At the Gate - Saturday
By Mike Dempsey
A field of eight will look to stamp their ticket to the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) on Saturday in the $500,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita, including the morning line favorite Hoppertunity.
His trainer Bob Baffert hinted this week that Hoppertunity might scratch, but Friday morning said, “He may be a work short for the race, but he went well this morning so we plan to run.”
The five-year-old is making his first start since his third place finish in the Dubai World Cup (G1) on March 26, a race won by California Chrome.
The main goal for Hoppertunity is probably the Pacific Classic (G1) in August at Del Mar, and if he is not fully cranked he sure looks like an underlay to me this afternoon.
I had a tough time coming up with a pick and went with Bal a Bali, who has won 13 of his 21 career starts but has not raced on dirt. That is an unconventional pick for me for a Grade 1 race, but he sure has worked sharply on the main track and he is in good hands with Richard Mandella.
The co-feature at Santa Anita on Saturday is the $300,000 Triple Bend at seven furlongs which could produce a few starters for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) later this fall at Santa Anita.
A field of eight will line up led by Kobe’s Back, the 5-2 morning line favorite for trainer Peter Eurton. The five-year-old was third in the Churchill Downs (G2) in his last outing on Derby Day.
He has run well over the Santa Anita main track, landing in the exacta in five of six trips, but catches a solid group that includes Kona Gold (G2) runner up Subtle Indian and Lord Nelson, who makes his second start off the shelf for Baffert.
Here is today’s opener from Belmont Park to get the day off to a good start:
BEL Race 1 Clm $12,500 (1:30 ET)
#6 Beautyinthepulpit 9-5
#2 Marriage Fever 2-1
#1 Best Play 7-2
#3 Fleet First 8-1
Analysis: Beautyinthepulpit stalked the early pace and finished evenly in a fourth place finish last out in the mud here for this tag. The winner Lure of the South came back to beat $12,500 foes again in his next start on June 3. The eight-year-old has won 4 of 9 over the main track here and has handled nine furlongs. The RRod barn has been on the slow side, hitting at just a 9% clip at the meeting and he was out 14 days suspended with his brother not have much success either as named trainer. Hate to take less than the 9-5 morning line in this spot.
Marriage Fever is coming off the turf where he made a mild late bid to finish third last out for a $16,000 tag at Monmouth Park. He was fifth here two back for a $20,000 tag on the main track. The blinkers, come off and Rosario takes the call for Adsit. The gelding had a productive '15 landing in the money in 7 of 13 starts but seems to have lost a step this year.
Wagering
WIN: #6 to win at 9-5 or better.
EX: 2,6 / 1,2,3,6
TRI: 2,6 / 1,2,3,6 / 1,2,3,5,6
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Belmont Park:
BEL Race 9 The Bed o' Roses Hcp G3 (5:45 ET)
#3 Bar of Gold 4-1
#2 Wavell Avenue 6-5
#1 By the Moon 6-1
#4 West Coast Chick 3-1
Analysis: Bar of Gold was a sharp winner against state breds last out in the Critical Eye over a muddy track here going a mile. Two back at this distance here she tracked the early pace and finished evenly in a third place finish in the Distaff 'Cap (G3). The winner of that race was Paulassilverlining, who won the Vagrancy 'Cap (G3) in her next start while the runner up Cavorting returned to win the Ogden Phipps (G1) in her next start. She is quick and should get a good tracking trip sitting just off the pace. Decent value if she goes off near her 4-1 morning line.
Wavell Avenue won last fall's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at 10-1, but has come up short in two starts this year. She was third in the Madison (G1) at Keeneland off a five-month layoff and last out was a disappointing fourth as the beaten favorite in the Humana Distaff (G1) on Derby Day at Churchill Downs. She has done some of her best running here, her career top Beyer (101) coming in a runner up finish to La Verdad in the Gallant Bloom (G2) last fall. A tough call at such a short price.
Wagering
WIN: #3 to win at 3-1 or better.
EX: 2,3 / 1,2,3
TRI: 2,3 / 1,2,3 / 1,2,3,4
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Santa Anita:
SA Race 9 The Gold Cup at Santa Anita G1 (5:30 PT)
#1 Bal a Bali 9-2
#7 Melatonin 7-2
#6 Hoppertunity 3-1
#3 Hard Aces 6-1
Analysis: Bal a Bali makes his first career start on dirt and this is not exactly an easy spot to do so. The six-year-old has won 13 of his 21 career starts, all on turf. He is a Group 1 winner on turf in Brazil but has won just 2 of 9 in the U.S. He was beaten just a neck two back in a third place finish in the San Francisco (G3) and regressed slightly in a fourth place finish in the Charlie Whittingham (G2) last out. The Richard Mandella barn is 26% winners moving runners form turf to dirt and he certainly has worked quickly over the surface. Prat rode Hoppertunity last out in the Dubai World Cup (G1) but was already committed to ride our top pick here. Looks as if we should catch a fair price.
Melatonin set the early fractions and battled on gamely in a runner up finish to Effinex last out in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2). The winner, who was second in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) came back to run a dud in the Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) at Churchill Downs on June 18, weakening to finish sixth. The David Hofmans trainee earned a career top speed fig two back winning the Santa Anita Handicap (G1), pulling of the upset at 16-1. It was 10 points higher than his previous Beyer which he earned three back beating Alw-2 foes. He is perfect in three starts over the main track, but nobody has come out of the Oaklawn Handicap to run that well and this guy may end up a light price. There is some pace in here to keep him honest as well.
Hoppertunity makes his first start since running third in the Dubai World Cup, beaten four lengths by California Chrome. He had snapped a nine race losing streak two back winning the San Antonio (G2) over the main track here. He has landed in the exacta in seven of his 10 trips here and comes back here off a three month break for the Baffert barn that is 25% winners with runners coming back off a 61-180-day layoff. He should get a good pace set up here but this race looks more like a prep for Del Mar.
Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 4-1 or better.
EX: 1,7 / 1,3,6,7
TRI: 1,7 / 1,3,6,7 / 1,2,3,6,7
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
R1: #3 Fleet First 8-1
R2: #5 Cotton Candy Cutie 10-1
R6: #6 Legendary Humor 12-1
R7: #6 Cody’s Notes 12-1
R10: #6 Cuckoo’s Saloon 8-1
Good luck today!
