Belmont Stakes Horse Racing Picks for Sunday 6/6/21
Starting at 1:00 p.m. EST, we have nine races at Belmont Park. Using numberFire’s projections as a guide, here are some of the best bets to make at FanDuel Racing.
As always, check for scratches and changes, and monitor 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.)
Hilliard and Fingal, Race 5
FanDuel Racing Odds: 15/1 and 8/1
Race 5 is a Maiden Claiming race at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. The numberFire algorithm projects the order of finish as Bold Victory (4/1) to win over The Angry Man (3/1) and Bail Out (8/1).
The Angry Man has regressed a bit and is 0-for-2 and has not raced since January. Bold Victory is perhaps the most talented horse in the field but is trying turf for the first time as a four-year-old.
They both have some question marks, and Fingal (8/1) may be heading in the right direction after facing tougher competition. He strings three races together and could fare better switching to turf off his last start in April.
Hilliard (15/1) may be worth a shot at even longer odds than his morning line. He faced much better runners as a two-year-old before dropping for a claiming tag in his 2021 debut last month at Belmont. His running lines and results don’t show much, but neither does this field of runners. He can get a better run turning for home after reacting poorly in tight quarters last race.
Miss Brazil and Dr B, Race 7
FanDuel Racing Odds: 8/5 and 5/1
Race 7 is the $150K Jersey Girl Stakes. It's a small but select group of six three-year-old fillies who will challenge in the 6-furlong sprint. numberFire's data projects favorite Miss Brazil (8/5) to top Bella Sofia (5/2). Belmont Stakes-winning jockey Luis Saez rides Bella Sofia, who Horse Racing Radar notes won her debut by 11 lengths.
Miss Brazil has won 3-of-4 races on a fast track, and she posted the top last-race speed figure (103) when winning easily wire-to-wire here in April. But there is more speed in this race, and Dr B (5/1) ships in from Parx to make her stakes debut off two blowout wins.
Halladay, Race 8
FanDuel Racing Odds: 8/5
Race 8 is a high-end Allowance race filled with EPO trainers putting their horses to a 1-mile test on the turf. Favorites Spinoff (4/5) and Halladay (8/5) will be the top two finishers, according to numberFire, and Guaranteed Tip Sheet makes Halladay a best bet. Spinoff will only run if the race is moved off the turf to dirt. Value Proposition (5/2) and Analyze It (9/2) are top challengers for top trainer Chad Brown.
Halladay is making his 2021 debut and is working sharply in the mornings. He’s won 6-of-16 starts, with his last four starts in graded stakes. He won the Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap last fall at Saratoga on the front end, and he finished a close sixth after leading into the stretch of the Breeders’ Cup Mile on the turf. Luis Saez rides him again for EPO trainer Todd Pletcher.
