HORSE RACING

​Belmont Park Horse Racing Picks for Saturday 10/31/20

It's a great time to dive into horse racing, and FanDuel Racing gives you the chance to do just that.

Starting at 12:40 p.m. EST, we have 10 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.)

Olympic Games and Beau Belle, Race 6

FanDuel Racing Odds: 5/1 and 4/1

Race 6 is the $80,000 Zagora Stakes for fillies and mares running a route at 1 1/2 miles on the turf. The favorite and top pick according to numberFire’s data is Mutamakina (5/2). She’s 0-for-3 this year and a risk at this distance and on the softer turf, but the 4-year-old won twice last year against class runners in France and now makes her debut for leading trainer Christophe Clement. Stablemate Olympic Games (5/1) is freshened off a three-month layoff, and she finished second at this distance and course as the favorite this summer just in front of Beau Belle (4/1).

Daily Horse Picks (DHP) projects Hungry Kitten (5/1) with leading jockey Jose Ortiz to edge Beau Belle and Olympic Games for the win. Hungry Kitten is off back-to-back wins this summer against Allowance company but missed badly in her only stakes try last year. Luck Money (8/1) runs for EPO trainer Arnaud Delacour. She is the only 3-year-old in the field of nine, and she fits with these having finished third at long odds against stronger runners last month with a 103 speed figure.

Space Launch and Wooten Asset, Race 8

FanDuel Racing Odds: 5/1 and 4/1

Race 8 is the $80,000 Awad Stakes for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf. The top pick according to both numberFire and DHP is Shawdyshawdyshawdy (5/1). Both numberFire and DHP project Step Dancer (5/1) to hit the board. Shawdyshawdyshawdy improved his speed figure to 86 when finishing fourth earlier this month following a sluggish start. He was a neck behind Step Dancer, who pressed the pace the entire way but was outkicked.

Space Launch (5/1) is a good looking son of Bernardini, and he won on debut in September on firm turf for trainer Christophe Clement. But with rain the end of the week, a softer turf complicates things for many runners on the final two days of the meet. Wootton Asset (4/1) finished second by a nose in his U.S. debut on soft turf at Pimlico earlier this month, and he’s come back with a bullet training work in the morning since.

Majestic Dunhill, Race 9

FanDuel Racing Odds: 5/2

Race 9 is the feature $100,000 Grade III Bold Ruler at 7 furlongs. A compact group of six runners was scheduled with Phat Man (2/1), Share the Ride (5/2), Majestic Dunhill (5/2) and Mihos (4/1) all worthy contenders. But Phat Man has been scratched along with Wendell Fong (10/1).

numberFire's algorithm projects Majestic Dunhill to win. DHP has Mihos winning ahead of Majestic Dunhill. Mihos has just one win in his last nine starts.

Majestic Dunhill is a graded stakes runner who finished a close second at this distance and track last month with a 105 speed figure and was 1 1/2 lengths in front of Mihos. Horse Racing Radar notes that Majestic Dunhill has come back with solid works this month, and his class and history suggests he should be as strong as his last race, which would be good enough to win.