There is plenty of great horse racing across America on Friday, including at Belmont at the Big A (Aqueduct race track, moved from Belmont). We have been in fine form with our picks for a long time now and we are up +175.85 units with our race selections to our recommended stakes dating back to August 5, 2021. Let’s keep it rolling!
Here are our best bets for today’s action at Belmont at the Big A.
1:35 pm Belmont at the Big A (Race 2) – Drake’s Passage 6/5 (2-star play)
The son of Tonalist broke his maiden at the third attempt when racing on a muddy track in a mile maiden special weight here in December. Drake’s Passage is unbeaten in 2 subsequent starts including when delivering a wide margin victory in the Albany Stakes over a mile-and-one-eighth at Saratoga last month. The 3-year-old had previously delivered a victory in an allowance event here on seasonal debut and with regular pilot Manny Franco up he can complete a 4-timer.
2:07 pm Belmont at the Big A (Race 3) – Caerus 8/1 (1-star play)
A winner at this venue in January, Caerus has shown solid form in two starts since joining the Bonnie Lucas barn. The first of those saw the 5-year-old record a five-and-a-half-length fifth in a 6-furlong $16,000 claiming race at Penn National. The son of Curlin performed better when runner-up over a mile in a similar contest at the same venue subsequently. Gelded since that effort the pick looks capable of returning to winning ways here.
3:05 pm Belmont at the Big A (Race 5) – City Man 1/1 (2-star play)
Trained by Christophe Clement the entire has shown good form of late winning 2 stakes contests including by one-and-a-quarter-lengths in the West Point Stakes over a mile-and-one-sixteenth on a good track at Saratoga last month. The son of Mucho Macho Man had a couple of his rivals here back in second (Spirit Of St Louis) and third (Jerry The Nipper). Joel Rosario took the ride that day and he can steer the 6-year-old to a 12th career success.
3:36 pm Belmont at the Big A (Race 6) – Hunt Ball 7/2 (2-star play)
The Into Mischief 2-year-old showed plenty of ability when making his debut in a six furlong maiden special weight at Saratoga last month. Hunt Ball finished four-and-a-half-length second on a fast main track and has been in good form in the mornings since. The pick heads into this contest on the back of a 1:01.21 five furlong breeze at Saratoga last week and he is taken to break his maiden at the second time of asking.
5:42 pm Belmont at the Big A (Race 10) – Fluffy Socks 9/5 (2-star play)
The 5-year-old has shown good form in Graded company in the last couple of years including when winning the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes over a mile at Churchill Downs in early May. Chad Brown’s filly has performed well in two starts since that effort including when a head second in the Mohegan Sun Ballston Spa Stakes, a Grade 2 mile-and-one-sixteenth race at Saratoga. Looks up to going one better to register a second Graded win of 2023.
