Sign In $
Horse Racing

At the Gate – Saturday

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
7 minute read
The feature at Belmont Park this afternoon is the $100,000 Wild Applause for three-year-old fillies with six entered but five likely to start in the one-mile turf event.
 
Wings of Dawn is likely to scratch to await the Mother Goose (G2) on the main track here on June 29.
 
Trainer Chad Brown will start three of the remaining five and and I am going to take a swing we can beat all three of them with Feel Glorious from the Christophe Clement barn.
 
The feature at Monmouth Park today is the $300,000 United Nations (G1) at 1 3/8 miles on turf. A field of eight will head to the gate and of course Chad Brown will be well represented.
 
He will saddle the 2-1 morning line favorite Focus Group, winner of the Pan American (G2) at Gulfstream Park before running a disappointing sixth in the Man O’ War (G1) in his last effort.
 
I’ll try to beat Brown again with Big Picture from the Mike Maker barn. The gelding will be making his fourth appearance in the United Nations.
 
He was third last year, won it in 2017 and checked in eighth in 2016. Now an eight-year-old, the gelding is still quite consistent, earning Beyers of at least 94 in 11 of his last dozen starts.
 
Now is the perfect time to purchase my Monthly Package for just $99.95. It gives you a month of Belmont Park/Saratoga daily and my Best Plays Report each Saturday and Sunday.
 
To purchase my Belmont Park Report for Saturday click here.
 
Here is the opening race from Belmont Park to get the day off to a good start:
 
BEL Race 1 Clm $16,000N2X (1:30 ET)
#1 Preternatural   6-5
#2 Remstin   2-1
#5 Poker Game   6-1
#4 Alrahaal   5-1
 
Analysis: Preternatual appears likely to get things off to a chalky start this afternoon. The colt chased the early pace and weakened inside the final furlong to finish fourth last out against $25,000 non-winners of two. The colt broke his maiden two back against state bred $25,000 foes, drawing away to win by 10 1/4 lengths in his first start off the claim by the RRod barn. He makes his third start off the bench here and catches a pretty weak field. He owns solid early and mid pace numbers and with the rail draw Reyes figures to send the colt early.
 
Remstin also makes his third start off the layoff. He was a decent fourth two back off the layoff and was fifth last out in the same race our top pick exits while improving his speed figure slightly. He should get a good tracking trip here and looks likely to complete a puny exacta.
 
Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 7-5 or better.
EX: 1,2 / 1,2,4,5
TRI: no play
 
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Belmont Park:
 
BEL Race 9 The Wild Applause (5:51 ET)
#5 Feel Glorious   3-1
#6 Blowout   2-1
#4 Nova Sol   5-2
#1 Seek and Destroy   7-2
 
Analysis: Feel Glorious only has to face four foes with the likely scratch of Wings of Dawn, which sounds easy til you see that three of her foes are Chad Brown trainees. Our top pick stalked the early pace while saving ground, was caught in traffic and exchanged a few bumps with a foe and finished up well, beaten a length in the Soaring Softly (G3) at seven furlongs. She will appreciate the added ground here. She won the Memories of Silver two back at Aqueduct going 1 1/16 miles on turf in her second starts since landing in the U.S. with Clement. Looks as if she should be a bit closer to the pace here on the stretch out to a mile and picks up Rosario.
 
Blowout is one of the trio of Brown runners. She tracked the early pace, lost her momentum briefly when taking a bad step and she split rivals and finished up well to just miss by a head to our top pick in the Memories of Silver. She broke her maiden in her debut and was a game second in the Florid Oaks (G3) in her first start against winners behind repeat winner Concrete Rose, who won the Edgewood (G3) at Churchill Downs in her next outing on May 3. She appears the best of the trio of Brown runners but may end up the lightest price.
 
Wagering
WIN: #5 to win at 5-2 or better.
EX: 5 / 4,6
TRI: no play
 
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Monmouth Park:
 
Mon Race 11 The United Nations (5:28 ET)
1 Bigger Picture   3-1
2 Channel Cat   7-2
3 Arrocha   12-1
4 Focus Group   2-1
 
Analysis: Bigger Picture makes his fourth start in this race. He ran eighth in 2016, won it in 2017 and was third last year, beaten two lengths. The gelding comes into this year’s edition off a sharp win in the Elkhorn (G2) at Keeneland over yielding ground going 1 ½ miles. He bounced back after running seventh in the Pan American (G2) two back which was won by Focus Group. He started off his 2019 campaign by winning the John B. Connolly (G3) at Sam Houston, a race he won last year as well. He picks up Joe Bravo who was aboard this gelding for his win here in 2017. He should be able to work out a good trip from mid pack.
 
Channel Cat makes his third start of the year, a fourth in the Ft. Marcy (G3) and last out a fifth in the Manhattan (G1) against a tough field that included the winner Bricks and Mortar and runner up Robert Bruce. The Todd Pletcher trainee won three times last year in nine starts including taking the Dueling Grounds Derby at Kentucky Downs at 1 5/16 miles. The colt earned a career top last out in the Manhattan and was only beaten 3 ¾ lengths against a stronger group of foes. Pletcher has won this race four times, the most recent victory coming with Turbo Compressor in 2012. Luis Saez gets the call here and this colt looks primed for a top effort in his third start of his current form cycle.
 
Arrocha is one of two in here sent out by the Chad Brown barn that won this race last year with Funtastic. Brown’s other runner Focus Group (2-1) will get more action, but this guy may be worth another look. He was disappointing eighth in his U.S. debut in the Ft. Marcy which was off a nine-month layoff. He looked like a short horse and the fact Brown brings him back in a Grade 1 looks like a good sign we will see a much improved effort out of him. He won 4 of his 11 starts in Brazil including two Group 1 races and he was disqualified after crossing the wire first in a third. He has done his best work t 1 ¼ miles but looks as if the extra ground here will not pose a problem.
 
Wagering
WIN: Big Picture to win at 3-1 or better.
EX: 1,2 / 1,2,3,4
TRI: 1,2 / 1,2,3,4 / 1,2,3,4,6
 
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: #9 Binti Al Nar   8-1
R4: #4 Kings Big Road   8-1
R5: #5 Danny California   12-1
R5: #11 Ten Eyck   10-1
R6: #7 Bassman Dave   12-1
R8: #3 Morgantown   10-1
R10: 32 Hudson Overpass   12-1
R10: #5 Danzante   8-1
 
Good luck today!

Horse Racing News

VegasInsider Staff

VegasInsider Staff

More from VegasInsider Staff
•