Samitar is the 8-5 morning line favorite in the $300,000 Garden City at Belmont Park.
Coming off a tough loss in the Lake George (G2) as the beaten chalk, the Chad Brown trained Samitar is the one to beat as the 8-5 morning line favorite in Saturday’s $300,000 Garden City (G1), the first Grade 1 race of the fall championship meeting at Belmont Park.
Jockey Ramon Dominguez will get the leg up again on the three year old filly, who is one of two Group or Grade 1 winners among the seven fillies whop will go 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf course.
The filly won the Irish 1000 Guineas (G1) at the Curragh back in May at a mile over ground labeled as good.
Karlovy Vary (5-2) is the other Grade 1 winner in the field, taking the Ashland over polytrack back at the spring Keeneland meeting.
The Rusty Arnold trainee is coming off a third place finish in the restricted Nani Rose as the beaten favorite in her last start on July 29 at Saratoga.
The co-feature on the Saturday Belmont Park card is the $150,000 Noble Damsel (G3), which drew a field of nine fillies and mares who will go one mile on turf.
Chad Brown sends out the morning line favorite Dealbata (3-1), who won the Mohegan Sky in her U.S. debut over the turf at Belmont Park in June, and then was the beaten favorite when second to Julie’s Love in the De La Rose at the Spa on Aug. 4.
My Best Plays Report for Saturday will include my selections and analysis for the stakes action at Woodbine, which features the $250,000 Natalma (G2) and $250,000 Summer (G2), which are both Breeders’ Cup Challenge races.
Let’s head out to Belmont Park for Saturday’s featured race of the day:
Belmont Park Race 9 The Garden City G1 Post time 5:06 ET
3 Samitar 8-5
5 Ciao Bella 10-1
6 Karlovy Vary 5-2
1 Tannery 5-1
Samitar was beaten just a neck and a head when she made her U.S. debut last out in the Lake George (G2) at Saratoga. The filly was shut off heading into the first turn and bumped around with a foe around the turn, made a good three wide run around the far turn, battled on gamely in the stretch but came up just short. The filly comes back here making her first start for the Chad Brown barn that is 32% winners (with a +ROI) with newcomers to the barn and is coming off a strong Spa meeting where he was second in the standings again to Todd Pletcher. The filly has three wins in her career including the 1000 Guineas (G1) at the Curragh in Ireland three back. Five fillies exited the Lake George to run back in the Lake Placid including Stephanie’s Kitten, who won the race. Lasix is added to the mix here and the extra ground should suit.
Ciao Bella makes her turf debut here for the Pletcher barn that is coming off a big Spa meeting where he won 36 races. The filly won her first two career starts, breaking her maiden last December at Gulfstream Park and then beating Alw-1 foes off a seven month layoff at Monmouth Park. She made her stakes debut in the nine furlong Smart Guest where she was not much of a threat in a fourth place finish. She has a decent turf pedigree, by Giant’s Causeway out of the first stakes winner Bella Bellucci ($512K) who has dropped four other winners but no turf winners to date. Pletcher is 22% winners moving runners from dirt to turf and the 10-1 morning line looks more than fair.
Karlovy Vary came up short as the chalk last out in the restricted Nani Rose, checking in third and beaten 1 ½ lengths. The filly stalked the early pace, had to wait off heels of a foe midway on the far turn and did not have enough punch left late. She came out of the race with a cut to the cannon bone of her right foreleg, which has since heeled. There was some give to the ground and she has run well on firmer footing which she should get today. She also gets an extra furlong which she should appreciate. She is a Grade 1 winner, taking the Ashland (G1) over polytrack back in April at Keeneland.
Wagering:
WIN: Samitar to win at 8-5 or better.
EXACTA: 3,5 / 1,3,5,6
TRIFECTA: 3,5 / 1,3,5,6 / 1,3,4,5,6
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