Belmont Stakes Supporting Card

The Breeders’ Cup is the best night of racing that America has in the eyes of many but Belmont’s card that supports the final leg of the Triple Crown makes for one of the best cards seen all year. Five other Grade 1’s are being run in New York tonight, starting with the Acorn Stakes where My Miss Sophia is likely to take some stopping following a fine second in the Kentucky Oaks last time. She had previously romped the Gazelle Stakes at Aqueduct, beating Got Lucky on the Bridle, and should take the beating here with the drop back of a furlong. It’s hard to see her getting beaten, although there is set to be a lot of early competition and a wide gate of eight is not wholly ideal for her to reach the lead or the early pace; She doesn’t have to, but it’s worth having in mind for odds on backers.

The last time Sweet Reason ran over a mile here she was second to Artemis Aregora she blew her chance at the very start before closing late, and while she was well beaten in the Gazelle Stakes behind My Miss Sophia, she’s now 7lbs better off at a trip that may turn out to be a better fir for her. Artemis Aragora is also here but returns to the track for the first time since November and was a disappointment in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile fillies. Also of interest is Unbrieded Forever, who was third and well beaten in the Kentucky Oaks but looked a non-stayer there and the time before in the Fair Ground Oaks. Today’s trip may be a better fit for her too and she deserves a second look.

The action only gets better from then on, with the Ogden Phillips Bringing back the three main players from last year’s Breeders’ Cup distaff (arguably the strongest race of the meeting) where Beholder romped Close Hatches and Princess of Sylmar was well below form.

It’s understandable that Beholder, having reappeared with an easy win at Santa Anita in the Santa Lucia Stakes, is favourite to repeat the dose again, and she will take some catching, but Close Hatches may be better than that run suggested, and on the track that she seemed to relish when she won the Mother Goose so impressively, it’s not hard to think she has home court advantage today. Princess of Sylmar, a multiple Grade 1 winner, will rate a huge threat in what could be the race of the evening.

The Just a Game Stakes is a well contested renewal, with Discreet Marq hard to knock as favourite although last year’s second Better Lucky was giving 2lbs when just behind her at Holywood in December, and judged on how she clawed up the ground when second on synthetic behind Judy the Beauty (one of the country’s best polytrack horses) trying it for the first time on reappearance, suggests that she’s as good as ever and can make a bold bid to go one better this time. Stephanie’s Kitten, who beat Better Lucky in this last yard, was so abysmal on return it’s hard to trust even the Chad Brown yard to improve her to winning again.

The Just a Game Stakes (9.00) is a well contested renewal, with Discreet Marq hard to knock as favourite although last year’s second Better Lucky was giving 2lbs when just behind her at Holywood in December, and judged on how she clawed up the ground when second on synthetic behind Judy the Beauty (one of the country’s best polytrack horses) trying it for the first time on reappearance, suggests that she’s as good as ever and can make a bold bid to go one better this time. Stephanie’s Kitten, who beat Better Lucky in this last yard, was so abysmal on return it’s hard to trust even the Chad Brown yard to improve her to winning again.

In the Metropolitan Handicap (9.48) it should be hard to get Palace Malice beaten, but carrying his welter burden to victory would be an impressive feat. A price of 9/4 is nothing to get enthused about, and he’s another 2lbs worse off with Normandy invasion for their meeting in the New Orleans handicap, while he’s also down on the rail around this 1 turn mile with 12 other rivals, not entirely ideal. Goldencent’s Breeders Cup Dirt Mile romp is a performance as good as any here and the track is playing for speed but he may overdo it early – as has happened to him on occasions – and he has to prove as good here.

Central Banker’s win in the Churchill Downs Stakes is a key form effort, William Lawrence’s 4 year old having beaten Shakin It Up and Clearly Now in a stretch drive. Shakin It Up was giving 5lbs that day to the pair and is weighted to come out on top of the three today, while Mike Smith may have gone too soon on Derby day, and he is interesting at 9/1.

In the Knob Creek Manhattan Stakes (10.45), Seek Again can continue his rapid profression. A rapidly progressive colt for John Gosden last year, he landed the Holywood Derby on turf on his last start for the yard and was the moved to the William Mott yard, a switch that has not had any sort of adverse effect upon him given how impressive he was in defeat to Wise Dan on his return in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic. He may have yet more to give while many of his rivals are more exposed and in any case, his form from Churchill stands him in exceptionally good stead here. Grandeur, running on Lasix for the first time, may be able to reverse form with Imagining (who got a soft lead upfront) and Real Solutions, having been short in the stretch for room when they began to sprint for home, and he gives Jeremy Noseda a live chance here.

Advice

1 pt each/way Sweet Reason, Acorn Stakes (7.34 Belmont, 10/1 general)

1 pt win Close Hatches, Ogden Phllips Stakes, (8.14 Belmont, 11/4 Stan James)

1 pt win Better Lucky, Just a Game Stakes, (9.00 Belmont, 4/1 general)

1 pt each/way Shakin It Up, Metropolitan Handicap, (9.48 Belmont, 9/1 general)

1 pt win Seek Again, Manhattan Stakes, (10.45 Belmont, 10/3 Paddy Power)