Racing Ink — Belmont Stakes Day

Regular “Ink” daily post below:

Racing Ink — Belmont Stakes Day, June 6, 2009

As I predicted, Rachel Alexandra is not running on Belmont Day. But the race will be exciting, and here are my picks for the whole card:

Race 1:
Inger Management across the board with Justin P. as a long shot show bet.

Race 2:
Speight of Hand across the board and Just Ben.

Race 3:
I like Bimini a lot here, so I’ll probably bet him across the board. I’m surprised at Molten Lava’s long odds — if he looks good in the paddock, I’ll toss him in to show, and pick a place horse at the paddock, possibly Wanted Alive.

Race 4:
Spurred, trained by David Donk, across the board. Slam Dunk, trained by Graham Motion to place, and Radical Sabbatical, trained by Barclay Tagg, to show. Since this is a turf race, and I like the way all these trainers prep their horses on the turf, I’m choosing trainer as the top factor.

Race 5:
Another turf race and another Donk horse, So It Goes, across the board. Christophe Clemente’s horse, Western Influence, has surprisingly long odds at 10-1 as of this writing. If he looks good, I’ll put him in a show spot. I’ll pick one more horse at the paddock. If the race moves off the turf, I’ll also toss in Overextended.

Race 6 — The True North Stakes:
This is always a fun race. I’ll take Benny the Bull across the board. I’ve always liked both Silver Edition and Desert Key, so I’ll look at them. Fabulous Strike’s odds seem too short to me, but I’ll take a look at the horse and see if he’s on his toes tomorrow.

Race 7 — Just a Game Stakes:
For fillies and mares, so of course, I can’t wait. AND it’s on the turf. Caribbean Sunset, the Clement horse, across the board. With a name like I Lost My Choo, how can I resist to at least try her in the show spot. I’ll take a look at Forever Together, Modern Look, and My Princess Jess and make my place spot choice.

Race 8 — Woody Stephens Stakes:
Munnings, Hull, and Regal Ransom across the board and as a boxed trifecta. Hello Broadway is my longshot show pick.

Race 9 — Acorn Stakes;
For the fillies. Honestly, I do not have a clue which horse I’ll pick. I’d like to put Funny Moon in there somewhere, but I will wait until I see them to decide.

Race 10 — Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap Stakes:
This is a turf race with a lot of GREAT horses in it. I’m throwing Better Talk Now in there — he’s ten years old, he’s been good to me, I’m going to support him. Wesley, who I’ve championed all season, no matter where he turns up, is also in the mix. I also want to consider Court Vision, Cowboy Cal, and Cosmonaut. I’m surprised by Champes Elysees’s long odds. The choices in this field are tough.

Race 11 — Belmont Stakes
The Big Race of the Day. I’m going with Mine That Bird across the board. Summer Bird has more experience as a sprinter, so I’m surprised to see him in such a long race, and I’ll pass. I still don’t think Dunkirk will have his mental game in place until Saratoga, but I do like the horse, so I’ll also take him across the board. Chocolate Candy for place and show, although Mike Smith’s not on him this time. Flying Private ran much better in both the Derby (correction: This should read “Preakness”, not “Derby”) and the Preakness than I expected. I still think he’ll be at his best at Saratoga, but I’ll also put place and show bets on him here. I will pick a longshot horse in the post parade.

Race 12:
A very short race (6f) after a really long one. There should be some good value for money here. I’ll go with Storm Hope and Brave Soul, with Rock and Rune as my longshot show bet. If Afrikaner gets in, he’ll at least get place money. If Graceful Afleet gets in, I’ll toss some cash his way, too.

Race 13:
Another crowded race with value for money. Manchild and Golden Guska are my top two, with Skybay and One Lucky Date as my longshot picks. If the race moves off the turf and Wanda’s Double gets in, he’ll be my top choice.

Hop on over to FemmeFan next week to read my wrap-up article!

Happy Racing!

Don’t know how to bet a horse? Read my article here for my rather odd point of view!