Saturday’s 11-race card at Belmont Park, dubbed the Stars and Stripes Racing Festival, Comprises five graded stakes events, highlighted by a pair of Grade 1s, the Belmont Derby Invitational and Belmont Oaks Invitational.
The 750,000 Belmont Oaks is restricted to three-year-old fillies and will be run in a distance of 1 1/4 miles on the inner turf program. The race is the first gem in the newly created»Turf Tiara», together with the show continuing with all the Saratoga Oaks and ending with the Jockey Club Oaks.
The $1 million Belmont Derby are also run at 1 1/4 miles on the grass and also kicks off a new series, the»Turf Trinity,» which includes the inaugural Saratoga Derby and ends with the Jockey Club Derby in September.
Let’s take a closer look at those Grade 1 races.
The Belmont Oaks odds, analysis and selections Concrete Rose is listed because the 3/1 second choice in the morning line, but she’s two-for-two this season, both victories impressive Grade 3 scores, including beating Newspaperofrecord in May at Churchill Downs. This filly has lost only once in her career and might be tough to down now.
Newspaperofrecord will be receiving plenty of attention as the 5/2 favored but has not managed to carry her speed in two outings this season, finishing second both times. But the Chad Brown trainee was a big turf star in 2018, also if this lady can throttle down her speed a notch and relax, she’ll be able to get clear from the lane and then hang . The 10-furlong space is a concern, but she’ll figure it out now.
Olendon (9/2) is a European star who had been beaten by just a span at this distance in her last outing.
Coral Beach (15/1) is an interesting horse, as she only has two wins from 16 starts but conducted a credible fourth in her latest outing in a field of 27 horses in Ascot. This girl looks like a live longshot Saturday off this attempt.
The field is rounded out by undefeated Cafe Americano (12/1), Ascot Freight Just Beautiful (10/1), Japan invader Jodie (12/1), Dyna Passer (30/1) and Cambier Parc (8/1), who defeated Newspaperofrecord from the Wonder Again Stakes.
The Belmont Derby will be conducted as seventh race on the 11-race card with post time group at 3:30 pm. CT (NBC).
Selections:
No. 2 NEWSPAPEROFRECORD, 5/2 chances: Puts it all together today No. 3 CORAL BEACH, 15/1: Beat 23 horses in her last race
No. 4 CONCRETE ROSE, 3/1: Should be tough here
No. 9 CAMBIER PARC, 4/1: Beat the top pick over this track
The Belmont Derby odds, analysis and selections Digital Age (9/2) and Demarchelier (6/1) both assess to this race with ideal three-for-three records. They’re also both trained by Chad Brown, with a total of four horses entered at the Belmont Derby, and is capable of winning this race.
Seismic Wave (5/1) comes into the Belmont Derby off a strong finish in the Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont on June 1, where he just missed by a neck. The son of Tapit should love this space and can produce a wonderful turn of foot at the lane should in the mood.
Cape of Good Hope (10/1) was last seen at Royal Ascot finishing 10th at the exact same 1 1/4-mile space. He is far better than that last race suggests, and an afternoon at Belmont might only be exactly what this Irish-bred should wake up.
Rockemperor (8/1) ships into New York after conducting all seven career races at France. He completed sixth of 15 horses in the Prix de Jockey Club and today finds himself at the capable hands of Brown.
Master Fencer (12/1) may find this race a bit easier and more to his liking than the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. We could probably assume he’ll be flying and come up a bit short, but he is nearer now.
Those are the best contenders as I see it in this race.
The area is going to be performed by Social Paranoia (8/1), Moon Colony (12/1), Henley’s Joy (12/1), Spinoff (15/1), Plus Que Parfait (15/1), Standard Deviation (15/1), English Bee (30/1) and Blenheim Palace (30/1), together with He’s No Lemon, (30/1) on the also-eligible list, hoping to get a defection.
The Belmont Derby will be run as the ninth race with a post time of 4:44 pm. CT (NBC).
Selections:
No. 3 SEISMIC WAVE 5/1: Powerful stretch move in last makes him hard now No. 9 CAPE OF GOOD HOPE 10/1: Would wake up at Belmont
No. 13 DIGITAL AGE 9/2: Colt is an ideal 3/3 and should make some noise
No. 7 MASTER FENCER 12/1: Should be a bit closer now No. 14 ROCKEMPEROR 8/1: Much better than his final race suggests
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