A great day of racing at Belmont Park, here are a few selections from Santa Anita, Belmont, and of course the Belmont Stakes!

Santa Anita

3^rd Race – We’ll give a shout out to our own Two Fifty Coup to run well first time out. Like most horses, may need a race to show his best but he is training very well for this.

8^th Race – The Honeymoon – Grade II. Miss Sienna makes her U.S. debut and might just be ready to beat a suspect field for this level.

Pre-Belmont races; A few selections….

2^nd Race - Easy Goer Stakes. We like Mask to rebound from a poor race in the slop at Churchill last time and win here.

4^th Race – The Acorn Grade 1. Thinking Caledonia Road ready for her best against a super tough field, just maybe at a reasonable price.

7^th Race – Woody Stephens Grade II. Like two horses here, Engage & World of Trouble.

8^th Race – Just A Game Grade 1.  On Leave and Off Limits both love Belmont and come from top barns, A Raving Beauty galloped in her U.S. debut and could be the best of all at a short price.

9^th Race – Metropolitan Grade 1. Wow, what a race! Not sure if Mind Your Biscuits wants a mile, and comes back from overseas first time back which is never easy, but he loves Belmont and is the most talented of many top horses here. Goes against the grain, but will pick him to overcome the challenges and to get the money.  

11th The Belmont Stakes Grade 1

The quest for a Triple Crown makes any Belmont a thrill, this year perhaps especially so with a lightly raced, brilliant colt looking to become only the second undefeated triple crown winner in history (Seattle Slew is the only one to date). Admittedly, Kenwood has a ‘rooting interest’ in seeing Justify win, as we have a very fine filly by his sire, Scat Daddy, in Lisa Limon. That said, we’re one for logic over heart when it comes to handicapping, so we won’t let that stand in the way here and will select the lightly raced Hofburg to upset Justify and grace the Belmont winner’s circle on Saturday. Bred to handle the distance (vital in this race perhaps more than any other), he’s comes into this sharp, fresh, and appears to have the natural talent to win here. His 7^th in the Kentucky Derby was deceptively good, as he was repeatedly bumped and shuffled back, yet rallied stoutly from far back to pass 2/3 of the field by the wire.

Justify is unbeaten in his five lifetime starts. He was spectacular in the Derby Preps, impressive in the Derby, and gamely hung on after a speed duel with Good Magic to win the Preakness by a diminishing ½ length on a sloppy track in the fog. His numbers (speed ratings) however have been declining, an indication perhaps that the demanding triple crown trail is taking its toll and making him ripe for an upset. After the Preakness, I’d have given him no shot to win the Belmont and would have bet on him finishing totally off the board. Since then however, his workouts have been nothing short of spectacular, so he may be the rare horse who can overcome fresher horses and handle this demanding task. The #1 post doesn’t help here, as he’s going to be inside of any other speed horse and Mike Smith will probably need to come out running. A lot depends on the pace scenario. If he’s able to either make the lead fairly easily, or sit a close 2^nd/3^rd without being asked much, he has a legitimate shot to get the job done.  His pedigree doesn’t scream 1&1/2 miles, but it also doesn’t scream it being totally out of reach for a horse with his heart and talent. Can he win with the right setup? assuredly yes. Will he get that set up and win? I’ll guess that Noble Indy will pressure him early, just enough for him to get beaten in a game effort. I see him 2^nd or 3^rd in here, in a race much like with Smarty Jones, run down in the stretch by one or two fresher horses bred for the classic distance, but victory is not impossible. If he wins this race he’ll have earned his spot in history, and the Kenwood family will certainly be cheering for him to do it.

Tenfold and Vino Rosso, both by Curlin, are fresh, improving horses with the pedigree to win it all, if the top two falter.