Saturday's Best Bet: Kalik leads the way in Pennine Ridge

Saturday’s ninth race at Belmont Park is the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge Stakes for 3-year-olds traveling 1 1/8 miles on the turf course. The scheduled post time is 5:12 p.m. EDT.

Click here for Belmont Park entries and results. 

No. 6 Kalik (7-2) ran well in all three turf routes and his speed ratings are on the rise. He stalked and graduated by a nose in his March 17 return and smartly wired the field in a local turf route on May 7. Chad Brown’s improving sophomore might be able to go out there and dictate the pace under Irad Ortiz Jr.

No. 4 Silver Knott (2-1) went 3-for-6 as a juvenile and he missed by a nose in a tough beat in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. He was no threat on soft ground in his 2,000 Guineas return and is back in the states for outstanding international conditioner Charles Appleby. He should get his preferred firm footing and will probably try to get a bit more forward in the early going. He could easily rumble past these.

No. 8 Far Bridge (9-5) ran fast in all three turf routes. He got up by a head in his bow and runner-up Carl Spackler was a next-out winner. He kicked clear from off the pace second time out, and moved to the Todd Pletcher barn and rallied inside to miss by a nose in the American Turf on May 6. He is a logical stretch threat under his winning pilot Joel Rosario.

No. 3 Belouni (8-1) fired exacta shots in all four starts in France last year. He never got involved in his first start in this country in the Colonel Liam Stakes, and bounced back with a stalk and pounce win in the Woodhaven as the favorite at Aqueduct on April 22. 

Get Jarrod’s Santa Anita analysis.

Wagers

No. 6 to win

Exacta Box 4-6

Trifecta Key 6/3-4-8

Superfecta 4-6-8/4-6-8/4-6-8/3

Recent Best Bet winners

May 14 – Anarchist ($7.70)
May 16 – Templet ($19.60), exacta ($36)
May 18 – Montauk Point/Luigi's Spirit exacta ($43.80)
May 23 – Do You Love Me ($5.60)
Last Thursday – Alogon ($10)
Monday – Ego Man/Easy Day Exacta ($18.40)