Belmont Oaks Draws 13 With Breeders’ Cup Berth at Stake

13 line up in the $1 million Belmont Oaks on Saturday at Belmont Park. (© Cheryl Quigley | Dreamstime.com)

A field of 13 three-year-old fillies will line up on Saturday at Belmont Park in the $1 million Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) with the winner earning an automatic starting spot and fees paid for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) at Santa Anita in November.

The Belmont Oaks is one of six graded stakes on Stars & Stripes Festival Day, an outstanding 11-race card at Belmont Park that kicks off at 12:30 ET.

Ballydoyle (3-1) leads a trio of European invaders for the Belmont Oaks. The Aidan O’Brien trainee is a Group 1 winner, taking the Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp last fall.  She is joined by her stablemate Coolmore (12-1) and the Frabrica Chappet trained Magnanime (10-1), who was fifth in the Pour Moi Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary (G1) at Deauville in May.

Catch a Glimpse, winner against the boys in the Penn Mile (G3) in her last outing is the 2-1 morning line favorite. She comes into the race having won seven races in a row, all on turf. Her lone loss was in her debut where she was fifth in the slop at Saratoga last summer in a race washed off the turf.

The co-feature is the $1.25 million Belmont Derby Invitational (G1) which drew a field of 13 three-year-olds that will go 1 ¼ miles on turf.

O’Brien will be represented by Long Island Sound (7-2) and Deauville (4-1), who could go off as the two betting favorites.

The stakes action starts in the sixth race, the $150,000 Victory ride (G3) at 6 ½ furlongs on the main track. The Southern California shipper Coppa is the 2-1 morning line favorite.

The $500,000 Dwyer (G3) drew a field of eight there-year-olds and the $500,000 Suburban (G2) features a strong group of eight runners from the handicap division.

The nightcap is the $400,000 Belmont Sprint Championship (G3) which is led by Private Zone (2-1), who won the race last year followed by a win in the Forego (G1) and a second in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1).

The Oaks, Derby and Suburban will be televised live on NBC. The 90-minute telecast kicks off at 4:30 ET.

My Best Plays for Saturday includes a dozen races including the stakes action from Arlington Park and my selections for the Delaware Oaks (G3).

Let’s head out to Belmont Park for Saturday’s featured race of the day:

Belmont Park Race 10 The Belmont Oaks Inv. G1 (Post time 5:46 ET)

#7 Ballydoyle   3-1

#4 Time and Motion   6-1

#12 Catch a Glimpse   2-1

#13 Coolmore   12-1

Analysis: Ballydoyle is one of two in here shipping in from overseas for the Aidan O’Brien barn. The filly caught soft ground last out in a sixth place finish in the Prix de Diane Longines (G1) and reportedly is better over firmer footing. She is a Group 1 winner, taking the Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp last fall at a mile. She then ran a good second in the 1000 Guineas (G1). She adds lasix and her stablemate Coolmore seems likely to assure she is going to get some pace to run at. She is bred to handle the added ground, by Galileo out of a Storm Cat mare.

Time and Motion is perfect in three starts this year, last out winning the Wonder Again at nine furlongs over the turf here. Toner though enough of this filly to try her in stakes as a maiden last year and she ran well, beaten just 1 3/4 lengths in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in a fifth place finish. She looks as if she still has some upside and she is bred to run all day, by Tapit out of the Kris S. mare Ellie’s Moment ($291,241). She may end up getting overlooked on the tote here.

Catch a Glimpse has won seven in a row and beat the boys last out in the Penn Mile (G3) but she draws an outside post and has never raced past 1 1/16 miles. She is by City Zip but has some stamina on the bottom side, out of a stakes winning Irish River mare. She is as talented as any in the field here but her price is going to end up on the short side.

Wagering

WIN: #7 to win at 3-1 or better.

EX: 4,7 / 4,7,12,13

TRI: 4,7 / 4,7,12,13 / 2,4,7,12,13