ELMONT, N.Y. - No one hit the pick six at Belmont Park on Saturday, leading to a two-day carryover of $144,003 into Saturday's Belmont Stakes card.
Saturday's pick six, comprised entirely of stakes races, already is guaranteed at $1 million. It begins with the sixth race, the Acorn Stakes, at 2:34 p.m. Eastern time, and concludes with the Belmont Stakes.
ULTIMATE BELMONT STAKES GUIDE: DRF picks, past performances, contender profiles »
Following are odds for the Belmont Stakes as of 6 p.m. Eastern time on Friday. Only betting through New York Racing Association outlets - such as at Belmont Park, or through NYRA One accounts - were merged into the pool on Friday, so the handle is a mere fraction of what eventually will be bet into the race, and, at this point, includes no other money bet from around the country.
1. Master of Hounds, 5-1
2. Stay Thirsty, 12-1
3. Ruler On Ice, 42-1
4. Santiva, 8-1
5. Brilliant Speed, 9-1
6. Nehro, 5-1
7. Monzon, 55-1
ELMONT, N.Y. - Birdrun, taking a page from the playbook Shackleford is likely to use on Saturday in the Belmont Stakes, led from start to finish going 1 1/2 miles at Belmont Park on Friday in the Grade 2, $150,000 Brooklyn Handicap for older horses.
ELMONT, N.Y. - Courageous Cat made a successful return to the races, overcoming slow early fractions and overpowering longshot pacesetter Yield Bogey with a furlong to run to take Friday's Grade 3, $100,000 Poker Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths at Belmont Park.
Fly First Down signaled he was a serious 2-year-old Quarter Horse last month at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico, when he won his career debut by three lengths. It was a dominant kind of performance, and one that is not seen often from first-time starters.
“That’s usually a sign of a superstar,” said Paul Jones, who trains Fly First Down for Tremor Enterprises.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Even money turned out to be an overlay on Majestic City, who toyed with his competition May 21 in the strongest 2-year-old race of the spring meet Hollywood Park.
Majestic City won by 1 1/2 lengths with no urging, earned an 86 Beyer Speed Figure, and made $4 seem like a gift payoff. The price will be shorter Sunday at Hollywood.
Majestic City faces five rivals in the $70,000 Willard Proctor Stakes, a 5 1/2-furlong race in which the son of City Zip figures to be odds-on.
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Trainer Donnie Von Hemel has more wins in 3-year-old graded stakes during the last month than in any kind of race at Arlington Park’s 2011 meet. Alternation won the Grade 2 Peter Pan on May 14 at Belmont, and Caleb’s Posse the Grade 3 Ohio Derby on June 4 at Thistledown. Meanwhile – and in stark contrast – Von Hemel still is looking for his first win of the Arlington season after sending out 26 starters at the meet.
“Things will come around,” Von Hemel said with a laugh.
MIAMI – Trainer David Fawkes had been pinpointing the Grade 3 Cornhusker for Duke of Mischief’s next start almost from the moment his star returned to Calder following his impressive victory in the $1 million Charles Town Classic nearly two months ago. But those plans changed in a little more than 59 seconds, the time it took for Duke of Mischief to work five furlongs over a slow and cuppy racetrack here last Saturday morning.
Now, Fawkes is planning on shipping Duke of Mischief to Churchill Downs to try Grade 1 company next Saturday in the prestigeous Stephen Foster Handicap.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The most hallowed ground in Thoroughbred racing is availing itself for one race to another breed. Churchill Downs has agreed to allow Abu Dhabi, the capital and governmental seat of the United Arab Emirates, to sponsor an Arabian race that will be run here next Saturday, June 18, as one of 12 races on the Stephen Foster program.
The $50,000 President of United Arab Emirates Cup will be run at 1 1/4 miles, the same distance as the Kentucky Derby, in what is believed to be the first race for other breeds in modern times at Churchill.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Elite Alex, based at Delaware Park with trainer Tim Ritchey, has joined the ranks of candidates for the June 26 Queen’s Plate.
With the New York-based Queen’splatekitten and Bowman’s Causeway and the Kentucky-based Maple Leaf Kitten also having the $1 million Queen’s Plate on their agendas, the number of American-based runners in the 158th running of Canada’s most famous horse race could reach its highest level to date.
