Finally Blemont Week . . . whadaya think?

[JolyB]

My overall level of enthusiasm dropped a bit when I looked at the rest of the Belmont card. The run of Grade 1 races with storied reputations is still there, but where are the horses? I'm referring to the number of graded stakes with very small fields - the Acorn, the Just A Game, the Ogden Phipps and the Met Mile all have only 5 entrants; the Woody Stephens only 6 and the Brooklyn only 7. Fortunately the Jaipur and the Manhattan both have full fields and appear to be good betting races.

It may be tough to find much betting value in some of those races with small fields, no matter how good the horses who are running might be. Don't get me wrong. I love to watch talented horses running, but some of those Grade 1 races will be great races to watch but not so good for betting.

[DonGuido]

Originally Posted by JolyB

My overall level of enthusiasm dropped a bit when I looked at the rest of the Belmont card. The run of Grade 1 races with storied reputations is still there, but where are the horses? I'm referring to the number of graded stakes with very small fields - the Acorn, the Just A Game, the Ogden Phipps and the Met Mile all have only 5 entrants; the Woody Stephens only 6 and the Brooklyn only 7. Fortunately the Jaipur and the Manhattan both have full fields and appear to be good betting races.

It may be tough to find much betting value in some of those races with small fields, no matter how good the horses who are running might be. Don't get me wrong. I love to watch talented horses running, but some of those Grade 1 races will be great races to watch but not so good for betting.

Yes, pretty sorry!

[JolyB]

Having a stretch of 9 Grade 1 (well, the Brooklyn is a grade 2, but it was once a grade 1, so please allow me a bit of poetic license) races in a row is a type of horseplayer heaven, and a number of the stars that will be running tomorrow should make for a fun day. Right now, the weather looks ideal.

The only fly in this ointment is that with so many very small fields, I suspect that many of us will be making virtually the same picks in a majority of the races in the points contest. There are such a limited number of alternatives, particularly since the points contest offers no premium for picking a horse with value. Of course Echo Zulu, Jack Christopher and Flightline appear in almost everyone's top slot. I wouldn't be surprised if the points winner is the player who does that best job of picking his or her way through the puzzles offered by the Jaipur and the Manhattan, two races that so far remain a mystery to me.

Notwithstanding all of that, I hope that all of you have an enjoyable and profitable day.