Team Tuley continues to look for value from coast to coast, and this week the focus is on Belmont Park even though there’s not a Triple Crown on the line in the featured Belmont Stakes. But it’s a stakes-rich card.
My friends, Ed Sehon and John Lauro, and I have spot plays on the undercard (though mine was scratched on Saturday morning) and Sehon takes a look at the Late Pick 4, including the Belmont Stakes where Rampart race & sports book manager Duane Colucci, Lauro and I also give our takes. Colucci also added his Late Pick 4 on Saturday morning after scratches
For more picks on Saturday’s big card, also check out VSiN’s dedicated horse racing page at vsin.com/horses, including my 1/ST BET A.I. Pick of the Week, which is hitting at over 50%.
SATURDAY
Belmont Race No. 2 (12:09 p.m. ET/9:09 a.m. PT)
Ed Sehon likes #7 King James (4-1 morning line). “What’s not to like about a maturing 3-year-old son of Nyquist and grandson of Uncle Mo? Making his third start for owner Peter Blum, homebred colt adds distance on turf, gets a rider upgrade to Jose Ortiz while benefiting from second consecutive dose of Lasix. Any horse named for excellent trainer Jimmy Jerkens is destined for the Winner’s Circle. All hail King James. Wager: Win.”
Belmont Race No. 5 (2:01 p.m. ET/11:01 a.m. PT)
Ed Sehon likes a three-filly exacta box of #1 Travel Column (7-2 morning line) for top trainer Brad Cox; #4 Dayoutoftheoffice (4-1) with reliable HOF jockey Johnny Velazquez; and #6 Search Results (1-1) classy gal cutting back to mile for Chad Brown barn. I’ll throw a blanket over the three in the one-mile Grade 1 Acorn Stakes — and bet that two beat the others. Wager: Exacta box of 1,4 & 6.”
Belmont Race No. 7 (3:18 p.m. ET/12:18 p.m. PT)
Dave Tuley likes #6 Water White (30-1 morning line). “This long shot should get the same stalking trip as #1 Swiss Skydiver, but I’ll take a flier at 30-1 over 5-2. She’s also 1-for-1 in the slop (though at a much lower level) if that’s what we get Saturday, so that could help. Water White also ran second last time out in the Grade 2 Ruffian, so I’m not deterred by the step up in class. Wager: Win & Place.”
Belmont Race No. 8 (3:58 p.m. ET/12:58 p.m. PT)
Dave Tuley liked #11 Blowout (4-1 morning line) but he was SCRATCHED.
Belmont Races Nos. 8-11 (3:58 p.m. ET/12:58 p.m. PT)
Ed Sehon likes the following $.50 all-stakes Pick 4 (cost, now $80)
Race 8: 1,6 (11 scratched)
Race 9: 1,2,3,6 (6 added)
Race 10: 4,5,8,9,10
Race 11 (Belmont Stakes): 2,3,6,7
Duane Colucci likes the following $.50 all-stakes Pick 4 (cost, now $80)
Race 8: 6,8,10,12
Race 9: 1,2,6
Race 10: 4,5,8,9,10
Race 11 (Belmont Stakes): 2,3,4,6
Belmont Race No. 9 (4:42 p.m. ET/1:42 p.m. PT)
John Lauro likes #6 Knicks Go (6-5 on morning line) in the Grade 1 Met Mile. “Lone Speed. Period.”
Belmont Race No. 11 (6:49 p.m. ET/3:49 p.m. PT)
Duane Colucci likes #6 Known Agenda (6-1 morning line) in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes. “This Todd Pletcher 3-year-old skipped the Preakness after a disappointing effort in the Kentucky Derby. As of this writing, I am waiting to see who Pletcher will name to replace jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who was injured on Thursday. Breaking from the rail in the Derby definitely put Ortiz in an early defensive position with not much room to maneuver. Known Agenda should be close to the lead at the top of the stretch and ready to kick clear! Bet 6 to Win and key 6 over 2,3 & 4 in exactas and trifectas and reverse.”
Ed Sehon also likes #6 Known Agenda (6-1 morning line) from his Pick 4 listed above. But he likes them in this order: #6 Known Agenda, #7 Rock Your World, #2 Essential Quality, #3 Rombauer.
John Lauro likes #7 Rock Your World (9-2). “He has been working exceptionally well, going five furlongs in :58 2/5 in his last workout. Has a long stride and can take this gate to wire.”
Dave Tuley likes #1 Bourbonic (15-1 morning line). “The son of Bernardini won the Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct and never really got into the race in the Kentucky Derby. He’s being overlooked off that performance — plus the fact he’s a deep closer and those don’t tend to do well in the Belmont — but he has the pedigree (grandsires are Belmont winners A.P. Indy and Afleet Alex) and should be running fastest of all in the stretch if the front-runners back up. He’s the betting value on the morning line and I’ll be him to Win and also Place as long as he goes off at 10-1 or higher. I was asked by the New York Post to pick my Top 3 and I went with #7 Rock Your World (speed of the race) and #2 Essential Quality (class of the race). I’ll use those with Bourbonic in exactas and trifectas, though I’ll need Bourbonic on top for those to pay anything.”
Note: also check out our A.I. Pick of the Week at vsin.com/horses as we’ve gone 8-for-14 since taking over the feature for a nice ROI of $2.89 for every $2 wagered to Win. There are also more plays from 1ST/BET handicappers on that page at vsin.com/horses.
