Thursday’s Picks from Belmont Park

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

14 minute read

We kick off another week of action and Belmont Park has a late starting time today with a first post of 3:05 ET this afternoon, so go ahead and sleep in.

Entries are now out for Saturday’s big card at Churchill Downs which includes seven stakes, a pair that are Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” races.

The $600,000 Stephen Foster (G2) drew a field of nine. The winner stamps a free ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) this November at Del Mar.

The headliner in the Foster is the Brendan Walsh trained Maxfield. The colt has won six of his seven career starts and is coming off a victory in the Alysheba (G2) over the Churchill Downs main track on April 30.

Among his foes will be Ben Ali (G3) winner Silver Dust and the runner up and third place finishers in the Alysheba— Visitant and Chess Chief.

The $300,000 Fleur De Lis (G2) winner earns a fee-expenses paid trip to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1). Six will head to the post for the 1 1/8-mile test.

Letruska figures to be a short price. The Fausto Gutierrez trainee has won four of her last five starts and 14 of 19 in his career. She won the Ogden Phipps (G1) at Belmont Park in her last start on June 5.

There are a couple of good juvenile races on tap as well. The $150,000 Bashford Manor (G3) drew a field of 11 and the $150,000 Debutante for juvenile fillies drew a group of 10.

I will have most of the stakes in Saturday’s Best Plays Report along with my strongest plays from Belmont Park. The feature at Belmont Park on Saturday is the $250,000 Mother Goose (G2).

“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 Stakes Day 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 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)

 BEL Race 1 Md $40,000N2L

• #7 Ginger Kitty 4-1
• #5 Jades Gely 9-2
• #6 Appreciate 7-2
• #4 Quantitativbreezin 5-2

Analysis: Ginger Kitty makes her second start off the bench here for the Pugh barn. Off the layoff last out this gal was sent off at 12-1 in a field of 12 and she tracked the early pace and hung around until late in a fourth-place finish, beaten just a length for the top spot. She broke her maiden on the main track back in '19 but did run second going long at Gulfstream Park against Alw-1 optional claimers back in January of 2010 in her third career start. She is out of an English Channel mare that has dropped one other runner, a turf winner. This looks like a soft spot, and I am hoping she gets overlooked on the tote.

Jades Gelly was 12th and eighth in her two starts after a layoff, a couple of dismal efforts while in the Ward barn. She was beaten just a neck at Kentucky Downs last year versus Alw-1 optional claimers and was a good third here against $50,000 starter allowance company. Her price is going to end up decent here after being the chalk last out and willing to give her another look here for Broberg.

BELMONT PARK 6 ANALYSIS (5:43 P.M. ET)

BEL Race 6 Md $40,000

• #10 Write This Down 4-1
• #13 Bella Principessa 3-1
• #7 Kaz's Princess 7-1
• #8 Constitutionalrage 7-2

Analysis: Write This Down drops in for a tag and cuts back to seven furlongs for her third career start. She checked in third in the slop in her debut in a race washed off the turf, sent off at 11-1. Last out on turf on the stretch out she chased the early pace and weakened to finish sixth. She adds lasix to the mix here while picking up Rosario. The Weaver barn is 29% winners (with a +ROI) moving runners from route to sprint. This gal is out of a Distorted Humor mare that has dropped two other foals to race, both winners including one turf winner.

Bella Principessa needs a scratch to get in off the AE list. Last out at this distance the RRod trainee was a game second, beaten a half-length while 11 1/2 lengths clear of the rest of the field at 6-5. She was beaten 3/4 of a length two back in her first start on turf going 1 1/16 miles. She gets a jock upgrade to Irad and looks really tough if she is able to draw into the race. She was a $110,000 purchase the first foal to race out of a Borrego mare.

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

• R4: #8 Stay Home Mama 12-1
• R4: #6 Magicallydelicious 10-1
• R9: #10 The Promised Road 10-1
• R9: #9 Mazal Eighteen 8-1

Good luck today!

VegasInsider Staff

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