STARS AND STRIPES DAY PICKS AND PANS
Belmont Park will feature five graded stakes races on July 8 with three of them being for three-year olds. The Dwyer will be run on dirt while the Belmont Oaks (fillies) and Belmont Derby are on the grass. Here are a few thoughts on what should be a great day of racing as we salute Old Glory.
RACE 6 GRADE 3 DWYER 1 MILE ON DIRT
The top two conditioners in the Gotham state will feature the top two runners here. Todd Pletcher sends out Battalion Runner and Chad Brown saddles Practical Joke. Neither will yield a nice payout but I like Practical Joke as he is more battle tested.
RACE 7 GRADE 2 BELMONT SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIPS 7 FURLONGS ON DIRT
Mind Your Biscuits has been in my top 10 NTRA poll all year and he is quality, but this one will not come easy. Awesome Slew has a tremendous closing kick too and John Velazquez will be in the irons for this one. Pletcher sends out Tommy Macho and he likes Big Sandy while Jimmy Jerkens has the speedy Unified to contend with. Take the Biscuits to win but put the others in a superfecta box.
RACE 8 GRADE 1 BELMONT OAKS 1 ¼ MILES ON TURF
Chad Brown has done a nice job with New Money Honey for sure. She won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2016 and seems to be getting better. This is a very tough race but she is the selection here. A pair of across the board girls to look at are West coast invader Beau Recall (15-1 morning line) and Kentucky Oaks runner up Daddys Lil Darling (10-1)
RACE 9 GRADE 2 SUBURBAN 1 ¼ MILES ON DIRT
Shaman Ghost is at 4 to 5 on the morning line and will likely get bet down even further. Nice horse for sure, but we gonna look elsewhere here for an upset special. Keen Ice might be the one. Todd Pletcher trained, he has run pretty good of late against top company, just hasn’t won. Follow Me Crev is a West coast product that has been right there too. If you just want to cash a ticket the Ghost might be your play, but I am saying Ice-Ice baby!
RACE 10 GRADE 1 BELMONT DERBY 1 ¼ MILES ON TURF
International flavor is featured here as three runners have come from across the pond and Bill Mott saddles a Japanese bred (Yoshida). But hey, it is Stars and Stripes day so we like some Americans . Oscar Performance is the morning line favorite and is the selection. Arklow fits in good here for up and coming trainer Brad Cox with big money Mike Smith in the irons. At 8-1 on the morning line, Arklow across the board.
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