A field of eight line up in the $100,000 Seek Again at Belmont Park on Saturday. (Photo credit: Bigstock.com).
A solid group of eight will go in the $100,000 Seek Again at Belmont Park on Saturday, a one-mile test on turf led by the Chad Brown trained duo of Flavius and Delaware.
Flavius is the 2-1 morning line favorite off a fourth-place finish in the Frank Kilroe (G1) at Santa Anita on March 6. Delaware (4-1) is coming off a victory in the Danger’s Hour at Aqueduct going a mile on April 10.
The Christophe Clement trained Decorated Invader is the second choice on the morning line at 5-2. The colt was third in the Danger’s Hour in his last outing, beaten 3 ¾ lengths in his first start off a 4 ½ month layoff.
“Decorated Invader has been training well and we’re looking forward to sending him back out there and seeing what happens,” Clement said. “I was actually very disappointed; he had trained okay, but I was unhappy with the race, unhappy with the trip and unhappy with everything, but that’s okay, we just turned the page and moved on.”
The likely pacesetter is the Tom Bush trained Get Smokin, who dueled for the early lead and faded to finish eighth in the Makers Maker Mile (G1) at Keeneland in his last outing.
2021 Danger’s Hour Replay
“I’m happy to have the six weeks between races instead of 10 or 11 weeks; it seems he can maintain his conditioning a little better,” Bush said.
The Seek Again is the ninth race on the 10-race card at Belmont Park on Saturday. My Best Plays Report for Saturday will include action from Belmont Park and Churchill Downs.
Join AmWager and get a $250 First Deposit Bonus and Great Player Rewards!
Let’s head out to Belmont Park for Saturday’s featured race of the day:
Belmont Park Race 9 The Seek Again 5:12 ET
10 Flavius 2-1
5 Get Smokin 5-1
7 Decorated Invader 5-2
6 Delaware 4-1
Flavius
The Chad Brown trainee came up short in the stretch against a solid group in the Frank Kilroe (G1) last out at Santa Anita, checking in fourth and beaten a length It was his first start of the year after winning one of four outings last year. He won the Tourist Mile at Kentucky Downs last September with a career top speed figure. He then was a troubled fifth in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) at Keeneland and a game second in the Seabiscuit Handicap (G2) before hitting the bench for a short break. Out of the Kilroe the fifth-place finisher Royal Ship came back to win the Californian (G2) at Santa Anita on April 17 and the sixth-place finisher Casa Creed won the Elusive Quality here on April 24. The runner up in the Kilroe was Smooth Like Strait who was beaten just a neck in a third-place finish in the Old Forrester Turf Classic (G1) on Derby Day. Castellano picks up the call for Brown and this six-year-old looks capable of moving forward off his last effort and getting the job done here as the likely favorite.
Get Smokin
This guy was smoked last out, getting caught up in a speed duel in the Makers Mark Mile (G1) and fading to finish a well beaten eighth. Two back he prompted the early pace and won the Tampa Bay (G3) in his first start this year. He won the Hill Prince (G2) over yielding turf here last year in his lone win in eight trips. There is not as much early zip signed up here and this guy has a shot of taking this field gate to wire and the 5-1 morning line looks fair enough. He is better than he showed last out.
Decorated Invader
The colt is coming of a third-place finish in the Danger’s Hour last out for the Clement barn. The colt tracked the early pace while saving ground, tipped off the rail and got stuck behind foes and then finished up well when getting clear late. He was beaten a head here last fall in the Hill Prince behind our second choice. Last year he won the Penine Ridge (G2) over the turf here and then went to the Spa and won the Hall of Fame (G2). He makes his second start off a 4 ½ month break here for Clement who is 19% winners with runners making their second start off a 45–180-day break.
Wagering:
WIN: Flavius to win at 9-5 or better.
EXACTA: 10 / 5,6,7 and 5,10 / 5,7,10
