- Three more workouts for the Belmont today.
Tampa Bay Derby (gr. III) winner Deputy Glitters, went five furlongs in :59 4/5, sixth fastest time of the day among 47 working that distance, while California-based Sacred Light was timed in 1:16 2/5 for six furlongs, slowest of six workers at that distance. High Finance's time of 1:13 3/5 for six furlongs was the best for three horses working that distance at Aqueduct. [Bloodhorse]Seriously, other than Platinum Couple or Double Galore should either of them run, is there anyone in this field who would be a total shocker should he win? Nick Zito is just sitting on a big win, I can feel it, and his Hemingway's Key, drastically improved in the Preakness, is training steadily on the Saratoga training track. Deputy Glitters, as I mentioned last week, seems to be growing in stature, and Tom Albertrani, back from his suspension, was pleased with today's workout, as he timed the colt in "12s" for each eighth of a mile of the work. "That is what you like to see going into a race like the Belmont."
High Finance, according to Ed Fountaine in the NY Post (and I'll have to check his work when I have a chance,) has the highest Beyer in this field, the 103 he earned in his allowance win at Belmont.
"That was his launching pad," trainer Rick Violette said yesterday outside his barn at Aqueduct. "He showed some significant quality. He just galloped."Stranger things than Oh So Awesome have happened, Sacred Light would be a surprise, but not a Sarava. This is one wide open race. I've been saying that I like Sunriver, and I do. But with the uncertainty of the mile and a half distance, I think you could make a case that the way to go is to take a shot with someone who is double digit odds.
"Yes, it's a step up, but he's acting like he can do it. He looks like one of those dangerous 3-year-olds that keeps improving, sometimes in quantum leaps. He's sound, he's happy, he's training well. Now is the time to attack." [NY Post]
- We're all rooting for Barbaro of course, but some of this is getting a little weird. As if sending emails to a horse isn't odd enough, NYRA's VP Bill Nader told the Albany Times-Union that they're hoping to have a live shot of Barbaro on the giant video screen on Belmont day. No word yet as to whether he'll give us his picks for the late Pick 4.
- Belmont Day has always been the one time that I could count on not getting distracted by simulcast races and being able to fully focus on the live races, because NYRA has always nixed them for the big day. Not this year. The 56,268 fans in attendance will also be able to wager on Monmouth, Churchill, Finger Lakes, and Hollywood.
2 Comments:
High Finance....another West Point sacrificial lamb. No businees running this far so at his experience level except it's good for WP business. Overpriced, marked up horses being used to attract more prospects.
103 Beyer must be accurate. I received 3 e-mails today from West Point telling me so and inviting me to listen in to Terry Finley's Belmont musings.
Bank Check
LATG, don't give up on your Sunriver pick! I think he lays over the field and his last was excellent, considering the pace and the competition was strong (field of nine including Strong Contender, who beat Bluegrass Cat in the Bluegrass, was third).
He should have no trouble with the distance, has the right running style for the pace, and will be a square price of 4-1 (5-1 if Steppenwolfer is as aggressively bet as I think he will be).
A faster than par pace is a guarantee for Saturday, which wasn't a certainty two weeks ago when West Point put High Finance into consideration.
I think it was wise for Violette/Finley to CONSIDER running High Finance, because he's an improving horse with speed and could have potentially "Commendabled" the field.
However, once Deputy Glitters, Bob&John, and Myung Kwun Cho's horse signed on, I think they should have reconsidered and looked at getting another condition or the Dwyer.
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