N.Y. bred Showcase Day III ~ Belmont Park

Today is New York bred Showcase Day at Belmont Park, the third of these race cards solely for registered N.Y. bred horses. This event has been hosted for over twenty years and was the catalyst for many other exclusive state bred racing days throughout the country. Many of the horses entered today are well known at NYRA and may have raced in the two other showcase days that were held at Belmont in late May and Saratoga in August.

Nine two year old colts racing a flat mile on dirt are going in the Sleepy Hollow Stakes (2nd) to start the stakes action off. The two morning line favorites seem to stick out in this group; Get Jets (#4) and Sudden Surprise (#6) have running one/two in a seven furlong stakes race for statebreds here on September 27th. We'll key these two in the top spots and use underneath in triples and superfectas : Forever in Love (#1) - Celtic Chaos (#3) - Inside Straight (#5).

Older statebred sprinters goes six and a half furlongs in the Hudson Handicap (3rd). Once again, a full field is assembled with the morning line favorite; Palace (#9) possibly scratching for next week's Breeder's Cup Sprint at Keeneland. With that said, I'll past on him in today's play and not include him in my selections. The Mike Hushion trained uncoupled entry are my top two selections; Loki's Vengeance (#1) and Captain Serious (#2) , both have shown capability in these statebred sprint stakes and are a juicy 6-1 & 8-1 on the morning line. I'll boxed these two and use underneath in my exotics : Ostrolenka (#5) - Noble Cornerstone (#7) - John's Island (#8).

It's the filly and mares turn next up in the Iroquois Stakes (4th) going the same distance. Once again here, the morning line favorite; La Verdad (#9) is pre-entered in the Breeder's Cup Filly & Mare Sprint next week. She is the best in here at 3-5, but again I'll leave her out, on the assumption she races next weekend. Just like in the Hudson Handicap, the race is wide open without these major players. Willet (#5) and Tricky Zippy (#8) both drop from open company stakes and have run well in the past versus statebred stakes company, they are my top two picks. The triple and superfecta players will be : Women Win (#2) - Isabelle (#3) - Hot City Girl (#7).

The formerly featured race of the today, the Empire Classic (#5) is now midway through the card and ends the early pick 4 stakes play. This route race for older males has been the staple for showcasing the top NY bred runners of the year. We have a wide open field with questions who will get the mile and eighth distance over the Belmont racing surface of one turn. The lukewarm morning line favorite; Saratoga Snacks (#3) and out-of-town "new face"; Warrioroftheroses (#9) are my top two selections. Underneath these two, I'll be using : Beyond Empire (#3) - Good Luck Gus (#4) - Royal Posse (#5).

We head to the turf for the first of two grass races on today's stakes card, the Mohawk Stakes (7th) going a mile and a sixteenth on the weeds with the usual cast of characters in these type races. Kharafa (#3) was a solid winner of the Ashley T. Cole Handicap going a bit longer for these state breds and the favorite in that same race; Lubash (#6) who disappointed, are my top two picks today again. Underneath players are Runaway Posse (#1) - Iron Power (#2) - Notacatbutallama (#5).

The late pick three finishes off the stakes action today (races #9 thru #11) with the filly two year old counterpart to the Sleepy Hollow Stakes, the Maid of the Mist Stakes (#9) going the same distance with an overflow field of 12 runners. She's All Ready (#10) drops back to statebred company and has a solid class edge over this group. She's my top pick along with Trappe Play (#1) who broke her maiden first out at 13-1 and draws the rail. Underneath my top two picks : Frosty Margarita (#3) - Melodic (#5) - Super Surprise (#7) the beaten favorite in the Joseph Gimma prep race for this.

The Empire Distaff (10th) are the gals equivalent to the Empire Classic, going a sixteenth of a mile less though. Hot Stones (#8) tired versus grade I open company in last start, back versus statebreds which she had dominated in her two previous starts. She gets the top pick, along with Wonder Gal (#9) who returns versus NY breds for the first time since her last victory as a two year old in July of 2014. With these two, I'll be using : Tahoe Tigeress (#1) - Temper Mint Patty (#5) - Jc's Shooting Star (#7).

The day wraps up on the grass with the ladies in the Ticonderoga Stakes (#11). Discreet Marq (#5) failed as the favorite last time out at the Saratoga NY bred showcase day, makes amends today on class alone with the "in form" Neck of the Moon (#2) who's on a roll and faces stakes company for the first time. Wide open underneath as most all these races are today ; Selenite (#3) - Swear By It (#8) - The Tea Cups (#10) are the runners I'll use in triple and superfecta slots. Today, is a good day to pad your phone-a-bet account for next week's championship day in racing at Keeneland. Good luck!