Belmont Horse Racing Picks For Thursday 6/3/21
It's a great time to dive into horse racing, and FanDuel Racing gives you the chance to do just that.
Starting at 3:00 p.m. EST, we have nine races at Belmont Park. Using numberFire’s projections as a guide, here are some of the best bets.
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.)
Change of Control, Race 6
FanDuel Racing Odds: 7/2
Race 6 is the $200K Grade III Intercontinental Stakes for older fillies and mares racing 7 furlongs on the turf. numberFire's algorithm projects the two favorites to decide the race with an exacta bet in place of Regal Glory (6/5) over Sweet Bye and Bye (2/1). The Ortiz brothers are leading jockeys and ride the favorites with Jose Ortiz on Royal Glory for EPO trainer Chad Brown and Irad Ortiz, Jr. on Sweet Bye and Bye for EPO trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr.
Regal Glory finished second in this race last year, and he’s won seven times in 12 starts including his last race in April of a long layoff. He’s shows tactical speed racing up front or just off the pace.
Sweet Bye and Bye has hit the board in 12 of 14 starts on turf, according to Horse Racing Radar, which also notes that Change of Control (7/2) posted the top last-race speed figure and owns some of the best late race numbers.
Editor's Note: Regal Glory and Sweet Bye and Bye were late scratches.
American Bound, Race 7
FanDuel Racing Odds: 6/1
Race 7 is the $150K Astoria Stakes for two-year-old fillies sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs. The Wesley Ward-trained Happy Soul /1/2) is the heavy favorite and the top pick by numberFire's data. There is no money to be made betting on her to win, but she won her last race by 11 lengths.
American Bound (6/1) offers value to challenge in the six-horse field, and numberFire has her hitting the board in front of Mainstay (5/2). Horse Racing Radar notes American Bound is training swiftly and should run better in her second stakes start.
Gift List and Plum Ali, Race 8
FanDuel Racing Odds: 7/2 and 5/1
Race 8 is the $200K Grade III Wonder Again Stakes for three-year-old fillies running a route at 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf. The race has nine runners after Mia Martina was scratched, and EPO trainer Todd Pletcher has a formidable pair in Com Lima (6/1) and favorite Jouster (3/1) with Luis Saez riding.
Jouster has been well bet in all her 2021 races following a rousing turf win in January to break her maiden. Her last two starts were graded stakes races, and she finished second and then won at Keeneland in April. She got a good wire-to-wire trip in posting her best 98 speed figure and finished just in front of runner-up Gift List (7/2) and third-place finisher Plum Ali (5/1).
Gift List has since come back to win another Grade II race with a strong 106 speed figure, and numberFire has her winning. Gift List has won three times and added four runner-up finishes in seven starts.
Plum Ali is a talented runner for top trainer Christophe Clement, and she won her first three starts last year, including a pair of stakes. Strong stretch jockey Joel Rosario rides, and she’s improving her speed in each race.
