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Horse Racing

At the Gate – Sunday

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
5 minute read
The second day of the Belmont Park meeting could not have been chalkier, could it? The winners paid $2.80, $3.40, $5.60, $6.40, $4.10, $7.30, $3.50, $4.90, $5.20, $6.20, and $4.70.

That is an average of $5.71. The early Pick 5 paid $48.75 for a $.50 cent ticket and the late Pick 5 paid $132.75.

Let’s hope things get a little more exciting on Sunday afternoon.

The feature at Belmont Park is the $100,000 Allied Forces which drew a field of 10 three-year-olds which will go six furlongs on turf. Nine likely will go with one main track only entrant.

The Steve Asmussen trained Neverland Rock is the 7-2 morning line favorite. The colt is coming off a solid runner up finish in the Mahony at Saratoga in his last outing.

We will also head back out to Kentucky Downs this afternoon. We only hit one of the four races in yesterday’s Best Plays at the Franklin, Kentucky track. Speed seemed to hold all day and the turf seems to be hard and dry, so I am expecting more of the same this afternoon.

The features are the $350,000 Dueling Grounds Oaks which drew a field of 10 and the $600,000 Dueling Grounds Derby which drew 10. Both races will be contested at 1 5/16 miles.

My Best Plays Report for Sunday includes my eight strongest plays from Belmont Park and Kentucky Downs.

Now is the perfect time to purchase my Monthly Package. It gives you a month of Belmont Park Reports daily and my Best Plays Report each Saturday and Sunday.

To purchase my Belmont Park and Best Plays Reports for Sunday 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)
#3 Qian B C 2-1
#2 Worth a Shot 8-5
#5 Hudson Overpass 8-1
#1 The Joke's On You 3-1

Analysis: Qian B C made a good late rally to finish third last out at the Spa going 5 1/2 furlongs and has now landed third in five of his seven career starts including his last four. The runner up and eighth place finisher came out of his last outing to graduate next out. He gets an extra half furlong here and should be a bit closer to the pace against this group.

Worth a Shot was beaten just a neck last out in a game effort going seven furlongs on the grass here back in June. That effort was his first start since his debut last November where he was eighth on the main track at the Big A in a race taken off the turf. He has a decent enough turf pedigree, by English Channel out of the stakes winner Mystic Chant ($77,650) who has dropped seven winners including one turf winner, multiple turf stakes winner Voodoo Song ($885,835). He returns off a 2 1/2-month break here for the Rice barn that is 22% winners with runners coming back off a 46-90-day break.

Wagering
WIN: #3 to win at 9-5 or better.
EX: 2,3 / 1,2,3,5
TRI: 2,3 / 1,2,3,5 / 1,2,3,5,7

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

BEL Race 8 The Allied Forces (4:45 ET)
#2 Uncle Benny 4-1
#4 Mucho 9-2
#1 Pulsate 8-1
#6 Elektronic 8-1

Analysis: Uncle Benny stumbled badly coming out of the gate last out in the Mahony which was his first start since last fall. The colt showed plenty of ability as a juvenile, winning the Futurity here in his first start against winners and then running a game second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) on yielding ground on the stretch out to a mile. He should move forward second off the bench with a better start. The Servis barn is 17% winners with runners making their second start off a +180-day layoff.

Mucho tracked the early pace, came with a wide bid around the far turn and finished evenly in a third-place finish last out against Alw-2 optional claimers on the main track at the Spa. His lone trip on turf was two back here where he prompted the early pace and finished evenly in a fourth-place finish in the paradise Creek at seven furlongs. The Mott trainee is out of a Pulpit mare that has dropped four other winners including a pair of turf winners. He makes his second start off a 2 1/2-month break and willing to give him another look on turf here.

Wagering
WIN: #2 to win at 3-1 or better.
EX: 2,4 / 1,2,4,6
TRI: 2,4 / 1,2,4,6 / 1,2,4,6,7

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Kentucky Downs:

KD Race 9 The Dueling Grounds Derby (4:48 CT)
#9 Journeyman 8-1
#1 Social Paranoia 2-1
#2 Armistice Day 8-1
#7 Ry's the Guy 6-1

Analysis: Journeyman switches back to turf after getting his neck in front in the Canadian Derby (G3) at Century Mile but was DQ'd for interference and placed second. The gelding has two trips on turf, a nose loss in the maiden ranks at Tampa Bay Downs and an Alw-1 optional claiming win at Arlington Park going a mile two back. This guy has been on the steady improve and is bred to run on turf. He is by Animal Kingdom out of the turf stakes winner Tout Charmant ($1.78 million) who has dropped five other turf winners. The gelding looks capable of sitting a good tracking trip and speed seems to be holding well over the turf here.

Social Paranoia tracked the early and did not have enough punch left late in a fourth-place finish in the Saratoga Derby last out. The top two in that ace came back to run fourth and eighth in the Jockey Club Derby yesterday at Belmont Park. Two back this guy tracked the early pace, opened up a lead and could not hold off Henley's Joy late in the Belmont Derby (G1). He only has a maiden win to his credit but has landed in the money in four stakes, three of them graded. He has the right running style for the way this turf has been playing.

Wagering
WIN: #9 to win at 5-1 or better.
EX: 1,9 / 1,2,7,9
TRI: 1,9 / 1,2,7,9 / 1,2,6,7,9

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: #5 Hudson Overpass 8-1
R6: #9 Sarahrini 12-1
R8: #1 Pulsate 8-1
R8: #6 Elektronic 8-1
R9: #3 Gosilently 8-1

Good luck today!

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