Selections

Belmont May 20

Race 1

  • 2  Queens Tiara  2-1

  • 5  Ragazza Piu Bella  5/2

  • 3 Lil Renegade  5-1

Queens Tiara drops down in price for Pletcher – possible opportunity to start making space in his stable. Should have no problem with the distance and has a win in one try at BEL. Ragazza Piu Bella was claimed last out by Bruce Brown and he drops her into this spot today. Last race wasn’t great but prior to that had run figures that would be competitive here. Lil Renegade took 15 tries to break her maiden but in this field has outs.

Race 2 

  • 5  Yenta   2-1

  • 8  Secret Eden  5/2

  • 6  Naughty Grace  4-1

Yenta didn’t appear to care for the mud last out but run well in the penultimate race. Nobody sticks out on figures so I like a horse with fewer starts. Secret Eden puts the blinkers on after running so-so on the turf last out. Back to the dirt today and she seems better suited for that surface. Naughty Grace has been working a while to break her maiden but does seem apt to finish in the money.

Race 3 

  • 6  Noble and True  9/5

  • 7  Drop Shot  2-1

  • 2  Chomsky  4-1

Noble and True puts the blinkers on today. Has excellent turf breeding and if his dirt figures transfer he looks the fastest. Drop Shot perked up when moved to the turf last out and looks like the primary competition. Chomsky has been trying this for a while but hasn’t cracked through. Still looks solid in the verticals.

Race 4

  • 2/2B  Live in Joy/Frogman Mel  9/5

  • 3  Midnight Notes  2-1

  • 1/1A  Husband’s Folly/LIttle Jerry  5/2

  • 7 Coturnix  4-1

This race could be a mess after scratches. The Steve Klesaris entry of Live In Joy and Frogman Mel gets the nod. Live In Joy is jumping up but does generally run hard. Frogman Mel figures well at the distance and on the turf. Midnight Notes has been close lately but needs to show some courage in the stretch. Both of the David Jacobson entry of Husband’s Folly and Little Jerry aren’t likely to get to the gate, but Little Jerry looks like the strongest entrant here. Coturnix looked very good before shipping off to FG. Could inherit the lead if Little Jerry doesn’t go.

Race 5 

  • 11  Street Fightin Man  3-1

  • 7  Shootout  5/2

  • 2  Risky Sour  4-1

  • 9  Fleeting Gold  9/2

I’ll be honest. This field is horrible. Hardly any horse looks well meant for the turf, and a number of them are professional maidens. I only provide picks to have something going in the horizontals. Street Fightin Man will have to draw into this race, but he’s been gelded since his last and has the best figure of the field. Shootout is one making his turf debut and actually has some decent turf breeding. Risky Sour is 0 for 21, and normally I pitch those horses out of hand, but in this field he’s got a chance to be part of the picture. Fleeting Gold hasn’t been on the turf but he has some speed and if he grabs the surface he’ll be competitive. Shootout is another making his turf debut and actually has some decent turf breeding.

Race 6

  • 8  Stone Supplier  2-1

  • 2  Is She Hot  3-1

  • 5  Lutheran Miss  7/2 

  • 6  Just Catty  4-1

Stone Supplier didn’t run well on the sloppy track last out but prior to that had the top figure in the field. Makes a pretty steep drop, but if the horse is right she should be the winner. Is She Hot just won at this level and she is capable of putting together back to back good starts. Lutheran Miss gets a nice switch to Jose Ortiz and should fit well in this group. Just Catty has been banging at this level for a while and has potential to be part of the verticals.

Race 7 

  • 3  More Than Rainbows  3-1

  • 2  Saratoga Karaoke  3-1

  • 5  Magsamelia  4-1

  • 4  Chow Fun   4-1

More Than Rainbows comes off the HORSES TO WATCH list and that improvement on the turf gives her the nod today. Saratoga Karaoke is making her 2016 debut. Last year her first race of the year produced a winning effort. She certainly has the talent to be a factor. Magsamelia should be the speed here and her last was better than looked against a more talented field. Chow Fun just won at this level and cuts back in distance today.

Race 8

  • 4  Uncle Youdge  5/2

  • 3  Summer Candy  7/2

  • 1  Man of Wiregrass  4-1

  • 5  E J’s Legacy  5-1

Uncle Youdge has two nice races at LRL and ships over for good percentage trainer Hugh McMahon. I like the improvement potential. Summer Candy makes his 2016 debut for Christophe Clement. He adds blinkers today and if he runs to last year’s numbers he’s in the mix. Man of Wiregrass ran a bang-up race on the turf last out and jumps up in price for his first with trainer Klesaris. E J’s Legacy is stakes placed with statebreds and his best race is on the turf. Interesting prospect.

Race 9 

  • 7  Pussy Willow   5/2

  • 10  Rosey Bay  3-1

  • 11  Three Eighty Eight  3-1

  • 12  Love Blues  3-1

  • 14  She’s All Love  3-1

This is another impossible race. Of the horses with turf experience in the main field Pussy Willow and Rosey Bay stand out. The three other horses – Three Eighty Eight, Love Blues, and She’s All Love all are on the also eligible list. If any or all draw in they would be contenders.