Thoroughbreds Friday -- McMudder on Belmont Park and Getting a Little Naughty at Laurel
Today and tomorrow will be all about Belmont Park for Mick. And very little will be about the Belmont Stakes itself (Tacitus, just saying although the odds may be too short on a still unproven runner). So why the love for NY? Because the cards for today and tomorrow are packed with over the top talent. Other than the Breeder’s Cup two-day extravaganza, there is no other race weekend with as much high quality equine talent as will be on display today and tomorrow (and yesterday!). So play hooky, skip today’s staff meeting, pick the kids up early from school, and get to Elmont! Why today? Because the racing is just as good and the crowds are much lighter. For Mick, it’s all about the racing and not about the pomp and circumstance. Although Royal Ascot is a heck of a show but that’s later in the month. Today, good old American racing at the Big Sandy.
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PICKS FOR JUNE 7, 2019
Mostly sunny and cooler with less humidity. Just warm enough to warrant an adult beverage and just cool enough that you won’t be sweating before you get through the turnstyles.
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Belmont Race 5 (2:58) – Bed O’Roses Invitational (G3)
A loaded field of older fillies and mares that have been successful but not at quite the level envisioned by their connections. 7-Separationofpowers is the only Grade 1 winner in the field and her form and regularity since that victory are questionable. 4-Pacific Gale is coming off two good efforts, including finishing ahead of the 7 last out but trainer John Kimmel is getting too good at running second to put this one on top. 3-Chalon appears to be the most consistent of the group and ran well at Pimlico off the winter break. Trainer Arnaud Delacour doesn’t race much in NY but when the Lael Stable has a good one, he goes wherever they need to go to win. 5-Dawn the Destroyer fits but may be a step behind the top ones.
Belmont Race 5
$10 W/P/S 3-Chalon
$2 Exacta 3/7
$1 Trifecta box 3,4,7
$0.10 Superfecta box 3,4,5,7
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Belmont Race 7 (4:09) – Tremont Stakes
Awesome 2 year old stakes race with a stand out trained by Wesley Ward. Not a big surprise there. 2-Maven, a son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (might want to program that into your spell checker, Mick will be using it a lot in the future), won his first race but was green and could have done more. 4-Fore Left makes the trip across the country so his connections are thinking big things. His maiden effort was solid but will his speed and fade work with an extra furlong? 7-Memorable showed some gumption in the lane and finished out a tough race in the slop at Churchill. He has an awesome off track pedigree so the fast surface may be to his detriment.
Belmont Race 7
$10 W/P/S 7-Memorable
$2 Exacta box 2,7
$1 Trifecta box 2,4,7
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MICK’S QUICKIES
Belmont Race 8 (4:42) -True North Stakes (G2): 3-Catalina Cruiser may be wonderful but the BC effort to end the year was poor and first off the layoff is not a Mick angle. Instead 7-Whitmore reunites trainer and jockey combo that got beat just a neck in this race last year.
Belmont Race 9 (5:15) – New York Stakes (G2): 1-Holy Helena is the hot horse in the field and has shown improvement since getting Lasix three back. Didn’t close the deal in this race last year but comes back bigger, stronger, and medicated.
Belmont Race 10 (5:48) – Belmont Gold Cup (G2): 6-Arklow has but one question to answer: Can he get the two-mile distance? He is faster than these at lesser trips but this is a marathon and he is unproven here. 9-Canessar ran second in this race last year and shows up to go one better except the field is tougher this year.
Laurel Race 1 (1:10) - 10-Naughty Thoughts is improving race over race and how can you not like naughty thoughts?