It’s Belmont Stakes Day at Saratoga Race Course!
Let the races begin with rain in the forecast, and perhaps letting up by the time the 157th Belmont Stakes (G1) rolls around at about 7 p.m. ET.
And don’t forget to bring your rain ponchos if you’re headed to the track, with the first post time at 10:45 a.m. and the final race going off at 8:04 p.m.
Betting on Belmont Stakes Day is a marathon for handicappers, with 14 races on the program, topped, of course, by the $2 million Belmont Stakes featuring Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Sovereignty and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Journalism in a field of eight going 1 ¼ miles – likely over a wet, muddy, or sloppy dirt track.
The Belmont Stakes odds will continue to change as the day goes on, and betting patterns should be interesting depending on the amount of rainfall and the condition of the track.
The fourth day of the five-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at the Spa includes four additional Grade 1 races – the Metropolitan Handicap, the Woody Stephens Stakes, the Jaipur Stakes, and the Manhattan Stakes.
Early odds show Journalism remaining as the favorite, with Derby third-place finisher Baeza up to the second betting choice ahead of Derby winner Sovereignty. Rodriguez is next, followed by Crudo, Hill Road, Heart of Honor, and Uncaged. Expect multiple changes throughout the day.
Sovereignty, Journalism, Baeza, and Uncaged have all run well over a sloppy track.
When it rained it poured. And the results of the top races of the day were surprising, especially in the Acorn Stakes (G1) with 3-10 favorite Good Cheer unable to handle the sloppy/sealed track and was defeated for the first time after going 7-for-7.
Also, the Belmont Gold Cup at 2 miles on the turf was moved to the main track at 1 ¾ miles after a heavy downpour turned the turf course into a soggy mess.
-- Ways and Means ($3), the 1-2 favorite, romped by 7 ¾ lengths in the Bed o’ Roses Stakes (G2) over a fast track before the rain started.
-- Two hours later, with the track sloppy/sealed, Dorth Vader ($19.80) won the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) by 4 ¾ lengths over Dazzling Move, with favorite Raging Sea third and Randomized fifth.
-- Parchment Party ($16) won the Belmont Gold Cup (G3) by 8 ½ lengths as he got into the field off the also-eligible list after four scratches due to the change to the dirt. The winner earned a ‘Golden Ticket’ berth to the Melbourne Cup (G1) in November.
-- La Cara ($17.40) loved the slop and won the Acorn Stakes by three lengths over Look Forward, with previously unbeaten Good Cheer fifth of six.
“It just wasn’t her day. Graveyard of champions, weather and tracks are a great equalizer,’’ Good Cheer’s trainer Brad Cox said. “She’s performed on an off track. I’m not going to use that as an excuse. For whatever reason, she just wasn’t up for giving her ‘A’ effort today.”
-- She Feels Pretty ($3) beat longshot Beach Bomb by a half-length with a strong stretch run in the New York Stakes (G1) for her fourth straight win. It was the fourth Grade 1 victory for the 4-year-old filly.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
