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Horse Racing

At the Gate – Sunday

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
5 minute read
Our trip to Laurel Park for the Maryland Million worked out pretty good yesterday. We had five races in my Best Plays and came up with three top winners at my old stomping grounds, paying $9.60, $8.00 and $9.00 with two exactas that returned $48.60 and $19.80.
 
Once again, we had some of the races taken off the turf at Belmont Park, four in total. I missed the announcement of the finale coming off the turf until I had already placed my late Pick 4 tickets. It was the second time this has happened to me this week.
 
My second and third choices were scratched out of the race. My second choices won the first three legs, paying $12.40, $7.50 and $6.50, and I was alive to my two picks in the finale, although I had handicapped the race for the turf.
 
The will pays were $657.50 for $1 on my top pick Newport Breeze and $456.000 on my second choice Starlite Mission (after scratches).
 
I was a little nervous about the main track only entrant Out of Orbit and Puffery but elected not to hedge. As they turned for home it looked as if I was going down with the ship, but Newport Breeze rebroke and went on to win by a half-length over Starlite Mission.
 
No telling how I would have structured my tickets had I known it was coming off the turf, so I’ll chalk that score up to pure luck.
 
Now is the perfect time to purchase my Monthly Package for just $99.95. It gives you a month of Belmont Park daily, my Best Plays Report each Saturday and Sunday and my two-day Breeders’ Cup Report.
 
My Best Plays Report for Sunday includes my eight strongest plays from Belmont Park and Keeneland.
 
To purchase my Belmont Park and Best Plays Reports for Sunday click here.
 
Here is the opener from Belmont Park to get the day off to a good start:
 
BEL Race 1 Md $30,000 (1:30 ET)
#5 Ajwibah   9-2
#3 Moneigh Moproblems   7-5
#7 Somebody   3-1
#1 Union Wise   4-1
 
Analysis: Ajwibah was outrun on yielding turf last out and drops a notch here while returning to the main track. Two back going six furlongs on dirt at Delaware Park against maiden special weight foes he ran decent after getting off a beat slow, stalking the early pace and finishing evenly for fourth. Going to toss his last outing and expect a better effort here for McLaughlin. His pedigree leans more toward dirt, by Tapit out of a Street Cry mare that ash dropped one other foal to race, no winners to date.
 
Moneigh Moproblems set the early fractions and was nailed at the wire by a head. It was his third start in his last four outings where he was the beaten chalk. He makes his 12th career start here and the witch back to dirt seems to have suited him but his price is going to be on the short side here.
 
Wagering
WIN: #5 to win at 7-2 or better.
EX: 3,5 / 1,3,5,7
TRI: 3,5 / 1,3,5,7 / 1,3,5,6,7
 
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Belmont Park:
 
BEL Race 8 The Athenia G3 (5:18 ET)
#9 On Leave   6-1
#3 New Money Honey   3-1
#4 Indian Blessing   8-1
#1 Rymska   9-2
 
Analysis: On Leave stalked the early pace and finished gamely to win the restricted One Dreamer last out at Kentucky Downs. Two back she was fourth in eh restricted De La Rose on soft ground behind the winner Uni, who came back to win the Noble Damsel (G3) in her next outing on Sept. 22. The Shug trainee has been competitive in grade stakes, a game second in the Distaff Turf Mile (G2) four back at Churchill Downs and she has won 4 of her 6 trips over the turf here. She breaks from the outside and should get a good tracking trip behind what should be a solid pace.
 
New Honey Money was second last out at Woodbine in the Canadian (G3) at nine furlongs. She is a two-time Grade 1 winner, taking the '16 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and the '17 Belmont Oaks here at 1 1/4 miles. That was her last stakes win but she caught pretty tough groups in her last two and earned numbers that fit here. She is perfect in four trips over the turf here.
 
Wagering
WIN: #9 to win at 4-1 or better.
EX: 3,9 / 1,3,4,9
TRI: 3,9 / 1,3,4,9 / 1,2,3,4,9
 
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Keeneland:
 
KEE Race 8 The Dowager G3 (4:57 ET)
#5 Daring Duchess   5-2
#6 Amboseli   5-1
#10 Vexatious   7-2
#8 Red Ispa   6-1
 
Analysis: Daring Duchess has a pair of wins at this distance including taking the Flaming Page two back at Woodbine over good ground. Last out the mare set a sharp early pace and faded to finish sixth in the Canadian (G2) against a stronger group than these. She faded to finish seventh in this race last year and sports a 0 for 5 record on the lawn here. but this race did not come up that deep and she may be able to take these coast to coast if she shakes loose early.
 
Amboseli saved ground while racing at the back of the pack and finished evenly in a fifth-place finish in the Rodeo Drive (G1) last out at 1 1/4 miles. She has not won since beating Alw-1 foes in her second start since landing in the U.S. She does look as if she is heading in the right direction and her best puts her in the mix here. Smith rides and she may end up a decent price in this spot.
 
Wagering
WIN: #5 to win at 5-2 or better.
EX: 5,6 / 5,6,8,10
TRI: 5,6 / 5,6,8,10 / 2,5,6,8,10
 
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
R3: #2 Sargeant Drive   8-1
R4: #12 Mz Seb Pat   10-1
R6: #9 Tiz Princess   8-1
R7: #1 Pirate’s Treasure   12-1
R8: #4 Indian Blessing   8-1
 
Good luck today!

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