BELMONT EARLY PICK 5 and LATE PICK 4
Updated: 5 days ago
BELMONT EARLY PICK 5 - Five Races Between Us and a Better Attitude
Yesterday Belmont escorted us out in the third leg. Naturally, we’re back with $192 and the belief that this time the horses will respect the amount of thought we’ve put into it. They’ve shown very little interest so far.
50¢ Pick 5 — $192
Race 1: 1, 2, 3, 6
Race 2: 1, 2, 6
Race 3: 1, 2, 4, 8
Race 4: 4, 6
Race 5: 1, 3, 5, 7
Dang it!!! We were live into the 5th! - if you played the pick 3's of Races 1,2,3 and 2,3,4 they paid $94 and $120 . . . but I only played the Pick 5 :-/
We open Race 1 with Rhythm Riot (No. 1), Tutto a Posto (No. 2), Cybertapping (No. 3), and The Gabe Digger (No. 6). Rhythm Riot improved sharply in his second start, missing by a head at Delaware. Now he stretches to a mile, where we’d appreciate him saving that final head for our side of the photograph. Four deep in the opener because being eliminated before settling into the chair is bad for morale.
Race 2 puts E Z Speaker (No. 1), Louden (No. 2), and Nevada (No. 6) on the ticket. E Z Speaker has the strongest figures of our experienced pair, Louden improved last time, and Nevada debuts for Chad Brown with Flavien Prat aboard. We’ve included both evidence and expensive-looking potential.
In Race 3, we use Key Actress (No. 1), Mermaid (No. 2), Twirly (No. 4), and Putonahappyface (No. 8). Key Actress comes off a front-running maiden win with Prat, while Putonahappyface and Twirly finished second and third in the same claiming race last month. Putonahappyface is also our preferred instruction for anyone following along when the first three races don’t look remotely comfortable.
We narrow to Under the Moon (No. 4) and In the Queue (No. 6) in Race 4. Under the Moon brings the better speed figures of the two; In the Queue brings early pace and Prat. Two-year-old maiden fillies, two selections, and absolutely no room for somebody discovering a previously undisclosed talent.
The final leg belongs to Fire Marshal (No. 1), Boer War (No. 3), Coastal Evacuation (No. 5), and Summer Brother (No. 7). Fire Marshal was caught late when second on turf at Saratoga, earning an 80 figure. Boer War showed early speed in his debut, and Summer Brother is a newcomer. Between the fire marshal, the war, and the evacuation, this race sounds less like a sporting event and more like something we should be leaving.
Five winners, please. We’ve already demonstrated considerable ability at picking four.
BELMONT LATE PICK 4 - A $45 Ticket With Expensive Expectations
The late play is a more restrained $45. We’re keeping the opening leg tight, spreading five deep in Race 7, and hoping three two-year-old fillies can bring us home without requiring a formal apology.
50¢ Pick 4 — $45 *3 of 4 . . . . So frustrating :-/
Race 6: 1, 5
Race 7: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
Race 8: 1, 5, 6
Race 9: 4, 10, 12
We start Race 6 with Ganderella (No. 1) and Felxyn (No. 5). These two have been trading places: Ganderella finished ahead of Felixyn on turf at Saratoga, then Felixyn reversed the order when they met on the all-weather surface last month. Both have competitive form. We don’t need them to settle their relationship permanently—just keep the winner between the two of them.
Race 7 gets Moe Eighty Eight (No. 1), Papa Yo (No. 2), Cocktailsnkringle (No. 4), Willintoriskitall (No. 5), and Three B’s (No. 6). Moe Eighty Eight and Papa Yo have both earned triple-digit figures previously, while Willintoriskitall’s name neatly describes the psychological condition that brought us here. Five deep because confidence is wonderful, but coverage gets a vote.
In Race 8, it’s Final Verdict (No. 1), Bosun (No. 5), and No Evidence (No. 6). Bosun and No Evidence were separated by only a neck when third and second at Saratoga last time, both earning 99 figures. Final Verdict adds another established contender. Between Final Verdict and No Evidence, we appear to have assembled a legal defense in case anyone questions our selections.
We close Race 9 with Twice the Fun (No. 4), Mom’s On Break (No. 10), and Seismic Activity (No. 12). Twice the Fun earned an 80 in her turf-sprint debut and now stretches out. Mom’s On Break rallied for third in her dirt debut and tries grass, while Seismic Activity gets Prat. Different routes to the same assignment: cross the wire first and make this entire exercise look intentional.
Cash it and we’ll call it disciplined ticket construction. Miss it and we’ll explain how remarkably close $45 came to greatness.