Horse Betting World

Staying on the Green

By Joey Adams

Last Saturday Belmont Park kicked off its Fall Meet with the $150,000 Bowling Green-G2 for males, and Al Khali got up late to defeat Winchester. This Saturday we’ll stay on the grass for the feature race, but it’s time for three-year-old fillies to take the stage. The $250,000 Garden City-G1 will be run at nine furlongs over the inner turf course, and it has drawn a competitive field of eight, including an uncoupled entry from the barn of Tom Proctor. The Garden City is the third leg of a $300,000 Guaranteed Late Pick Four.

Here is a closer look at the field:

1-CHECK THE LABEL … Hot filly has won three consecutive graded events. Her streak began with the Appalachian-G3 at Keeneland, and most recently she was an easy winner of the Virginia Oaks-G3 at Colonial Downs. Sandwiched in between was a score in the Sands Point-G2 over this course and distance where she was an easy winner despite a rough trip. She’s the one to fear.

2-GITCHEE GOOMIE … Late-running filly has lost photo finishes in her last two starts, both as the betting favorite. Each time she endured troubled trips, but she is taking a big step up in class from the state-bred N1X allowance level. Owns a potent late kick, but that may only carry her as far as a minor spot in the gimmicks.

3-PERSUADING … Made her turf debut a winning one, taking a N1X race at Saratoga. She was allowed an easy lead that day and was still all-out to hold on late. With the speedy Queen of the Creek next door she will have her hands full if new rider Alex Solis is committed to the lead again today.

4-QUEEN OF THE CREEK … Back-to-back wins at Saratoga where she sprinted to big early leads and basically ran them off their feet. Won by daylight in a division of the $70,000 Riskaverse last time out, and her winning time was more than one full second faster than the other division. Today’s distance is a question mark, but she is the one to catch.

5-NO EXPLAINING … Beaten favorite in the Ontario Colleen ($193K) at Woodbine last time out, rallying from way back to finish 3rd. Gets more ground to work with today and note she easily won her only previous start at this distance. Trainer Roger Attfield has been solid shipping runners in from Canada, including a 3rd-place finish in last Saturday’s Bowling Green-G2 with Simmard – who was also ridden by today’s jockey John Velazquez.

6-NEGLIGEE … Winless in four starts since taking the Alcibiades-G1 over the Keeneland polytrack last October. She has failed in her last two starts while the betting favorite, including most recently when she was 3rd behind Check the Label in the local Sands Point-G2. Reunited with Rajiv Maragh for the first time since the Alcibiades-G1 and has been working very well. Should be in with a shot turning for home.

7-SNOW TOP MOUNTAIN … Never worse than 2nd in seven career starts, including five tries over the grass. Just missed in the slower division of the Riskaverse Stakes at Saratoga, where she may have been hindered by slow early fractions and the one-mile distance. Her Beyer Speed Figures are a little weak, but you have to respect her consistency.

8-TRIPLE CREAM … Back on turf after pulling up the rear in a three-horse Lake Placid-G3 run over a sloppy track at Saratoga. Her Beyer Speed Figures have been on a downward trend since leaving the barn of David Hofmans in California this summer. She has good tactical speed and should sit a nice trip, but she doesn’t appear to have the same closing punch as the top contenders in here.

SELECTIONS: 1-Check the Label, 4-Queen of the Creek, 5-No Explaining, 7-Snow Top Mountain