The pinnacle has arrived! On Belmont Stakes Day at Saratoga, Saturday, June 6, 2026, Daily Racing Form handicapper Mike Beer delivers his expert race-by-race analysis and picks for a massive 14-race card featuring six Grade 1 stakes, including the Metropolitan Mile and the 158th Belmont Stakes. Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo headlines a clash featuring five Derby runners. Mike’s best bet comes in the Grade 1 Just a Game Stakes.
Also, view FREE DRF Past Performances for today’s Race of the Day.
BEST BET: Sandtrap (7th race)
Seventh Race
1. Sandtrap
2. Classic Q
3. Segesta
SANDTRAP was a sharp debut winner in France as a 2yo, then finished a good second to eventual Breeders’ Cup FM Turf winner Gezora in her second start; she missed all of her 3yo campaign before turning up over here for Chad Brown to make her 2026 debut, and she could not have won that first-level allowance race any easier, or more impressively; not surprised she steps right up in class based on that evidence. CLASSIC Q can be a difficult horse to ride, but she is capable of an effort that would make her tough in here, and she might be the speed of this race from the rail; she was a front-running stakes winner over this course and distance last summer; dangerous if she can shake loose once again. SEGESTA appeared to be one of the most talented turf fillies in her crop before an ill-timed layoff midway through her 3yo season; she gradually worked her way back into form last year, and wound up winning a Grade 1 in California in November; got a second top-level win when sharing the Jenny Wiley off the layoff; can get any kind of a trip; figures tough right back.
Here are Mike’s thoughts on the other thirteen races on Saturday’s Saratoga racing card.
First Race
1. Cold Spell
2. Fusion
3. Three Shot Sheryl
COLD SPELL earned a 97 Beyer that towers over this field when second in her debut. While the impressive winner of that race disappointed in her next start, the third and fourth place finishers have both returned to win; she is unlikely to have to run that fast to handle this field for Ward – MSW, second career start, dirt, sprint: 10 for his last 20, $3.61 ROI. FUSION was an RNA for $500k as a yearling, and for $575k as a 2yo, the high reserve price set due to her pedigree – by Into Mischief, out of multiple Grade 1 winner Separationofpowers; she got bet on debut, but was unable to seriously threaten a front-running winner and settled for a share of second; can do better. THREE SHOT SHERYL is a firster from the female family of graded stakes winners Senor Rojo, High Ridge Road, and Discover; has some good works showing for a capable trainer.
Second Race
1. Senior Officer
2. Incentive Pay
3. Life and Times
SENIOR OFFICER was off to a promising start as a 3yo before enduring a long layoff; he has wasted no time getting back on track while earning figures of 95 and 96 in his first two starts as a 5yo; appears to be training well up to this, and he gets to break from a perfect outside post. INCENTIVE PAY impressed winning his debut here as a 2yo, before hitting the board in the Grade 1 Hopeful in his second start; like the top one, he was unfazed by a long layoff, and has come back with a pair of strong efforts for top connections, particularly that win last time when overcoming a troubled start going this distance. LIFE AND TIMES owns the top two figures in this field, earned while winning his first two starts going a mile; he was overlooked a bit in the debut, but proved the 104 Beyer he earned in that spot was no fluke when winning right back with a 100; turns back and drops after proving to be no match for graded stakes horses in his last two starts.
Third Race
1. Candytown
2. Intellect
3. Tenacious Leader
CANDYTOWN had a subtly tough trip in his first start here last summer; was given a much better one when brought back three weeks later to win convincingly, then ran well in two stakes races at the end of the year, particularly that last one when getting stuck in traffic at a crucial point, before finishing well too late; still has room to improve. INTELLECT rallied into a strong pace to finish third in his stateside debut last April at Keeneland, then ran well while finishing second in three straight graded stakes races over this course (two of those as the favorite); went heavily favored in his return from the layoff, but couldn’t catch a rival that had gotten the jump on him in the stretch and settled for second again; spotted to win here, but he has been frustrating so far. TENACIOUS LEADER has speed, and he has run well in all four turf starts to date while keeping tough company; faced a much stronger field of allowance horses at Gulfstream before the layoff.
Fourth Race
1. P Mutter Pickle
2. Helen’s Revenge
3. Steer Clear
P MUTTER PICKLE went 2 for 3 in her starts around one turn last year, and she looked good in both of those victories while finishing strongly from just off the pace; was put on the lead, and wound up contesting the pace before tiring in her return from the layoff; should be fitter now, and like her turning back for this. HELEN’S REVENGE has won all five starts sprinting over fast dirt since returning from a layoff last October for Linda Rice; she packs a strong closing kick, and she projects to have some pace to come after in this spot. STEER CLEAR ran well in her debut here as 2yo when contesting the pace and fighting her way to a stretch lead, only to get run over by a well-meant rival late; improved to win her next start easily, then tried a Grade 1, where she once again battled to a short lead in the stretch before the closers came over the top of her; returns with Lasix on.
Fifth Race
1. Starship Athena
2. Eponine
3. Marketplaceofideas
STARSHIP ATHENA improved to break her maiden with the surface switch last summer; was first back from the long layoff last time, where she wound up getting very tired in the stretch after chasing the pace; appeared to need that one, and she can go with these horses if tighter for the second start back. EPONINE’s two career wins came on a different surface, though she was twice stakes placed on turf in France before shipping over; got up close to a moderate pace, but could only chase to no avail, and was outfinished for second in her stateside debut, which came in another stakes race; not sure how good she is, but she starts back in her available condition with Lasix on, and this race didn’t come up nearly as tough as it could have. MARKETPLACEOFIDEAS came up short without apparent excuse in two of her first three starts – usually a bad sign with runners from this outfit; overcame some bumping before closing late ground to get off the mark last time when heavily favored; takes the next logical step.
Sixth Race
1. Sea Strike
2. Brightline Bullet
3. Local Knowledge
It took SEA STRIKE a furlong or so to figure things out, but he leveled into a run quickly once he did, and wound up posting an impressive maiden win while appearing to have much more to give; this N1X came up just about as tough as it possibly could have, so he cannot afford to show any signs of greenness this time; interested to see what he can do with that one out of the way. BRIGHTLINE BULLET blew the start of his debut last summer at Monmouth, then made a big run to contention before flattening out late in a promising effort; he didn’t turn up again for over 200 days, but he was ready off the bench and improved as expected to break his maiden with a solid figure going this distance; threat right back. LOCAL KNOWLEDGE had only one start as a 2yo, but he made the most of it. $625k colt raced wide from an outside post in that debut, but managed to carry a long run to the lead, and was going away at the end while earning a 94 Beyer, and there were some quality runners behind him that day; returns with Lasix on.
Eighth Race
1. Book’em Danno
2. Bentornato
3. Imagination
BOOK’EM DANNO came up with one strong effort after another during his championship campaign last year, which included three stakes wins over this track; he failed in his first start of the year, but he made a game run at the lead in the stretch before coming up just short; figures tighter for this. BENTORNATO earned figures of 108 and 110 for his two starts last year, the second of those a front-running win at the Breeders’ Cup that BOOK’EM DANNO’s connections elected to skip; was sent to Dubai for his first major goal of 2026, but he came away second-best in the Golden Shaheen after being forced to race from just off the pace; expecting him to bring his speed into this spot. IMAGINATION finished a game second to BENTORNATO at the Breeders’ Cup; he also went overseas for his first start this year, and he ran a remarkable race to win the rich Riyadh Dirt Sprint from well off the pace after a troubled start; held his own in a tough grade 1 on Derby Day; major player in here.
Ninth Race
1. Works for Me
2. Ag Bullet
3. My Boy Prince
WORKS FOR ME overcame stretch traffic to win an allowance race here last summer, then finished a good second in his next start when having little chance to catch a loose-on-the-lead winner; he was out of position early and finished well in a deceptively good effort two back going shorter; earned a new Beyer top winning with a strong finish last time; in good form, and might get overlooked a bit in this spot. AG BULLET can get as far as a mile, but she is at her best sprinting, and she will turn back to defend her Jaipur title in this spot; always shows up, and she has speed. MY BOY PRINCE finished a good second to AG BULLET in this race last year, which was run over less-than-firm turf; tried stretching out shortly after that, but he has returned to sprinting this year with positive results; tough post, but he is in excellent form right now, and can run his race from on or off the pace.
Tenth Race
1. Crude Velocity
2. Solitude Dude
3. Six Speed
CRUDE VELOCITY impressed winning the first two starts of his career while overcoming poor starts both times; was a bit better from the machine last time, though he still had to rush a bit to get position while facing the toughest test of his career, which he passed with flying colors; no telling how good he is, and his ability to fire from off the pace could be key in this race, which is not short on early speed. SOLITUDE DUDE is undefeated sprinting in his career, though he has not faced a field like this in any of his four prior victories; he did acquit himself well when stretched out to face some of the top colts in this class two starts back; better sprinting, and has an adaptable running style. SIX SPEED is one of the speeds, likely to be joining the talented ENGLISHMAN up front, assuming a clean start. SIX SPEED impressed winning three in a row around one turn in Dubai, before stretching out without success in his last two starts; he will appreciate this turn back.
Eleventh Race
1. Nysos
2. Antiquarian
3. Journalism
NYSOS has done well over longer distances in each of his last four starts, but still think he is at his absolute best in shorter races around one turn; he made hard work of the two victories at the end of last year before shipping overseas, though he might deserve some extra credit for closing over that Del Mar track on Breeders’ Cup Saturday; drew well on the rail with speed as he drops back to a mile. ANTIQUARIAN has mostly concentrated on longer distances, but he has been impressive the last two times he has started around one turn, including his prep for this in the Westchester last month; might still have some room to improve. JOURNALISM made his first start as a 4yo in a very tough spot, where he once again failed to get past his main rival, Sovereignty, while matching the career-best 106 Beyer he earned in the Classic last November; clearly effective over longer distances, but he might really appreciate this turn back to a mile.
Twelfth Race
1. Bright Picture
2. One Stripe
3. Test Score
BRIGHT PICTURE won the first two starts back from the layoff while improving on his abbreviated 2025 campaign; ran well again in a Group 1 last time when second-best to an impressive winner who has now won three major Group 1 races in a row; like him getting to go a bit shorter in this spot. ONE STRIPE was an impressive winner when given a confidence boost three starts back, and he has been unlucky in both starts since against Grade 1 company; he has never been this far, but he is sharp right now, and he owns a burst of acceleration that can be devastating if his rider can time it right. TEST SCORE finished behind a couple of these same rivals in a Grade 1 on Derby Day, but he endured an impossible trip in that race while wide every step off a slow pace; better than that, and he deserves another chance.
Thirteenth Race
1. Emerging Market
2. Commandment
3. Renegade
EMERGING MARKET impressed winning his debut over one of his Belmont Stakes rivals in fast time. He subsequently defeated Golden Tempo in the Louisiana Derby, then made the third start of his career in the Kentucky Derby, a race that is notoriously hard on inexperience. In the Derby, Emerging Market raced close to the enervating pace from the start and made an early move around the turn that put his stamina, and his lack of foundation, to the test, and ultimately wound up fading late in an underrated performance. He has as much talent as any colt in this crop and has now had another five weeks to develop. He can easily contend if Prat can work out a more comfortable trip this time. COMMANDMENT disappointed in the Derby, though he also might have benefited from a more patient ride in that race. He had been one of the fastest and most reliable 3-year-olds up to that point, and he is eligible to rebound quickly in a less-bulky Belmont field. RENEGADE took a tough beat in Kentucky after dealing with crowding and bumping at the start, followed by a spot of traffic on the final turn. He is a powerful finisher, and he is going to be hard to hold off if he can work out a clean trip this time. POWERSHIFT was right there at the finish with Emerging Market when they made their respective debuts in a fast race that compared quite favorably with Renegade’s stakes win a few races later on the same card. He had an excuse in the Tampa Bay Derby and got back on track with a good-looking win on the Derby undercard five weeks ago. He can easily be this good.
Fourteenth Race
1. First Call Bob
2. Outrunner
3. Favorable Scenario
FIRST CALL BOB looked like he still had some things to figure out despite winning on debut; he came back to run well again in his next start while no match for Met Mile entrant Vibe, then regressed a bit last time, which allows for the switch to turf; he is bred for this, and he might be ready to step forward with the surface switch. OUTRUNNER impressed winning his debut as a 2yo while overcoming inexperience; held his own in stakes company last year; starts back in his available condition. FAVORABLE SCENARIO rallied to break his maiden over this course and distance while first back from a long layoff; gained late ground in both subsequent turf starts while facing tougher than this; back to turf in a better spot.
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