Belmont Stakes « THE ASPIRING HORSEPLAYER

Belmont Selections

10 06 2011

Race 6: Grade 1 TVG Acorn

I Want My TVG

The TVG Acorn was placed at the front of the Pick 6 sequence, and this would appear to be at least partially due to the presence of #2 Turbulent Descent. The daughter of Congrats is 5 for 6 lifetime, losing only to Zazu last February (whom she promptly returned to defeat next out). She won’t offer much value at 3/5, but she looks like a worthy favorite and would figure to be very tough to defeat in this race. She’ll be a single on many Pick 6 tickets and for good reason. Fellow handicapper Derek Simon has made a few counterpoints regarding the Acorn that are worth checking out, so for those of us singling on the heavy chalk we may find ourselves in Dire Straits attempting to get our money from nothing and our bets for free.

#4 It’s Tricky could be an interesting choice, assuming you are comfortable drawing a line through that last effort in the Gulfstream Oaks. I think she may be a better horse than either #1 Her Smile or #3 Savvy Supreme, even if the latter can control things from the front end. All of this sets up what appears to be a very chalky opening to the stakes exotics for the day, so why not spice things up a bit by adding in the longshot of the field underneath at 10/1? #5 Victoria’s Wildcat is only a neck away from reeling off 4 straight wins since switching to the dirt, and has progressed through the Grade 3 ranks in the process. She’s improving, has worked well, and at 10/1 I think she’s worth a shot in the underneath slots.

Exacta: 2/4,5

Trifecta: 2/4,5/3,4,5

Race 7: Grade 2 True North Handicap

If (like me) you consider chestnuts to be the most striking of thoroughbreds, the Grade 2 True North is the race for you with 6 of 8 horses sporting the dapper reddish-brown hue. The formidable coupled entry of Anthony Dutrow runners breaking from the inside and outside (chestnuts both) have earned slight morning line favoritism at 2/1 and would appear to be logical horses you’d have to cover on the exotics. #1 D’funnybone is best going another furlong, and #1A This Ones For Phil, while very fast, is lightly raced in the last year and a half. I don’t think they can be considered slam dunks and I’ll make an attempt to beat them in my exacta/trifecta plays.

#3 Trappe Shot (also a chestnut) for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin is my top choice here. The son of Tapit was 2nd in the G1 Haskell last summer while routing, and has been dangerous on this track and at the distance. I still think he could have a future going 2 turns as well, but for now the connections seem content on sprinting. I’ll also take a chance with multiple G3 winner #5 Calibrachoa (not a chestnut) on top in search of slightly greater value. He’s won four straight before the recent break but will have to bring his best to win this. #2 Wildcat Brief (another chestnut) could round things out rolling late for and underneath placement.

Exacta: 3,5/1,3,5

Trifecta: 3,5/1,3,5/1,2,3,5

Race 7: Grade 2 Woody Stephens

There is no Woody Stephens, only Zuul!!!

Looking over the Woody Stephens field, I couldn’t help but remember the line in Ghostbusters just before the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man lumbered his way on screen. ”The traveller has been chosen!” That would seem to be a fitting euphemism for this year’s race, given the names of two logical win candidates in this field. Unfortunately, they are the top choices on the morning line.

#1 Travellin Man cuts back to the 7 furlong distance that he prevailed at in the G2 Swale. Of particular interest for this race is his propensity to finish ahead of #6 Little Drama in two of his recent starts (though also note he was defeated by #7 J J’s Lucky Train last out).

James Jerkens will send out #5 Arch Traveller, who made a significant speed figure improvement in his last start over the Belmont dirt. Bounce players may be looking for a regression, but the son of Sky Mesa has won his last three races that did not include the likes of Dialed In or Shackleford. We’ll go ahead and make him top selection for now, but will keep a close eye on the tote board to see which travel-themed entry gives us the best value.

As for #6 Little Drama, like the name implies he is capable of making things interesting, but he seems more likely to settle for an underneath placement. A horse that might be being overlooked here is the outside runner #7 J J’s Lucky Train. As previously noted , he’s finished ahead of the favorite in the last effort, and has also beaten another of today’s rivals, #2 Justin Phillip (who is still seeking his first stakes victory). I’ll be adding this one to my exotics and hoping for a possible price.

Exacta: 1,5/1,5,6,7

Trifecta: 1,5/1,5,7/1,5,6,7

Pick 4 (Races 8 through 11): 1,5,7/1,2,5/4,7 /1,5,6,9,12

Race 9: Grade 1 Just A Game

Outside of the contentious feature race of the day, the Just A Game may be the best betting race of the sequence. It’s certainly among the most difficult to decipher. Many times handicappers will search for a key race to serve as a barometer when measuring closely ranked contenders. While we don’t have that here, we do have what might be considered a key horse, as 6 of the 9 runners show a recent tilt against Never Retreat, with varying degrees of success.

Morning line favoritism has been awarded to #2 Aviate, who skipped over the Churchill surface on Derby day to win her first U.S. race (losing her U.S. debut to, you guessed it, Never Retreat). The Churchill turf was listed as firm that day, but I think there was a little give in the ground and this daughter of Dansili would likely enjoy a little moisture if the heavens decide to open up. She has trained over the Belmont turf within the last week and certainly is a serious contender you have to respect in the exotics, but as far as single race wagers go this race looks competitive enough to try and beat her at a price.

#1 Gypsy’s Warning heads out for trainer Graham Motion after a very disappointing 7th place finish in the G2 Jenny Wiley in mid-April. Perhaps she just wasn’t fond of the Keeneland grass? If you draw a line through that race, she’s a Grade 1 winner at the mile distance, although that was out at Hollywood. A win for Graham Motion here would be totally mag (gypsy for magnificent), and 5/1 is a fair price in my opinion. The rest of the field has taken turns beating each other and competing with Never Retreat, making them very difficult to separate beyond these top two.

I thought #5 Strike The Bell was a little interesting here at 12/1 with the always dangerous Ramon Dominguez aboard. The daughter of Mizzen Mast seems to run her best at the mile distance and seems to do okay on the Belmont turf. #6 Fantasia and #4 C.S. Silk are also logical contenders at decent odds. #3 Amen Hallelujah is a near lock to hit the board, but I can’t play to her win as she hasn’t prevailed since last February.

Exacta: 1,2,5 (box)

Trifecta: 1/2,3,5/2,3,4,5,6,7

Race 10: Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap

There’s a decidedly royal theme when looking over the field for the The Manhattan – which is fitting for a race marking the return of the U.S. turf king #4 Gio Ponti. Gio will have to overcome the much ballyhooed Dubai bounce to prevail, but the 6/5 morning line favorite has been stateside for a while now showing 4 local works over the Belmont turf. He’s thrived here before, winning 5 races and finishing in the exacta in all 8 attempts. Just keep in mind that stranger things have happened as Gio lost this race last year to stablemate Winchester in a similar setup (prompting yours truly to declare Winchester “a repeater”).

To be fair, the rest of the field doesn’t look particularly difficult to overcome. We don’t have a contender coming in with form quite like Winchester did last year, but you may want to think about adding in #7 Prince Will I Am as a logical contender for top honors. The son of Victory Gallop has quietly had a decent 2011 campaign with a victory at the G2 level and a respectable 5th in the G1 Turf Classic.

The other contenders that appear to have an outside chance include #6 Viscount Nelson, who would be more attractive to me if he hadn’t raced in Ireland as recently as 6/3, and #3 Windward Islands who appears to be a logical horse to use underneath in the exotics and could be a Falklands style thorn in the side of the other royals. Lastly, for the feel-good story of the year, I’ll try to find a way to use #2 Bold Hawk on the bottom of my tickets.

Exacta: 4,7/3,4,6,7

Trifecta: 4/3,6,7/2,3,5,6,7

Race 11: G1 Belmont Stakes

And down the stretch we come. Every year it seems the end of the Triple Crown season gets here faster than before. What a season it’s been for bettors as well. Animal Kingdom and Shackleford lighting up the tote board in the Derby and Preakness? Favorites failing in both legs so far? One would expect that trend may continue here in the final 2 furlongs of the Belmont – a race which has not been particularly kind to Derby and/or Preakness winners in recent history. That said, I do believe that #9 Animal Kingdom and #12 Shackleford have established themselves as the cream of the crop thus far. Animal Kingdom in particular should get the Belmont distance without any trouble, but he’s going to need to be a bit closer up than he was in the Preakness as the Belmont does not traditionally setup well for a late closer. Somewhere around midpack would be ideal, I would think.

Shack-attack drew fairly poorly to the outside, which means he may have to run a step or two quicker towards the first turn than they’d prefer. His best chance would be to get clear and then try to slow things down, I would think. As for the “world’s biggest Shackleford fan” here at home with me (my wife)? She thinks he doesn’t have a good chance to win here due to the distance, and I’d tend to agree with her. I’m still going to cover him in the exotics, but I’m definitely leaning elsewhere with my top selections. As for the Animal? Big chance – but the odds are too low to get excited about.

Looking elsewhere in the field, I thought #1 Master of Hounds was a logical horse to consider adding in at a square price of 10/1 on the morning line. He finished respectably in the Derby (5th) and like the favorite should be able to handle the distance without too much difficulty. I haven’t heard much about him this week though, and coupled with Animal Kingdom would make my selections a tad closer-heavy for the moment.

#6 Nehro is a fairly obvious contender to include on my plays. To be honest, I’d probably make the fiddling emperor top choice if not for slight concerns I have about the distance and with respect to jockey Cory Nakatani’s ability to get a prime trip out of him. That move he made in the Derby to challenge Shackleford looked like it was going to win the day, and a similar trip gets him first jump on Shackleford as the field enters the stretch, which should give him a big shot. There’s not much value to be had though at 4/1.

I’m also going to add in #5 Brilliant Speed as the bomber play for my tickets. Admittedly it’s a wing and a prayer, but I do love me some Dynaformers and I’d like to see trainer Tom Albertrani take a Triple Crown race like I thought he might do with Odysseus last year. Hopefully, as has been rumored, he’ll be closer up early on and not just another late running closer in my selections.

Obviously then, if recent history is any indication, your likely winners will be the horses I’m not playing, in particular #2 Stay Thirsty, #4 Santiva, or #10 Mucho Macho Man. I could make a case for these guys as well, but you know the drill – can’t pick ‘em all.

Exacta/Superfecta: 1,5,6,9,12 (box)

Comments : 11 Comments »
Tags: Aviate, belmont stakes, Brilliant Speed, gio ponti, graham motion, Master of Hounds, Turbulent Descent
Categories : Animal Kingdom, Belmont Park, Belmont Stakes, Handicapping Selections, horse racing, Shackleford, Triple Crown, Triple Crown Coverage

Belmont State of Mind

6 06 2010

“I’m the new Sinatra and since I made it here I can make it anywhere. Yeah they love me everywhere.”

Jasmine Villegas - who upset fans and horses alike with her god awful singing at Belmont on Saturday.

The above statement is contained in the opening lyrics of the Jay-Z/Alicia Keys hit “Empire State of Mind” – which in an ironic twist replaced the traditional singing of Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” on Saturday prior to the 142nd running of the Belmont Stakes. With the original artists unable to attend, teen sensation Jasmine Villegas was called on to offer her vocal skills to the crowd. The result, at least from what we saw on the television broadcast, was an unmitigated disaster of epic proportions.

How bad was it?

The performance was so brutal that ABC actually cut away from the unfolding catastrophe in order to go to commercial break. A merciful decision that no doubt spared the eyeballs of countless viewers from being jabbed with writing utensils or other blunt objects. Upon returning to the coverage, it was suggested that the beached-whale-with-a-hernia sounding notes had actually upset Make Music for Me (rather ironic, given the horse’s name).

Look, I don’t mean to be too harsh (especially towards a 16-year-old) – as I’m all for trying new things in an effort to connect more with the next generation. It’s just that the performance by Villegas actually set a new standard of “bad” for me – replacing such cherished moments as William Hung’s initial American Idol audition and Roseanne Barr’s rendition of the National Anthem. What I find absolutely unbelievable are the celebrity chasers out there calling the performance “brilliant”. Either those pieces were written ahead of time or it proves that some folks are so obsessed with celebs that no matter what they do it will be referred to as brilliant.

The sub par effort by the “star” Villegas may have been a bad omen for the heavy favorite in the Belmont as well; Ice Box. The son of Pulpit would never quite get unwound in the stretch, finishing completely off the board in 8th place. Nick Zito mentioned that we “hadn’t seen the real Ice Box today” in post race interviews. Indeed – just as we hadn’t heard the real “Empire State of Mind” either. I’m sure the pedestrian opening half-mile fractions set by First Dude didn’t help the situation – and of course it’s always possible that Ice Box was still sorting out in his head whether Villegas effort qualified as music or whether NYRA had been sacrificing moose live over the PA system in some sort of shocking cult ritual. In that sense, it’s understandable that he didn’t show up with his best stuff.

Villegas and Ice Box weren’t the only ones turning in crappy performances though. If I’m going to be a harsh critic, it’s only fair that I do the same with my own selections. I didn’t have the winner of the Belmont anywhere on my radar going into the race. In fact, I had called Drosselmeyer a “money burner” in a conversation with a work buddy earlier in the week (in my defense, Drosselmeyer had lost as favorite in 4 of his 8 lifetime races coming into the Belmont, so the description seemed to fit for the moment). He and Uptowncharlybrown were complete toss-outs for me that I expected would be overbet at the windows. I gave them no chance.

Full Results Chart from Equibase

We had noted earlier in the week that the Belmont needed a hero. Thankfully, Drosselmeyer was not affected by the off-key tone and butchered notes. The son of Distorted Humor sports German sounding nomenclature inspired by The Nutcracker (“Herr Drosselmeyer”), so perhaps we should not have been surprised? It is the Teutons after all who celebrate the musical talents of David Hasselhoff and persist in keeping reruns of ALF culturally relevant.

None of that previous history mattered as Drosselmeyer entered the post parade. He looked absolutely regal with his chestnut coat showing a fine glow and his ears perked up suggesting readiness for a top performance. If I had spent just a few more moments focusing on the trouble he had encountered in the Risen Star, Louisiana Derby, and Dwyer Stakes (Grade 2′s all), perhaps I could’ve cashed in on his 13-1 goodness?

Instead, I was stuck ripping up my First Dude and Ice Box themed tickets. In that sense, I seem to share the fate of Villegas and Ice Box – an utter failure on Belmont Saturday!

But wait – there’s more!!!

Did anyone out there actually get to witness the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap? Probably not, considering it wasn’t televised live anywhere. I’m thinking there may have been a ripple in space-time that has opened up a series of tangent universes out there – where every conceivable possibility for the race has played itself out. We seem to exist in one of those bubbles in which an improbable outcome took place. Winchester, an off the charts longshot, somehow managed to upset a defending 2009 Eclipse Award winner in Gio Ponti to win his second race in a row – proving that yes, definitively, Winchester is a repeater.

I don’t know who dropped the ball on this one, but to have an entire crew from ABC/ESPN on location covering the Belmont, and then to pay absolutely no attention to a Grade 1 turf race featuring the return of the top U.S. turf horse from the previous year?

Epic fail – perhaps even more so than Villegas, Ice Box, or my own god awful selections.

So where does the weekend leave us? Just as expected, really – with more questions than answers. I don’t think we have a clear picture of the 3-year-old division even now. I’d still lean towards Lucky as the overall leader – but Drosselmeyer and Fly Down have moved into the discussion by finishing 1, 2 in the Belmont. I really thought my boy First Dude was in good shape after the opening half mile – and I’d suspect we’ll see some more of him this summer as well – provided the dude abides.

Hopefully though we’ve seen the last of sub-par musical performances aimed at gen-next…and equally awful handicapping selections.

Hats off to the connections of Drosselmeyer for their big Belmont victory. I sure hope SOMEBODY out there managed to take down that Pick 4 for $167k!!!!

Comments : 19 Comments »
Tags: ABC, Belmont, Drosselmeyer, gio ponti, horse racing, Ice Box, Jasmine Villegas, sports, Winchester
Categories : Belmont Park, Belmont Stakes, horse racing, Horse Racing News, Ice Box, Triple Crown

The Belmont needs a hero

30 05 2010

With one week to go until the 2010 Belmont Stakes, it’s time to get back in the saddle and start focusing on the race at hand. Gone are the Derby and Preakness winners in Super Saver and Lookin at Lucky – and gone is most of the national media attention due to the absence of a Triple Crown being on the line.

With the 3-year-old division still essentially up for grabs – and with the bulk of the summer racing action yet to come – might the time be right for a colt to rise to the occasion? Despite the lack of star power, the race itself could setup to be very intriguing. The place horses from each of the first two Classics is back – Ice Box and First Dude. Add into the mix dangerous looking runners like Fly Down and Stately Victor, and fan favorites Drosselmeyer and Uptowncharlybrown and suddenly you have the recipe for a pretty good betting race.

Here we take a humorous look at the plight of racing on the eve of the Belmont. In this clip, an effeminate Setsuko plays the role of Otsu to Ice Box’s samurai – explaining the desperate situation and pleading with the son of Pulpit to return from the race triumphant.

It’s not quite Hitler and Odysseus – but few things are.

Enjoy!

Note: If for some reason Youtube takes the above video down – which would be par for the course with my creations – there’s a backup version saved here on Daily Motion.

In case you’re wondering about the whole Otsu/Setsuko thing – no, I haven’t made one of my trademark faux pas and confused the gender of an effeminately named male again. Think of it as a convenient (for this video clip) play on the fact that Setsuko is usually considered a female name in Japan. I should also point out that no – I do not quite subscribe to the sentiments of Otsu/Setsuko in this video clip as I feel that Ice Box, First Dude, Fly Down, and Stately Victor are all capable of winning the race.

Which brings us to the most important part of the post – our first chance to gauge public opinion and see where the loyalties are lining up for the big race on Saturday. You know the drill – sound off like you’ve got a pair!

Comments : 9 Comments »
Tags: Belmont, belmont stakes, First Dude, Fly Down, horse racing, Ice Box, Setsuko, sports, Stately Victor
Categories : Belmont Park, Belmont Stakes, horse racing, Horse Racing News, Ice Box, Triple Crown, Triple Crown Coverage

Revenge of the Bird; Summer Bird pulls the upset in Belmont 141

6 06 2009

Summer Bird pulls the upset in Belmont 141

For the second time in 3 years we’ve had each of the Triple Crown races won by different horses. In 2007 it was Street Sense, Curlin, and Rags to Riches. Now in 2009 it’s Mine That Bird, Rachel Alexandra, and Summer Bird. We mentioned in the pre-race handicapping that it would not be a surprise if the “other Birdstone” prevailed. With all of the attention focused on Mine That Bird, Charitable Man, and Dunkirk, the colt slipped under the radar and provided jockey Kent Desormeaux (who was white hot, winning 4 races on the day including 3 in a row at one point in the early going) with a perfect opportunity to atone for the disappointment of Big Brown in the 2008 Belmont.

Post time favorite Mine That Bird did what we thought he’d do. He ran his heart out and gave his best effort, but ultimately the ride by jockey Calvin Borel raised some eyebrows as many began questioning whether he asked the son of Birdstone for his run about a furlong or so too soon. It looked like Birdstone was a bit jumpy in the post parade, and about midway through the race he began giving Borel a bit of a fight, seeming to want to go at the horses to his front. After the job Borel has done this Triple Crown season, I think the guy deserves to be given some slack even if he did move a bit early. He’s only human, and it did look like the horse wanted to go.

Meanwhile, jockey Kent Desormeaux expertly piloted Summer Bird through a run that looked very Borel/Mine That Bird-ish. Patiently waiting at the back of the pack and positioned along the rail, Summer Bird eventually found a way through to the center of the track at the top of the stretch and then gunned down the dueling Mine That Bird and Dunkirk as Charitable Man began to fade. For a moment at the top of the stretch it looked like Mine That Bird, Dunkirk, and Charitable Man were going to give us a 3 horse battle right down to the wire. You can hear the wind being taken out of the crowd though as it became clear that none of these runners was going to resist Summer Bird’s powerful charge.

Dunkirk also turned in a gutsy performance, setting the early pace through splits of :23.31 and :47.13, much faster than many had anticipated. Many (including me) had expected Charitable Man and perhaps Miner’s Escape to set the early pace, but these two wound up taking behind Dunkirk in the early going along with Mr. Hot Stuff.

For being a longshot, Summer Bird sure made quite the post parade impression. I managed to tweet that he looked sensational as the field approached the gate. Luckily, at Amy’s urging, we put a quick win wager on him at the last second that came back quite lucrative. Summer Bird crossed the wire in 2:27.31 and returned $25.80 for the win after being sent off at odds of 11/1. It’s a good thing too, as we needed that win bet, having been bounced from the Pick 4 long before the Belmont when Gabby’s Golden Gal became the latest 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro to shine on the center stage, joining Payton d’Oro and the super filly Rachel Alexandra.

With the Belmont in the books, the Triple Crown season is now officially history. Hats off to Mine That Bird, Rachel Alexandra, and Summer Bird for becoming the latest champions. Let’s hope that this crop of 3-year-olds continues to shine on the race track. It’ll be good for racing if Mine That Bird can bounce back later this year. The “little gelding that could” is still a sensational runner. Hopefully the distance of the Belmont didn’t zap his energy. He’s probably earned himself a lengthy layoff at this point to rest and recover. Without a future standing stud, his connections will likely keep him racing as long as he’s healthy.

Speaking of healthy, can we all breathe a bit of a collective sigh of relief now? We made it through the campaign without any serious injuries while in the national spotlight (although we did lose some good ones along the trail to injury, including but not limited to The Pamplemousse, Old Fashioned, Quality Road, and I Want Revenge). We watched nervously as a full Derby field trudging along in the slop at Churchill. We argued about the safety and soundness of a filly taking on the boys in the Preakness. And now we’ve had the grueling 1 1/2 mile distance of the Belmont, and as far as I’m aware at this moment in time all of the runners from these races have returned in relatively fine shape. Maybe we can finally move past some of the more recent tragedies the sport has suffered? Not that we’d ever want to forget…more so from a closure standpoint. If not move past these memories completely, then at least take a step forward.

So where does this crop of 3-year-olds rank in comparison to those of recent memory? It’s still too early to say for sure. Probably somewhere between the talented group from 2007 and the relatively weak group of 2008 (besides Big Brown) would be my guess. Now we’ll see how they do when they begin to take on older horses for the first times this summer. Usually that’s a fairly significant challenge, but the ranks of the quality older horses have been severely thinned in recent years.

At the end of the day, I still feel confident in saying that the best horses in the nation are Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra. If the versatile Einstein can take the Stephen Foster, then he’d certainly belong in the discussion as well. The point is that there’s plenty of room for runners like Mine That Bird, Summer Bird, Dunkirk, and any of the other Triple Crown competitors to come back and pick up additional graded stakes wins throughout the summer and fall.

For now though, congratulations to trainer Tim Ice and the connections for Summer Bird, and a big round of applause to Kent Desormeaux for his perfect ride. It may not have been the ending many expected, but it was still a beauty to behold.

And to think….right around the corner we’ve got Saratoga and Del Mar.

Comments : 14 Comments »
Tags: Belmont, Birdstone, calvin borel, charitable man, Kent Desormeaux, summer bird, tim ice, upset
Categories : Belmont Park, Belmont Stakes, Dunkirk, horse racing, Horse Racing News, Mine That Bird, Summer Bird, Triple Crown, Triple Crown Coverage

Belmont 141 Picks

5 06 2009

Race 11: The 141st running of The Belmont (G1) – 1 1/2 Miles

#1 Chocolate Candy (G. Gomez/ J. Hollendorfer) 10/1
#2 Dunkirk (J. Velazquez/ T. Pletcher) 4/1
#3 Mr. Hot Stuff (E. Prado/ E. Harty) 15/1
#4 Summer Bird (K. Desormeaux/ T. Ice) 12/1
#5 Luv Gov (M. Mena/ D. W. Lukas) 20/1
#6 Charitable Man (A. Garcia/ K. McLaughlin) 3/1
#7 Mine That Bird (C. Borel/ B. Woolley Jr.) 2/1*
#8 Flying Private (J. Leparoux/ D. W. Lukas) 12/1
#9 Miner’s Escape (J. Lezcano/ N. Zito) 15/1
#10 Brave Victory (R. Maragh/ N. Zito) 15/1

And here we are, the climax of the Triple Crown season. It’s hard to believe we’re already here. Having already looked at the stakes races comprising the awesome Belmont undercard for Saturday, it’s time to look forward to the 141st running of the Belmont itself. Has it really been a full year since we gathered to watch Big Brown march towards what appeared to be a certain date with Triple Crown glory, only to have those hopes tossed out like so much trash? Obviously we don’t have a horse with a Triple Crown on the line this time around, but as we all know jockey Calvin Borel is looking to sweep the 3-year-old classics nonetheless.

Speaking of his horse, what can anyone say about Mine That Bird that hasn’t already been said? You’ve got to love “the bird.” Admittedly, he was not even an afterthought when I first made my Derby selections in early May. After romping home at 50/1, I learned to respect him, but somehow left him out of place position on my Preakness trifecta. Big mistake. He once again thundered home in the stretch and if not for the ability of the super filly Rachel Alexandra may have had his own date with Triple Crown destiny. For his efforts in those races, I’ve dubbed him “the little colt who could.” Now he enters the Belmont as the undisputed favorite, with many folks ready to hand the race right to him. In fact, many of these same people have already expressed angst that Rachel Alexandra then “stole” a potential Triple Crown from us. I think I’ve said pretty much all I need to say about that subject, so I’ll refrain from going off on yet another Rachel related rant.

He ought to run away with this one, right?

It’s a foregone conclusion, right?

Where’s that Lee Corso line I like to use in times like this?

“Not so fast!”

Lee Corso of ESPN College Gameday

Look, he’s clearly the most accomplished runner and the guy they are going to have to resist in the stretch, but there’s a chance that this race will set up the least to his liking of all the Triple Crown races. We know he’s a closer, and closers tend to like as solid an early pace as they can get. The trouble is (from Mine That Bird’s perspective), where’s the speed in this race? I’ve no doubt whatsoever that Mine That Bird will run his heart out. You know he’ll do that much. He’s also got a fairly explosive turn of foot once he decides to go, meaning I don’t think he’s as susceptible to a slow early pace as your typical dead-late closer might be. I’m just suggesting that this race might not set up quite as favorably as the first two legs of the Triple Crown…which would seem odd considering he went from the absolute back of the pack in a 19 horse field on Derby day, never an easy accomplishment.

Jockey Calvin Borel has predicted victory aboard Mine That Bird, and the other jockeys in this race would be foolish to concede the rail to him. Mine That Bird did prove to us in the Preakness that he doesn’t need the rail to be effective though. He can launch a dangerous assault in the stretch from the inside or from out wide. Obviously his chances would increase exponentially if he did find a way through on the rail again.

But if this race isn’t a foregone conclusion, who might the spoiler be?

Let’s start with Charitable Man, who would appear to be the pace, or at a minimum part of whatever pace there is. The improving son of Lemon Drop Kid should relish the extra distance (Lemon Drops tending to enjoy added ground), and if he can also get away with an early lead he might prove very tough. It’s worth noting that he’s defeated Friesan Fire and Imperial Council (not to mention today’s rival #10 Brave Victory). Not bad for having only raced 4 times in his career. He’s also in the ever-important 3rd start of his current form cycle. Miner’s Escape could also be a pace factor, but you get the feeling that Charitable Man has it within him to go right past him if he desires.

One could see this race easily turning into whether the Derby champion can rundown the new challenger in the stretch. When you close your eyes and think about it like that, this could be a good one. We might be in for one of those stretch battles that we talk about for years to come. A couple of years ago we were treated to this when Rags to Riches and Curlin fought it out down the length of the stretch. That’s the kind of finale you can get when a race turns up rather paceless in the beginning and turns into an all out sprint in the final furlongs. Of course, there’s always the possibility of a wire-to-wire winner in a race with limited pace.

Looking over the rest of the field, it wasn’t long ago that Dunkirk was a trendy pick to win the Kentucky Derby. After an 11th place finish that saw him defeated by 19 lengths, you don’t hear a lot of people talking about this horse anymore. Is one race enough to totally sour on Dunkirk? He’s listed at 4/1 on the morning line, which suggests he’s got a respectable chance. If he were somehow able to repeat his effort in the Florida Derby, he would suddenly become quite scary here. I think the question most handicappers will be asking is how effectively he’ll be able to handle the 1 1/2 mile distance of the Belmont. Along those lines, trainer D. Wayne Lukas (who sends out longshots Luv Gov and Flying Private) had perhaps the best quote of the week: “They all can run a mile and a half. Some just take longer than others.” My feeling about Dunkirk is that he should easily be able to improve upon his Derby performance. Just how much is a bit unclear, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this guy put it all together and ran a strong race. If he runs anything like the Dunkirk that we thought he was going into the Florida Derby, he ought to be right there at the finish with a big shot.

Of the longer shots in the field, Chocolate Candy is a bit interesting at 10/1, although we still don’t really know how well this horse likes a true dirt surface. What we do know is that he’s a winner, having amassed over half a million dollars in lifetime earnings (2nd only to Mine That Bird in this field). All things considered, and as awful as many horses had it in the Kentucky Derby, he did run on late for a very respectable 5th. My concern though is that he may be more of a closer on dirt, in which case it would be hard to boost his chances over a runner like Mine That Bird. If, however, he can be a bit more forwardly placed (say around midpack or so) in the early going, he could have a chance. If you toss that Derby performance last out, he’d managed to hit the board in seven straight starts, with 4 of those being outright victories.

If you’re looking for a real longshot with a chance to score, why not take a good long look at Summer Bird? He’s the gratuitous “other Birdstone” in this race. Don’t we see this happen all the time? Usually it’s with coupled entries, where we focus so much on one horse, and then their less heralded stable mate goes out and prevails. All of the focus is on Mine That Bird, and rightfully so. Would it really be that big a surprise though if the “other Birdstone” runner turned in his best race? I thought this guy looked fantastic going to post in both the Arkansas Derby and the Kentucky Derby. Much like Chocolate Candy, he didn’t run all that badly in the Derby as he found a way to finish 6th. That means 13 other runners finished behind him. What’s more, he was a fast improving colt going into that race. Jockey Kent Desormeaux takes the mount this weekend and will look to make amends for the anti climatic finish of heavily favored Big Brown in the 2008 Belmont.

You also can’t totally count out Nick Zito from any Belmont. This year he’s got two longshots in the aforementioned Miner’s Escape and Brave Victory. He shocked us all last year with a well bred longshot in Da’ Tara, so we can’t act totally surprised if he does it again. I’d view both of his runners as outsiders, but you just never know with this guy. Miner’s Escape is the Tesio winner, and will probably go off with the longer odds of the two, having only broken his maiden back on March 14.

Another recent maiden graduate is D. Wayne Lukas’ longshot Luv Gov. We heard during Preakness week that Luv Gov was “prepping for the Belmont.” It would be only fitting and proper if he made his biggest splash in New York, as he’s named for disgraced former Governor Elliot Spitzer. Of course, Lukas also sends out the closer Flying Private, who was moving well late along with Mine That Bird in the Preakness and wound up finishing 4th with a career high Beyer of 102. I’d love his chances if the pace were expected to be a bit hotter. Still, you have to respect anything that “D Wayne” sends out to the track.

Lastly there is Mr. Hot Stuff. The Tiznow of the field. Just keep that in mind, as last year we let a Tiznow light up the tote board. The trouble with this guy is that despite having run in the Derby, we’ve really got no idea how he likes the dirt. At this point he seems to be more of a synthetic runner, but then again we said that about Colonel John last year and he wound up being pretty good on dirt himself. I loved how he looked in the post parade for the Santa Anita Derby, although some thought he looked underdeveloped. You know my thoughts on Tiznow colts. NEVER underestimate the power of Tiznow! Now if I could just follow my own advice as not only did I let Da’ Tara beat me last year, but in the past two months I’ve been knocked out of 3 Pick 4 tickets by longshot Tiznows. You’d think I’d have learned by now. What’s even worse is that I have learned…it’s just that I seem to forget that lesson whenever the same scenario presents itself. It’s hard to make a case for him on paper, but then again, he does have Edgar Prado aboard, and he does have an excuse for the poor Derby finish (as noted in his running line; ”bumped, squeezed st”)

So whom do we choose?

Man…can I pick a dead heat?

I definitely think Mine That Bird is the best horse in this field. No question. It’s just that the “best horse” does not always win the race. If they did than this entire game would be elementary. I’m going to stick with him though, even with the shorter odds. Truth be told I’m desperately torn between him and Charitable Man. It’s a tough call, and while “Birdie” could prove vastly superior in the stretch, there seems to be enough going Charitable Man’s way to give him a very serious look in the post parade. It would be incredibly foolish to leave either runner off the exotic wagers, so make sure you’ve got them both covered.

I’ll probably use Dunkirk, Chocolate Candy, and Summer Bird in my trifecta as well. Depending on how they look in the post parade, I’d also consider using Mr. Hot Stuff and Flying Private on the bottom just in case they find their ways through. The odds will be long enough that it might be worth the risk. Of course, using Mine That Bird, Flying Private, Chocolate Candy, and Summer Bird would make my ticket awfully heavy on the closers for a race that appears to be on the soft side pace wise. Hmmmm…it’s probably best to let the paddock impressions decide the final selections for the bottom of the ticket.

Selections:

#7 Mine That Bird (2/1*)
#6 Charitable Man (3/1)
#1 Chocolate Candy (10/1)

Best of luck to everyone, and here’s hoping the weather takes a turn for the best here in the next 24 hours. It’s been a rainy day all along the eastern seaboard, and Belmont sure could use some sunshine to dry out those track surfaces and help ensure a healthy crowd for Belmont 141.

Comments : 8 Comments »
Tags: Belmont picks, Belmont selections, calvin borel, charitable man, chocolate candy, mr. hot stuff, summer bird
Categories : Belmont Park, Belmont Stakes, Dunkirk, Handicapping Selections, horse racing, Horse Racing News, Mine That Bird, Triple Crown, Triple Crown Coverage

Belmont Day; Undercard Selections

4 06 2009

It’s not often that horse racing fans are treated to a weekend quite like this. Not only do we get the 141st running of the Belmont, but the entire card for Saturday is a star studded affair filled with quality runners. Mine That Bird, Forever Together, Benny the Bull, Court Vision, Cowboy Cal, Justwhistledixie…they are all here. What’s more, guaranteed $1 million pools await both Pick 4 and Pick 6 players. If there’s ever been a day outside of the Breeders’ Cup that exemplified the whole idea behind the “Take Back Saturday” initiative, it’s right here, right now.

Obviously I’m jumping the gun a bit by posting my picks a full 48 hours in advance of post time. Needless to say late changes and scratches could totally alter the complexion of these races (and indeed the selections themselves). Even worse, one cannot be certain what Mother Nature may have in store. As of this writing, current forecasts for Elmont, NY (according to weather.com) call for “periods of heavy rain” on Friday, followed by a “mostly sunny” Saturday with highs near 77°.

Let’s hope for the best then and assume that Saturday will be a glorious day for racing, befitting of all the talented competitors, equine and human, answering the call to post.

DO NOT make the mistake though of overlooking this undercard. It is jam packed with interesting races. What follows are my initial thoughts, and while I rank my top 3 selections, I’ve decided to forego offering actual wager advice. My reason for doing so is that, in all honesty, my wagers tend to change once I get a look at the horses in the post parade. This means that any selections I give out here could be played by someone reading along, whereas my own wagers have evolved. I try to “tweet” these changes whenever possible, but as one can imagine that’s not always so.

Besides, as I always say, one should do their own handicapping if they are wagering a single dime. It’s your money, so you’d be wise to make sure you’re betting your picks. Not to mention you don’t have to wager to watch horse racing. You can be a fan of the horses and not wager a single dime. It’s still the best show in town.

What then is the value of my selections and why do I bother sharing? Because…we’re horseplayers. And if we’re not that we’re at least horse racing fans. We’re the most opinionated, stubborn mules the world has ever seen. Besides, we love to share our opinions. Speaking of which, make sure you check out the rest of the TBA bloggers as well, as no doubt we’ll be all over the place with our coverage. Quite a few of us “tweet” as well, if you’re so inclined.

With that in mind, I want to hear as many selections as possible from commentors. Everything you’ve got. C’mon peeps. It’s Belmont time! Sound off like you’ve got a pair!!!

Here’s a closer look at each of the races comprising the Pick 6 sequence, beginning with the True North Handicap (G2) in race 6 and ending with the Manhattan Handicap (G1) in race 10. The Belmont, which concludes both wagering sequences, will be the subject of it’s own post. It’s the Belmont for godsakes…it deserves it’s own post.

Race 6: The 31st running of the True North Handicap (G2) – 6 Furlongs

#1 Benny the Bull (E. Prado/ R. Dutrow) 5/2
#2 Silver Edition (J. Leparoux/ D. W. Lukas) 8/1
#3 Two Step Salsa (G. Gomez/ S. bin Suroor) 3/1
#4 Sixthirteen (E. Coa/ M. Hushion) 12/1
#5 Desert Key (J. Velazquez/ J. Jerkens) 6/1
#6 Fabulous Strike (R. Dominguez/ T. Beattie) 2/1*

Selections:

#1 Benny the Bull (5/2)

#6 Fabulous Strike (2/1)

#5 Desert Key (6/1)

We kick things off in the Pick 6 sequence with the True North Handicap. The race marks the return of one of the most popular sprinters in North America, #1 Benny the Bull. Last year it took Benny until the final few hundred yards to kick into high gear before he was able to run down Man of Danger and Abraaj in the stretch. He ought to get a decent pace to run at here and I wouldn’t be surprised at all given both the 6-year-old son of Lucky Lionel’s popularity and his human connections (particularly trainer Rick Dutrow) if he wound up going to post as the favorite. Currently he’s listed as the second choice on the morning line behind #6 Fabulous Strike. The question will be whether Benny is in sharp enough form to prevail after being on the shelf since last July. If his workout tab is any indication (and really, what else have we to go on barring last minute eyeball handicapping during the post parade?), then he appears to be ready to roll. His last 3 workouts in particular being the most encouraging.

Fabulous Strike ought to be on the gas early on, but doesn’t necessarily need the lead in order to win. Still, the son of Smart Strike would appear to be the one the rest of the field will need to catch in order to get their picture taken in the winner’s circle. #5 Desert Key hasn’t been out of the Exacta in his last 8 races and looks like a “must use” horse underneath in the exotics. You might be able to get away with using Benny the Bull as a single on your exotic wagers, but I’d probably cover Fabulous Strike as well just to be safe.

Race 7: The 16th running of the Just A Game (G1) – 1 Mile (Turf)

#1 Carribean Sunset (R. Dominguez/ C. Clement) 6/1
#2 Raw Silk (P. Lopez/ T. Albertrani) 10/1
#3 Captain’s Lover (J. Velazquez/ T. Pletcher) 8/1
#4 I Lost My Choo (J. Lezcano/ P. Serpe) 15/1
#5 Forever Together (J. Leparoux/ J. Sheppard) 6/5*
#6 Modern Look (G. Gomez/ R. Frankel) 8/1
#7 Diamondrella (R. Maragh/ A. Penna Jr.) 8/1
#8 My Princess Jess (C. Velasquez/ B. Tagg) 5/1

Selections:

#5 Forever Together (6/5*)

#6 Modern Look (8/1)

#7 Diamondrella (8/1)

The Just A Game features the current top turf female in the nation, Forever Together. The 5-year-old daughter of Belong to Me and current Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf champion has won her last 3 races, as well as 4 of her last 5 overall. She seems quite lethal at any distance from a mile onward, and boasts a 3-2-0-1 record from today’s mile distance. Clearly she’s the horse to beat. The question is whether any of the runners in this field have what it takes to potentially pull the upset?

Depending on what kind of impression she makes in the post parade, it migh be worth taking a ride on #6 Modern Look. She’ll likely offer some value as her running lines don’t necessarily jump off the page at you. However, take note of a few key items. For starters, she was favored in her U.S. debut back in March and ran a decent race, all things considered, finishing 2nd. Certainly she’s got a right to improve. Her workout lines also suggest she’s at least enjoying her Belmont surroundings. Most importantly, however, note the runners she finished 4th to last May at Longchamp (France): Zarkava, Goldikova, and Halfway to Heaven. Zarkava or Goldikova would be obvious singles in this race in my opinion, even with Forever Together. With that in mind, I’m going to use Modern Look as my 2nd choice behind the favorite.

Looking deeper, #7 Diamondrella has gutted out 5 consecutive victoires going back to last June, including her only start of 2009 in the Giants Causeway at Keeneland in April. This will obviously be quite a class hike for her as she faces off against the favorite, but you’ve got to like that sort of consistent form. The obvious question will be whether she can handle the extra distance as she seems to be more of a sprinter. #2 Raw Silk will likely be the pace and should enjoy the mile distance of the Just A Game. One also can’t overlook the runners on the bookends. #1 Carribean Sunset was favored in her U.S. debut last month in the Beaugay (G3), but came up 1 3/4 lenths short behind #8 My Princess Jess. I could see these two fighting for a minor award.

Race 8: The 25th running of the Woody Stephens (G2) – 7 Furlongs

#1 Regal Ransom (A. Garcia/ S. bin Suroor) 2/1*
#1A Everyday Heroes (J.C. Caraballo/ T. Ritchey) 2/1*
#2 This Ones for Phil (G. Gomez/ R. Dutrow) 7/2
#3 Gone Astray (E. Prado/ C. McGaughey III) 15/1
#4 Munnings (J. Velazquez/ T. Pletcher) 4/1
#5 Triumphant Flight (K. Desormeaux/ E. Kruljac) 15/1
#6 Hello Broadway (R. Dominguez/ B. Tagg) 12/1
#7 Kensei (R. Albarado Jr./ S. Asmussen) 15/1
#8 Hull (M. Mena/ D. Romans) 3/1

Selections:

#2 This Ones for Phil (7/2)

#1 Regal Ransom/ #1A Everyday Heroes (2/1*)

#8 Hull (3/1)

The Woody Stephens has bit of a “hey, whatever happened to so-and-so?” feel, as a couple of characters return to the spotlight after running a bit under the radar recently. Trainer Rick Dutrow sends out the “Beyer freak” #2 This Ones for Phil. You might remember this guy as the dude who improved his Beyer figure by 39 points in the Sunshine Millions Dash back in January. Since then he was taken off the Triple Crown trail and kept at the shorter distances, where he’s proved he can consistently churn out impressive speed figures. He hasn’t been able to win since January, but he has run into some pretty good runners in Quality Road, Big Drama, and Mr. Fantasy along the way. He should find this field more to his liking, as well as the tricky 7 furlong distance that he’s proven he can handle (albeit through a disqualification of Big Drama in the Swale).

The coupled entry of #1 Regal Ransom and #1A Everyday Heroes looks quite formidable here as well. The interseting thing is that I actually liked Regal Ransom quite a bit leading up to the Kentucky Derby, but I’m now more interested in Everyday Heroes, who is undefeated in 4 lifetime starts. Then there’s #8 Hull, who at one point was considered a Preakness contender before being pointed to the Woody Stephens instead. I think you’d be wise to cover all of these runners in the exotics as this appears to be a bit more open a race than the first two in the sequence.

Another horse you’ve got to consider here is #4 Munnings. Remember this guy? At one point last year he was one of the more highly regarded juveniles. After disappearing for many months, he resurfaced at the allowance level and promptly posted a career best Beyer figure (101) in running a respectable 2nd in his first start of 2009. Although he’s yet to win at the 7 furlong distance, he is a Speightstown colt, which means you’d be wise to consider him at any sprint distance. Of the entire field, he’s the runner I’m most interested in getting an actual look at in the post parade. I didn’t rank him as one of my top 3 selections, but he’s an intriguing runner in here. The only trouble is that he might get hammered at the windows due to that triple digit Beyer. If the value is there, and if he makes an impression in the paddock, he could well be the play.

Race 9: The 79th running of the Acorn (G1) – 1 Mile

#1 Casanova Move (J. Lezcano/ J. Jerkens) 6/1
#2 Gabby’s Golden Gal (J. Castellano/ B. Baffert) 15/1
#3 Be Fair (M. Mena/ D. W. Lukas) 12/1
#4 Funny Moon (A. Garcia/ C. Clement) 8/1
#5 Doremifasollatido (E. Coa/ J. Jerkens) 6/1
#6 Livin Lovin (R. Dominguez/ S. Klesaris) 15/1
#7 Dream Play (R. Migliore/ K. McLaughlin) 8/5*
#8 Justwhistledixie (J. Leparoux/ K. McLaughlin) 8/5*
#9 Four Gifts (R. Albarado Jr./ S. Asmussen) 6/1

Selections:

#8 Justwhistledixie (8/5*)

#4 Funny Moon (8/1)

#7 Dream Play (6/1)

The Acorn would seem to be all about #8 Justwhistledixie. If there’s one 3-year-old filly in the nation capable of running respectably against Rachel Alexandra, it’s her. Unfortunately, she scratched from the Kentucky Oaks last month due to the sloppy track conditions. We all know what happened next as Queen Rachel romped by over 20 lengths and caught the eye of Jess Jackson. The rest is history. With no Rachel to contend with today, Justwhistledixie looks like a clear favorite that those looking for a life changing score in the exotics will have to hope they can get past.

Of all the contenders, I’d give the improving #4 Funny Moon the best shot to pull the upset. Not only is she improving rapidly, but her final times at the mile distance in her last two victories would appear to stack up very well against this field. Also note that she’ll have Alan Garcia aboard for the trip, who also piloted Justwhistledixie in 3 of her 5 lifetime victories. If she looks live in the post parade, she could be just the type of horse that helps blow up the payouts in the exotics.

#1 Casanova Move has had the misfortune of running into ‘Dixie several times in recent memory, and seems to find a way to hit the board underneath. It would be nice to see #5 Doremifasollatido in the mix at the end, if only to hear her name in the stretch call, but I’m not sure if the mile distance will be to her liking. On the other hand, #6 Livin Lovin, #7 Dream Play, and #3 Be Fair all have victories at the distance, and are lightly raced enough that we’ve still got room for improvement. Dream Play and Livin Lovin can also boast of being graded stakes winners. Same goes for #9 Four Gifts. This one might not be as obvious as it appears on paper is all I’m sayin’, although I do expect the favorite to prevail.

Race 10: The 108th running of the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap (G1) – 1 1/4 Miles (Turf)

#1 Court Vision (R. Dominguez/ W. Mott) 4/1
#1A Optimer (R. Rodriguez/ S. Dutrow) 4/1
#2 Champs Elysees (J. Leparoux/ R. Frankel) 12/1
#3 Marsh Slide (J. Castellano/ N. Drysdale) 20/1
#4 Premium Gold (E. Prado/ J. Kimmel) 20/1
#5 Gio Ponti (G. Gomez/ C. Clement) 7/2
#6 Wesley (K. Desormeaux/ M. Hennig) 12/1
#7 Senior (M. Luzzi/ J. Delozier) 50/1
#8 Better Talk Now (J. Rose/ G. Motion) 15/1
#9 Cosmonaut (J. Lezcano/ P. Serpe) 6/1
#10 Interpatation (R. Maragh/ R. Barbara) 20/1
#11 Lauro (A. Starke/ A. Wohler) 15/1
#12 Cowboy Cal (J. Velazquez/ T. Pletcher) 3/1*
#2B Zambezi Sun (J. Leparoux/ R. Frankel) 12/1

Selections:

#6 Wesley (12/1)

#12 Cowboy Cal (3/1*)

#1 Court Vision (4/1)

I’m going to come right out and say something that probably sounds like heathen blasphemy on Belmont Day. The Manhattan Handicap is the “race of the day”, by far, on paper. Just look at this field! I’ll start with “Blackie” (#8 Better Talk Now), a former turf champion and over $4 million lifetime earner. You’ve no idea how happy it would make me if Blackie found a way to get it done on Saturday. I’ve loved this horse for years, and whlie he’s clearly in the autumn of his distinguished career, it warms my heart whenever I see his name among the entries. Over the past year I’ve also become quite fond of both #1 Court Vision and #12 Cowboy Cal on the turf. Cowboy Cal in particular has quietly become one of my favorite runners. I was hoping to get more than 3/1 on him here, and was a bit shocked that he was the favorite on the morning line, but I suspect bettors will be spread out here offering decent value on whomever you wind up on.

Despite my affinity for these runners, I’m going to pick a shocker here for the upset. #6 Wesley looks primed and ready to run a big one. I saw this guy on Preakness day at Pimlico and was quite taken with him in the post parade fo the Dixie. If you didn’t see that race, it’s worth watching again. Wesley ran well enough to win, only he was forced to steady several times on the turns. His running line merely denotes “6wd 1/8″, but it was much more than just being wide. I left thinking he was by far the best horse of that field, despite finishing 3rd. I’m expecting a big improvement this weekend, and I’m encouraged to see his latest workout at Belmont on 5/31 was a sharp 4 furlongs in 47 and 3. This is a salty group, and he’s obviously got to prove he can get the extra distance here, but based on that wide trip in the Dixie I’d argue that he’s already been a mile and a quarter! #5 Gio Ponti, #2 Champs Elysees, and # 9 Cosmonaut could all make some noise in here as well. Depending on how you’re playing your exotics, this might be another wise spot to go deep and spread on the coverage.

Best of luck to all. With any luck you’re still alive in your exotics as we get set for Belmont 141.

Comments : 6 Comments »
Tags: Belmont selections, belmont undercard, calvin borel, charitable man, just a game, justwhistledixie, manhattan handicap, take back saturday, the acorn, wesley, woody stephens
Categories : Belmont Park, Belmont Stakes, Benny the Bull, Court Vision, Cowboy Cal, Dunkirk, Handicapping Selections, horse racing, Horse Racing News, Mine That Bird, Triple Crown, Triple Crown Coverage

The Rachel Alexandra Rant; no Rachel in the Belmont

29 05 2009

It’s official. Owner Jess Jackson has announced that the talented and immensely popular filly Rachel Alexandra will not be running in the 2009 Belmont. This sets up perfectly for jockey Calvin Borel, who will now retake the mount of Kentucky Derby champion Mine That Bird in his quest for an all-Calvin Triple Crown. Sadly, for bloggers like me with a penchant for gratuitous military history references, this negates my ability to discuss the potential rematch between The Derby and Preakness winners as “June 6th, a date that will once again live in infamy” (which I’m fairly certain is an oxymoron considering that once something is truly “infamous”, it’s rather impossible to become infamous once again…you either are infamous, or your not, but I digress).

First, let me say that I tip my hat to Jess Jackson once again. You know that he wanted to showcase his filly in the Belmont, and it probably pains him to have to decide against running her. However, this move proves that he’s not just in this for fame and glory. Like I’ve said before, the man made all the right moves with Curlin, and once again he appears to be doing so with Rachel Alexandra. In fact, the only move he’s ever made that I’ve disagreed with is one in which he really had little choice anyhow; sending Curlin to Santa Anita to run in the ’08 Breeders’ Cup…and it’s important to note that he made the decision to send him for us, the fans, so that we would be able to see him on the sport’s biggest stage. In other words, while I had a hunch (and no doubt Jess did himself as well) that wouldn’t go well, one can certainly understand why the decision was made.

The decision to rest Rachel Alexandra has already sparked quite a bit of passionate discussion on the net. Whether it be Twitter, Facebook, or any other web application out there designed for such discussions, horse fans are talking. Of course, they’ve been talking longer than just today. The past few weeks being filled with opinions from one side of the spectrum to the other regarding Rachel, the Bird, and everything in between. What troubles me though is some of the recent discussion, and I’ll outline why.

The first genre of discussion that bothers me goes something like this:

“I’m glad Rachel isn’t in the Belmont, she’s a filly and would’ve risked being hurt.”

Look, I totally sympathize with horse fans who don’t want to see anyone hurt. Nobody wants to see that. It’s not that concern that worries me so much as it is the hidden inference that somehow fillies are inferior to colts. Do we really need any further proof that this is simply not true (at least as a blanket statement)? They said the same thing about the Preakness, and then Rachel went out and dominated. I don’t recall hearing anyone in France being concerned that Zarkava was facing boys in the world’s richest turf race, the Arc de Triomphe. How’d that one turn out? How about Goldikova last year in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Mile? And is there anyone who really thinks after the Milady that Zenyatta wouldn’t thrash the California boys at Hollywood, Santa Anita, or Del Mar? I just don’t get it. Surely not all fillies are created equal, so when you’ve got one who is clearly heads and shoulders better than most runners on the planet why should she be held back? Because she’s a “she”? See, I worry sometimes that folks are masking latent sexism behind a thin veil of legitimate concern over injuries/well being. The truth of the matter is that anyone at anytime can get hurt. If we apply this logic across the board, then clearly following Barbaro’s injury we should have stopped all colts from running as well.

The next line of comments goes something like this:

“I’m going to be soooo mad if Mine That Bird wins the Belmont, because that will mean Rachel robbed us of a Triple Crown!”

Huh??? I almost have to throw up in my mouth a bit when I hear this. Almost. Do people even think before they speak? She “robbed” you of a Triple Crown? For starters, let’s not forget that the Belmont hasn’t been run yet, so hold your horses (no pun intended) on anointing Mine That Bird even a theoretical Triple Crown winner. Da’ Tara, Birdstone, and Rags to Riches come to mind in recent memory as clear cut examples of why you never assume a Belmont’s outcome before it’s official. More importantly though, did Rachel Alexandra somehow cheat in the Preakness? Did I miss something? I’m just trying to understand how she “robbed” anyone of anything? If she “robbed” anyone, it was other network programs, as television ratings for the Preakness were through the freakin’ roof. You’d think people would be smart enough to see a star who is exactly what we need when they see one, but apparently not.

Didn’t Mine That Bird have a fair shot to beat her in the Preakness? Didn’t Rachel have to break from the extreme outside, set fairly fast splits being contested all the way, and then hang on in the stretch to win? That’s not robbing, that’s earning, and last time I checked, a horse needs to EARN a Triple Crown. That’s what makes it special. Otherwise we might as well just poll the public for who they’d like to see win and simply declare that horse the winner without ever racing. I can see Dennis Green now, banging on a table and telling reporters to “crown their asses, then!” when asked questions concerning the Chicago Bears. Same goes here. You want a Triple Crown so bad that you’re angry when a horse legitimately defeats a hopeful? Then crown their asses before the race and don’t even bother running.

Also, if I may sidestep for just a gosh darn moment…..where the hell were these people in ’07 when Rags to Riches came out of nowhere to “rob” Curlin??? That was MUCH closer to grand larceny than anything Rachel’s done.

When pressed, most of these people reference the fact that we “haven’t had a Triple Crown winner in 30 years” and that they’d “like to live to see one.” Oh really? Wow…didn’t realize they were so into history. Forgive me, then. It’s just that, well, you know…there are still plenty of folks alive who remember watching and wagering on the last Triple Crown winner. On the other hand, how many folks have you run into out there that remember Nellie Morse in the 1924 Preakness? Yeah…didn’t think so. If you’re going to reference history, then at least acknowledge that 85 years is a hell of a lot longer than 3 decades to wait to see something happen. Then again, we do live in the age of “instant gratification”, more’s the pity.

Look, I’ve got nothing but respect for Mine That Bird now either. He’s a magnificent colt that we ought to see for years to come, considering he’s a gelding. It’s just that I refuse to see him as some victim of a heinous crime. I remember the cat calls from all the Curlin haters back in ’07. “Curlin got beat by a girl!” Yeah, well, so did Mine That Bird, and the girl that beat him wasn’t as fresh as the girl that beat Curlin (nor was Mine That Bird as worn down as Curlin was). Personally I don’t consider the “beat by a girl” thing to be anything but the most childish of equine put-downs, as it never seems to apply to the horses that were truly beaten by open lengths (i.e., did you ever hear anyone say “Tiago got beat by a girl!” or “Hard Spun got beat by a girl!” ? Nope, it was always directed at Curlin…hell, at least he was competitive against a girl. How far back were Hard Spun and Tiago in the ’07 Belmont by comparison?).

The last line of thinking that really grinds my gears goes like this:

“Rachel was exhausted in the Preakness, there’s no way she could get the mile and 1/2 of the Belmont.”

When I hear things like this, I wish I was instantly teleported to a face to face handicapping tournament, winner take all, as obviously these folks think that every race is totally equal and not unique at all.

“Oh lord, won’t you buy me, a tour-na-ment ticket, my friends don’t know horses, I must make amends…”

Yes, Rachel was struggling a bit at the end of the Preakness. How that is supposed to directly translate into defeat or an inability to get the distance of the Belmont is beyond me. Are the two races supposed to be apples to apples? Have folks even considered that the entire pace setup could not only be completely different between the two races, but also explains rather clearly why Rachel was a bit tired at the end of the Preakness?

Consider the following stats. Here are the opening 1/4 mile and 1/2 mile splits between the ’08 Belmont and the “09 Preakness. Something should jump off the page at you regarding the half mile times in particular, even if you’ve never so much as thought about pace handicapping:

2008 Belmont:

opening 1/4 – :23.82
opening 1/2 – :48.30

2009 Preakness:

opening 1/4 mile – :23.00
opening 1/2 mile – :46.25

See that? Two full seconds faster in the opening half mile of the 2009 Preakness! And why was that exactly? Well, several reasons. In the 2008 Belmont, Da’ Tara got an easy lead. Even on the race replay you can hear the call that the opening half mile was set in a “sensible” time of :48.30. That’s what happens when you have a longer race, and a loose horse on the lead. The pace of longer races tends to be slower than that of shorter races, hence why horses who show speed routing can’t always be trusted to do the same when sprinting, whereas horses that show speed sprinting often will show similar (if not improved) speed routing.

In the ’09 Preakness, Rachel had to earn it every step of the way. She broke from the 13 hole, and had no choice but to gun for the lead or risk being hung wide on the turns. Anyone familiar with playing the Maryland tracks knows full well how vitally important positioning on the turns, and in particular the first turn, can be. Of course, Big Drama happened to be along the rail, and likewise was in a situation where he had to go for it right out of the gate. The result was a speed duel. Typically, if you see two horses eyeball to eyeball with each other through hotly contested opening fractions, you can expect them to start coming back to the rest of the field in the stretch, thus opening up for an off-the-pace runner. It’s a testament to Rachel Alexandra’s class that this did not happen, and that the only runners able to make any headway against her were Mine That Bird, and to a lesser extent Musket Man. That’s what made her win so impressive. It shouldn’t have happened. Most horses would not have pulled it off. In fact, her opening splits were closer to those set by Xchanger and Flying First Class in the ’07 Preakness (1/4 in :22.83, 1/2 in :45.75), and obviously neither of them wound up in the Superfecta.

So yes, she was struggling towards the end, but what exactly was she supposed to look like? Even Chip Woolley, trainer of Mine That Bird, admitted that his colt was fresher by virtue of only really having to run the last 3/8 of a mile of both the Derby and the Preakness. I’m sorry that she didn’t look as majestic as Big Brown in the ’08 Preakness, but she had a bit of a saltier field and a tougher trip to overcome. Eyes can be deceiving though. Again, apples to apples this most certainly is not.

Each race is unique, and one must resist the urge of looking at the ’09 Preakness replay and simpliifying by saying “yup, in another furlong Mine That Bird would’ve caught her.” Would he? Perhaps, but then again the entire race would’ve been different. The only thing you can be assured of is that if THAT EXACT running of the Preakness happened again, but went a furlong further, that perhaps Mine That Bird would have caught her. That’s it. That’s the only certain conclusion one can make. The rest is pure speculation or opinion….not that their’s anything wrong with either, necessarily, it’s just that when they are repeated as fact folks can get the wrong ideas. I’m just saying keep that in mind when you hear folks spouting off (and yes, that includes me and indeed this rant right here).

Similarly, we must resist the urge of DEMANDING a rematch between either Rachel and The Bird in the Belmont, or Rachel and Zenyatta at some later date. Would those races be exciting? Most definitely! But we can’t reduce ourselves to the plebians in the Colliseum, demanding that Caesar show us another round of gladitorial combat. Let the horsemen do what’s right for the horses, and let’s hope that we’re lucky enough to see them in their prime again before they are gone.

In conclusion, here’s hoping Rachel enjoys her much deserved time off. Rest up, baby girl. There are big plans for you both this summer and beyond. Personally, I’m hoping Jess sends her to Saratoga. I can think of no other track more befitting of an appearance by the queen herself. Now, if we could just get Zenyatta’s people to come face her….

Comments : 23 Comments »
Tags: 2007 preakness, 2009 belmont, 2009 preakness, Belmont, calvin borel, dennis green, Jess Jackson, Mine That Bird, rachel alexandra, Saratoga
Categories : Belmont Park, Belmont Stakes, horse racing, Horse Racing News, Mine That Bird, Pimlico, Preakness, Rachel Alexandra, Triple Crown, Triple Crown Coverage

Belmont Day selections

6 06 2008

Note: Breaking news just as I was about to leave: Casino Drive may be out of the Belmont:

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/racing-news/2008/June/06/casino-drive-physi

Saturday. Belmont Day. Triple Crown Day…perhaps a date with history. Thirteen races are scheduled, with the feature of course being the 140th running of the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes – a race that will see Big Brown try to become the first colt in 30 years to capture the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. There are 5 other graded stakes on the card, including the Just a Game (G1), The Acorn (G1), the True North Handicap (G2), the Woody Stephens (G2), and the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap (G1).

Some of the finest names in all of horse racing will be on the track in addition to Big Brown. The Acorn has drawn Indian Blessing, long thought to be the finest filly in the country before Proud Spell was able to turn the tables on her back in March. The True North Handicap features one of the fastest horses on the planet in Benny the Bull. Last, but certainly not least, the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap features what could be the final run in the magnificent career of “Blackie”, better known to many as Better Talk Now.

I’ve handicapped the first 11 races on the card, culminating in the Belmont Stakes. I figured I’d be battling traffic out the track by the time that was over, or (knock on wood) standing in line to cash a few tickets. I’m headed up to NY in just a few hours, so I wanted to share this with you as quick as possible. You guys will have over 24 hours to dissect/discuss/debate. Without further adieu, let’s take a look at each race.

Race 1: ALW 65000 N1X – 3↑ (6 Furlongs)

#1 Desert Key/ #1A Forest of Dreams (3/1*)
#11 Accredit (4/1)
#7 Commandeered (7/2)

If both portions of the entry of #1 Desert Key and #1A Forest of Dreams draw into the race, they look quite formidable to overcome. Of the two, I prefer #1 Desert Key who looks slightly more consistent and with only 3 races under hist belt is eligible to move forward. Note that Desert Key finished behind Ready’s Image by 3/4 of a length last out. You may want to use this colt as a measuring stick for how well Ready’s Image may perform as the 2/1 favorite in today’s 9th race – the Woody Stephens (G2). #11 Accredit has been a solid colt thus far in his career. Really only his debut was of poor quality. He appears to have been training well over the synthetics as of late, and his Beyer figures could improve with a return to dirt today. #7 Commandeered took some play in the Hirsch Jacobs (G3) on Preakness day, despite being up against two quick ones in Lantana Mob and Force Freeze (not to mention Silver Edition – who we will also see in today’s 9th race). A longshot to keep an eye on may be #8 Golden Age. That debut Beyer figure of 95 hints at talent, although he’ll face quite a bit more than Md Sp Wt $16k company today.

Race 2: Md Sp Wt 62k 3↑ (6 1/2 Furlongs)

#6 Tiz It (5/2*)
#4 White Tie (6/1)
#2 Zong (6/1)

This race is pretty wide open. I don’t usually like to take the favorite in maiden races, but for a maiden #6 Tiz It has been up against some stiff competition in his 5 lifetime starts. Just look at those names in his past performance lines: Massive Drama, Smoth Air, Silver Edition, Halo Najib. I like that he perked up a bit last time out here and ran a 99 Beyer, although buyers must be ware as his last highest Beyer (90) was promptly followed with a career bounce (60). I settled on two expensive purchases for my 2nd and 3rd choices, although I think there are a number of ways folks could go. #4 White Tie was a $1.3 million purchase in August of 2006. It looks like he’s been working well in the mornings and trainer Kiaran McLaughlin is known to be productive with 1st time starters. Likewise, #2 Zong was a $1.7 million purchase in November of 2005. Besides these two, I think #7 Sixthirteen (7/2), #3 Bob’s Star (5/1), and #10 Golden Weekend (3/1) were all very playable as well.

Race 3: Md Sp Wt 57k – 3↑ (1 1/8 Miles – Inner Turf Track)

#4 Piazza Di Spagna (5/1)
#8 Smart Enuf (8/5*)
#5 Seeking No More (6/1)

This was a weird race to handicap. I settled on #4 Piazza Di Spagna as I thought he might perk up a bit wirh Ramon Dominguez aboard if he could get a clean trip. I also thought he had the more favorable post position for the inner turf track than some of the other contenders. #8 Smart Enuf returns to the grass, which should help him, plus he’ll likely be on or near the lead. #5 Seeking No More was running hurdles in 2 of his last 3. If nothing else he ought to have the conditioning for this event as he was running over 2 miles in each of those races. For a longer shot, call me crazy, but the #9 Marsaponi has room to improve after joining trainer Thomas Bush’s barn. Note that while he hasn’t run well, he was facing Icabad Crane (3rd place finisher in the Preakness) and Cannonball. I’d expect improvement today.

Race 4: OC 50k/N2X – 3↑ (1 Mile)

#4 Forefathers (3/1*)
#6 Mobo (4/1)
#11 Teide (5/1)

Today’s 4th race is an interesting affair. #4 Forefathers looks plenty dangerous here dropping in from Grade 3 territory. This is a guy who’s faced the likes of Daaher, Deadly Dealer, Elite Squadron, and Midnight Lute. He’s capable of turning in duds, but this ought to set him up nicely. Note how he ran a triple digit Beyer (100) when dropped into Alw48000 territory back in March. He should be able to get a nice off-the pace trip running into some decent splits today. #6 Mobo has turned in two stellar double digit win performances in a row, winning by a combined 22 lengths. Sure it gets harder today, but any kind of step forward will find this one being tough to defeat. There is a bit of pace pressure in this race when looking at the form, but this guy has pulled away beautifully in the stretch each of those last two, not just held on begging for the wire. #11 Teide draws the extreme outside, but has turned in several sharp races in a row. Sure he was beaten chalk last out, and in fact beaten by another of today’s rivals (#6 Firejack), but that was over the synthetic track at Keeneland, so it’s really almost a toss.

Race 5: Alw 59000 N1X – 3↑ (6 1/2 Furlongs)

#4 Wonforthegoodguys (15/1)
#9 Too Tough Pete (5/1)
#12 Benny the Waiter (3/1*)

Did I really wind up on a 15/1 here? It appears so – although this guy isn’t really a bad 15/1 when you look at him. #4 Wonforthegoodguys has been a tough claiming competitor for the entire year, and has been pretty consistent if you toss out that start three back. His Beyer’s may not be sexy, but they aren’t that far off what it would take to win here. Plus he’s got an inspiring name. I like him. #9 Too Tough Pete exits a maiden score over the track last time out and has been well bet in each lifetime start. #12 Benny the Waiter almost looks like Benny the Bull light – okay maybe not. But he sounds like him, doesn’t he? Is this a Benny-filled day? Dare I say – Beneful?

Race 6: The True North Handicap – Grade 2 – 3YO (6 Furlongs)

#7 Benny the Bull (4/5*)
#4 Abraaj (5/1)
#2 Thor’s Echo (7/2)

Benny the Bull is one of the fastest horses on earth and should be a force to contend with here. Perhaps the only thing his rivals can hope for is a “Dubai bounce” as he returns from a score in the $2,000,000 Golden Shaheen (Grade 1). #4 Abraaj would appear to be the only entry with the speed figures capable of contending. Even so, he’s stepping up today and would need a career best to contend. #2 Thor’s Echo could be a player if he returns to the form he showed in 2006. The trouble is that he’s shown nothing of note since, including two less than appealing starts in Dubai in 2007 and nothing so far in 2008. He has been training well though. A longshot that I don’t think is getting the credit he deserves is #6 Council Member at 20/1. This guy is coming off non embarrassing Stakes tries and could well wind up in the money. I’ll say the same about #5 Suave Jazz who was a neck away from winning on Preakness day. Don’t discount these guys totally from hitting for minor shares.

Race 7: The Just A Game – Grade 1 – Fillies and Mares 3↑ (1 Mile – Turf)

#10 Vacare (3/1*)
#5 Criminologist (9/2)
#1 Lady of Venice (4/1)

#10 Vacare looks to be the one to beat here. She’s faced some of the better older females in the country, including Precious Kitten, Wait a While, and an old favorite of mine I still wish was running – Citronnade. The outside post is a bit of a concern, but she’s classy enough to handle it. #1 Lady of Venice is a fighter who lately has been settling for minor awards. #5 Criminologist looks tough to me here today. She’s won 5 of her last 6 races! I wouldn’t discount several others from winding up in the money here either, such as #3 Bit of Whimsy, and #4 Ventura.

Race 8: The Acorn – Grade 1 – Fillies 3YO (1 Mile)

#2 Indian Blessing (1/1*)
#3 Game Face (5/2)
#1 Zaftig (3/1)

Don’t be too fooled by the 5 horse field and the presence of one of the top fillies in the nation in #3 Indian Blessing – this one actually could be a battle. Indian Blessing cutting back to a mile should be enough to ensure the victory, but she’s running into some improving fillies in #1 Zaftig and #3 Game Face. I wouldn’t leave #5 Golden Doc A totally out of it either as she’s given Indian Blessing all she can handle in the past as well. This one is tougher than it seems, although it is Indian Blessing’s to lose.

Race 9: The Woody Stephens – Grade 2 – 3YO (7 Furlongs)

#5 J Be K (3/1)
#3 Silver Edition (5/1)
#2 Ready’s Image (2/1*)

The Woody Stephens looks wide open to me. I think you’ve got a slightly vulnerable favorite here in Ready’s Image. At one point last year this was one of the better 2 year-old colts in the nation. I like his comeback in May over the track, but the competition gets tougher today. #5 J Be K has been getting better and better each time I see him. Okay, he’s got one hiccup in the Louisiana Derby, but besides that he’s fired every time out. The horse he lost to last time out, Harlem Rocker, is partially owned by a friend and fellow TBA blogger, and is a horse many of us thought might have the best chance to knock off Big Brown in the Preakness if he had run. That’s definitely something to keep in mind. #3 Silver Edition has been on the improve as well. I saw his run on Preakness Day where he lost by a neck and thought it was most impressive. A longshot to keep an eye on in the post parade is #9 Majestic Warrior. At one point last year he was my pick for the 2008 KY Derby (we’re talking December ’07/January ’08 here - long before folks were even thinking of Big Brown). I always expect better from him, and one of these days his talent will show up. It’s just trying to figure out when that is maddening.

Race 10: The Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap – Grade 1 – 3↑ (1 1/4 Miles – Inner Turf)

#9 Proudinsky (7/2*)
#5 Out of Control ((4/1)
#10 Dancing Forever (5/1)

This is actually a sentimental race for me. You see, one of my favorite horses on earth is racing in what for all I know could be his last start. Certainly it will be the last time I see him again. #1 Better Talk Now. While he doesn’t come up in my picks, “Blackie” has given us a lifetime’s worth of memories, as evidenced by his 14 wins and $4 million in lifetime earnings. Run well, buddy- it’s been such an honor to see you perform. Looking at the race I thought #9 Proudinksy warrants favorite status here after being able to defeat Daytona. #5 Out of Control has run well against the likes of Einstein and Kip Deville- who are two of the tops in their division. #10 Dancing Forever is right there with the leaders based on his last two. I ranked him a notch lower due to the outside post position. Keep an eye on #4 Stalingrad at 20/1. I’ve heard some folks whispering that they think this guy could continue to improve.

Race 11: The Belmont Stakes – Grade 1 – 3YO (1 1/2 Miles)

#1 Big Brown (2/5*)
#5 Casino Drive (7/2)
#4 Denis of Cork (12/1)

Well here it is – the feature race andour date with destiny. Can Big Brown bring home the Triple Crown? Oh, you bet he can. I’m not worried about the post – I’ll never worry about the post again with this colt after he overcame the 20 hole in the Derby – although to be honest, I’d much prefer he were hung outside again today. There shouldn’t be anyone close to him as he hits the wire. #5 Casino Drive is your logical play in the exacta. It’ll be interesting to see how this guy stacks up against Big Brown. He’s certainly bred for the Belmont. I thought there were several horses you could use underneath, including Macho Again, Denis of Cork, Tale of Ekati, Ready’s Echo, and Icabad Crane. Ultimately I went with Denis of Cork – but it’s anyone’s guess.

EDIT: Just before I left the house, word has come that Casino Drive may be out – looks like Big Brown’s a lock now!

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/racing-news/2008/June/06/casino-drive-physi

So there you have it folks. Hopefully we can all make some money and watch history in the making. Years from now you may find yourself telling stories about where you were when Big Brown won the Triple Crown. I know we’ve discussed and debated Big Brown, Dutrow, and everything in between at length. As racing fans, just make sure you sit back and enjoy the spectacle that’s been 30 years in the making.

Riders up!

Comments : 12 Comments »
Tags: Belmont selections, Benny the Bull, Better Talk Now, Big Brown, Big Brown Triple Crown, Casino Drive, handicapping the Belmont, horse racing, Indian Blessing, news, sports, thoroughbred
Categories : Belmont Park, Belmont Stakes, Big Brown, Casino Drive, Denis of Cork, Handicapping Selections, Horse Racing News, Indian Blessing, Triple Crown Coverage

	Alfredo on Belmont Selections
	Making A Living From… on Bolt Speedman AKA Rob Dyrdek U…
	Another big winner f… on Preakness Full Card Selec…
	2 more big winners f… on Belmont Selections
	srpvxkuei on Back to the Future

THE ASPIRING HORSEPLAYER

Belmont Selections

Belmont State of Mind

The Belmont needs a hero

Revenge of the Bird; Summer Bird pulls the upset in Belmont 141

Belmont 141 Picks

Belmont Day; Undercard Selections

The Rachel Alexandra Rant; no Rachel in the Belmont

Belmont Day selections

THOROUGHBRED BLOGGERS ALLIANCE

RSS FEED – SUBSCRIBE TO THE ASPIRING HORSEPLAYER

Blog Stats

PAGES

RECENT UPDATES

TOP POSTS

Categories

ARCHIVES

RECENT COMMENTS

My Twitter Feed

Recent Readers

Recent Readers

Blogroll

Horse Racing Links

Off-Topic

Race Tracks

AFFILIATES

VISITOR LOCATIONS

CALENDAR

Follow “THE ASPIRING HORSEPLAYER”

February 2012
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
« Jun
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29