Belmont Park Picks – Friday, September 18, 2020

Friday marks the opening day for Belmont Park’s Fall Meet, and the track has a ten-race card filled with maiden, allowance, and claiming races, as well as the ungraded Miner’s Mark Stakes, a grueling mile-and-a-half run for the $80,000 purse.

Read on for my picks and predictions for today’s three richest races at Belmont Park.

This is a maiden special weight race for two-year-old fillies running a distance of six furlongs for a purse of $63,000.

I’m going to stick with the 8/5 morning line favorite here—Zainalarab, ridden by Javier Castellano. This filly has shown solid performance in recent workouts at Saratoga, particularly at longer distances.

At 20/1, I have to look at Boss Cara, with Dylan Davis in the irons, for a show ticket. This filly has also shown good performance in her most recent workouts.

This is the ungraded Miner’s Mark Stakes, a race for three-year-olds and upward running a distance of 1-1/2 miles for a purse of $80,000.

I like the third-favored entry (9/2) in this stakes race—Petit Fils, with Kendrick Carmouche aboard. This five-year-old gelding moneyed ten of his 16 career starts, winning six of them.

The longest odds in this race are 8/1, so getting rich with a show ticket doesn’t seem likely, but I see a good trifecta bet here that could help: Petit Fils, Rocketry, and You’re to Blame.

This is an allowance race for fillies and mares three years old and upward running a distance of 1-1/16 miles on turf for a purse of $65,000.

I like the morning line’s choice in this race—the 5/2 Eye of a Soldier, with Junior Alvarado aboard. This three-year-old filly moneyed in four of her five career starts, winning one of them.

Incidentally, if the also-eligible Solitary Gem joins the race due to late scratches, don’t let the 2/1 odds convince you to switch your win bet. In fact, if Eye of a Soldier is scratched, go with the third-favored (7/2) Mary’s France, ridden by Manuel Franco. This three-year-old filly moneyed two of her three career starts, winning one.

Belmont Park isn’t the only track I’ve examined for moneymaking opportunities today. Here are two others: