BlackJack’s Belmont Gold Cup Day Betting Preview: Arklow Headlines Wide-Open Field

BlackJack’s Belmont Gold Cup Day Betting Preview: Arklow Headlines Wide-Open Field article feature image
Credit:

Nicole Sweet, USA Today Sports.

  • There is a packed day of racing at Belmont Park on Friday, headlined by the Gold Cup Invitational.
  • BlackJack Fletcher offers his thoughts on all 11 races for the day before the Belmont Stakes.

The big race isn't until Saturday but the Belmont Stakes Festival kicks off on Friday and there is a great day of racing ahead of us, kicking off just before 1 p.m. ET.

Race 1
12:50 p.m. ET

No. 5 Ahead of Plan should win this race for fun. He is the class of the field, is ridden by Javier Castellano and trained by Chad Brown. Not much else needs to be said.

Race 2
1:22 p.m. ET

No. 11 Memories Eternal (8-1) may not be a longshot, but this is good value for a horse improving with the move from dirt to turf, and a trainer in Joe Sharp that excels in that move. Rider Kendrick Carmouche should have no problem getting Memories Eternal to the front with the 11 post.

Race 3
1:54 p.m. ET

No. 11 Kulik Bear (6-1) has shown signs of steady improvement in each start and we'll bank on that trend continuing and culminating in a victory here at The Big Sandy.

Race 4
2:26 p.m. ET

The favorite, No. 1 H Man (2-1), is the horse to watch here. His win last month came in essentially the same type of race as this one. This Jason Servis-trained horse will go off at a low price with good reason.

Race 5
2:58 p.m. ET

Another horse trained by Servis, No. 2 Mybigitalianfriend (10-1) is coming off a huge win after a layoff and has looked great in training. He's likely to be a great value play in this contest.

Race 6
3:36 p.m. ET

No. 10 Annals of Time (9-5) is coming off a long layoff but Chad Brown and Javier Castellano are a dynamic duo on the Belmont turf. There's no reason to overthink this one.

Race 7
4:09 p.m. ET

No. 2 Maven (7-5) is the favorite and that makes sense since he is trained by Wesley Ward and ridden by Dylan Davis — one of the most effective combinations in New York racing. I like the connections and I like the horse.

Race 8
4:42 p.m. ET

I have my eyes on the No. 8 Do Share (5-1) at a good price. With Irad Ortiz, Jr., the best young jockey in America aboard, there's value in this number.

Race 9
5:15 p.m. ET

Another Brown-Castellano combination, No. 6 Competitionofideas (5-2), is the model of consistency. This horse has never not hit the board, so he's the horse to use in the New York Stakes.

Race 10
5:48 p.m. ET

I picked No. 6 Arklow (5-2) at Keeneland at the track's opening weekend but he threw his rider in that race. I'll bet that Florent Geroux stays on and rides into the Winners' Circle for the Gold Cup.

Race 11
6:22 p.m. ET

No. 2 Lila Ruth (5-1) is in her second start off a layoff and with a good first start under her belt, this run could easily result in a victory at a good price.

$0.50 Early Pick Five:

1st: 4,5

2nd: 4,11

3rd: 3,6,9,11

4th: 1,4,5

5th: 2,3,7

Cost: $72

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