By: Ricky Fuller 6/5/2019
I will be posting any updated picks due to natural events or scratches in our Discord channel and will be around most of the day to answer questions there or DM’s on Twitter. You can follow me on Twitter (@splitxserenade). My bets will be added to this page on Saturday morning 6/8.
My favorite race days of the year always include Travers at Saratoga, Breeders Cup day in November and Belmont Stakes day. While people not close to the sport may only tune in for the last race to complete the Triple Crown series, the undercard is where the action will be this year. It reminds me of Breeders Cup, where there is just race after race of Grade 1 horses. This year at Belmont, besides the Belmont Stakes, we will get to see SEVEN additional Grade 1 races with contenders that should be household names in the racing world. I want to give a little extra analysis for these races, as they should end up more exciting than race 11.
Just A Game Stakes
This race is for Fillies and Mares, 4 years old and up, running on Turf. Race #4 kicks off the Grade 1 racing with these older horses led by a G1 winner at Keeneland, Rushing Fall. I fully expect this horse to be a heavy favorite, and for good reason. But with 6 other horses on her heels, she will need to work for this one. Daddy Is A Legend, Beau Recall and Got Stormy are horses that have a shot at upsetting.
Just a Game Stakes $10 Win – 4 $2 Exacta – 4/1,2,7
Ogden Phipps Stakes
Race #5 has one of my top 5 favorite 3-year-old horses from a year ago. Now at 4 years old, she will run with 4 other horses on the dirt. She gets a rematch with Escape Clause, which she beat in April in a G1 race. The mystery of this race comes from horse 1, Come Dancing. On a dry fast track, Come Dancing has a slight edge, posting the fastest speed numbers of the year in this group. To bet with my head or heart- that is the question in this one.
Ogden Phipps Stakes $5 Win/Place – 2 $.50 Trifecta Option 1 – 1,2/1,2/3,4,5 $.50 Trifecta Option 2 – 2/1,3,4/1,3,4,5
Jaipur Invitational
Back to the Turf in race #6. If you have followed the ponies, some familiar names should jump out in this sprint race. Disco Partner has run in this race 3 consecutive years. In 2016, Disco scored 2nd place. Back to back in ’17 and ’18, Disco Partner has won this event. Growing older, this 7-year-old has a VERY tall task to take down an incredible horse in World of Trouble. It will clearly be between these horses, but you can’t dismiss Om and Belvoir Bay either.
Jaipur Invitational $2 Exacta Box – 1,6,7,8 $5 Show – 1,6,7 (strictly trying to beat the 8, which I expect to win)
Acorn Stakes
The 3-year-old ladies running on dirt will be led by Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress. I understand the win by her on the day before the Kentucky Derby was great. But I really don’t like this horse. With that being said, evaluating the rest of this field… is rough. Jose Ortiz got off Serengeti Empress to ride Guarana in this race. That sends an alarm there, and puts me on notice for her. She has one race, which she won, at Keeneland in April. Fancy Dress Party has a morning line set at 10/1, but the horse is 4 for 4 and has a graded stakes win under her belt. Cookie Dough should also be a horse to watch, probably to finish exotics.
Acorn Stakes $2 Win Place Show – 5 (longshot that will pay if it hits) $0.10 Superfecta 1,3,7,5/1,3,5,7/1,3,5,7,9/1,2,3,5,7,8,9 ($14.40 total bet)
Woody Stephens Stakes
With 11 horses in this race, it will go down as one of the largest fields we will see on Saturday in New York. Mind Control will be your favorite in this race. He is a Grade 1 winner and should be included on your ticket. Contenders for this race include Much Better, Complexity, Lexitonian (at 15/1!) and Honest Mischief. This race, if won by anyone other than Mind Control, should pay handsomely.
Woody Stephens Stakes $6 Win / Show – 1 $2 Win / Place – 2 $2 Exacta – 1,2,9/1,2,4,9
Metropolitan Handicap
Being dubbed as the “Main Event”, the Met Mile is going to go off as my favorite of the day. This race has all the big names. I absolutely love Mitole as one of the fastest horses right now. McKinzie, Thunder Snow, Firenze Fire, Coal Front, Promises Fulfilled, Pavel and more. I cannot wait to see how this race shakes up. As stated, Mitole will be on my ticket for this race, but some of the exotic plays will shock you.
Metropolitan Handicap $2 Win Place Show – 3,4 (I’m hoping the 2 goes off as Favorite) $0.10 Superfecta – 2,3,4/1,2,3,4,7/1,2,3,4,7/1,2,3,4,6,7,8 ($14.40 total)
Manhattan Stakes
The hands down best turf runner (of all time?), Bricks and Mortar, will be going a bit further than he has ever had to at 1 ¼ miles. I don’t care about that. Watch some of his previous outings and you’ll fall in love. He can absolutely go the distance. While he wont offer much of a price, he’s my sure bet of the day. If you wanted to take a shot at other horses, Channel Maker was bred for this distance. Robert Bruce has a shot. MAYBE Raging Bull. Those are strictly price plays.
Manhattan Stakes $50 Win – 8 $0.50 Trifecta Main – 8/1,3,4,7,10/1,3,4,7,10 ($10 total) $0.50 Trifecta BOX Alternate – 1,3,4,7,8,10 ($60 total. Will pay over $60 as long as the 8 doesn’t win)
