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Horse Racing

At the Gate – Friday

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read
We have a good weekend of action coming up with a few stars in action including the undefeated Analyze It, who is the 4-5 morning line favorite for Saturday’s $200,000 Pennine Ridge (G3).

The Chad Brown trainee is perfect in three starts on turf and has won his races by a combined 15 ¾ lengths. This colt could be a superstar in the making. He won the Transylvania (G3) at Keeneland last out by 5 ¼ lengths.

He faces a couple of solid runners in Catholic Boy, who returns to turf after a trip down the Derby Trail, and Untamed Domain, last year’s runner up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1).

At Santa Anita the ladies take center stage in the $400,000 Beholder Mile (G1). Unique Bella is the 3-5 morning line favorite and is looking to bounce back off a loss in the Apple Blossom (G1) at Oaklawn Park.

The Jerry Hollendorfer trainee has been nearly perfect in her career, winning seven of her 10 starts with two seconds. Her lone real blemish was her seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) last fall at Del Mar.

She does not have a walkover. She faces Vale Dori, who was beaten a neck in last year’s Beholder as well as Paradise Woods, who won the Zenyatta (G1) and ran third in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) last fall.

I will have selections for both races in Saturday’s Best Plays Report.

To purchase my Belmont Park Report for Friday click here .

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 the Belmont Stakes Festival from Belmont Park.

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

BEL Race 1 Md $20,000 (3:05 ET)
#1 Uncle Pockets 5-2
#5 C K Dexter Haven 7-5
#4 Blatant 9-2
#7 Street Cat Cam 6-1

Analysis: Uncle Pockets was not a threat in a sixth-place finish for a $50,000 tag last November in his debut, sent off at 3-1 in a field of six at GP West. He returns here with blinkers added and a class drop in for $20,000. The Servis barn is 35% winners (with a +ROI) with runners coming back off a +180 day layoff. By Uncle Mo out of a Holy Bull mare that has dropped six winners. A light work tab but he catches a weak group.

C K Dexter Haven was bumped coming out of the gate, stalked the early pace and finished evenly in a third-place finish last out for a $40,000 tag in his first start off the claim by the Jacobson barn. The colt ran second in four of his first five career starts and has burned some serious cash as the beaten chalk four times. He owns the top last out speed fig and is the obvious one to beat at a light price.

Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 2-1 or better.
EX: 1,5 / 1,4,5,7
TRI: 1,5 / 1,4,5,7 / 1,4,5,6,7

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

BEL Race 8 Alw $77,000N1X (6:50 ET)
#8 Stormy's Song 9-2
#5 Really Proud 5-2
#6 Conquest Tizfire 7-2
#4 First Appeal 3-1

Analysis: Stormy's Song is back on turf for her second start off the bench for the Lynch barn. Last out off the layoff she tracked the early pace and finished up well for the runner up spot on the main track. Her lone go on turf was two back here going seven furlongs where she came with six wide rally to finish fourth, beaten two lengths for the top spot. She has a solid enough turf pedigree, by Unbridled's Song out of a Stormy Atlantic mare that has dropped one other dirt winner and no turf winners to date. The barn is 21% winners overall in turf sprints but sporting a 0 for his last 21 moving runners from dirt to turf. This gal should be a fair price.

Really Proud broke inward coming out of the gate in the Cedar Key and finished evenly while drifting in late in a third-place finish. It was her first go against winners after breaking her maiden going five furlongs at Gulfstream Park two back in her fifth career start. She is the logical one to beat in here exiting stakes company but may end up a light price. She is a half to a pair of dirt stakes winners, top earner Grade 1 winner Proud Spell ($2.1 million).

Wagering
WIN: #8 to win at 7-2 or better.
EX: 5,8 / 4,5,6,8
TRI: 5,8 / 4,5,6,8 / 3,4,5,6,8

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.

Belmont Park
R2: #6 Fortune Smiles 10-1
R4: #5 Kenyan 8-1
R5: #7 Wheatfield 12-1
R6: #3 Conquest Bandit 12-1
R7: #3 Sir Ballentine 8-1
R9: #1 English Channical 15-1

Good luck today!

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