Tough to do this the night before...not knowing conditions, scratches or if any track biases exist but:
6/8 Belmont Day
R1: #5 Tycoon Cat will likely take some $ in here, some angles to like: first off the claim for meets leading trainer and cuts back from 1m to 6f but after all he is 2 for 45 life and also 0 for 7 on wet tracks. I think there will be alot of early speed in this race and could set up for a horse like the sneaky #10 Meet the Mets: this colt was the most impressive ny bred juvenile that debuted @ Saratoga last summer and then ran 2nd in a 6.5F Alw race then a 125k state bred stakes going 7f - 12 post too big of a move up and distance, came back in May after being off since Oct and returns to regular jockey, Castellano. Moisture in track should not be an issue as this colt is sired by Grandslam. A couple of horses that could be around at the finish are #3 Saint Arthur and #12 Comandante, originally gave these two a shot at top spot but feel both of their chances will be compromised due to being too close to or on what figures to be a hot pace.
R2: #1 Schoolyard Dreams, again for leading trainer at meet Jacobson will take $. He did just run on 6/2 but that's a high percentage move for this barn and he takes a huge drop in class here. #5 Odea is my top choice. Could get loose on lead, 3 for 3 on wet tracks, turf to dirt, only dirt loss to date was vs Big Business (7 for 10 on Nyra circuit). Another contender is the Chad Brown, cutback #7 Integrity - who gets favorable post draw to outside setting up possible stalking trip behind Odea.
R3: If race is OFF the turf: im way against #6 (if not scratched and likely fav). Horses im interested in on dirt are: #9 Atlantic's Smile, debuts for pretty under-rated trainer i love on this circuit and does great work w/ firsters, 3 yo filly is sib to NY bred stakes winner Wildcat's Smile who also raced for these connections. #2 Mononoke makes second start of year so could improve esp since last race was his best and showed speed taking off blinkers and #11 Three Times Bea could be a sneaky longshot in here, showed nothing in only career race but that was on turf, so maybe it can run a little on dirt for trainer a respect a ton. MTO's #13 and #14 will likely take alot of the $, i don't think they're anything special.
R4: #9 Native Singer is another firster from Galluscio barn (see R3 #9), #1 El Genio adds lasix and blinkers, #4 Bernardo improved in last start stretching out to 1M, #2 Pete and David 2nd off layoff improved 44 beyer points stretching out and running on off track are the ones i'll be looking to use in early pk 4's. #10 Private Irving A could be part of pace but non winning outfit (5 for 109 this year) will not be on my tickets.
R5: #6 Howie's Tiz is likely best in here, i have no knocks on him and thought he ran very good last time out. I think #3 Rap d'Oro is interesting and likely decent price - 3 back very wide @ FG then switched to very good Mike Hushion barn, broke from rail @ Aqu and ran 2nd to Incognito (see Belmont Stakes) and last was a throw out turf race now back to dirt and could be the sneaky one. #9 Risky Asset and #7 Moreno - turf to dirt and adds blinkers, could be speeds that hold for a piece.
R6: Easy Goer: #2 Power Broker will be a big fav and i think it's worth taking a shot against him. I like #5 New Line the best. 3 yo colt has really improved in his two dirt starts since adding lasix and last time out ran well vs track bias. #8 Wabbajack is my 2nd selection, 2nd off layoff could improve off maiden win over track and two back at Gulfstream finished 1.5 lengths ahead of Freedom Child (see Belmont Stakes). #9 Irsaal has improved since adding lasix and blinkers and on off tracks beat Belmont runner Midnight Taboo (don't really like) in his last start.
R7: True North: #1 Justin Phillip, i lose all value with since is coupled w/ 1A Fast Bullet - who i don't like and #5 Caixa Electronica are my top two contenders. Both should have nice trips behind the early speeds of #6 Sage Valley and #4 Off the Jak.
R8: Just A Game: #1 Hungry Island, #2 Stephanie's Kitten and #3 Centre Court will start off all stakes pk 4's for most, including myself but i'll also be using #5 Laugh Out Loud who makes her US debut for owner Martin Schwartz who brings horses here from Europe very often, just to hand them over to Chad Brown...whose barn this filly is likely already in. Laugh Out Loud is nothing but class having run in 4 Group 1's and 2 Group 2's, two back vs Siyouma and Elusive Kate. Last time out was very ugly but i excuse it as it was off a 7 month layoff and was vs Group 2 boys, now back w/ fillies and mares. #4 Dayatthespa is a filly i like alot but course conditions likely wont be to her liking and the fact that she has to deal with the early speed of #6 Mizdirection, who i don't like at all here and think she also will dislike the going.
R9: Woody Stephens: #9 Clearly Now is one of my better plays on the card and will be a single on my main pk 4 tix. Clearly Now ran huge last time out dueling 3 wide in very hot pace that melted, even though widest of other speeds and hot pace put them away just to do all the dirty work for #1 Declan's Warrior who is at a post disadvantage here breaking from the rail, and he's struggled in past breaking from inside...breaking slowly both times, however anyone coming off the pace has a shot for 2nd or 3rd since we'll see an extremely hot early pace from #11 Let Em Shine and #6 Zee Bros, #2,4,10 likely to add to that pace...Closers i'll be using underneath are #3 Capo Bastone, #5 Honorable Dillon and #7 Forty Tales.
R10: Manhattan: #1 Point of Entry is a very likely winner and will be on my pk 4's however i'll also be using #5 Optimizer - who may not be the class of Point of Entry, moves way up with boggy turf conditions we could see and ran a pretty tough trip 3rd last out on Preakness Day. Optimizer ran 3rd to 24-1 loose on the lead longshot, lost position while stalking leader, in pretty tight on inside...the same horse (Howe Great) leaned on him twice either costing him room or position, and when clear which was way too late made a nice run to wire to only be beaten half length. Those are the two i want in pk 4's, as far as betting race individually... i'll be using #4 Real Solution and #9 Finnegans Wake on the bottom of some exactas and tri's. A couple of cappers i respect alot have told me they like #8 Twilight Eclipse, i can see it and won't be shocked...just think the two big races he had at Calder and Gulfsteam, both track records...were on rock hard turf courses, likely not to have that here.
R11 Belmont: #2 Freedom Child is my top choice, capped him to win on dry track based on the fact that i think he's going to love going the 1 1/2 Mile distance, but moisture won't hurt his chances as he just blew away the field in the Peter Pan (Belmont Prep) by over 13 lengths in the slop. Freedom Child having inside post could help, even though he wired field in last could let #7 Oxbow go to front and stalk on inside. Don't like Oxbow's chances here. #5 Orb is the class and likely winner, will be on my pk 4's as well as #6 Incognito - who of the longshots is the one i want, tons of long distance breeding on both sides of family, based on pp's of last race i figured he may not like an off track...so why like him again where he may see an off track, after watching replay of Peter Pan just think he never got into it...never had good footing and never had mud thrown in his face before, maybe better position...stretching out and having that experience moves him up today. Guess it comes down to i really don't care for the others: #9 Revolutionary and #14 Golden Soul were 2nd and 3rd to Orb in the Derby, and while like Orb were aided by hot pace...had much better trips than Orb had and present no value, as far as win in this race imo...that's why i'm against them, i don't think #12 Palice Malice will like the 1 1/2M distance, some think Pletcher's filly #13 Unlimited Budget has a chance, i'm not a big fan...i did have Pletcher's filly that won the Belmont, Rags to Riches...but unlike Ulimited Budget, she was bred for long distances...dam sire of Valid Appeal is ok for off tracks, but going 1 1/2M??? Not me.
Did not look at R12 or R13 yet.
Rough Draft for All Stakes Pk 4:
R8) 1,2,3,5
R9) 9
R10) 1,5
R11) 2,5,6