Belmont Park Picks – Friday, October 30, 2020

Thoroughbred racing continues apace at Belmont Park for Friday with its schedule of ten claiming, maiden, and allowance races. The tracks—both dirt and turf—will most likely be sloppy, owing to the 100% chance of rain predicted in the area.

This might be a good time to mention that you can stay warm and dry while wagering on any of the races at Belmont Park with a simple visit to one of our recommended racebooks.

Read on for my Belmont Park picks and betting tips for Friday, October 30, 2020.

This is a maiden special weight race for two-year-olds running a distance of six furlongs for a purse of $80,000.

I am going with the second-favored (8/5) entry in this race—Digital Future, with Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the irons. Like most in this field, this colt has no starts on record, but his performance in workouts—particularly those at longer distances—are better than those of the morning line favorite.

Oddly enough (for a six-horse race) there are two long-odds entries, but neither of those is sufficiently long to warrant the risk of a wager.

This is an allowance race for fillies and mares three years old and upward running a distance of seven furlongs on turf for a purse of $82,000.

I’m backing the 7/2 turf favorite—Mary’s France, with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard. For the record, this French import moneyed two of her four career starts, winning one.

I disagree that the winner will be different if this race moves to the main track. The morning line thinks Fiftyshays Ofgreen (5/2) will win, but that filly hasn’t won a race since 2019.

And for the long-odds value bettors, I like the 30/1 Jasminesque, ridden by Erik Cancel, for a show bet. This four-year-old filly moneyed in 12 of her 23 career starts—and her 2020 record is better: Five money finishes in eight starts, one of those a win.

This is an allowance race for three-year-olds and upward running a distance of seven furlongs for a purse of $82,000.

And it’s the second-favored entry again for me—the 7/2 Foolish Ghost, with Dylan Davis in the irons. This five-year-old gelding moneyed 13 of his 25 career starts, winning six, and his 2020 record is even better: five money finishes in six starts, three of them wins. And sure, there are better jockeys in this race, but Davis rode Foolish Ghost to his most recent win (October3) at Belmont and against many of the same jockeys.

At 20/1, I like Al Brown, with Jose Lezcano aboard, for a value show bet. This three-year-old colt moneyed two of his three career starts, winning one.

I found even more underdogs longshot prospects at the other two tracks I reviewed for today’s races: