Friday’s Picks from Belmont Park

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

We have a really good card on tap at Belmont Park on Friday with the Late Pick 5 looking attractive. My top pick is not the morning line favorite in any of the five races of the sequence and we have some decent sized fields this afternoon.

It is more of the same on Saturday as both of the stakes have attracted large fields. The seventh race tomorrow is the $150,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series Cupecoy’s Joy which drew a field of 11 state bred three-year-old fillies that will go seven furlongs on turf.

Ava’s Grace is the 5-2 morning line favorite for trainer Robertino Diodoro. The filly was the runner up in the Fantasy (G3) at Oaklawn Park in her last outing. She has not been on turf in her four race career and also has not faced state breds.

The co-feature is the ninth race, the $150,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series Spectacular Bid for eligible New York-sired three-year-olds going seven furlongs on grass. The race drew 13 along with two also-eligibles. The weather looks good for Saturday.

The Barclay Tagg trained Step Dancer is the 3-1 morning line favorite. She will have to overcome the 13 post and is coming off a third-place finish against state bred Alw-2 optional claimers where she was beaten just a neck and a nose.

My Best Plays Report for tomorrow will include my strongest plays including the stakes from Belmont Park as well as my best plays from either Churchill Downs or Santa Anita. I am leaning toward Santa Anita where there are four stakes including the $100,000 San Juan Capistrano (G3) as well as a few attractive looking maiden races.

“America’s Day at the Races” is on FS2 today 12:30 to 5:30 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 Friday 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 (1:00 P.M. ET)

Race 1 Clm $16,000N2L

• #7 Wild Union 8-5
• #4 Paint Music for Me 4-1
• #5 Lokoya Road 7-5
• #2 Tapit's Flashback 8-1

Analysis: Wild Union stretches back out to a route after making a good late rally to finish in the runner up spot last out against $25,000 non-winners of two. Miller claimed this guy for $40,000 and is 0 for 3 with him and now jams him in here for $16,000. He broke his maiden going a one turn mile for a $75,000 tag last June. The stretch out should suit and Castellano sticks for Miller who is looking to get off the duck starting off the meeting going 0 for 9 with three seconds.

Paint Music for Me stalked the early pace and finished evenly last out in a fourth-place finish versus $25,000 starter optional claimers at Philly last out at 6-5. The gelding broke his maiden two back for a $20,000 tag at Aqueduct going a mile in his eighth career start. He did not see much pace last out as the top three early were still there late and it does look as if he is going to be sitting off a brisker pace in this spot. This is just his third start since last December and he looks capable of moving forward off his last effort.

BELMONT PARK 7 ANALYSIS (4:08 P.M. ET)

Race 7 Alw $80,000N1X

• #3 Princess Corey 4-1
• #1 Trinni Luck 6-1
• #8 Laura's Bellamy 9-5
• #5 Jamaica Joy 7-2

Analysis: Princess Corey caught a muddy track last out at Pimlico against $32,000 starter optional claimers. The filly tracked the early pace and finished gamely to miss by just a neck in a game effort. She had won at that level two back at Laurel Park and was claimed out of the race by the Magee barn. She broke her maiden at six furlongs for a $40,000 tag and sure looks as if she will benefit from the extra ground here and the return to face state breds. She owns a solid pace profile throughout and Cedeno makes the trip in to ride for a sharp barn.

Trinni Luck makes her second start off the bench here for the RRod barn. She broke her maiden in her debut in the slop at Gulfstream Park last July against $50,000 foes. She was sent off at 7-2 in her return at this level, raced toward the back of the pack and was not a threat late in a sixth-place finish. Blinkers are added here for RRod who is 15% winners with runners making their second start off a +180-day layoff. Franco sticks and she should be fitter second off the bench as she makes just her third career start.

LIVE LONGSHOTS

Belmont Park

• R1: #2 Tapit’s Flashback 8-1
• R2: #2 The Club 8-1
• R5: #1 America’s Justice 8-1
• R6: #12 Ruse 8-1
• R9: #2 Montatham 12-1

Good luck today!

VegasInsider Staff

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