Saturday’s Picks from Belmont

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

6 minute read

We have plenty of betting action on tap on Saturday that includes six Breeders’ Cup Classic “Win and You’re In” races, five at Santa Anita, and one at Belmont Park.

With just 40 days until the Breeders’ Cup, the next three weeks are critical, with plenty of major preps coming up. Next weekend we have nine more Breeders’ Cup Challenge races in the U.S. and another five in France at Longchamp.

Among the “Win and You’re In” races next Saturday is the Preakness Stakes (G1), the winner earning a free ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).

At Belmont Park today, a field of six go in the $150,000 Vosburgh (G2) with a fee expenses berth to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at stake.

The race did not exactly comer up tough as the 2-1 morning line favorite Engage is making his first start in a year. His last outing came in a fourth-place finish in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

The $300,000 Awesome Again (G1) at Santa Anita is a “Win, and You’re in for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but the top two contenders, Maximum Security and Improbable, have already earned berths in the race. It will be an interesting race to watch with a field of five but not much of a race to wager on.

There are plenty of other outstanding betting races between the two tracks, and I came up with ten strong plays included in my Best Plays Report.

You can catch Saratoga’s action today from 12:30 to 1:30 ET on FS1 and 1:30 to 6:00 ET on FS2. Also, you can stream the action on YouTube or by using the TVG App. The horse betting company based in the U.S. offers a risk-free bet up to $300 for new players.

To purchase my Belmont Park and Best Plays Reports for Saturday, 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 each Saturday and Sunday as well as my Preakness Day Report.

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

BELMONT PARK RACE 1 ANALYSIS (1:00 P.M. ET)

BEL Race 1 Clm $20,000

• #4 Heavy Roller 2-1
• #2 Control Group 5-2
• #3 Thebigfundamental 9-5
• #1 Shalako 6-1

Analysis: Heavy Roller cuts back from nine furlongs at the Spa where the gelding tracked the early pace and finished evenly in a third-place finish last out for this tag, beaten a length for the top spot. He was a game second three back at Churchill Downs going a mile for a $50,000 tag. The cut back to one turns should suit him, and he won here for a $32,000 tag going seven furlongs last fall.

Control Group caught a sloppy track last out and ran into Evaluator, who drew away to win by 13 lengths. Noda claimed this guy three back for $16,000 out of a win, and he came back to beat state-bred Alw-2 optional claimers in his first start for the barn. He drops into an easier spot tagged for $16,000 and figures to bounce back with a much better effort. The barn had a solid Spa meet and has two wins from his first five starters at the meet. The six-year-old is a 13-time winner in his career but has not won over the main track here in eight trips.

BELMONT PARK RACE 8 ANALYSIS (4:42 P.M. ET)

BEL Race 8 The Noble Damsel G3

• #9 Feel Glorious 4-1
• #1 Viadera 9-2
• #2 Sweet Bye and Bye 7-2
• #7 Noor Sahara 6-1

Analysis: Feel Glorious gets the call in a very competitive edition of this race. The Clement trainee stalked the early pace and came with an excellent late rally to win the Perfect Sting last out at the Spa going 1 1/16 miles. Two back going nine furlongs at Monmouth Park, she rallied to finish third in the Matchmaker (G3). The winner Nay Lady Nay came back to win the All Along at Laurel Park in her next outing on Sept. 7. She ran well, her least fall in a runner up finish in the Sands Point (G2) and a third in the Pebbles. She gets a good pace set up here as there is plenty of early speed in here. Clement is off to a quick start at the meeting, 9 of his first ten starters landing in the exacta.

Viadera was fourth behind her stablemate Newspaperofrecord in her U.S. debut two back in the Intercontinental (G3) at seven furlongs over yielding ground. She stretched out to a mile last out on good ground where she came with an excellent late run to get up and win the restricted De La Rose. She is one of three in here sent out by the Brown barn, and it is tough to split the trio, although this gal may end up the higher price of the three.

SANTA ANITA RACE 7 ANALYSIS (3:41 P.M. PT)

SA Race 7 The Rodeo Drive G1

• #3 Bodhicitta 5-2
• #2 Maxim Rate 4-1
• #6 Lady Prancelot 2-1
• #1 Tonahutu 5-1

Analysis: Bodhicitta tracked the early pace and finished gamely to win the Yellow Ribbon 'Cap (G2) at Del Mar. The runner up Tonahutu came back to beat Alw-2 optional claimers in her next outing on Sept. 5. The main question mark is whether she can handle the added ground here, this her first trip at 1 1/4 miles. Two back at nine furlongs, she made a good late run to finish in the runner up spot in the Gamely (G1) over the grass here. Prat sticks, and this gal just needs a little pace in front of her.

Maxim Rate tracked the early pace and finished gamely to win the CTT and TOC last out at Del Mar, going 1 3/8 miles. Rispoli sticks with our third choice, and Saez picks up the call on this filly. She won the Senorita (G3) over the turf here last year at a mile. She looks capable of moving forward off her previous effort and has shown Callaghan sharp since her last start.

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

• R2: #10 Eccoci Qua 8-1
• R2: #9 Tercero 10-1
• R3: #7 Jamsstar 8-1
• R4: #7 Traipsing 8-1
• R5: #4 Breadman 8-1
• R5: #7 Wicked Easy 8-1
• R6: #5 Candy Flower 10-1
• R6: #10 Kitten’s Romance 10-1

Good luck today!

VegasInsider Staff

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