Belmont: Sunday, May 28

[Teach]

Good Morning from sunny Boston as we awaken to another day of exciting thoroughbred racing at “Beautiful Belmont Park”. As I think back, the first time I visited Belmont was in the spring,1968. I was then teaching on Long Island. Anyway…

Yesterday was not my best of handicapping days. I picked just two winners: Street Heat in the third and Big Handsome in the eighth. Over the last three days, I’m 9 for 28. That comes out to about 33% win mark.

My philosophy has always been “Tomorrow’s Another Day.” Well, tomorrow is here. I’ve already been studying the form. I remain optimistic. What’s that they said about the 1973 Mets, “Ya Gotta Believe!”? As one of my horse-racing buddies used to say: “All it takes is one!”

I’ll be back later with my picks for today’s Belmont Park card.
Until then, have a good Sunday morning.

[Teach]

Race One:

:2: Kohlhase gets my tepid, lukewarm nod in this 14k, n3L sprint. I watched the replay of this horse’s last race (May 4). He finished second to a runaway winner (at least in the stretch), Sammy Wonder Stone. Yet, in fairness, this gelding was a game second (just getting up for place). I’d call it a mildly troubled trip. Slight bump coming out of the gate. He had trouble finding a spot on the racetrack; he was angled out, then to the inside. I thought he was going fastest of all in the stretch. Full of run. Frankly, I’m not sure that the slight cut-back will help him. Jose Ortiz must put this gelding into the game, early. This Mineshaft-bred has certainly faced better over his racing career. Rudy Rodriguez – he does well with beaten favorites – is the gelding’s conditioner. Others: :3:, :1:, :6:

Race Two:

:1: Sophia’s Choice draws the rail (hedge) and turns back over one panel off her last outing, a race in which she finished a fading 5th. This bay-filly turfster is 5 for 10 on the lawn. She picks up the services of the veteran reinsman, Javier Castellano. Castellano is exceptional at rating horses (we saw that in The Preakness). Castellano might just grab the lead and ration out this filly’s speed. Barclay Tagg is this filly’s conditioner. Tagg does well with horses going route to sprint. Others: :2:, :3:, :7:

Race Three:

:9: Bustin It is my choice in this New York state-bred claiming sprint. This horse’s trainer, Jason Servis, is on a roll. He does particularly well with claim repeaters. This 5 year-old has won two straight in this company. The most capable Manny Franco is in the irons. Others: :6:, :4:, :2:

Race Four:

:5: Consumerconfidence is cutting back over a panel off her last route outing over four months ago. This colt picks up the services of Irad Ortiz, Jr. The colt’s trainer, “Mechanicsville Chad” Brown, is having an outstanding Belmont meet (to go along with his Preakness-winning training effort). The only note of caution is the fact that this colt has been on the shelf for several months (Brown does well in that category) and that this colt has only one second in 5 tries on the grass. Others: :3:, :4:, :1:

Race Five:

:6: Duquesne Whistle is my pick in this New York state-bred allowance sprint. I don’t usually play hunches but just the other day I was thinking about a NBA basketball player, the first African-American to be drafted by an NBA team, The Boston Celtics. His name was "Chuck" Cooper. He was an All-American at…you guessed it...Duquesne. Anyway. This colt stumbled badly at the start in his last, yet he managed to finish third. Prior to that, he broke his maiden. Racine, WI’s Linda Rice is having an excellent meet. Linda does particularly well with horses that have been on the shelf. Cornelio Velasquez is in the irons. Others: :5:, :4:, :2:

Race Six:

:6: Whiskey Seven is my choice in this turf sprint. It’s the Linda Rice-Cornelio Velasquez duo seeking to make it two in a row (at least I hope so). This gelding tried a yielding Belmont Park turf course last October against similar company and wound up finishing 7th - yet only three lengths off the winner. The gelding has been refreshed and back on his favorite surface (he’s won 2 out of 4 races on the grass). One caveat emptor: Linda Rice is only a mediocre 13% with horses making turf starts. Yet… Others: :2:, :4:, :5:

Race Seven:

:3: Mr Singh is my selection in this turf marathon. I believe this Sadler’s Wells-bred has what it takes to plod his way to victory (he’s raced in marathons in the UK). Second start off a layoff is a factor I pay close attention to. Cornelio is in the irons for trainer Elizabeth Voss. Others: :6:, :4:, :10:

Race Eight:

In this OC route I’m casting my lot with :6: Majestic Affair. This 5 year-old chestnut gelding has raced against some very tough customers over the course of his career…and, I might add, has acquitted himself very well. In his last, he was just defeated in a non-graded stake at Philly. Admittedly, he has been away from the races for a while; yet his trainer, Chad Brown, does very well in that category. “The Louisiana Kid,” “the king of Philadelphia,” Kendrick Carmouche, is in the irons. Others: :2:, :4:, :7:

Race Nine:

In the finale, a claiming turf route, n2L, my pick is :6: Astounding. This well-bred 5 year-old chestnut horse threw in “a clunker” in his last, over three months ago at Aqueduct. Well, he’s been freshened by the red-hot Jason Servis. This Tapit (Pulpit)-bred drops into “the selling ranks” for the first time, a category that Servis does very well with; Servis also does well with horses that have been on the shelf. Irad Ortiz, Jr, is in the irons. Others: :8:, :3:, :5:

[Teach]

No great surprises in the opener. It certainly appeared -- borne out --- that #s 1, 2 and 3 were the keys. Actually: :3:, :1:, :2:. I guess the surprise was the :4: completing the super. Anyway... I hope you're alive in your exotics.

[Teach]

Masterful ride by Javier. He once again timed his move, perfectly. I hope you had the exacta and/or the tri. Interested to see what they'll pay.

[Teach]

My top pick :9: looks very good on the racetrack. :3: was not one of my picks, yet he caught my eye as he entered the track.

[Teach]

I'm playing a late Pick-4. I'll be back in a few as to how I've decided to "condition" my ticket,

[Teach]

Late Pick-4:

Race Six: :6: - :4: - :5:

Race Seven: :3: - :6:

Race Eight: :6: - :2: - :4:

Race Nine: :6: - :8:

[Teach]

:2: El Talento looks good on the racetrack; you might want to consider him in the opening leg of the late Pick-4. Yet, I still believe he can be had.