At the Gate - Sunday
By Mike Dempsey
Sure, it is the first Sunday of the NFL season, but everyone is going to need some betting action during those long TV time outs and at halftime and there is plenty of good horse betting action this afternoon.
Belmont Park’s 10-race card features a couple of stakes, and they drew short fields and will both be part of the early Pick 5.
The $100,000 Sky Beauty drew a field of five fillies and mares led by Katie’s Garden, who is coming off a sharp win against second level optional claimers. She makes her stakes debut for the John Shirreffs barn and is the 7-5 morning line favorite. The race geos off as the third today.
The following race is the $100,000 Real Courage going seven furlongs on the turf. The race drew eight but two are main-track-only entrants so we are going to see six go to the post.
Za Approval gets some needed class relief and is the 9-5 morning line favorite. The gelding has lost five in a row and appears to have lost a step. He landed in the exacta in seven of his eight starts last year including a game second in the Breeders’ Cup Mile behind Horse of the Year Wise Dan.
The early Pick 5 looks very hittable and it looks like we can beat several of the favorites in the late Pick 4.
Here is today’s opening race from Belmont Park to get the day off to a good start:
BEL Race 1 Clm $12,500 (1:05 ET)
6 Allie Sweet 7-2
1 Rettalfa 2-1
4 Inaflash 6-1
2 Golden Rule 5-1
Analysis: Allie Sweet set the early fractions and weakened to finish a well beaten fifth last out for a $25,000 tag in the mud trying to go nine furlongs. The filly was claimed out of the race by the Balsamo barn that is 25% winners first off the claim. She jams her in here for a $12,500 tag while cutting her back to six furlongs. Her last win came going a one-turn mile at Laurel Park back in February against $35,000 starter allowance foes. She has enough early speed she should be able to handle the cut back. The barn is 3 for 10 (with a +ROI) moving runners from route to sprint.
Rettalfa was squeezed back coming out of the gate, stalked the early pace and finished up well for the runner up spot last out for a $16,000 tag. Two back she won over the surface here, beating $14,000 non-winners of three. She owns a solid pace profile throughout and gets a jock upgrade from the chilly bug Rice to Lezcano. She fits with her best and except for her sixth place finish here three back she usually is right in the mix.
Wagering
WIN: #6 to win at 5-2 or better.
EX: 1,6 / 1,2,4,6
TRI: 1,6 / 1,2,4,6 / 1,2,4,5,6
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Belmont Park:
BEL Race 8 Md Sp Wt (4:45 ET)
8 Profess 6-1
3 Fila Primera 5-2
2 Written in Stars 5-1
1 Birkenhead 8-1
Analysis: Profess was outrun in her debut but caught a sloppy track at Monmouth Park and Mott usually does not have them fully cranked first time out anyway. Now the filly tries turf here and this gal has the pedigree to handle the surface switch. She is by war Front out of the stakes winner Preach ($304,656) who has dropped 10 winners including five turf winners as well as dirt stakes winner Pulpit ($728,200). Expecting to see a much better effort out of this filly here.
Fila Primera is a $250,000 purchase making her debut for the Chad Brown barn that is 22% winners (with a +ROI) with first timers. The trainer won with 5 of 13 debut runners on turf at the Spa meeting. The filly is by war Front out of a Smart Strike mare, her first foal to race. Decent works and she debuts with lasix. Tough to toss anything this barn has been sending out recently.
Wagering
WIN: #8 to win at 9-2 or better.
EX: 3,8 / 1,2,3,8
TRI: 3,8 / 1,2,3,8 / 1,2,3,8,10
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Monmouth Park:
MTH Race 8 Hcp $16,000s (4:28 ET)
3 Dancing Lounge 5-2
9 Skiffs Brewmeister 5-1
7 Grand Rapport 2-1
5 Oklahoma Den 6-1
Analysis: Dancing Lounge stalked the early pace and finished up well for the runner up spot last out against similar at Philly last out going 1 1/8 miles. The winner of the race was Saylers Creek, who came back to beat $25,000 starter allowance foes at the Spa in his next outing on Aug. 27. The fourth place finisher Turbin also won next out, beating Alw-2 optional claimers at Penn National. Our top pick won his three previous starts and eight of 21 on the turf overall inn his career. Nine furlongs seems to be his best distance but he looks capable of handling this group.
Skiffs Brewmeister made a good late run to get up and beat $16,000 starter handicap foes her least out in his second start off the claim by the O'Connell barn. The gelding looks headed in the right direction for the new barn and while he did not fire in his lone go at today's distance he looks sharp enough to handle the extra round here.
Wagering
WIN: #3 to win at 2-1 or better.
EX: 3,9 / 3,5,7,9
TRI: 3,9 / 3,5,7,9 / 3,5,7,8,9
Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.
Belmont Park
R3: #1 Tahoe Tigress 8-1
R4: #7 West Hills Giant 15-1
R5: #1 Pulling G’s 8-1
R6: #8 Happily Ever 10-1
R7: #3 Archer Hill 8-1
R7: #11 Hooked Forever 15-1
R8: #1 Birkenhead 8-1
R10: #9 Splendid Gold 8-1
Good luck today!
