At the Gate - Friday
By Mike Dempsey
It was a bit of a chalky day on Thursday at Belmont Park, with eight of the nine winners paying $9.80 or less, but we still managed to hit four winners on top and five recommended exactas.
The exactas paid $7.90, $48.20, $15.40, $19.60 and $20.20.
The one bomb on the day was a doozy, Undercutter returning $131.20 in the fourth race, and he helped the early Pick 5 to return $11,198 for $2 despite the other four winners in the sequence paying just $3.40, $8.40, $9.80 and $4.40.
Undercutter was making his second career start and first on turf for trainer Robert Barbara. The colt ran sixth in his debut at 10-1 on the inner track at Aqueduct back in March.
The $120,000 purchase is by Grand Slam out of a Crypto Star mare that has three other foals to race with just one dirt winner. The colt went gate to wire under jockey Angel Arroyo.
Don’t forget we have another late post time today at Belmont Park, the first race set to go off at 3:05 ET. There is a $27,322 Pick 6 carryover.
The feature on Saturday at Belmont Park is the $15,000 Bed o’ Roses Handicap (G3) for fillies and mares. The headliner is Wavell Avenue last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) winner.
The Chad Brown trainee has made two starts since her upset win at 10-1 last fall at Keeneland. She was third in the Madison (G1) at Keeneland on April 9 and then was fourth as the beaten favorite in the Humana Distaff (G1) at Churchill Downs on Derby Day.
She is the 6-5 morning line favorite for the Bed o’ Roses, which drew a field of six. Her main foes figure to be Critical Eye winner Bar of Gold (4-1) and West Coast Chick (3-1) who was second in the Vagrancy Handicap (G3) in her last outing.
Also on Saturday we will head out to Santa Anita for the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1), a Win and You’re In race for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
Here is today’s opener from Belmont Park to get the day off to a good start:
BEL Race 1 Md $30,000 (3:05 ET)
#4 Wheres Willy 5-1
#6 Shoot From the Hip 4-1
#1 River Date 2-1
#7 Vilma 7-2
Analysis: Wheres Willy tracked the early pace and finished evenly in a fourth place finish last out for a $40,000 tag in his first start off the claim by the Pino barn. He was claimed two back out of a good effort in a runner up finish for $25,000 at the Big A. He owns a solid pace profile throughout and looks capable of handling the stretch out to a mile. The barn is 22% winners moving runners form sprint to route.
Shoot From the Hip chased the early pace, took over the lead and could not go with the winner late in a runner up finish in his first go for a tag. He was making his first start off a 4 1/2 month break. The gelding figures to be tighter second off the shelf and this guy has some early zip.
Wagering
WIN: #4 to win at 3-1 or better.
EX: 4,6 / 1,4,6,7
TRI: 4,6 / 1,4,6,7 / 1,2,4,6,7
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Belmont Park:
BEL Race 7 Alw $77,000N1X (6:17 ET)
#7 You Lie 8-1
#2 Justoneofakind 3-1
#1 Skipalute 3-1
#6 Anna Rae 5-1
Analysis: You Lie was jammed in for a $16,000 tag last out by the Albertrani barn and the mare was a sharp winner. She was claimed out of the race by the Englehart barn that is 22% winners first off the claim. She earned numbers last year good enough to win at this level and this is not a real tough looking group of Alw-1 foes she faces here. She was third at this level here last September with the runner up Mayla a next out Alw-1 winner. Decent value if she goes off near his 8-1 morning line.
Justoneofakind makes her first start since last October for the Rice barn that is 16% winners with runners coming back off a +180-day layoff and has been very live at the meeting here. hitting at a 27% clip overall. The mare came out on the wrong end of photos in two of her last three starts before hitting the bench. A light work tab but decent enough drills hint she could come back running.
Wagering
WIN: #7 to win at 5-1 or better.
EX: 2,7 / 1,2,6,7
TRI: 2,7 / 1,2,6,7 / 1,2,4,6,7
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
R2: #9 Miss Swisher 10-1
R3: #1 Banner Bill / 1a Lideris 10-1
R4: #3 Proud Zip 12-1
R4: #9 Archie 12-1
R6: #6 Bankers Holiday 12-1
R7: #7 You Lie 8-1
R8: #3 Shiawassee 10-1
Good luck today!
