2012 Belmont Stakes: The Pick 4

I’ll Have Another will not win the Triple Crown. Sad, but it’s time to move on. Today’s card at Belmont is fantastic with five consecutive stakes of either grade 1 or grade 2 status culminating with the 144^th running of the Belmont Stakes. The final four of these big races make up the $1 million guaranteed Pick 4. In the place of seeing a Triple Crown winner … let’s go get it.

The 8^th race on the card is the Just a Game for fillies and mares running a flat mile on the lawn. Winter Memories and her perfect 4 for 4 record on the Belmont turf will be heavily favored, and must be included on the ticket, but could be vulnerable at the short distance. Making her task just a little more difficult will be a likely moderate early pace. I’ll throw in Tapitsfly and Hungry Island with her, as well as, long shots Sylvestris and Wallis.

Next comes the Woody Stephens where you will find one of the more wide open sprint races of the year. Favorites Trinniberg and Hierro both could win, but neither is anywhere a sure thing. Others to throw in include: Hardened Wildcat, Bourbon Courage, Power World, and Isn’t He Clever. Even long shot, Brian, (I like the name) cannot be totally dismissed.

In the Grade 1 Manhattan, Neil Drysdale’s Chilean import, Omayad, is one of my top picks. Making his second start since leaving South America as one of the most successful horses on the continent, Omayad had a solid one-mile prep at Hollywood and should be ready to roll at ten furlongs. Of the favorites, Brilliant Speed looks like the most likely winner as he gets a distance a little more in line with his talents today. Boisterous, Desert Blanc, Papaw Bodie, and Hudson Steele are throw-ins on the ticket.

In the big one, Dullahan and Union Rags, are the two favorites and the two most likely winners. Both took the Preakness off to point for this and carry a class advantage over the rest of the field. Dullahan has looked fantastic since arriving to Belmont Park, but after much deliberation, I have decided to go with Union Rags as my top selection. The Derby trip makes it a complete throw-out for me, and we already know that the big, grand looking colt has a fondness for the Belmont main track. With the defection of I’ll Have Another, Union Rags may well take an aggressive early position and sit a dream trip in 3^rd early on. If so, he becomes the horse to beat.

Others to include on my ticket include, Street Life, coming off a sharp performance over the track in the Peter Pan, Paytner, who has the pedigree to run long, but is short on experience, and Atigun, who I believe is the one longshot with a real chance to become a Belmont winner. The recent winner of a strong allowance last time at Churchill Downs, has a series of solid works over the strip for Belmont Stakes winning trainer, Ken McPeek.

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Here are the 50-cent Pick 4 tickets:

4/1,2,4,5,6,7,8/1,6/1,3,4,5,9 = $35

1,3,5/2,5,6,7,8/1,6/3 = $15

2/2,6,7/1,6/3,5 =$6

4/2,6/1,2,4,5,6,7/1,3,4,5,9 = $30

1,3,5/2,6/1,2,4,5,6,7/3,5 = $36

1,3,5/2,6/1,6/1,3,4,5,9 = $30