Daily Racing Form expert handicapper and analyst Mike Beer handicaps the Sunday, May 3 racing card at Belmont at the Big A, including his projected 1-2-3 finishers. His best bet of the day comes from Race 5.
Also, view FREE DRF Past Performances for today’s Race of the Day.
Best Bet: Boiling Point (5th race)
Fifth Race
1. Boiling Point
2. Lupine
3. Hanna’s Hideaway
BOILING POINT was competitive as a first-time starter in the slop, then ran in two very strong MSW races in her next two starts sprinting on dirt; she was against a speed-favoring track when dropped in class the last time she sprinted in February; has turf in her pedigree, and her form might be a lot better than it looks. LUPINE has a turf sprint pedigree, and she improved immediately with the surface switch last November; returns at the same level. HANNA’S HIDEAWAY wasn’t rushed early, then just raced on evenly in a race she appeared to need when debuting in a turf sprint last August; turned back for her final start as a 2yo, where she broke from a tough post and then stumbled at the start; turning back again, this time with some class relief.
Here are Mike’s thoughts on the other eleven races on Sunday’s Belmont at the Big A card.
First Race
1. Unlimitedpotential
2. Ranger Battalion
3. Miles Ahead
UNLIMITEDPOTENTIAL conceded the lead and position on the strong rail when he was defeated for a $45k tag in the mud last week; he actually ran quite well in that spot; dangerous with his good race as he wheels back quickly off the claim. RANGER BATTALION closed strongly into a good setup to win for the first time over this distance three starts back; tried a change of tactics last time when contesting the pace in a tougher spot; fits well here. MILES AHEAD’s best form traces back to 2024, and beyond, though that form makes him tough for this field to beat; moves up in class off the claim after a subpar effort in his NY debut last month,
Second Race
1. Golden Symphony
2. Trust Issues
3. Shoot the Nickel
GOLDEN SYMPHONY struggles to put competitive efforts back-to-back, but he earned figures of 88 and 85 late last year, then caught a speed-favoring track when unable to make an impact in February; can rebound as he steps up off the claim for Rice. TRUST ISSUES ran a good one in his first start for Ness in March, before trying to race back on short rest to no avail at Colonial; scored a clear-cut win at Parx last time; shows up consistently, and he has no trouble racing competitively in NY. SHOOT THE NICKEL and TIMAEUS have both been racing in good form since being claimed recently by the Kantarmaci’s. SHOOT THE NICKEL midmoved and faded as the favorite last time, while TIMAEUS exits a hard-fought upset win with a competitive figure.
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Third Race
1. Sagamore Mischief
2. Secured Landing
3. Centavo
SAGAMORE MISCHIEF’s form was dirtied up by a couple of starts over the kind of wet, sealed surfaces that he does not act over heading into that last one, where he raced too close to a fast pace; this race does not project to be as competitive early, and his recent form is better than it looks. SECURED LANDING blew a clear stretch lead when shipped here off an easy win at Penn National two starts back; had little trouble wiring that field for new connections last time, and was claimed again; enters right back at the same level looking like the main speed once again. CENTAVO bumped into a sharp, front-running winner when returned to NY to race on short rest in February, then jumped up to post a big win at a price in his next start two weeks later; was brought back on short rest again to try 11 furlongs last time; can handle this cut back in distance, and he is always a fair price.
Fourth Race
1. Kinetic
2. Apalta
3. Celestial Glaze
KINETIC’s form has fallen apart since beginning his career with plenty of promise; he was entered in a much tougher spot last week before scratching, and will instead drop down more significantly in class to make his first start as a new gelding; too good for these, if he can still run. APALTA was against the track when chasing wide and fading in his first start off the maiden win two back; dropped down to post an easy win last time going longer; better than he looks on paper, and he has more room to improve than anyone in this field. CELESTIAL GLAZE has hit the board in six straight $50k claimers, over four different distances, including three straight near-misses with competitive figures; tries again, this time after a bit of a freshening for his new connections.
Sixth Race
1. Light Man
2. Gunmetal
3. Sacrosanct
LIGHT MAN’s best races have come from just off the pace, but he got involved in a fast duel in his final start as a 4yo after winning a stakes race, then was mixing it up on the lead in each of his first two starts back from the layoff last summer; has run well fresh in the past, and his best race gives him a chance in this spot at a fair price, if he can pull the right trip. GUNMETAL still hasn’t run back to the 96 Beyer he earned winning on debut, though he was a convincing winner in his only other non-stakes start, after which he was Grade 2-placed at Saratoga; threat right off the bench with upside. SACROSANCT looked good going undefeated against NY-bred competition as a 2yo, though his 3yo campaign never got off the ground after he got dusted in the Grade 3 Gotham; he was hardly impressive while getting the job done in the mud two, but ran much better in that last one, where he rated effectively for the first time.
Seventh Race
1. Antiquarian
2. Bishops Bay
3. Pentathlon
ANTIQUARIAN looked good winning a one-turn race when brought back from a long layoff last year, after which he progressed nicely, all the way up to a Grade 1 win at Saratoga in August; makes his first start since the Breeders’ Cup Classic with a strong series of works showing. BISHOPS BAY won this race last year with a 103 Beyer, then won two additional graded stakes over this track and trip at the end of the year, including the Cigar Mile with a figure of 107; back to his best distance after going overseas to take a shot at a big purse in the nine-furlong Saudi Cup. PENTATHLON’s last two starts have been the best of his career, and he is also at his best in elongated, one-turn races; steps up.
Eighth Race
1. Dynamic Pricing
2. Laurelin
3. Mo Fox Givin
DYNAMIC PRICING wasn’t sharp in her seasonal debut, which came in a Grade 1 at Keeneland, though she did get bumped between horses at the top of the stretch, before racing on gamely late; defending Beaugay champ has a top race that makes her tough in here. LAURELIN was one of the top 3yo fillies on turf last year while steadily handling more distance and tougher competition; had to settle for second in her final two starts last year, though she ran well both times; still has room to improve, and Motion is excellent off of layoffs. MO FOX GIVIN snapped a long losing streak three starts back at Kentucky Downs (while getting a little help when the favorite lost her rider at the start), after which she moved back into graded stakes company to no avail; might be able to make the lead in this spot.
Ninth Race
1. Soul Dance
2. Getting Serious
3. Protective Custody
SOUL DANCE looked like one in need of experience early on; was a clear-cut winner when given some class relief last June, and her form continued to trend upward thereafter as she handled added distance; second off the layoff for this, and she is stepping back significantly in class once again after catching a stakes-quality rival in Portfolio Duration last time at Tampa. GETTING SERIOUS broke her maiden when stretched out for her second career start on this turf course last October; gained late ground at Gulfstream before the layoff; starts back without having much to find as a newly turned 3yo. PROTECTIVE CUSTODY broke her maiden over this distance before getting time off; has earned competitive figures in her first two starts as a 4yo, but she needs a trip from the outside.
Tenth Race
1. With the Angels
2. Praying
3. Kappa Kappa
WITH THE ANGELS lost two in a row late last year after starting her career with five straight victories; while she was only second-best in the December allowance, I didn’t love the ride she got in the Garland of Roses when conceding to the eventual winner early and letting her control a rated tempo; she has bounced back with two sharp wins since, including the Correction last time with a new top figure; shoots for her first graded stakes win in a Vagrancy that didn’t come up as tough as it could have. PRAYING shaped with potential early on, and she upped her game last summer while winning back-to-back graded stakes with paired-up 90 Beyers, leading to a start at the Breeders’ Cup; steps back out of a Grade 1 to make her second start as a 4yo. KAPPA KAPPA posted blowout wins in her first two starts sprinting on dirt, but she was still overlooked when stepped up in class to try a Grade 2 at Keeneland last October; she pulled off the upset in that Raven Run, before failing to stretch out before the layoff; undefeated sprinting, and she fits on figures.
Eleventh Race
1. Civetta
2. Jody’s Pride
3. Buttercream Babe
CIVETTA was a debut winner sprinting on turf, then missed winning a Grade 3 over this course and distance two starts later, after which she didn’t sprint on turf again until bumping into Shisospicy over seven months later; fired a good shot that fell short in her return from the layoff last October, then earned a slight new Beyer top winning her next start, and she has made two of her last three starts on a different surface; fits well here. JODY’S PRIDE is best going shorter, and she was slated to start out her career on turf, only to be a bit of a revelation on the main track after getting rained off a couple of times; still think she has a chance to be effective on this surface. BUTTERCREAM BABE has held her own in stakes races over the past couple of years, and she turned back effectively to win her first start for this trainer last month at Keeneland, albeit in a race that was run at a moderate pace; she is entered in a much tougher spot at Churchill on Friday; expect her to be tough if they opt for this spot.
Twelfth Race
1. Autonome
2. Big Magic
3. Lotus Petal
AUTONOME got better with each start as a 2yo, though she was no match for stakes horses before the layoff in September; appears to be starting back in the right kind of race, and she will have Lasix on for an excellent layoff trainer. BIG MAGIC earned the top two figures in this field over this turf course last fall; continued to race competitively at Gulfstream through the winter, then finally got the maiden win when switched to the all-weather surface and dropped in class; drew a tough post for this. LOTUS PETAL is also stuck on the outside, but she is second off the layoff and getting back to her preferred surface after prepping on synthetic last month; earned competitive figures while finishing second in back-to-back starts here late last year.
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