A field of nine line up in Saturday’s $200,000 Pebbles at Belmont Park going a mile on turf. (photo credit: © Cheryl Quigley | Dreamstime.com)
Three-year-old fillies take center stage at Belmont Park on Saturday including an imposing pair from the Chad Brown barn in the $200,000 Pebbles.
Brown sends out the two likely favorites, Rubilinda and Thais in the one-mile turf race that drew a field of nine.
Rubilinda makes her first start going long after winning two of her three starts while Thais makes her second start since landing in the barn from France where she is Group 3 placed.
The co-feature on Saturday’s card at Belmont Park is the $150,000 Futurity (G3) for two-year-olds that drew a field of six that go six furlongs on the main track.
Brown sends out the 2-1 morning line Engage, who broke his maiden in his second career start over a wet track at Saratoga.
The Wesley Ward trained Happy Like a Fool (5-2) broke his maiden on the main track at Keeneland in his debut. He then shipped overseas where he was second in the Queen Mary Stakes (G2) at Royal Ascot and was sixth in the Lowther Stakes (G2), both on grass.
Mojovation (3-1) earned a solid speed figure in a good looking maiden score in his debut for the Todd Pletcher barn and then faded to finish seventh in the Hopeful (G1).
Completing the Futurity field are Red Peril (12-1), Barry Lee (5-1) and Smooth B (15-1).
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Let’s head out to Belmont Park for Saturday’s featured race of the day:
Belmont Park Race 9 The Pebbles Post time 5:19 ET
2 Rubilinda 8-5
3 Thais 5-2
4 Party Boat 5-1
1 Adorable Miss 6-1
Rubilinda is one of two in here sent out by Chad Brown barn and she makes her first start going long. She broke her maiden in her debut over good ground here at six furlongs, then ran second versus Alw-1 foes. She was going to go long in the Riskaverse in August but did not make it in off the AE list. She has plenty of pedigree to go longer, by Frankel out of a stakes placed Invincible Spirit mare, her first foal to race. The barn is 26% winners moving runners from sprint to route.
Thais is also sent out by Brown and she makes her second start since landing in the U.S. from France. She made a good late run to finish second last out against Alw-2 optional claimers at the Spa going a mile off nearly a three-month break. She won the Prix des Lilas two back in France and has landed in the money in a pair of Group 3 races. She has a nice pedigree, out of the stakes winner Tianshan ($189,246) who has dropped three other turf winners. She completes a strong one-two punch for Brown.
Party Boat chased the early pace and did not have enough punch left late in a third-place finish in the lake Placid (G2) at nine furlongs over good ground. She made a good late run to finish in the runner up spot last out in the Lake George (G3). She has a pair of stakes wins and seldom runs a bad one, landing in the money in seven of eight starts on grass. Motion is having a tough meeting (0 for 15).
Wagering:
WIN: Rubilinda to win at 8-5 or better.
EXACTA: 2,3 / 1,2,3,4
TRIFECTA: 2,3 / 2,3,4 / 1,2,3,4,8
