7/15: Belmont Park (1st-9th)
 

Weather tore up the start to closing week at Belmont Wednesday, but today's fun card looks like it should stay largely intact with only the 4th race off the turf so far... "Best Of" At the Races today and tomorrow with 'Bobby Frankel Remembered' and '2010 Triple Crown Highlights'... Saratoga broadcasts start next week!


BELMONT PARK


POST-SCRATCHES


1st: ALW/N1X, F&M-3+, 7f-T (P3, DD)

Tricky little group of 6 in the opener, with Mott comebacker Phantom Rising returning off 476 day break, and all others except Citifiesta cutting back from turf routes..

Most Likely: #4 Hatheer 2-1 WON ($9.90)
Next Best: #2 Citifiesta 5-1
Best Value: #5 Exchange Funds 10-1 2nd


2nd: MSW, 2yo, 5.5f (P4, P3, DD, Super)

Juveniles coming out with more regularity now, and this group of 7 features the next 2 Bernardini babies to run (#3 Stay Thirsty and #5 Scoville). Stay Thirsty, a $500k 2yo in training buy by Mike Repole, is a half brother to Andromeda's Hero; #4 Punster, from Frank Alexander and Dogwood, is a Distorted Humor chestnut bred by Tom Van Meter out of his excellent race filly Victory U.S.A. (Victory Gallop-Fordyce by Cox's Ridge). A Bob Baffert trainee, Victory U.S.A. was a top juvenile in the outstanding crop of 2003 missies, winning the Mocassin, placing in the Frizette (Society Selection) and Del Mar Debutante (Halfbridled), and finishing third to Halfbridled and Ashado in the BC Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita; #7 Sovereign Default, the oldest baby in the bunch as a January foal, is bred to be fast early being by Northern Afleet out of the 10x winning sprinting terror She is Raging..

Most Likely: #4 Punster 7-2 3rd
Next Best: #7 Sovereign Default 5-2 WON ($7.10)
Exotics Use: #3 Stay Thirsty 2-1 2nd
Super Add: #5 Scoville 9-2 4th


3rd: MSW, F&M-3+, 6.5f (P3, DD)

More interesting pedigrees in group of 3yo fillies with debuts from #1 Miss Vindictive, a half to Get Funky and Mayan King, and #2 Arena Elvira was a $210k OBS yearling by Stephen Got Even out of millionaire Two Item Limit who counted heroics in the Tempted and Desmoiselle at 2 and the Black-Eyed Susan and Comely at 3 among her 7 career victories. #3 Freedom Flag has tried unsuccessfully to win 4 times, but all her siblings have been largely disappointments considering the quality of dam Runup the Colors, the 1997 Alabama winner for Neil Howard..

Most Likely: #6 Ivybridge 1-1 3rd
Best Value: #1 Miss Vindictive 12-1 5th
Next Best: #5 Wild Banshee 5-1 4th


4th: CLM/N2L, 3+, 6f OFF THE TURF (P6, P3, DD)

Most Likely: #9 SCR
Next Best: #2 Richie Rules 12-1 WON ($4.30)
Best Value: #4 Seis de Mayo 5-1 3rd


5th: S/ALW, 3+, 8.5f (G/S, P3, DD)

Best Value: #5 Clear Faith 9-2 6th
Next Best: #7 Bad Action 2-1 2nd
Exotics Use: #2 Seniors Pride 5-2 3rd


<$50 P4 Play:

2: 4-7
3: 1-2-5-6
4: 2-9/SCR
5: 2-5-7

2x4x2x3 = $48


6th: NY-MDN CLM, F&M-3+, 8.5f-T (P4, P3, DD, Super)

Most Likely: #5 No Imagination 5-2 2nd
Best Value: #8 Ruby's Magic Spell 5-1 6th
Next Best: #6 Lemon Tiger 7-2 WON ($6.90)
Super Add: #4 Crystal Galopoff 10-1 7th


7th: S/ALW, F&M-3+, 6f-IT (P3, DD)

Best Value: #2 Princess Maura 6-1 5th
Next Best: #8 Tempest Storm 2-1 2nd
Exotics Use: #7 Talented Princess 5-2 4th


8th: NY-OC/N2X, 3+, 7f-T (DD, Super)

Not a lot of speed involved here, and wonder if Dominguez can't stay the trip on/near lead with OK for turf Brazen Kat? 12-1 can make up for fact that Duggan is 0 for 20 with dirt-turf moves..

Best Value: #5 Brazen Kat 12-1 7th
Next Best: #3 Gold Vendetta 7-2 5th
Exotics Use: #9 Mor Chances 2-1 WON ($5.80)
Super Add: #8 Hot Money 5-2 2nd


9th: MDN CLM, 3+, 7f (Exacta only)

Most Likely: #3 Sea of Liquidity 2-1 2nd
Next Best: #2 W. W.'s Lady's Man 5-2 WON ($4.90)
Best Value: #9 Seeking Anita 15-1 5th


<$50 P4 Play:

6: 5-8
7: 2-7-8
8: 3-5-8-9
9: 2-3

2x3x4x2 = $48


Good luck!
Steve

Jury is still out but this Repole dude (made made the jump from claimers with Levine to the Pletcher big time) seems to the latest in line of a bunch of very astute purchasers that just seem to never overpay. This list includes Klaravich, Zayat, West Point, etc.

One is envious of the way this group just seems to sniff out all the bargains and never seems to overpay.

You're not suggesting that a half a million is too much to pay for a half to a superstar like Andromeda's Hero....are you?

Formulate Klaravich/Rick first out last 2 years.

No idea. Was $900K too much to pay for the half to Midnite Lute that ran so well the other day for Pletcher? Or was $100k too much to pay for the Speightstown by Repole that beat one horse at DEL on Tuesday?

And just think how much Nicanor and Lentenor would've brought had they been offered for sale?

I'm just saying I look at the amount of money these guys pay for horses, and the results, and just wonder.

Who are you betting in a match race between a RHT/Violette firster vs a Giants Causeway/Baffert firster?

The GOAT

Allen Jerkens?

Bob

I know, I was mocking calling Baffert the GOAT.

I like the 1, in the 8th. A lot.

:tro::tro::tro: