All of the turf races at Belmont Park were actually run on the turf course on Wednesday, meaning I could get back to betting Pick 3’s and rolling doubles for the first time in what seemed like months.
It turned out to be a good day, with eight winners listed on the nine race card with three winners on top, paying $12.00, $15.80, and $4.30.
That led to a couple of nice payoffs in doubles and Pick 3’s, as my personal bankroll got healthier, which helped ease the blow from finding out I was not included in Michael Jackson’s will.
If you were looking for the opener at Belmont Park on TVG on Wednesday, you had to wait a full eight minutes before they showed the race on tape delay.
It appears TVG now considers Woodbine, a Canadian track with one of the highest takeout rates in North America, as the preferred track.
The network showed the opener at Woodbine yesterday, then we saw commercials and several minutes of chitchat among the three hosts, which included an appearance from former major leaguer Paul Lo Duca.
I have been a critic of TVG for most of its ten-year existence, and showing Woodbine while showing Belmont Park on tape delay ranks right up there with the dumbest decisions this network has made.
TVG is quickly becoming completely unwatchable, irrelevant, and obsolete.
Thank goodness for improvements in streaming video.
To purchase my full card report for Belmont Park that includes analysis, selections, fair odds, and wagering recommendations for today click here.
Here is today's opener from Belmont Park to get our day off to a good start:
BEL Race 1 Md Sp Wt (1:00 ET)
#1 More to the Story 3/1
#7 Out Post 7/2
#9 Singing My Song 12/1
#8 Retool 5/1
Analysis: #1 More to the Story cuts back to six furlongs after setting the early fractions and tiring to finish sixth last out in her turf debut. She caught a pretty good field that day. The winner Strike the Bell came back to run a good second in the $69K Perfect Sting in her next outing on 6/26. This filly was sent off as the fav in her debut over poly at Keeneland and weakened to finish third after showing some early speed. The runner up and fourth place finisher came out of that race to graduate next out. She has the pedigree to be a runner, the $625K purchase is by More Than Ready out of a Storm Cat mare. If she shakes loose early from the inside she is going to be tough to run down late.
#7 Out Post makes her first start since February where she finished second for the third time in three career starts. She tries turf for the first time here for the Goldberg barn that is 21% winners (with a +ROI) moving runners from dirt to turf. She was a $250K purchaser, by Silver Deputy (9% first turf) out of a Forest Wildcat mare that has dropped two winners including one turf winner. Papa Bear ($95K). She is going to be part of the early mix and the Goldberg barn knows how to bring them back off the bench running.
Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 9/5 or better.
EX: 1,7 / 1,7,8,9
TRI: 1,7 / 1,7,8,9 / 1,2,3,7,8,9
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Belmont Park:
BEL Race 8 Wandering Cloud S. (4:45 ET)
#1 Dance Gal Dance 5/2
#6 Northern Netti 2/1
#2 Beam of Love 6/1
#3 Light Tactic 7/2
Analysis: #1 Dance Gal Dance set the early fractions and weakened in the stretch to finish second in the Glowing Horn, which was her first start off a 13-month layoff. The filly won her first four career starts, two of those victories coming in state bred stakes. She returns to face NY breds here in her second start off the bench and she does not need to move forward much off her last effort to win here.
#6 Northern Netti snapped our top pick's four race win streak last May, and she looks ready to fire a good one here in her second start off a 6 1/2 month layoff. She returned last out against optional claimers for non-winners of four and finished well for fourth while beaten just 3/4 of a length for the top spot. The third place finisher in the race was Casanova Killer, who beat Alw-3 optional claimers in her next outing on 6/25 at Penn. The Weaver barn was off to a very slow start at the meeting but his runners have performed well here over the past couple of weeks.
Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 9/5 or better.
EX: 1,6 / 1,2,6
TRI: no play
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
R1: #9 Singing My Song 12/1
R2: #8 Chromosphere 12/1
R6: #4 Smokin Pistol 8/1
R9: #5 Petal Meadow 10/1
Good luck today!
