Belmont Park Horse Racing Picks for Saturday 10/24/20
It's a great time to dive into horse racing, and FanDuel Racing gives you the chance to do just that.
Starting at 12:00 p.m. EST, we have 11 races at Belmont Park. Using numberFire’s projections as a guide, here are some of the best bets.
As always, check the program 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.)
Breadman, Race 3
FanDuel Racing Odds: 3/1
Race 3 is the $150,000 Sleepy Hollow Stakes for 2-year-olds going 1-mile. Daily Horse Picks projects Masked Marauder (4/1) to edge Breadman (3/1) while numberFire’s algorithm has Eagle Orb (4/1) winning.
Breadman was well meant in his debut win a month ago on the turf and has sharp morning workouts since. He chased down frontrunner Masked Marauder, and Breadman has lots of talent, class and action to win again on the dirt.
Eagle Orb was runner-up as favorite in September and then missed the money here three weeks ago.
Ratajkowski and Singular Sensation, Race 6
FanDuel Racing Odds: 2/1 and 8/1
Empire Showcase Day is an annual event featuring all New York-bred horses, and there are 109 running across 11 races Saturday. Race 6 is one of the featured races with the $175,000 Empire Distaff Handicap for fillies and mares racing 1 1/16 miles.
The top pick according to Daily Horse Picks is favorite Ratajkowski (2/1) while numberFire projects Mrs. Orb (5/1) to win and Ratajkowski and Critical Value (7/2) to hit the board. The Empire Showcase Wagering Guide at Horse Racing Radar (HRR) projects Ratajkowski to be tough with leading jockey Jose Ortiz riding. HRR notes she is proven over the Belmont course with four wins in five starts. Ratajkowski has three solid works this month since missing the money in her last race in August, but the horse won this race last year with a 101 speed figure while running up front. Ratajkowski has been freshened and is the horse others will likely have to chase down.
Singular Sensation (8/1) has been pointed to this race by patient trainer Mark Hennig and is worth adding underneath at a nice price along with Forever Changed (15/1). Critical Value has never missed the money at Belmont with two wins and a third-place finish, including an off-the-pace win in June with a 91 speed figure.
Mrs. Orb is working sharp in the morning and makes her third start since June with a pair of runner-up finishes in recent races, with Forever Changed close behind in third in the last race. Makingcents (6/1) is an improving 3-year-old who won her stakes debut last race, going wire-to-wire at 1 1/8 miles with an 88 speed figure. She also won her only start at Belmont by eight lengths in June.
Fair Regis and Timely Tradition, Race 9
FanDuel Racing Odds: 9/2 and 5/1
Race 9 has 10 fillies and mares racing 6 1/2 furlongs in the $125,000 Iroquois Stakes. The top pick according to numberFire’s data is Fair Regis (9/2) followed by Spin A Yarn (8/1) and Timely Tradition (5/1), who has not raced in two months but has won four of six starts this year and posted a 105 speed figure this spring.
The Empire Classic Wagering Guide at HRR notes that Spin A Yarn has the fastest early fractions and should get the lead with favorite Newly Minted (5/2) and Timely Tradition right on her heels. Newly Minted finished fourth in last year’s Empire Distaff and has since won two races and finished runner-up three times over her last five starts.
Spin A Yarn tied for the highest last-race speed figure, which came in an 11-length win. She has four wins in five starts this year -- all at Finger Lakes -- and now faces better at Belmont.
Fair Regis has finished in the money 10 of 13 at Belmont and nine straight races the past 13 months. She’s posted consistent 90-plus speed figures, and EPO trainer Rob Atras and leading jockey Irad Ortiz have won their last three races together.
Funny Guy, Race 10
FanDuel Racing Odds: 2/1
The other feature is the $175,000 Empire Classic in Race 10 with seven runners going 1 1/8 miles after Our Last Buck (15/1) was scratched. The three main contenders include Funny Guy (2/1), Mr. Buff (5/2) and Sea Foam (4/1) -- with numberFire giving the edge to Mr. Buff.
The Empire Classic’s State of Mind at HRR notes that Funny Guy has failed to win in four straight starts as the favorite. But she’s been facing open company and should be best in the end with top jockey Johnny Velazquez riding.
Sea Foam is on a two-race win streak and carried fast fractions a longer distance last race. Mr. Buff posted high triple-digit speed figures in three races but missed the money in two recent graded stakes starts, including the Suburban Stakes here in July.
