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Horse Racing

At the Gate – Friday

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
5 minute read
We have a good warm up for Belmont Stakes Day coming up on Friday at Belmont Park with an outstanding 11-race card that features five stakes races.

The stakes action starts in the fifth race which is the $250,000 Bed O’ Roses (G3) for fillies and mares going seven furlongs on the main track. Chalon has landed in the exacta in 11 of her 14 career starts and is coming in off a sharp win in the Skipat at Pimlico. The main knock with her is the likely short price.

Juveniles go 5 ½ furlongs in the $150,000 Tremont with eight entered and seven to start. The 7-5 morning line favorite Maven will scratch as trainer Wesley Ward plans on sending the colt overseas.

That likely leaves the Doug O’Neill trained Fore Left as the favorite. He was a game neck winner in his debut and two he beat have come back to graduate in their next outings.

The $250,000 True North (G2) drew a strong field of sprinters that will go 6 ½ furlongs on the main track. Catalina Cruiser makes his first start since tossing in a dud as the beaten favorite in last fall’s Breeders’ Cu Dirt Mile (G1).

The New York (G2) drew a field of eight going 1 ¼ miles on turf and it should be no surprise that trainer Chad Brown will send out the favorite. Homerique is the 6-5 morning line favorite and is coming off a victory in the Beaugay (G3) in her U.S. debut.

The stakes action concludes on Friday with a two-mile turf marathon. A field of nine go in the $400,000 Belmont Gold Cup (G2). The Euros have done well winning this race the past two years and there are three coming across the pond for this year’s edition.

While we have no Triple, Crown bid up for grabs tomorrow, there are eight Grade 1 races on a blockbuster 13-race card.

In addition to the Belmont Stakes, the $1.2 million Metropolitan Handicap drew a stellar field. Grade 1 winners McKinzie, Mitole and Thunder Snow will face off in what should be a good one.

The field has earned a combined $25 million and have accounted for 32 Graded or Group races.

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 Belmont Stakes Day Report.

To purchase my Belmont Park 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 Md Sp Wt (1:00 ET)
#2 Per Capita 8-1
#4 Just for One Day 5-1
#5 Ahead of Plan 1-1
#7 Sneakiness 6-1

Analysis: Per Capita is the higher price of the pair sent out by the Chad Brown barn. The colt has a solid pedigree, by Tapit out of the stakes winner Successful Outlook ($110,720) who has dropped five winners and three are stakes winners, top earner Iron Fist ($1.1 million). Solid works over at Monmouth Park since returning from Florida. She is going to offer some value with her stablemate the even money favorite.

Just for One Day debuts for the Clement barn that is 14% winner with first timers. The colt was a $210,000 purchase, by Will Take Charge out of the stakes winner Mother Ruth ($289,243) who has dropped two foals to race including stakes winner Yuvetsi ($253,930). The colt is working as if he has some ability and hoping one of these two firsters fire at first asking to avoid getting the day off to a chalky start.

Wagering
WIN: #2 to win at 9-2 or better.
EX: 2,4 / 2,4,5,7
TRI: 2,4 / 2,4,5,7 / 2,3,4,5,7

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

BEL Race 10 The Belmont Gold Cup Inv. G2 (5:48 ET)
#8 Raa Atoll 6-1
#4 Red Knight 7-2
#6 Arklow 5-2
#3 Amade 8-1

Analysis: Raa Atoll makes his U.S. debut here and Euro invaders have done well in this race, running first and third last year and sweeping the top four sports in 2017. Our top pick won a Group 2 in Germany going two miles last out in his first start after landing with Comer who purchased this guy from the John Gosden yard. In that win he beat the runner up Thomas Hobson by 1 1/2 lengths, that runner checking in second in the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup (G2) in his previous outing at Ascot. He has just six starts under his belt and has a long-winded pedigree, by Sea The Stars out of a Sadler's Wells mare.

Red Knight came back off a four month break last out in the Elkhorn (G2) at Keeneland on yielding ground going 1 1/2 miles. The gelding was bumped coming out of the gate and after racing near the back of the pack came with a god run, took over the lead and got run down late, settling for the runner up spot behind Bigger Picture. He won the H.A. Jerkens two back at two miles at Gulfstream Park. The New York bred has relished the added ground in his last two starts, producing his two best speed figs., He fits here and has run well on any type of ground and has won 3 of 6 on the lawn here.

Wagering
WIN: #8 to win at 4-1 or better.
EX: 4,8 / 3,4,6,8
TRI: 4,8 / 3,4,6,8 / 3,4,6,8,9

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: #2 Per Capita 8-1
R2: #11 Memories Eternal 8-1
R2: #5 Valencia Vale 10-1
R4: #6 Bluegrass Express 10-1
R5: #2 Mybigitalianfriend 10-1
R6: Multiplier 8-1
R7: #6 Dixie Mo 10-1
R7: #7 Memorable 8-1
R8: #5 Strike Power 8-1
R9: #4 Lady Montdore 10-1
R9: #7 Semper Sentsentiae 8-1
R10: #3 Amade 8-1
R11: #11 Ailish 8-1

Good luck today!

Horse Racing News

VegasInsider Staff

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