Sunday’s Picks from Belmont Park

We are now less than two weeks away from the Breeders’ Cup, and pre-entries are due on Monday. On Wednesday morning the pre-entries will be announced and we can get a head start on handicapping the 14 championship races.

I cheated and have printed out past performances for the horses that I know are headed to Del Mar, and while we have had some key defections it looks as if nearly all of the races will be excellent wagering races.

In the meantime we have a 10-race card at Belmont Park on Sunday to close out the week. The feature is the $100,000 Point of Entry for three-year-olds and upward going a marathon distance of 1 ½ miles on the turf.


Seven were entered and six will go led by the 7-5 morning line favorite Shamrocket and Tide of the Sea, who is the second choice on the morning line at 2-1.

I landed on the latter who is going to be a slightly better price and is coming off a sharp win at the distance in the Japan Turf Cup at Laurel Park in his last outing.

The Pick 5’s today are going to be tricky as we have several heavy chalks. The entry in the first is 3-5 and Miles D is at 1-5 in the fourth race in the early Pick 5. The Late Pick 5 includes 6-5 chalk Miss Peppina in the seventh and Shamrocket in the ninth.

“America’s Day at the Races” is on FS2 from 12:30 to 2:00 ET and then FS1 from 2:00 to 5:30 this afternoon 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.

To purchase my Belmont Park Report for Sunday click here.

Now is the perfect time to purchase my Monthly Package. It gives you a month of Belmont Park Reports daily, my Best Plays Report on weekends and my Breeders’ Cup Reports.

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

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

Race 1 Md $40,000

  • #5 Never Content 9-2
  • #1a Ballot Initiative / 1x Investment Income 3-5
  • #8 Salino 8-1
  • #3 Synonymous 12-1

Analysis: Never Content has the best shot of beating the imposing entry for the Brown barn. Our top pick was outrun last out on the main track in a race taken off the turf. Two back at Churchill Downs in May she tracked the early pace and weakened late in a fourth-place finish for a $75,000 tag. She ran into repeaters four and five back and now picks up Saez and is back on turf here for the Maker barn is back on track after a slump. She is out of a Dubawi mare that has dropped three other runners with a pair of turf winners.

Ballot Initiative came back off a three month break last out and made a mild late run to finish fourth. She was third two back behind repeat winner Flippant who won her next two starts including the Virginia Oaks. She drops in for a tag for the first time here. Entrymate Investment Income also is offered up for a tag for the first time. She was beaten just a nose in her debut at Monmouth Park, then was fourth at the Spa. Last out she was keen while under a hold with the blinkers added and after chasing the early pace weakened to finish fifth. The hood comes back off here.

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

Race 9 The Point of Entry

  • #1 Tide of the Sea 2-1
  • #2 Shamrocket 7-5
  • #6 Experienced 10-1
  • #5 Beacon Hill 7-2

Analysis: Tide of the Sea tracked the early pace, took over the lead and held on to win the Japan Turf Cup at Laurel Park last out at today's 1 1/2-mile distance. It was his third win in six starts at the trip. He set the early fractions and could not hold off Gufo four back in the Grand Couturier over the grass here, beaten a length. Gufo went on to win the Sword Dancer (G1) in his next start and was third in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) in his most recent start. There is not much early pace in here and Saez should be able to control things early. Maker has been in a funk here in NY but over the past week has won with 3 of 6 starters.

Shamrocket raced at the back of the pack early while saving ground and made a mild late run to finish third last out against Alw-2 optional claimers over good ground here at nine furlongs. He was beaten a neck by our top pick when third in the Grand Couturier four back. The Pletcher trainee is not going to see much pace in front of him here but it looks as if he can be a bit closer here in this compact field. A logical threat but the 7-5 morning line seems light.

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: #8 Salino 8-1
  • R3: #1 Dr Brownes Miracle 10-1
  • R4: #5 Adare 8-1
  • R6: #10 Western Advantage 8-1
  • R9: #6 Experienced 10-1
  • R10: #8 Distractandattack 8-1

Good luck today!