Horse Betting World

Stakes Action from Coast to Coast on Saturday

By Michael Dempsey

Horseplayers and fans looking for marquee names will have no problem finding them on Saturday, as stakes action from Belmont Park to Hollywood Park to Calder Race Course will feature some of the top horses in training.

Among the runners headed to the gate on Saturday include Gio Ponti, Rail Trip, Blind Luck, Grand Couturier, Richard’s Kid, Compari, D’Funnybone, Gayego, and Big Drama,

The feature at Belmont Park on Saturday is the $600,000 Man O’ War (G1), a 1 3/8 mile turf event featuring Gio Ponti, last year’s Eclipse Award winner for top male and top turf male.

The Christophe Clement trainee is off to a tough start this year, losing his first three starts, last out having a rough trip in a runner up finish to Winchester in the Manhattan Handicap (G1).

The five-year-old appears to be a standout, and is 1-2 on the morning line with Ramon Dominguez aboard.

The Summit of Speed program at Calder includes four graded stakes, all sprint races at six furlongs on the main track.

The marquee event is the $350,000 Princess Rooney Handicap (G1) for fillies and mares. The race is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series. Horse Betting

The winner of the race earns an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1).

Thirteen fillies and mares will go to the post, led by Vagrancy Handicap (G2) winner Hour Glass and Inside Information (G2) victor Warbling.

Preceding the Rooney is the $350,000 Smile Sprint Handicap (G2), with the winner earning an automatic starting spot in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1)

Big Drama, who won the Delta Jackpot (G3) and Swale (G2) as a three-year-old, is making his second start off a ten month layoff and is the 3/1 morning line favorite.

The other two graded stakes on the card are the $150,000 Azalea (G3) and the $200,000 Carry Back (G2).

Among the past runners in the Summit of Speed races were Orientate, Maryfield, and Cajun Beat, who each went on to win a Breeders’ Cup race.

The top three-year-old filly in training is in action at Delaware Park. Blind Luck, a winner of 7 of her 11 career starts is the even money favorite in the $250,000 Delaware Oaks (G2).

Hollywood Park hosts a pair of Grade 1 races over the Cushion Track surface on Saturday.

The $250,000 Triple Bend Handicap (G1) drew a field of eight runners who will go seven furlongs.

Gayego is likely to go off as the betting favorite despite making his first start since a eighth place finish in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) over the Tapeta surface back in March.

The Godolphin owned five-year-old won three of five starts last year including taking the Ancient Title (G1) last fall at Santa Anita before running fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) where he was beaten just a couple of noses and a head for the top spot.

Rail Trip figures to be the short priced favorite in the featured race of the day, the $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup Handicap (G1).

Ron Ellis trains the five-year-old, who comes into the race having won the Mervyn Leroy (G2) and the Californian (G2) in his last two starts.

The five year old has won 8 of his 11 career starts and only four horses have finished in front of him in his career.

One of those is Richard’s Kid, who pulled off the upset in last year’s Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar at 24/1.

The Bob Baffert trainee is making his first start since a disappointing seventh place finish in the Dubai World Cup (G1) in March.

Awesome Gem, coming off a runner up finish in the Lone Star Park Handicap (G3) is looking to go over the $2 million mark in earnings.

The seven year old is just $25,318 shy of the milestone.

Look for Michael Dempsey’s video analysis of Saturday’s stakes action on Friday afternoon right here at Horse Racing Betting.