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Horse Racing

Horse Races Today: Thursday’s Belmont Park and Churchill Downs Analysis & Odds

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
6 minute read
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We were plugging along pretty well at Belmont Park on Sunday, with $45.40, $46.00 and $17.60 exactas in the first seven races, then the Racing Gods looked down and blessed us. Or maybe it was just the stewards.
 
My top pick in the ninth race, The First Defence Stakes was Therapist, who went off at 8-1. The gelding made a good late rally to get up by a head.
 
But not before jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. came in on the runner up Majestic Dunhill in deep stretch. There was a jockey objection and steward’s inquiry and I was certain the gelding was coming down.
 
But we all know now it is nearly impossible to predict how the stewards will rule and they left the winner up, leading to a nice $18.60 payoff.
 
Then in the nightcap we watched as my top Henni Penny came with a good late rally working through traffic to get up and win the finale, paying $20.20.
 
We hit the late double cold which returned a hefty $306.50. I don’t know about you, but I felt like I had robbed a bank.
 
After a three-day break, we are back at it today.  You can catch the action from Belmont Park today from 1:00 to 6:30 ET on FS2. Horseplayers can also stream all the horse racing action including Santa Anita using the Watch TVG App. The horse betting company based in the U.S. is offering a risk free bet up to $300 for new players. 
 
My Best Plays Report for Thursday includes my nine strongest plays from Churchill Downs and Belmont Park.
 
To purchase my Belmont Park and Best Plays Reports for Thursday click here .
 
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 which will include all the major Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races.
 
Here is the opening race from Belmont Park to get the day off to a good start:

Belmont Park Race 1 Analysis - 6/11 (1:15)

BEL Race 1 Md $40,000 (1:15 ET)
#8 Eagles Palace   9-5
#5 Yankee Empire   8-1
#2 Point of Humor   6-1
#1 Brees Bayou   5-1
 
Analysis: Eagles Palace set the early fractions and weakened to finish fourth last out on turf against $65,000 foes. Two back off the bench he stalked the early pace and finished evenly in a fourth-place finish. Pedigree wise he seems better suited for the main track. He is by palace malice out of a Corinthian mare, her first foal to race. He drops into an easier spot here tagged for $40,000 for the Mott barn that is off to a slow start at the meeting, 1 for 14. A decent off track pedigree and we may see some rain today.
 
Yankee Empire faded to finish well beaten 12th last out on turf at Gulfstream Park for this tag. He returns with the blinkers off and a return to the main track. He was a decent third here in his debut last June and third at the Spa in his third career start in a race taken off the turf. He gets a jock upgrade to Johnny V for the Kimmel barn.
 
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Churchill Downs:

Churchill Downs Race 7 Analysis - 6/11 (4:14)

CD Race 7 Clm $50,000N2L (4:14 ET)
#4 Youngest of Five   4-1
#6 Comedian   5-1
#1 Hidden Talent   5-1
#2 Golden Notion   3-1
 
Analysis: Youngest of Five stalked the early pace and could not make up any ground in the stretch in a third place finish going 1 11/6 miles at Gulfstream park, catching a racing strip that was kind to inside speed that day. The winner went gate to wire while the runner up Moretti came back to beat a solid group of Alw-1 foes at Oaklawn Park in his next outing on May 2. The gelding graduated two back going a one turn mile and the cut back to seven furlongs here should suit him.
 
Comedian stalked the early pace while saving ground while the jock was not asking him for much, angled to the three path and weakened to finish fourth. The racing strip was playing to outside stalkers and closers that day. The colt was fifth in his two previous starts but earned competitive numbers in that two outings. He looks capable of better than we saw out of him last out. The Asmussen barn is 18% winners moving runners from route to sprint.

Featured Race of the Day
Belmont Park Race 8 Analysis - 6/11 (5:04)

BEL Race 8 Alw $66,000N1X (5:04 ET)
#4 Value Engineering   5-2
#7 Mr. Alec   3-1
#2 No Word   6-1
#3 Mini P   10-1
 
Analysis: Value Engineering is making his first start since last September for the Chad Brown barn that is 28% winners with runners coming back off a +180-day layoff. The colt was the beaten chalk in his first two starts and then graduated third out at 1 3/16 miles at the Spa off a three-month break. He was beaten just a head in his last outing here at 1 1/4 miles. He has been prepping at Palm Meadows for his return and looks capable of handling this group off the bench. He is out of a Dynaformer mare that has dropped three other turf winners.
 
Mr. Alec is making his first start since last November where the colt set the early fractions and batted on gamely in the stretch to miss by just a neck at 1 3/8 miles at Aqueduct. he was beaten a neck two back at Keeneland going 1 3/16 miles in his first start against winners. He graduated here three back at 1 1/4 miles in his second career start. The Clement barn is 21% winners (with a +ROI) with runners coming back off a +180-day layoff and is off to a strong start at the meeting, hitting at a 26% clip.

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 Yankee Empire   8-1
R2: #1 Promo Code   12-1
R2: #5 Cavaradossi   8-1
R3: #3 Kadens Courage   8-1
R6: #11 Teletype   10-1
R7: #8 Beg to Differ   8-1
R8: #3 Mini P   10-1
R9: #6 Expert   10-1
R9: #5 Legit   8-1
R10: #10 Central Capital   12-1
R10: #8 Queen Kimberly   8-1
 
Good luck today!

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