Belmont Park Horse Racing Picks for Friday 6/12/20
With most of the sports world on pause, it's a great time to dive into horse racing, and FanDuel Racing gives you the chance to do just that.
Starting at 1:15 p.m. EST, we have 10 races at Belmont Park. Using our numberFire projections as a guide, here are some of the best bets.
As always, keep an eye out for scratches and changes, and check the weather and track conditions.
I will reference Equibase's Speed Figure in selected races, which tells you how fast a horse has been running in each of its races -- adjusted for track, distances, and conditions.
Noor Sahara, Race 6
FD Odds: 3/1
The Grand Slam (Race 6 through Race 9) and Late Pick 5 start here, and a single horse is worth playing. Trainer Chad Brown won Race 8 Thursday with a horse off a nine-month layoff and racing 1 1/4 miles. How does that happen? EPO. Google it, read about it and learn. Then understand some trainers -- including Brown -- have mastered the labs.
Now in Brown’s ‘care’ is Irish-bred Noor Sahara (3/1), making her U.S. debut off a nine-month layoff. She’s breaking from Post 10 on the outside for this 1 1/8 mile race, and when the real running begins late, she’ll likely find that extra gear moving fast on the grass. Noor Sahara is a proven runner overseas, raced against graded/group company, and Brown has been prepping her for two months, including a bullet work 10 days ago. Leading rider Irad Ortiz, Jr., with 13 wins in 37 starts, is on another live horse that will take money.
Brown has another European import entered also making her U.S. debut off an eight-month layoff. Eliade (9/2) gets strong stretch rider Joel Rosario to guide her down the lane, and we shouldn’t be surprised if she’s a challenger.
Beau Belle (10/1) has some solid speed figures racing longer distances her last two races and can hit the board as a potential pace presser in a race with not much speed up front. Miss Munnings (4/1) is more likely to cash in with stronger figures, racing a mile her last two and breezing well the past month in the morning in her return to racing following four months off.
Vivazano, Race 7
FD Odds: 20/1
Time to bet a bomb and include in the Pick 5 for a big payoff if she fires. Vivazano (20/1) has been working well for her debut in this 6-furlong sprint for state-breds, and she’ll have a chance down the lane with Javier Castellano riding. He’s No. 2 at the meet in wins (8) with a 24% win rate and 53% in-the-money clip.
Allure Fortune (6/1) should go to the front and will try to improve on her show finish in her only race last fall.
Jewel of Arabia (2/1) is the favorite in this 12-horse field. She’ll take the action as the FanDuel Racing favorite and top pick at numberFire, but she has to overcome an outside post and time away racing twice last fall. Not worth the risk at a shorter price to win but can be a Pick 5 inclusion.
Astronaut, Race 10
FD Odds: 4/1
The last race of the day is a Maiden Special Weight, and 11 are entered, going 1 1/4 miles. That means EPO trainers Chad Brown and Todd Pletcher will have horses "finding more" going added ground.
Amano (6/1) and Stare Decisis (4/1) are both entered for Brown, although neither has hit the board in their early races. Stare Decisis did have a solid 96 speed figure, and Rosario rides again, going even longer. Seize the Hay (9/2) breaks from the far outside for Pletcher, and he finished second in debut and failed to finish his last race as favorite when eased up over a sloppy track.
Try Astronaut (4/1) with Jose Ortiz aboard, as he was runner-up with a 99 speed figure in his second race and can capitalize on the lack of speed and perhaps fire to the moon -- err finish line on top.
