At the Gate – Friday

The Aqueduct meeting is over!

Ah, I love saying that. We are back in action this afternoon with opening day of the Belmont Park for its 54-day spring/summer meeting with the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (G1) coming up on June 9.

As always, we will all be rooting for the Kentucky Derby (G1) winner to come back two weeks later and win the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico, setting up a Triple Crown bid.

Even without a Triple Crown up for grabs the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival from June 7-9 will feature three days of outstanding racing. There are 18 stakes over the three racing days.

The Belmont Stakes card has a fantastic supporting card that will feature three Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” races—the $400,000 Jaipur Invitational (G2), $750,000 Ogden Phipps (G1) and the $1.2 million Metropolitan Handicap (G1).

The $700,000 Acorn (G1), $700,000 Just a Game (G1) and the $1 million Manhattan (G1) will also be run on Belmont Stakes Day.

Next week Belmont Park will race just Friday through Sunday but before we know it we will be back to racing five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday.

The short week coming up will be great for me as it gives me additional time to work on the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby Day cards.

Now is the perfect time to purchase my Monthly Package, which will give you a full month of reports from Belmont Park, my Best Plays Report each weekend and my Kentucky Oaks, Kentucky Derby and Preakness Day reports.

To purchase my Aqueduct Report for Friday click here .

Here is the opening race from Belmont Park to get the day off to a good start:

BEL Race 1 Clm $14,000N3L (1:30 ET)
#7 Missile Bomb 5-1
#6 Blame Us All 2-1
#8 Ransom Note 3-1
#3 Hard Hitter 4-1

Analysis: Missile Bomb tracked the early pace from the inside and faded to finish a well beaten ninth last out against $50,000 starter allowance foes going a mile. Two back he was s a good second in the slop at that level after beating $25,000 non-winners of two at today's 6 1/2 furlong distance. He is bred to like a wet track and we may see some rain today. The cut back will suit him. The Cox barn is 37% winners (with a +ROI) moving runners form route to sprint.

Blame Us All also cuts back from a mile here where he pressed the early pace and weakened to finish fourth against $35,000 non-winners of three. He makes his second start off the claim by the Diodoro barn that is 22% winners moving runners from route to sprint. He owns a solid pace profile throughout with the edge in early and mid pace numbers.

Wagering
WIN: #7 to win at 7-2 or better.
EX: 6,7 / 3,6,7,8
TRI: 6,7 / 3,6,7,8 / 2,3,6,7,8

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Belmont Park:

BEL Race 7 OClm $40,000N2X (4:46 ET)
#1 Playinwiththeboys 7-2
#4 Sandy Belle 3-1
#6 Mizzen Max 5-1
#8 My Won Love 9-2

Analysis: Playinwiththeboys took the field gate to wire to beat state bred Alw-1 foes last out going a one turn mile at the Big A. It was her ninth in the exacta finish in her 10 career starts. She earned a career top in the effort which was her second since landing with the Baker barn. She steps up a condition here and cuts back to six furlongs. She has shown she can sprint and this is not a real deep group of state bred Alw-2 foes she runs into here. She looks capable of winning right back. If the rains come that would be a plus for this gal who is bred to like a wet track and has a win and a second in two trips on off going.

Sandy Belle caught a sloppy track last out in the state bred Broadway where she set the early fractions and weakened to finish fourth. She pressed the early pace and drew clear late two back to beat state bred Alw-1 company. She has a win over the main track here, taking an off the turf $40,000 non-winners of two last October. She owns solid early and mid pace numbers and drops into a good spot here for Schosberg. She posted a quick work over the training track on April 21, the second best of 110 to go four furlongs.

Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 3-1 or better.
EX: 1,4 / 1,4,6,8
TRI: 1,4 / 1,4,6,8 / 1,2,4,6,8

Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.

Aqueduct
R2: #5 Majestic Kiss 10-1
R2: #2 Seattle Frost 12-1
R4: #8 Stop Thinking 8-1
R9: #3 Ailish 8-1

Good luck today!