BANKROLL

BANKROLL: $87

We’ve got some housekeeping before we start the final bankroll section of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. First, Saturday’s action was cancelled when the Wonder Again was taken off the turf. Surface changes void all plays.

Secondly, when racing returns to Saratoga, you may notice I’ll be absent until mid-July. That’s for the best possible reason. I’m getting married later this month, and I’ll be in Europe on my honeymoon as the meet gets started. I’ll be back for the last 36 days of the meet, but as I’ve told several people, I can’t very well tell my wife, “we can’t go to the Sagrada Familia yet because I need to handicap the steeplechase race.”

(Side note: If anyone has some tips about Lisbon and/or Barcelona, fire away!)

SATURDAY’S RESULTS: See above.

SUNDAY’S PLAY: I’ll focus on the fifth, where I’ll let most of the bankroll ride on one of my favorite horses in training. That’s #8 AMUNDSON, who I’ll key on top of $20 exactas that use #1 THANK YOU JON/#1A HONORARY DEGREE, #7 BREW PUB, and #9 LOST IN ROME underneath. In addition, I’ll have a cold $10 double starting in the fifth linking Amundson with my longshot of the day, #1 BRACIOLE. Finally, as a “saver” of sorts, I’ll use the three “underneath” horses in $5 doubles that end with Braciole.

TOTAL WAGERED: $85.

SELECTIONS/ANALYSIS

Best Bet: Amundson, Race 5
Longshot: Braciole, Race 6

R1

Angel Gift
Gorrono Ranch
Bella Bello Banker

#6 ANGEL GIFT (5/2): Hammered for $300,000 at auction and is in this creatively-written race because she’s a New York-bred. She’s kin to Grade 1-winning 2-year-old Cave Rock, and the most recent workout downstate indicates she’s ready to go on debut; #3 GORRONO RANCH (3-1): Has an experience edge over most of this group and was a tough-luck second last time out after dueling from the gate. She once again figures to be prominent early, and it’s possible today is graduation day; #5 BELLA BELLO BANKER (10-1): Goes out for a barn whose horses often need a race or two to get going, but she sold for $105,000 earlier this year and has a few drills that indicate she may have some talent.

R2

Resilience
Digital Ops
Society Man

#5 RESILIENCE (5/2): Almost certainly needed his return race last time out after not running for the prior 11 months. He tried Grade 1 company twice a season ago, and if he gets back to the form that carried him to a win in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial, he’ll be tough in here; #1 DIGITAL OPS (9/5): Hasn’t run since mid-January, when he was a good second behind a next-out winner at Gulfstream. His best race makes him a player, but he’s no standout on speed figures and his likely price hits me as an underlay, so I’ll take a mild stand against him; #6 SOCIETY MAN (3-1): Chased my top pick when second in the Wood and won a graded race of his own in last year’s Grade 3 Matt Winn. I’m drawing a line through his last-out clunker, and there should be some pace in here to set up for his late kick

R3

Diblasi
Dark Assault
Just Moises

#5 DIBLASI (2-1): Was second from start to finish behind impressive barn buddy Ohoopee in his debut at Keeneland. That May 29th work jumps off the page, and a logical move forward at second asking could leave his foes with lots to do; #2 DARK ASSAULT (4-1): Has been working consistently ahead of his unveiling for Shug McGaughey and has a strong win-early pedigree. This son of Violence is out of a mare who was stakes-placed as a 2-year-old, and Irad Ortiz, Jr., sees fit to ride; #4 JUST MOISES (4-1): Sold for $350,000 earlier this year and has a very impressive pedigree page. He’s kin to stakes winner Varatti, and his bottom line trades back to third dam La Gueriere, who was very, very productive. Everything about him, though, says he probably wants longer than this distance.

R4

Light the Way (MTO)
Enlighten
Brown entry

#6 ENLIGHTEN (7/2): Has plenty of tactical speed, which is an asset at this route of ground on the inner turf. The winners of each of his last two races came back to repeat, and the Pletcher/Velazquez tag team always merits respect; BROWN ENTRY (9/5): Both #2 UNCATALYZED and #2B MOVE TO GOLD could win, but I’ve got my doubts. The former sat an ideal trip las time, while the latter hasn’t run in nearly a year (and the barn’s first-call rider goes to the other one). At their likely price, I’ll try to beat them; #5 SUMMER IN ADRIANE (8-1): Came from way back to top allowance foes at Keeneland last time out, and he did so at a monster price. That running style doesn’t often lend itself to success on the inner, but it’s also possible Mike Maker has him on the right track midway through his 4-year-old season.

R5

Amundson
Lost in Rome
Brew Pub

#8 AMUNDSON (5/2): Has been a stalwart of the NYRA circuit and doesn’t appear to have lost a step as a 9-year-old. His last-out win at Aqueduct was very impressive, he loves Saratoga, and his chances wouldn’t suffer with any moisture left in the ground; #9 LOST IN ROME (9/2): Goes first off the claim for a barn that does very well with new acquisitions. He’s searching for his first win in quite some time, but his last-out third at Aqueduct came in a swiftly-run race for the level and he’s run well here before; #7 BREW PUB (10-1): Chased my top pick two back and hasn’t won in a while, but he does relish wet tracks, with three wins and 10 in-the-money finishes in 16 such outings. He’s also shown an ability to rate a bit, which could help him rally for a piece of it.

R6

Braciole
Caldo Candy
My Man Matty

#1 BRACIOLE (12-1): Seems like the lone closer in a race full of early speed, and I simply cannot ignore that. He goes second off the bench here, and he capitalized on a similar situation two back at Aqueduct to get the job done; #2 CALDO CANDY (2-1): Is one of many who wants to go early, and the slight cutback in distance should help him. He was second in a similar spot two back, and the addition of Joel Rosario is noteworthy; #3 MY MAN MATTY (5-1): Hasn’t run since December of 2023, but he’s been working well and has flashed plenty of talent in the past. Bruce Levine knows how to bring horses back off the bench, and that May 2nd workout hints that he’s been ready for a while.

R7

Cloe
Saturday Flirt
Love Cervere

#8 CLOE (9/2): Adds blinkers for the Grade 3 Soaring Softly and exits a third-place finish at that level going down the hill at Santa Anita. Her two-back win in a stakes race at Gulfstream was very sharp, and so are the recent workouts. She hits me as the one they’ll have to catch; #3 SATURDAY FLIRT (5-1): Is 2-for-2 in the U.S. following a come-from-behind win in her 2025 debut at Keeneland. Her lone misfire came at Royal Ascot, which I can completely forgive, and the faster they go early, the better her chances figure to be; #1 LOVE CERVERE (7/2): Cut back to one turn to take a stakes race downstate last month beneath Joel Rosario, who climbs back aboard for this one. It wouldn’t surprise me if she went off lower than her morning line price, and she’s logical in a wide-open event.

R8

Purpose (MTO)
Tongue Twister
Summer Whirl

#7 TONGUE TWISTER (3-1): Ran a solid second when returning to New York-bred competition downstate and makes a lot of sense here. She’s a consistent sort hat generally runs the same race every time, and she’s run well here twice in the past; #8 SUMMER WHIRL (7/2): Probably needed her last-out effort, which was her first try since October. She tried stakes competition here last summer and wasn’t embarrassed when fourth of eight, so it would be far from surprising to see her take a step forward and contend here; #11 GALLEY HEAD (15-1): Merits a look in here at a big price after topping open company on the synthetic at Gulfstream. She ran well twice on turf before that, too, and she hasn’t run against New York-breds in quite some time.

R9

Long Neck Paula
Beauty Reigns
Mila Candy

#4 LONG NECK PAULA (4-1): Has yet to run poorly on dirt and comes in off of a second-place finish in the Palisades at Keeneland. She was third in last year’s Schuylerville, and she could sit an ideal stalk-and-pounce trip in the Jersey Girl; #2 BEAUTY REIGNS (9/5): Was an impressive winner at Churchill Downs last time and comes back to the stakes ranks here. Going one turn is her game, but do note that she’ll have to run without Lasix in this spot, and that could downgrade her just a bit; #1 MILA CANDY (8-1): Takes a big step up here, but she broke her maiden last time out in a fast race for the level (and previously ran well to be second in her unveiling). The rail draw isn’t ideal, but she seems like a filly with potential to move forward further at a bit of a price.

R10

Ball Don’t Lie
I’m Wide Awake
Consider It Done

#7 BALL DON’T LIE (3-1): Probably had too much to do last time, when he broke poorly from the rail and spotted the field plenty of ground. He still salvaged third that day, and if he can get past his gate issues and break cleanly with a better draw, he could move forward in a big way; #3 I’M WIDE AWAKE (2-1): Makes his first start for Norm Casse here and sure looks like he main speed. He wintered at Oaklawn, and he ran very well on a number of occasions. If speed is holding Sunday, he could be a major threat to wire them; #4 CONSIDER IT DONE (8-1): Is 2-for-2 since being claimed by Linda Rice and moves up the class ladder for this one. First-call rider Jose Lezcano stays aboard, and while he has tactical speed, it helps that he doesn’t necessarily need the lead in order to run well.

R11

Executive Order (MTO)
Creditworthy
Twisted Filigree

#1 CREDITWORTHY (2-1): Hasn’t run a bad one in three starts to date and returns to the scene of his maiden-breaking score last summer. His comeback race at Keeneland saw him run a close-up third against what was probably a better group, and he’s a logical favorite; #9 TWISTED FILIGREE (8-1): Hasn’t run since November but merits a long look in here. He was second in a pair of local turf sprints over the summer, and his last outing saw him run the talented Yarrow to a head at Aqueduct; #12 TAP TO MISCHIEF (5-1): Won his debut in July and hasn’t been seen in the afternoon since. However, he’s been working well for quite a while and has some strong drills on his sheet. Add in the ultimate equipment change as a first-time gelding, and it’s possible he’s set to be a major player.

R12

Think Big
Ag Bullet
Our Shot

#2 THINK BIG (6/5): Has won three in a row at three different tracks and was an impressive winner of the Grade 2 Turf Sprint on the Kentucky Derby undercard. He likes turf courses with some give, and that’s the route he figures to get in the Grade 1 Jaipur (which features several horses he’s beaten this season); #9 AG BULLET (7/2): Had a terrible trip in the Grade 3 Unbridled Sidney, when she was guided to the inside and never got through. The switch to Flavien Prat is a notable one, and perhaps she needed that race given it was her first try since December; #3 OUR SHOT (8-1): Has hit the board in all four of his races at Saratoga. He’s a bit pace-dependent, but we know he likes this route of ground, and it does seem like there’s plenty of zip around him in the starting gate.

R13

Far Bridge
Carson’s Run
Spirit of St Louis

#9 FAR BRIDGE (3-1): Ran third in the Grade 1 Manhattan a year ago against what hits me as a much better group, and he’s back for another crack at the apple here. He’s 2-for-2 this season, and unlike last year, the Europeans stayed home for the 2025 renewal of the traditional Belmont lead-in; #4 CARSON’S RUN (12-1): Merits a long look at a price in his second start off the bench. He was second in the Grade 2 Fort Marcy, a race he may have needed. He returns to a turf course he loves, he adds a bit of distance, and he may also get his desired conditions given some rain in the forecast; #6 SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS (5/2): Rose up from the New York-bred ranks to become one of the top turf horses in the country. He won the Grade 1 Turf Classic last time out, but that was an oddly-run race, and I’m not sure how much stock to put into it.