Rain or shine, let the festival begin.
The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course opens Thursday, with a poor weather forecast and an excellent four days of racing featuring 24 stakes worth $10.25 million.
Saratoga’s First Belmont Stakes Racing Festival gets underway Thursday
The 156th Belmont Stakes (G1), the final leg of the Triple Crown, is Saturday; Thursday’s card at the Spa is highlighted by the $250,000 Belmont Gold Cup (G2), a 2-mile test for older turf horses.
Also on Thursday is a trio of $150,000 ungraded stakes: the Tremont for 2-year-olds; the Jersey Girl for 3-year-old fillies, and the Astoria for 2-year-old fillies.
The weather does not look favorable for this unique weekend – the Belmont moved to the Spa for the first time as Belmont Park undergoes a massive rebuild.
Thursday’s forecast calls for showers and thunderstorms most of the day, with temperatures in the mid-to-high 70s. From 2 p.m.-to-7 p.m. ET, the chance of thunderstorms ranges from 54% to 98% by 6 p.m. Friday remains unsettled with rain possible, and Saturday calls for rain later in the day (post time for the Belmont is 6:41 p.m.)
A brief look at Thursday’s stakes:
$250,000 Belmont Gold Cup (G2), post time 5:50 p.m.
Siskany. DWC Photo
Siskany, who won last year’s Gold Cup at Belmont Park, is the even-money favorite to go back-to-back in what’s expected to be a full field of 12. The weather could be an issue in this one on turf, so be aware of the track conditions.
Godolphin-owned Siskany, trained by Charlie Appleby, will be ridden by William Buick out of post 12. Last year, he stalked the leaders from fifth, took charge in the stretch and won by two lengths.
The 6-year-old gelding raced in Dubai over the winter and won two 1 ¾-mile races with Buick aboard. His most recent race, he ran fourth in the two-mile Dubai Gold Cup (G2) over good ground in March.
“He’s in good form and hopefully he can get it done again,’’ Appleby said.
Starting Over is the 9-2 second choice for trainer Mike Maker, who also sends out Lucky Curlin and Really Good. Many Franco has the call from post 5.
Starting Over comes into the race off a neck victory over Tawny Port in the 11-furlong Mac Diarmida (G2) at Gulfstream Park in March.
The winner earns an automatic berth into the $8.4 million Melbourne Cup (G1) at Flemington Racecourse in Victoria, Australia, on Nov. 5.
Also in the field is Graham Motion-trained The Grey Wizard, who closed with a strong rally to finish behind Siskany in the 2023 Belmont Gold Cup. John Velazquez has the call again, from post 11.
The picks: 1 The Grey Wizard 2 Siskany 3 Starting Over
$150,000 Tremont [post time1:22 p.m.]
Touchy is set for his racing debut in this 5 1/2 furlong sprint for 2-year-olds. A son of Nyquist, the colt is the 2-1 favorite in a field of eight.
Trained by Wesley Ward, Touchy has been working at Keeneland, with a 4-furlong work in 47.00 seconds on May 25 – the second fastest of 111 at the distance. He went 4-furlongs on Friday, May 31, at Saratoga’s Oklahoma training track.
Also entered is debut-winner Classic of Course at 7-2 and Three Echoes, the 5-2 second choice.
The picks: 1 Classic of Course 2 Three Echoes 3 Dew
$150,000 Jersey Girl [post time 2:28 p.m.]
Almostgone Rocket is the 6-5 favorite in the 5-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies. A field of eight is entered.
Trained by Brad Cox, the filly comes into the race off two dominant allowance-level victories. Flavien Prat has the call leaving from post 5.
Pennsylvania-bred Gray Lightning is the 7-2 second choice after a pair of wins by a combined 26 ¾ lengths for trainer Tyler Servis. She’s had three works since her latest race, recently covering 4 furlongs in 47.24 seconds on Friday, May 31, at Parx.
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher sends out two contenders: undefeated Manama Gold and maiden-winner Roman Grace.
The picks: 1 Gray Lightning 2 Almostgone Rocket 3 Roman Grace
$150,000 Astoria [post time 5:17 p.m.]
French Horn, an impressive maiden winner, make her stakes debut in this 5 ½-furlong sprint for 2-year-old fillies. A field of nine is entered.
Trained by Mark Casse, French Horn was a gate-to-wire winner at first asking going 4 ½ furlongs over Tapeta at Woodbine on May 23.
Long Neck Paula, trained by Wesley Ward, is the 2-1 favorite, with French Horn at 7-2. West Memorial is 4-1.
“She trained well on the dirt at Ocala for us and we sent her to Woodbine as she is a Canadian-bred,’’ Casse said. “Her pedigree is a little more dirt than anything. I think she’ll run well in the Astoria.”
Long Neck Paula leaves from post 9 with John Velazquez aboard. She led at every pole leaving from post 11 in her debut win at Churchill Downs on May 2.
“She’s all speed. Just a fast-looking rocket ship,” Ward said. “We’re going to hopefully take advantage of the early stakes races being short distances and judge each race one at a time and go from there.”
The picks: 1 Long Neck Paula 2 The Queens MG 3 French Horn