Horse Racing picks for Belmont Park race track on Thursday, May 19: Easy win for Easy To Bless

3:05 pm Belmont Park (Race 1) – Personal Best 7/5 (2-star play)

Showed promise when finishing eight-and-three-quarter-lengths fourth in a seven-and-one-half-furlong maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park back in March and duly delivered an improved effort upped to a mile-and-one-sixteenth when finishing a close third on a good turf track at Keeneland a month later. Bred to appreciate this extra distance the daughter of Tapit is taken to break her maiden at the third time of asking with jockey Jose Ortiz retaining the ride for Hall of Fame handler Shug McGaughey.

5:13 pm Belmont Park (Race 6) – Easy To Bless 9/5 (2-star play)

Put a disappointing last of five finish in the Grade 3 Distaff Handicap over seven furlongs at Aqueduct behind her when finishing a good three lengths second in a similar race to this over course and distance at the end of last month. Has delivered triple digit speed figures on two of her last three starts and having won in stakes company as recently as March the Flat Out filly is selected to register a third win of 2022.

7:15 pm Belmont Park (Race 9) – Empire Ridge 6/1 (1-star play)

Delivered three solid efforts in turf maiden special weights as a two-year-old including when attempting to make all prior to finishing three-and-a-quarter-lengths fourth over a mile-and-one-sixteenth at Aqueduct in early December. Debuted for Linda Rice with a disappointing fourth on the main track at Parx in January and returning to turf here the son of Classic Empire is taken to break his maiden following a 1:02.94 five furlong work here at the start of the month.

Exotic

Race 1 – 1, 2
Race 2 – 2, 5
Race 3 – 4, 6
Stake – $2.00
Total Stake – $16.00