Belmont Park Horse Racing Picks for Thursday 6/25/20
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 9 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).
Quantitativbreezin, Race 5
FD Odds: 9/2
The start of the Grand Slam and Late Pick 5 and 12 state-bred fillies and mares will battle it out going 6 furlongs in the Inner Turf. Saratoga Love (3/1) looks to do better second off a layoff after running wide and tiring last out June 3rd. Strong stretch rider Joel Rosario back on board expecting better.
Sandra’s Mine (5/2) breaks outside from the No. 11 post, having been off since November when she just missed at this level pressing the pace. Looking for her first win in 11 starts.
First timer Quantitativbreezin (9/2) gets the call on debut for EPO trainer Brad Cox, working consistently and likely fires well. Central Perk (3/1) gets first time Lasix for trainer Linda Rice.
After the top two,numberFire gives longshot Empress Luciana (20/1) a chance after hitting the board in her last two starts on dirt. Switching to the turf, her speed figures must improve dramatically to factor.
Deja Raconte (6/1) will get to the front for EPO trainer Rude Rodriguez. She ran a clunker last out on June 4th and now switches to turf. A win would tell you all you need to know about EPO.
Singular Sensation, Race 6
FD Odds: and 2/1
Race 6 drew nine state-bred fillies and mares going 1-mile. Singular Sensation (2/1) is the best of this group and returns to the track off a long layoff. Her last race was a runner-up finish at Saratoga last August, just missing by a neck to the wire-to-wire heavy favorite. Luis Saez rides again and anything close to that effort wins against this group.
Breaking just outside of her in the No. 4 post is Holmdel Park (9/2), who ran fourth against a similar state-bred group and posted a career-best 76 speed figure in her sixth start. She stretches out off that turf race and returns to dirt, where she finished fourth in February.
Nasty Affair (6/1) with Jose Ortiz up is the challenger of interest having won her last race in February beating older horses at this distance. numberFire agrees, picking her behind Singular Sensation.
Sonneman, Race 8
FD Odds: 2/1
The Easy Goer Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles drew a small field of six. Casino Grande (8/5) is the favorite and will take money with leading Belmont meet rider, Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the irons. He's won 30% of his 60 starts, and Daily Horse Picks has Casino Grande on top followed by Sonneman (2/1), a son of Curlin, who makes his first start for new trainer Steve Asmussen. The brotherly battle has Jose Ortiz riding Sonneman.
FanDuel Racing has implied odds of 38% and 33% for those two to win the race followed by Prodigious Bay (3/1), who won in the slop at this distance in April and finished fourth in his last start early May at Oaklawn. He may be scratched. Celtic Striker (8/1), who missed the money in both his recent graded stakes starts including the Matt Winn (G3).
Casino Grande trainer Christophe Clement says his colt acts up in the paddock in training, and Irad will try to get him to settle sitting just off the pace in his Belmont debut looking to go 3-for-3 to start his career. A pair of mid 90’s speed figures are solid, but preference is to Sonneman, who won over this surface last fall and has improved his speed rating in each of his four races while winning his last two starts.
