard pick three covering races 6-8.
Race 3:
What a Catch (#4)
Dueled through fast fractions in his debut, finishing far ahead of the other speeds.
Put forth an impressive workout at the 2-year-old sale earlier in the spring.
DRF Formulator Fact: Over the past five years, Todd Pletcher is 11 for 29 (38 percent, $2.25 ROI) with second-time starting debut-winning 2-year-olds in dirt sprints with John Velazquez riding.
7-2 on ML
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Sunday is closing day at Belmont Park, as everyone gears up for the 2017 Saratoga meet. The featured event on closing day is the $100,000 Lynbrook for 2-year-old fillies, and there’s an interesting entry that could offer some value on the win end. She’ll be my only play.
RACE 4 – THE LYNBROOK
Belmont | Race 9 | Post Time 5:50 p.m. (ET) | Go to the FREE TimeformUS PPs
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Last week’s 3-year-old Pick ran like a slow train, but our 2-year-old play paid off when our gimmick filly, Missbrooklynbrawler won and our Pick Taylor’s Wildcat completed a $127 (for 50 cents) trifecta. Four 3-year-old BreezeFigs maidens won last week at Laurel, Monmouth, Prairie Meadows and Thistledown, reflecting the fact that very few maidens are left in that group.
Race 9:
Kharafa (#6)
Got an uncomfortable trip last time when advancing wide without cover.
Has run some of his best races at Belmont Park.
Handles rain-softened ground.
10-1 on ML
Race 10:
Zenna (#4)
Ran some decent races against tougher company as a 2-year-old.
Set a fast pace in her return on turf, which may not be her preferred surface.
Carlos Martin, who gets just a 35 Trainer Rating first off the layoff, gets an 81 Trainer Rating second off the layoff.
5-1 on ML
With Saratoga and Del Mar not beginning until next week, this Saturday is the chance for some of the smaller tracks to shine. And the Warrior has his gaze fixed upon two of those tracks: Indiana Grand and Los Alamitos.
Both tracks offer Grade 3 races for 3-year-old boys, the Indiana and Los Alamitos derbies, and Indiana has five stakes supporting its feature. So let’s get to handicapping, starting with the big one from Indiana Grand.
Belmont Park and Los Alamitos Race Course are teaming up to conduct a 50-cent pick four that includes two stakes on Saturday’s program.
The bet, entitled the New York-Los Alamitos Pick Four, begins with two races from Belmont Park: the $150,000 Forbidden Apple Stakes at 5:18 p.m. Eastern and a maiden race for 2-year-olds. They are the eighth and ninth races on an 11-race program.
BEL Race 8
DISCO PARTNER comes off two straight wins including a record-setting win in the Grade 3 Jaipur last time. He loves this course but he’s been primarily sprinting so it’s a different trip. OFFERING PLAN returned from a long layoff to win posting a career-top Beyer last time. GRAND ARCH hasn’t won in a while but he’s a Grade 1 winner and has been facing primarily graded stakes foes. KING KREESA won this last year and showed with a fine second last time out he’s still got plenty of gas in the tank. (4)