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Horse Racing

At the Gate – Thursday

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read
The week started off with a bang on Wednesday with five winners on top on the eight-race card at Belmont Park including sweeping the late pick 4 with my top picks.

The Pick 4 sequence started off chalky with Clench at $2.40, then we had Heavy Roller ($8.40), Sentry ($11.20) and O’Malley won the nightcap by a whisker, paying $7.70.

The $1 pick 4 paid $126.50 and if you used my second choice in the opening leg of the late Pick 5 along with my four top picks that payoff was a hefty $1,277.50.

The 15-1 longshot Tiple ran well in the final race and she missed getting to my top pick by a nose. She was my third choice and we capped off the day with a $2 recommended exacta that paid $108.00.

Let’s hope we can keep it going on Thursday’s eight race card.

On Friday we have the opening day at Keeneland and while I will not be covering the track daily, we will attempt to solve all the Breeders’ Cup Challenge races coming up during the opening weekend of the meeting.

On Friday we have two, the $400,000 Alcibiades (G1), a key prep for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) and the $250,000 Phoenix (G2), a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1).

I will have selections for the two Breeders’ Cup Challenge races in tomorrow’s column.

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

To purchase my Belmont Park and Best Plays Reports for Thursday click here .

Here is the opening race from Belmont Park to get the day off to a good start:

BEL Race 1 Md $75,000 (1:15 ET)
#1 Rejected Again 4-1
#2 Runaway Star 3-1
#7 Mr Phil 5-2
#8 Paradise Pride 8-1

Analysis: Rejected Again adds lasix here for his third career start. He has been off poorly in both starts, a runner up finish in his debut and a fourth last out in the slop. Gullo goes with his third different jock here with Franco. The colt was a $55,000 Ocala purchase out of a Grand Reward mare, this he first foal to race. If Manny can get this guy to break from the rail he will be tough.

Runaway Star ships in from Maryland for the Gaudet barn that is 19% winners with first timers. The colt is out of a Kissin Kris mare that has dropped four winners, top earner My Sweet Emily ($220,646). Decent looking works on the morning tab at Laurel park and Rosado makes the trip to ride.

Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 3-1 or better.
EX: 1,2 / 1,2,7,8
TRI: 1,2 / 1,2,7,8 / 1,2,3,7,8

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

BEL Race 7 OClm $100,000C (4:40 ET)
#3 Roaming Union 10-1
#7 High North 3-1
#6 Realm 2-1
#2 Backsideofthemoon 4-1

Analysis: Roaming Union chased the early pace and tired to finish sixth last out going 1 1/2 miles here in the Grand Prix American Jockey Club. The colt was making his first start for the Nevin barn that claimed him out of a runner up finish against Alw-2 optional claimers going nine furlongs. Three back over the main track here he was a good second earning a career top speed fig at this distance. The class drop and cut back in distance should suit this guy and the 10-1 morning line looks more than fair. He is 3 for 7 on wet tracks and there is some rain in the forecast this afternoon.

High North was outrun early and came with a wide run to rally for fourth on the fake stuff in the Presque Isle Mile in his first start off a six-month layoff. He won twice last year, taking the Northern Spur at Oaklawn Park and the Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows. He has come back with a couple of good works and looks like Shug finds a good spot for him here. The barn is 17% winners with runners making their second start off a +180-day layoff.

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

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: #8 Paradise Pride 8-1
R4: #8 Tradeable 8-1
R6: #1 Flush 8-1
R6: #8 Matzo Bella 12-1
R7: #3 Roaming Union 10-1
R8: #11 Diananesimpazible 8-1

Good luck today!

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