Friday’s Picks from Belmont Park

We warm up for the weekend with a really good card at Belmont Park on Friday with the feature the $100,000 Carle Place at seven furlongs on turf that drew a field of 12.

The Mark Casse trained Easy Time is the 4-1 morning line favorite. The colt is coming off a solid second in the Franklin Simpson (G2) at Kentucky Downs going 6 ½ furlongs. It was his first turf sprint of his career.

Crowded Trade (6-1) got the call. The Chad Brown trainee will be making his first career start on turf. This guy showed some real ability earlier this year with a nose loss in the Gotham (G3) followed by a third-place finish in the Wood Memorial (G2).


Things did not go well in the Preakness Stakes (G1) where he was fifth, He then was third in the Amsterdam (G2) behind Jackie’s Warrior, the likely favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1). He faced a tough group last out when a disappointing fifth against first level allowance foes.

We have a pair of stakes coming up tomorrow at Belmont Park—the $400,000 Hill Prince (G2) and the $200,000 Noble Damsel (G3).

The Hill Prince drew a field of 11 three-year-olds who will go 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf course. The Noble Damsel drew a group of 10 fillies and mares that will go a mile on the other turf.

“America’s Day at the Races” is on FS2 from 12:30 to 5:30 ET with the action from Belmont Park. 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.

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BELMONT PARK 1 ANALYSIS (12:35 P.M. ET)

Race 1 Md $20,000

  • #2 School of Thought 7-2
  • #5 Someday Maybe 5-2
  • #7 Balinese 3-1
  • #3 Malibu Anthem 9-2

Analysis: School of Thought returns off a 2 1/2-month break and takes another class drop here after a fourth last out against $50,000 foes at the Spa. The racing strip was kind to inside speed that day. The winner of that race was Airborne Gal who came back to beat $50,000 non-winners of two in her next outing on Oct. 15. She bounced back after getting eased two back here in a race in the slop in her second career outing. Brown is 27% winners (with a +ROI) with runners coming back off a 61–180-day break. She catches a pretty weak looking group here.

Someday Maybe was bumped coming out of the gate and never a threat in a well beaten fifth in her debut for the Mott barn, the filly sent off at 5-1 in a field of seven at the Spa. She takes a drop here in for $20,000 for a trainer that is 28% winners with runners dropping from maiden special to maiden claiming. A couple of good works on the morning tab since her debut. She figures to show more here facing an easier group.

BELMONT PARK 9 ANALYSIS (4:52 P.M. ET)

Race 9 The Carle Place

  • #1 Crowded Trade 6-1
  • #5 Easy Time 4-1
  • #8 Wolfie's Dynaghost 10-1
  • #3 Smokin' Jay 5-1

Analysis: Crowded Trade raced at the back of the pack early, came out five wide and was carried out even farther in upper stretch getting bumped by a foe in a non-threatening fifth versus Alw-1 company going 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track. The runner up and third place finisher were both next out winners while the winner Baby Yoda came back to run third in the Vosburgh (G2). The Brown trainee was beaten just a nose in his second career start in the Gotham (G3) then was third in the Wood (G2). He should take to turf. He is by More Than Ready out of a Jump Start mare that started three times on turf with a runner up finish. Brown is 17% winners moving runners from dirt to turf. He looks primed for a good effort in his third start of his current form cycle.

Easy Time came with a good late run to finish in the runner up spot in the Franklin Simpson (G2) at Kentucky Downs in his first career start in a turf sprint. He was fifth two back in the Hall of Fame (G2) going a mile at the Spa behind repeat winner Public Sector, who won the Saranac (G3) in his next outing on Sept. 4. Both of his wins have come on Tapeta but he has run well on turf and picks up Saez.

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

  • R2: #11 Tough Workout 8-1
  • R5: #4 Kenner 12-1
  • R6: #1 Sailingintothewind 8-1
  • R7: #5 Toosweettobesour 15-1
  • R9: #8 Wolfie’s Dynaghost 10-1

Good luck today!