East Coast West Coast
Saratoga and Del Mar will both be here before we know it. We plan on taking our share of big swings at both meets. We’ll see if we can pad […]
Key Races & Bets for Saturday June 29, 2024
Manila Stakes – Race 7 at Belmont at the Big A (Aqueduct) – Post Time 3:40 PM Eastern
Top Win Contenders: Please Advise, Mattingly
Although only six are entered, there’s only one from the Chad Brown barn, Move to Gold, who may be favored off a nose defeat in the Jersey Derby for weeks ago. He also won the Awad Stakes last October on this course, but he’s no standout based on a career-best 92 Equibase Speed Figure earned in the Jersey Derby. Another horse likely to take money is Deterministic, who won the Gotham Stakes on dirt in March before running exceptionally poorly in the Wood Memorial (at 4 to 5 odds) and in the Peter Pan. He’s never run on turf and will be overbet. Neat won the Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland one before his most recent race but ran inexplicably bad in the American Turf on Derby day and there is a question mark about whether he can rebound here, but he may also be bet because he’s dropping from grade 2 to grade 3. Drunk on Sake is completely over matched here coming off a maiden claiming win where he wired the field on slow fractions. He will not have the lead in this field and that takes him out of the mix.
The Wild Applause
Not many will remember Wild Applause or the family she hailed from. It was one of the best grass pedigrees I can recall and she herself could be referred to […]
The Grade 2 Bed of Roses 2024
The Belmont Festival is over and in the books. We hope you enjoyed all the coverage AmWager and Past the Wire TV brought you. I don’t think anyone out there […]
Key Races & Bets for Saturday May 11, 2024
Race 5 at Belmont at the Big A- Post Time 2:36 PM Eastern
Contenders: Borletti, Marathoner, Devil’s Cay
Add for off turf: Lookin’ Super, High Heat
This race at six furlongs on turf kicks off a great three race sequence including two stakes. Borletti has won two of seven since importing to the U.S. last September, all on dirt. However, he is bred to like the turf although he’s 0 for eight on it, but only 0 for 2 in the U.S., with both those races under a previous trainer’s care. Now in the Dutrow barn, Borletti, nearly won (missing by a nose) off the claim at this distance on dirt, then finished fourth in a race where he had significant traffic trouble. Irad Ortiz, Jr. gets on and that’s a big sign for his best race yet at Ortiz, Jr. and Dutrow are 8 for 23 together, including 5 for 7 at Aqueduct (and Belmont at the Big A) in the past two years. The 92 Equibase Speed figure Borletti earned when missing by a nose one back is the top recent figure by any horse in the field and that gives him a good shot to emerge victorious here.