Thursday’s Picks from Belmont Park

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

The 2021 Breeders’ Cup is now less than five months away and good news came out on Wednesday with Del Mar holding the event with 100% of seated capacity.

The Breeders’ Cup will be held over two days at Del Mar on Nov. 5 and 6 and the news is another indication that things are indeed starting to get back to normal.

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club earlier announced that the summer meeting would also be held with 100% seated capacity.

There were no fans at last year’s Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland. There also were no fans at Royal Ascot, and while the meeting which started on Tuesday is not at full capacity it is good to see fans back in their top hats and spiffy attire each morning this week.

I actually cashed a few tickets on Tuesday morning at Royal Ascot but gave my profits back on Wednesday morning wagering on the action. Turns out it is not as easy as it looks to hit an exacta in back-to-back 30 horse fields.

The home team has not fared well. Trainer Wesley Ward has come up short with a couple of heavily backed runners. Brendan Walsh did get an outstanding effort out of Extravagant Kid who finished third in the King’s Stand Stakes (G1) on opening day.

If you are up early this morning Ward has Nakatomi (5-1) and Lucci (3-1) in the Norfolk Stakes (G2), the first of seven races on the Royal Ascot card.

The highlight on Thursday is the Gold Cup Stakes (G1) at 2 ½ miles. The John Gosden trained Stradivarius is going to be the short priced favorite.

“America’s Day at the Races” is on FS2 today 3:00 to 8:30 ET with the action from Belmont Park and Churchill Downs. TVG is offering new players up to a $300 Risk Free wager.  In addition, AmWager is offering up to a $500 bonus for new horseplayers.

To purchase my Belmont Park Report 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 each Saturday and Sunday.

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

BELMONT PARK 1 ANALYSIS (3:05 P.M. ET)

Race 1 Md Sp Wt

• #3 Juggler 9-5
• #6 Coinage 1-1
• #2 Silver Samurai 7-2
• #1 Surprise Boss 8-1

Analysis: Juggler is one of two firsters here sent out by the Breen barn that is 17% winners (with a +ROI) with first time starters. The colt was a $115,000 Keeneland purchase, by Lord Nelson out of the G2 winner Alpha Kitten ($227,101) who has dropped three foals to race, all winners. Quick works on the morning tab and Rosario is up.

Coinage is the lone runner in this compact field with a race under his belt. The colt was sent off at 9-2 in his debut in a seven-horse field here on May 21. He tracked the early pace and made a mild late rally to finish third, beaten 1 1/4 lengths. The colt was a $450,000 Keeneland purchase, a son of Tapit out of the 2017 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) champ Bar of Gold ($1.55 million), this her first foal to race. She should move forwards with a race under her belt.

BELMONT PARK 8 ANALYSIS (6:45 P.M. ET)

Race 8 Alw $92,000N1X

• #7 Star Devine 5-2
• #6 Ice Princess 4-1
• #3 Stolen Holiday 7-2
• #9 Princess Fawzia 6-1

Analysis: Star Devine broke her maiden in her debut at Aqueduct going six furlongs and then came back with a good effort in the Soaring Softly (G3) at seven furlongs. She prompted the early pace and battled on in a fourth-place finish, beaten a length. She has enough pedigree to get the added ground. She is by Fastnet Rock out of a Galileo mare that has dropped one turf winner. She picks up Rosario for the Abreu barn that is 20% winners moving runners form sprint to route. She looks as if she still has plenty of upside.

Ice Princess is making her first career start on turf here for the Gargan barn that is on the light side moving runners from dirt to turf, hitting with just 1 of 15. This gal has landed in the exacta in 7 of her 10 starts including winning the state bred Maddie May and running second in the Comely (G3). She is by palace Malice out of a stakes placed Awesome Again mare that was 1 for 12 on turf and has dropped two other foals to race including one turf winner. Irad is back and has the call on this filly. She is coming off a pair of runner up finishes on the main track at Aqueduct against groups that looked a bit tougher. She was second to Make Mischief last out, that filly third in the Eight Belles (G2) and third in the Acorn (G1) in her next two outings.

LIVE LONGSHOTS

These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their Pick 4 and Pick 5 wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win wager.

Belmont Park

• R1: #1 Surprise Boss 8-1
• R4: #8 Full Court Press 10-1
• R5: #3 Alcools 12-1

Good luck today!

VegasInsider Staff

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