Best Bet: Andiamo a Firenze should hurry up in Gold Fever
Friday’s eighth race at Belmont Park is the $150,000 Gold Fever Stakes for 3-year-olds dashing six furlongs on the main track. The scheduled post time is 4:40 p.m. EDT.
Click here for Belmont Park entries and results.
No. 5 Andiamo a Firenze (6-1) is a New York-bred colt with early-pressing speed and Irad Ortiz Jr. booted him home twice last year. He pressed and was clearly second best in the Damon Runyon on March 19. He adds blinkers and drilled a local training track gate bullet for this on April 26.
No. 2 Squire Creek (7-5) wired the field in both starts at this distance. He drilled a Churchill bullet for this on May 5 and should be in the thick of things from the outset.
No. 1 Joey Freshwater (4-1) exits a smart victory in the Bay Shore at seven panels, and that was the second time Kendrick Carmouche guided him to a win. He projects a ground saving trip behind the speed.
No. 6 Drew’s Gold (3-1) improved his speed ratings in all three starts. He won each of those events including the Jimmy Winkfield on Feb. 11, and the versatile early-pressing type drew the comfortable outside post.
Get Jarrod’s Santa Anita analysis.
Wagers
No. 5 to win
Exacta 2-5/1-2-5
Trifecta 2-5-6/2-5-6/1
Recent Best Bet Winners
May 2 – Prove Worthy ($9.90)
May 3 – Warrant ($8.62)
Last Thursday – Bango/Miles Ahead exacta ($26.40), trifecta ($86.84)
Saturday – General Jim ($12.04), exacta ($75.02)