If you’re trying to get a decent handle on the 2009 Fall Championship Meet at Belmont Park, we’ve done a bit of research to get at least some of the names of the probable entries we can expect in the early graded races. The opening weekend should be a real treat for live racing fans with some very interesting contests following the $150,000 Bowling Green on September 11th.
In terms of the highlight of Friday’s program, we have Americain, Colony, and Up To No Good all pointed towards the race. Up To No Good being my pick from those three following a very solid outing at Presque Isle Downs and several very credible allowance wins from last year. He may not be the most glamorous, but I like his gritty style of grinding out victories on surfaces of all kinds. I think he’s a real September/October kind of horse if you get my meaning.
Other notables include Thabazimbi, Solitaire and General Chester all appear to still have question marks, but none of those are out of the question. It would be an impressive line-up and it’s nice to see some of the regional runners taking on the Kentucky-breds. It will be interesting to see how that all plays out at the end of the meet.
We are especially interested in a pair of Grade 1 races for the ladies, with the $300,000 Garden City boasting 3 year-old fillies on the turf followed by the Ruffian Handicap for fillies and mares, which will run for the same stakes.
Gozzip Girl is probably the flashiest name on offer with the winner of the $700,000 American Oaks set to take on a very competitive field. The partnership with Kent Desmormeaux looks set to continue and this could be another major statement for Stonestreet Stables, who have been on an absolute tear at the highest level. This horse has won all over the place and with plenty of success on turf, I’m confident she’ll be attracting most of the money. If she avoids complications, I’m backing Gozzip Girl to put together a very classy victory.
Keertana, Katara, Miss World and Pull Dancer are all being floated as competition.
I expect the first Grade 1 of Saturday to have plenty of excitement but the second race, for fillies and mares, is a one-way ticket to the Breeders Cup Ladies Classic and is the most valuable long-term prize. Exotic Indy and Seventh Street are floated as the earlier contenders, but we’ll have another post bringing more detail to that race in the coming days, but of the two we’d side with Saeed Bin Suroor’s Seventh Street any day of the week. A quinella featuring the two could be a popular option against a slower field.
For the Ashley T. COle Stakes on Sunday, I expect a lot of the early money will be on Banrock considering he took the West Point Handicap and the Kingston Stakes (both on turf) and is 1-2-5-1 for the year coming into this one. He did score in this race at this distance in 2008 and that definitely offers up some food for thought.
I think Banrock is a solid favourite, but I’m going to back Extra Zip for a show bet if he’s priced-favourably. He only seems to run against Banrock and finished 3rd in the West Point Handicap. If he’s at 8 or above, I think he’s good money on a place if you think he’s willing to step up a bit in the face of what looks to be a very intriguing handicap race.
Pennington, Get Serious and Hangingbyathread are all regulars on the north east allowance circuit and look set to step into this one as well.
It should be a very interesting opening weekend to the Belmont meet, but we think it could be a good weekend for the headline acts.
Our Early Selections
Up To No Good
Gozzip Girl
Seventh Street
Banrock
