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Horse Racing

At the Gate – Thursday

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read
The final Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” race was yesterday’s $200,000 Jessamine (G2) at Keeneland and now after 86 races spanning 11 different countries, we have three weeks left to come up with a few winners.

The fields will begin to sort themselves out over the next two weeks, and we already are seeing some connections deciding which races they are headed to.

The brilliant mare Elate will be entered in both the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) and the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) and it appears her connections have decided to take on the boys in the Classic.

The Distaff is contested at 1 1/8 miles while the Classic is at 1 1/4 miles. The five-year-old mare is perfect in her three trips at 1 1/4 miles. She ran second to Blue Prize in the 1 1/8-mile Spinster (G1) at Keeneland in her final prep.

Mongolian Groom, who pulled off the upset in the Awesome Again (G1) at Santa Anita to earn a berth in the Classic is not nominated to the Breeders’ Cup. However, his connections will pony up the $200,000 nomination fee to enter the race.

One colt we will not see in the Classic is Tacitus. The Bill Mott trainee was second int the Belmont Stakes (G1) and Travers (G1) and was third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) last out in his first start against older foes.

His connections have decided to end his campaign and he will be back to race as a four-year-old.

We are back in action at Belmont Park this afternoon with an eight-race card and I am assuming we are going to be off the turf today with rain falling on Wednesday and more forecast for this afternoon.

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 Report 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 $30,000 (1:15 ET)
#1 Sneads 7-5
#4 Monmouth Dr 5-2
#3 Freedom Prince 9-5
#2 Muntahez 8-1

Analysis: Sneads stalked the early pace and made a mild late rally to finish third last out for a $60,000 tag at Monmouth Park going a mile. The winner Air Attack came back to beat Alw-1 optional claimers in his next outing on Sept. 28 at Monmouth Park. The colt earned a career top two back in a solid runner up finish against $40,000 foes at the Spa going nine furlongs. He was fifth in his one go in the slop but has a strong off track pedigree.

Monmouth Dr gets more ground here after a third and a fifth in his first two starts sprinting. He made up ground late in both of those trips. He is bred to go longer, by Stay Thirsty out of a Giant's Causeway mare that has dropped on winner. The Kimmel barn is 12% winners (with a +ROI) moving runners from sprint to route.

Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 7-5 or better.
EX: 1 / 3,4
TRI: no play

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

BEL Race 6 OClm $40,000N2X (4:05 ET)
#2 Elektronic 5-1
#6 Fast Getaway 6-1
#9 Discretionary Marq 8-1
#1 Shiraz 7-2

Analysis: Elektronic gets the call and I am assuming e are off the grass today. This colt has only raced on turf, last out pressing the early pace and weakening to finish fourth in the Allied Forces. She made a good late rally three back to finish in the runner up spot in the Quik Call (G3). She has a good off track pedigree, by City Zip out of a Freud mare.

Fast Getaway set the early fractions and weakened to finish sixth last out at this level going seven furlongs on turf. She has just one start on the main track, a seventh in his debut last May. He returns here off a three-month break for Rice who is 21% winners with runners coming back off a 61-180-day layoff. He is quick and has the pedigree to handle a wet track, by Into Mischief out of a Cat Thief mare. Rice has a strong one-two punch here if they both go.

Wagering
WIN: #2 to win at 3-1 or better.
EX: 2,6 / 1,2,6,9
TRI: 2,6 / 1,2,6,9 / 1,2,3,6,9

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 Muntahez 8-1
R3: #2 Dark N Cloudy 12-1
R4: #1 Mad Munnys 10-1
R5: #2 Excess Capacity 8-1
R6: #9 Discretioany Marq 8-1
R8: #10 Daddysneverready 15-1

Good luck today!

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