I have a new blog post up over at BelmontStakes.com regarding what a fabulous day of racing we have in store this Saturday; here, back at the ranch, I’m providing a slightly more detailed version of how I’ll be throwing away investing my money at Big Sandy.
First up, the True North Handicap:
| PP | Horse | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Benny The Bull | Richard Dutrow Jr. | Edgar Prado |
| 2 | Silver Edition | D. Wayne Lukas | Julien Leparoux |
| 3 | Two Step Salsa | Saeed bin Suroor | Garrett Gomez |
| 4 | Sixthirteen | Michael Hushion | Eibar Coa |
| 5 | Desert Key | James Jerkens | John Velazquez |
| 6 | Fabulous Strike | Todd Beattie | Ramon Dominguez |
I’m not entirely convinced we’re going to see the same Benny The Bull we did last year; he hasn’t raced in something like 11 months, he had a bone chip removed and got un-retired ‘when the deal fell through for him to be a stallion’ according to gentleman and trainer Rick Dutrow. I am actually glad to see him return, but I think this will be the day for either be Fabulous Strike or Two Step Salsa.
The Just A Game Stakes
| PP | Horse | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Carribean Sunset (IRE) | Christophe Clement | Ramon Dominguez |
| 2 | Raw Silk | Tom Albertrani | Paco Lopez |
| 3 | Captain’s Lover (SAF) | Todd Pletcher | Garrett Gomez |
| 4 | I Lost My Choo | Phil Serpe | Jose Lezcano |
| 5 | Forever Together | Jonathan Sheppard | Julien Leparoux |
| 6 | Modern Look (GB) | Bobby Frankel | Garrett Gomez |
| 7 | Diamondrella (GB) | Angel Penna Jr. | Rajiv Maragh |
| 8 | My Princess Jess | Barclay Tagg | Cornelio Velasquez |
Forever Together does indeed look tough here; it is a big step up in class for I Lost My Choo, but she seems to thrive on the New York circuit. I also feel I should not overlook Modern Look, since each time I ignore a Frankel-trained filly on turf, they come out to win. She’s a winner in France and I like her sire, Zamindar, so I may make a small wager.
The Woody Stephens Stakes
| PP | Horse | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | This Ones for Phil | Richard Dutrow Jr. | Garrett Gomez |
| 2 | Gone Astray | Shug McGaughey | Edgar Prado |
| 3 | Munnings | Todd Pletcher | John Velazquez |
| 4 | Regal Ransom | Saeed bin Suroor | Alan Garcia |
| 5 | Triumphant Flight | Eric Kruljac | Kent Desormeaux |
| 6 | Hello Broadway | Barclay Tagg | Ramon Dominguez |
| 7 | Kensei | Steve Asmussen | Robby Albarado |
| 8 | Everyday Heroes | Tim Ritchey | Jose Carabello |
| 9 | Hull | Dale Romans | Miguel Mena |
In theory, this race should help determine where ‘everyone else’ fits in the 3-year-old picture; this is a good thing, since I am thoroughly confused by Hello Broadway. Is he a sprinter? Just temperamental? The blinkers are off this time, so we’ll see if it makes a difference. This Ones for Phil seems ideally-suited for this race, but I am looking forward to seeing how Regal Ransom and Hull run here.
The Acorn Stakes
| PP | Horse | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Casanova Move | James Jerkins | Jose Lezcano |
| 2 | Gabby’s Golden Gal | Bob Baffert | Javier Castellano |
| 3 | Be Fair | D. Wayne Lukas | Miguel Mena |
| 4 | Funny Moon | Christophe Clement | Alan Garcia |
| 5 | Doremifasollatido | James Jerkins | Eibar Coa |
| 6 | Livin Lovin | Steve Klesaris | Ramon Dominguez |
| 7 | Dream Play | Kiaran McLaughlin | Richard Migliore |
| 8 | Justwhistledixie | Kiaran McLaughlin | Julien Leparoux |
| 9 | Four Gifts | Steve Asmussen | Robby Albarado |
On paper, it’s hard to see anyone beating Justwhistledixie; however, I do find Funny Moon (with Alan Garcia up) and Doremifasollatido of interest. It may just end up a $10 trifecta, but it will be interesting to see if everyone else’s odds drift up.
The Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap
| PP | Horse | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Marsh Side | Neil Drysdale | Javier Castellano |
| 2 | Court Vision | Bill Mott | Ramon Dominguez |
| 3 | Premium Gold | John Kimmel | Edgar Prado |
| 4 | Gio Ponti | Christophe Clement | Garrett Gomez |
| 5 | Champs Elysees (GB) | Bobby Frankel | Julien Leparoux |
| 6 | Optimer (ARG) | Sydney Dutrow | R R Rodriguez |
| 7 | Wesley | Mark Hennig | Kent Desormeaux |
| 8 | Senior | J W Delozier, III | Mike Luzzi |
| 9 | Better Talk Now | H. Graham Motion | Jeremy Rose |
| 10 | Cosmonaut | Phil Serpe | Jose Lezcano |
| 11 | Interpatation | Robert Barbara | Rajiv Maragh |
| 12 | Lauro (GER) | Andreas Wohler | A Starke |
| 13 | Cowboy Cal | Todd Pletcher | John Velazquez |
| 14 | Zambezi Sun (GB) | Bobby Frankel | Julien Leparoux |
I always love this race, and it’s got a great, deep field this year. I had a little luck with Wesley, who was third in the Dixie on Preakness day, so I will try to fit him in again; it’s going to be tough, though, with Court Vision, Gio Ponti and Cowboy Cal. While none of them have been in top form of late, Cosmonaut, Champs Elysees and Better Talk Now are all worth watching and I still have no idea what’s going on with Zambezi Sun – has he figured out US racing yet (and which horse is Julien Leparoux actually riding)? This is a tough one to figure out, but at the moment I’m leaning toward Court Vision, Wesley and Gio Ponti.
Check back tomorrow for my thoughts on the Belmont field itself…
Ahoy SuperfectaBlog !
I hope you factored in the soggy turf that will be likely, since Friday is supposed to be a deluge day in the metro area.
Both the Just A Game and The Manhattan will figure to be run on a course with a lot of "give" to it,no matter what the track superintendent will label it on the tote.
I'm looking forward to Benny The Bull's return but I think the highlight of the day will be The Woody Stephens and if the track is drying out at that time, expect some blazing splits before it's over.
Lastly, I'll be conducting a contest on three (3) undercard stakes at my blog. Please do check it out and enjoy the day.
Based on this weather report below for Elmont, NY…can anyone help me predict the track surface for tomorrows Belmont and undercards?? Lol I know tall order :0)
Today: Periods of rain. High 59F. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph. Rainfall may reach one inch.
Tonight: Cloudy with occasional rain…mainly this evening. Low around 55F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a half an inch.
Tomorrow: Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon. Warmer. High 77F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
Today=Friday & Tomorrow=Saturday Belmont day…
A lot depends on when the precipitation will stop, Christy.
And how quickly in the morning the sun breaks through. The slight winds 5 MPH will help, but I'd say the track will be labeled "good".
Even if it's labeled "Fast", we know that is just one person's opinion: The track superintendent.
He'll be trying to justify his crew's hard work. That tactic is pretty common at various racetracks on big stakes days.
The same will hold true for the turf courses.
If it says: "yielding" or "good", it's probably more like "slow and soggy" and the fractions will bear it out.
FYI the Friday AM workouts as reported by Equibase took place under "muddy" condtions.
Enjoy the day.
WOW!! Thank you so much for explaining all that :0) I can say I had no idea the track supers did that sort of thing!
Yikes…I'm a Dunkirk fan but after the Derby (and the awful trip f/ the start on) it's clear he does not like the slop. Hmmmm…can't we just have one darn leg of the Triple Crown run w/o rain? ;0)
Thank you again!!!!