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Horse Racing

At the Gate – Wednesday

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read
We start another week off at Belmont Park this afternoon and note we have gone back to a 1:00 ET post time for the remainder of the meeting.

Due to construction of the New York Islanders new stadium we had a 3:00 post time and the plan was to run the second half of the meeting at Aqueduct. However, things have gone smoothly and the NYRA decided to keep running at Belmont Park until the conclusion of the meeting on Oct. 27.

The meeting started on Sept. 6 and as we enter the fourth week of the meet trainer Chad Brown sits on top of the standings with a dozen winners from 46 starters, winning at a 26% clip.

Trainer Todd Pletcher is having a good meeting winning at a 31% clip, nine winners from 29 starters. Jason Servis is third in the trainer standings with eight winners from 21 starters (38%).

Gary Contessa is still looking to get off the duck, currently 0 for 27 at the meeting. Rudy Rodriguez has just one winner from 20 starters. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott is just 2 for 26.

Manny Franco is the top jockey with 17 winners. Jose Lezcano, John Velazquez and Luis Saez are tied for second with 12 winners each.

The Ortiz brothers served short suspensions for riding infractions and have been spending time out of town for stakes races on the weekends. Jose has eight winners and Irad has six.

We have a big weekend coming up with eight Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” races on tap. The first two come on Friday at Santa Anita—the $300,000 American Pharoah (G1) for two-year-old juveniles and the $300,000 Chandelier (G1) for juvenile fillies.

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 Report for Wednesday 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)
#4 J J Jen 8-5
#6 Lady Macho 1-1
#2 Stunning Beauty 8-1
#5 Irish Banker 5-1

Analysis: J J Jen chased the early pace and weakened to finish fifth last out going seven furlongs at the Spa in a race taken off the turf. She was down toward the inside on a day the outer paths were the best place to be. It was her first start on dirt after three trips on turf. She does not need to move forward much off her last effort to pick up her diploma here. She is out of a Cuvee mare that has dropped four other foals to race, all winners.

Lady Macho exits the same race as our top pick. She prompted the early pace from the outside and weakened to finish fourth, beaten three lengths for the top spot. She owns solid early and mid pace numbers and is a logical threat but her price is going to be on the short side. The Levine trainee is out of an Indian Charlie mare that has dropped one other foal to race, no winners to date.

Wagering
WIN: #4 to win at 8-5 or better.
EX: 4,6 / 2,4,6
TRI: no play

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

BEL Race 6 Clm $32,000 (3:39 ET)
#5 Thousand Percent 8-1
#3 Spinning Kitten 5-2
#2 Honorable Hero 3-1
#8 Artemus Bridge 5-1

Analysis: Thousand Percent caught a sloppy track last out where the colt prompted the early pace and weakened late to finish third, beaten two lengths. The runner up Baffin Bay came back to beat $62,500 claimers in his next outing on Sept. 12. The colt makes his third start off the claim by the Englehart barn and this will be his first trip on turf. The colt is out of a Prized mare that has dropped three other winners and two have won on turf.

Spinning Kitten was bumped coming out of the gate, stalked the early pace and had no punch left late in a sixth-place finish against $62,500 foes. Two back at the Spa for $40,000 this guy was beaten just a neck to Artemus Bridge. He reunites with Carmouche who was aboard two back and Gargan is off to a good start at the meeting hitting with 3 of his 10 starters.

Wagering
WIN: #5 to win at 4-1 or better.
EX: 3,5 / 2,3,5,8
TRI: 3,5 / 2,3,5,8 / 1,2,3,5,8

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: 32 Stunning Beauty 8-1
R2: #6 Lucky Bet 8-1
R4: #1 Somes Sound 8-1
R4: #6 Cobble Hill 15-1
R6: #5 Thousand Percent 8-1
R8: #12 Rare Gift 8-1

Good luck today!

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