Belmont Spring/Summer comes to a close today, and a mandatory payout carryover of $52,800 accompanies the annual pack up to Saratoga. Arrived back in New York last night after the annual pre-Spa stint in So. FL, and am increasingly excited about Friday’s Opening Day upstate. Fields will be drawn Tuesday for the first of 40 days at Union Avenue, and the traditional Open House Sunday this afternoon will feature 4 non-wagering National Steeplechase Association jump races and one exhibition flat race on the grass.

Everything points to a good meet at the Old Spa, despite a weak ending to the session downstate. The last 30+ days at Belmont have been difficult, with a low quality brand of racing dominating the cards. The upside at Saratoga is the influx of Kentucky horsemen that have been biding their time since the end of the Churchill Downs meet, as well as an assortment of other ship-in outfits poised to fill the entry box. Dale Romans, David Carroll, Neil Howard, Bob Baffert, Tom Proctor, Eoin Harty, Al Stall, Carl Nafzger/Ian Wilkes and more should provide the much needed boost P.J. Campo needs to add variety and depth to Saratoga 2010.

‘At the Races’ coverage of Saratoga will feature a combination of morning and afternoon broadcasts on SiriusXM and streaming on the internet, and the schedule will be finalized later this week!

BELMONT PARK

CLOSING DAY — $53k C/O MANDATORY PAY

POST-SCRATCHES

5th: CLM, 3+, 7f-T (P6, P3, DD, Super)

Most Likely: #8 Regal Prince 2-1
Best Value: #3 Straight Romance 5-1
Next Best: #4 Prince Woodman 4-1
Super Add: #5 Berning Blaze 8-1

6th: NY-CLM/N2L, 3+, 6f (G/S, P3, DD, Super)

Most Likely: #7 Smokin Conrad 6-5
Next Best: #9 Fairway Tom 2-1
Best Value: #4 Call the General 12-1
Super Add: #1 Mind Boggling 6-1

7th: MDN CLM, 3+, 7f-T (P4, P3, DD, Super)

Most Likely: #4 Beijing Blues 3-1
Best Value: #6 Military Star 6-1
Next Best: #1 Supreme Serene 5-2
Super Add: #9 Adirondack Dew 5-1

8th: NY-ALW/N1x, F&M-3+, 6f-IT (DD, Super)

Very competitive feature with all but impossible Wine Bar and Sky Fever within a length or so of each other, (including the ML favorite who would be more appropriately 5-2 instead of 8-5). Playing against Violette favorite and suggest spreading as wide as you can..

Best Value: #8 Rosie’s Run 10-1
Most Likely: #2 Pretty Cozzy 3-1
Exotics Use: #4 High Cry 4-1
Super Add: #7 Holy Blitzer 8-1

9th: CLM/N2L, F&M-3+, 8.5f-T (DD, Super)

Turner favorite Chick in Slacks has disappointed me twice in a row in starter company, but returns to level she technically cleared when gaining diploma..

Most Likely: #4 Chick in Slacks 5-2
Next Best: #7 Australis Princess 3-1
Exotics Use: #6 Playa Bonita 7-2
Super Add: #9 My Sweet Emily 12-1

10th: NY-MDN CLM, F&M-3+, 6f (Super)

Most Likely: #5 Satin Jet 5-2
Best Value: #2 Mardi Belle 5-1
Next Best: #4 Hit the Note 4-1
Super Add: #3 Cantstoplovingsue 4-1

<$200 P6 Play:

5: 3-8
6: 7-9
7: 4-6
8: 2-6-7-8-9
9: 4
10: 2-5

2x2x2x5x1x2 = 80 x $2 = $160

<$50 P4 Play:

7: 4-6
8: 2-6-7-8-9
9: 4
10: 1-2-3-4-5

2x5x1x5 = $50

Good luck!
Steve

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

Final week of racing in the New York and Los Angeles metropolitan areas with Saratoga and Del Mar looming on the horizon. But even with the winding down towards the classic summer resort meets, fireworks may still remain in the cities as Sunday’s double carryover at Hollywood demonstrated. Sequence ultimately proved reachable, as $5.5k was returned to winners, but I could only muster the $73 P4 on a $50 play, but it was a fun way to end the Summit of Speed weekend.

Hope everyone did well. Belmont action today to start this closing week… Last day of live broadcasting from Florida today as K.C. and I take a two day break before Saratoga shows start next week!

BELMONT PARK

POST-SCRATCHES

4th: MSW, 2yo-F, 5.5f (P6, P3, DD, Super)

Best Value: #6 Hey Valentina 5-1 7th
Next Best: #4 Position Limit 4-1 WON ($10.00)
Exotics Use: #7 Evangelical 3-1 2nd
Super Add: #1 Backslash 6-1 3rd

5th: CLM, 3+, 8.5f-IT (G/S, P3)

Most Likely: #4 Broad River 5-2 4th
Next Best: #2 Adagio 2-1 2nd
Best Value: #1 Parc des Princes 5-1 3rd

6th: NY-MDN CLM, 3+, 1m OFF THE TURF (P4, P3, DD, Super)

Most Likely: #2 Pegasus Ena WON ($7.40)
Next Best: #10 All Zipped Up 3rd
Exotics Use: #1 Joba 5th

7th: CLM, 3+, 8.5f OFF THE TURF (P3, DD)

Most Likely: #6 Too Amenable 2nd
Best Value: #5 Bold Vindication 3rd

8th: NY-OC/C, F&M-3+, 1m-T (DD)

Most Likely: #1 Paraiba 3-1 3rd
Next Best: #2 Cagey Girl 9-5 2nd
Best Value: #4 Our Golden Dream 5-1 4th

9th: NY-MDN CLM, 3+, 6f (Super)

Rough finish to the card with this ugly bunch o’ coconuts..

Best Value: #8 Nozzy Minogue 10-1 3rd
Next Best: #11 Uncle Pat 9-2 WON ($5.40)
Exotics Use: #10 Chuckie’s Honor 3-1 2nd

<$50 P4 Play:

6: 1-2-10
7: 5-6
8: 1-2
9: 8-10-11

3x2x2x3 = $36

Enjoyed another fun day at Calder for Summit of Speed, with solid P4 return of $400+ a bonus. Caught the Belmont P4 for $2 as well ($135), but took agonizing anchor leg beat in Monmouth P5 when Banrock fell a neck short to oncoming winner Violon Sacre. Hollywood stakes hits were nice but couldn’t negotiate P6 carry or late P4, and bulbous 2 day pot at Inglewood exceeds $514,000. Hope everybody banged a few out yesterday and did well!

HOLLYWOOD PARK

PRE-SCRATCHES

4th: CLM, 3+, 1m-T (P6, P3, DD, Super)

Short field but very good group. #6 Fire Break is the must-use and possible single try on narrowest of plays, with #4 Kris Silver the other obvious consideration..

5th: CLM/N2L, F&M-3, 7f (P3, DD, Super)

No less than 5 turn-backers here, and a couple of last out winners — almost always preferable to those that won further back on the page. #9 Ten’s Salty Sally, #1 So Hottie and #4 Simply Put are the three I’m using, with #3 Shatika’s Dream, #5 Warren’s Ruby and #6 Celebration considerations on a back-up play..

6th: MDN CLM, 3+, 6f (P4, P3, DD, Super)

#4 Nostalgic Bid has run 5 races that probably should have already produced a diploma, and that’s always disconcerting when you want to single in a situation like this. Narrow plays have to lean on the Mandella trainee, but bigger ducats will look at #1 Battle Point, #5 Boomtown and #8 Peanut Butter Boy as possible upsetters..

7th: ALW/N1X, 3+, 6f (P3, DD, Super)

Good race with as many as 5 seriously eligible for laurels. Top individual for me is #6 Mensa Heat (7-2), but #1 Our Shorty, #7 Imco Spirit, #2 Scored and #4 Mesa Thunder, (in that order of preference), could impose..

8th: 66th Landaluce, 2yo-F, 6f (DD, Super)

Juvy fillies and though #1 Belleofthebridle (5-2) looks like she’s close to #2 Dawnie Macho (2-1), I think Sadler will be tough to deny with the favored acquiree that aired in debut at Chicago with Catalano. #5 She’ll Heir and #7 Swiss Wildcat will rally and stalk respectively if the top two duel and falter..

9th: Cal-MSW, 2yo, 5.5 (Super, Super High 5)

Kind of an ugly finish to monster carryover sextet with gaggle of Cal-bred suspects signed on. Of those that have run, #1 Tribal Wish, #2 Stormin Rae and #10 Woodmans Luck are the obvious ‘most likelys’, but a firster feels like right direction to look, so #5 Tahoe Yodeler and #8 Slammer Time should be employed..

P6 Play(s):

4: 4-6
5: 1-4-9
6: 4
7: 6-7 (1-2)
8: 2
9: 1-5 (2-8-10)

Main: 2x3x1x2x1x2 = 24 x $2 = $48

<$75 P4 Play:

6: 4
7: 1-2-4-6-7
8: 1-2
9: 1-2-5-8-10

1x5x2x5 = $50 $1 P4 Pays $72.90