BELMONT AT THE BIG A – 10/1
RACE 1: 3-16-15-10
#3 DUSK is a second time starter who showed some late life on debut for trainer Horacio De Paz. She should improve with experience and meets a suspect group here after the surface switch.
RACE 2: 3-12-11-6
#3 MAXIMILLIONS DREAM worked :9 and 4/5 at the OBS March sale and makes his debut here for trainer Tom Morley. Progeny of Maximus Mischief have hit on debut as 2YOs at a 25% clip and this colt is reportedly training well for the unveiling. Look for him to come out swinging on debut.
RACE 3: 6-4-3-1
#6 CODY’S WiSH should be exceptionally tough to beat as he looks for redemption after a poor run in the Whitney last time out. He is more effective around one turn and at this 7 furlong trip, so a top effort is expected. He will not offer much value at the windows, but is clearly a very likely winner.
RACE 4: 6-3-7-1/1A
#6 SWIFTSURE is the one to catch for trainer Horacio De Paz in his search for a second straight win. He made the lead last time out and set a slow pace before powering clear late and now bids to make it two in a row stretching out to a mile. There’s precious little other pace in here that’ll keep him honest early.
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RACE 5: 1-4-3
#1 CARAMEL SWIRL bids to be the second Godolphin-owned, Bill Mott-trained graded stakes winner on the card. She was a good 4th in the Ballerina back on Travers day and that was a shark tank this year. The rail draw is the only negative, but on past form this gal should be exceptionally tough to beat.
RACE 7: 9-8-4-1
#9 O’CONNOR is a late runner who’ll be a major threat in the stretch of what should be a fast-paced running of this race. He looks to be working his way back into form and enters off a good effort around the bullring last time out at Charles Town. The price here should be decent, even with the presence of Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard.
RACE 8: 2-7-9-4
There’s no glory in being chalky but #2 BE THE BOSS should be very tough to beat in this affair. He is the one to catch from the inside and was an unlucky loser last time out at 5/2. If he can get the lead in here he’ll be impossibly difficult to beat given how overmatched his rivals look on paper today.
RACE 9: 16-6-13-11
#16 PARADISE LANE is the first foal to race out of the Grade I winner Paradise Woods and bids to improve on a promising debut. She showed some early life in that event before tiring and will benefit from having that race behind her. With even routine improvement she is the one to beat.
RACE 10: 8-13-16
#8 SAIL WITH THE WIND was a blowout winner last time out for Leah Gyarmati. That was a race taken off the turf and this gal blew them out with a perfect pace stalking trip. The field she will meet today has no dirt form at all
RACE 11: 2-3-5-10
#2 NECESSARYANDPROPER is a firster by Constitution, whose progeny hit at a 18% clip on debut. The dam here was a debut winner who banked over 100k and scored a stake win during her time on the track. The rail is not ideal but this gal should be a major threat in a particularly soft event, even for this level.
BAQ 2023 STATS: 65-20-8-10 $147.00
