by David Aragona
For more on this card, visit DRF Live for up-to-date insights throughout the race day. Also visit TimeformUS to view this card’s Highlight Horse and get PPs.
Race 1: 1 - 4 - 5 - 7
Race 2: 8 - 3 - 6 - 2
Race 3: 5 - 7 - 3 - 4
Race 4: 1 - 4 - 2 - 5
Race 5: 11 - 4 - 12 - 2
Race 6: 2 - 4 - 5 - 1/1A
Race 7: 5 - 2 - 4 - 8
Race 8: 2 - 5 - 3 - 7
Race 9: 15 - 8 - 10 - 16
RACE 1: BEAUTIFUL BUZZ (#1)
I’m not getting too creative in this race, because I just think the likely favorite is far and away the most likely winner. The Pace Projector is predicting that the race flow will favor horses on or near the lead, and Beautiful Buzz figures to be contesting the early pace, if not the outright leader. This filly ran a speed figure that would probably beat this field two back when in the barn of Rudy Rodriguez. While her first start off the claim by Danny Gargan last time was disappointing, she was hindered by the way that race unfolded. The early pace was very fast, indicated by red color-coded pace figures at every call. Beautiful Buzz just fell apart after failing to make the lead in a race dominated by closers. This time, she figures to get in front of main pace rival Mahabdhi Tree, and the Belmont main track has been very conducive to horses with inside speed over the past several days, and intermittently prior to that. Her main rivals are Letthemooseloose and Sheplaysthefield, but neither of those have run quite as well as Beautiful Buzz has in her best races. Furthermore, both have seen better days and are coming off mediocre performances. The most interesting longshot contender may be Gia Michael, who was in against much tougher company last time and gets a positive rider switch to Dylan Davis, but the pace may work against her.
Win: 1
Exacta: 1 with 3,4,5,7
Trifecta: 1 with 4,5 with 2,3,4,5,7
RACE 8: HOROSCOPE (#2)
Two of the more lightly raced members of this field – both 3-year-olds – are likely to attract the bulk of the wagering support. Stoney Bennett has gone largely unchallenged since returning from a layoff in the barn of Linda Rice this summer. She got away with risking this gelding for a $50,000 tag last time and now bumps him up to this N2X allowance level. While he’s certainly run fast enough to win this race in each of his last two starts, I feel that he benefitted from circumstances in those races. He was racing over a very speed-favoring track two back on July 27, and then he got away with a moderate opening quarter-mile last time when able to hold off today’s rival What a Catch. Dezzer comes into this race with similar credentials, having run fast enough to win this race on a number of occasions. The horse who defeated him last time, Cinderela El Crome, returned to earn a similar speed figure, which validates his recent form. I’m using these runners, but I feel that there are others in this field who have similar chances of winning yet will go off at much larger prices. The one I want to focus on is Horoscope. For whatever reason, his connections have tried him over longer distances than this in all five of his 2018 starts since returning from a layoff. When this horse began his career as a 3-year-old, he ran his fastest speed figures going today’s six-furlong distance. While he was cut back to sprints at seven furlongs in his last two starts, he did not get ideal trips in either of those races. He was racing on a dead rail in the early going two back, and then last time, he was inexplicably rated well off a pace that otherwise held together. While Horoscope doesn’t necessarily need the early lead, I would hope that David Cohen has this runner placed a bit closer to the early pace this time.
Win: 2
Exacta Key Box: 2 with 3,4,5,7