Trainer Chad Brown sends out four of the seven runners in Friday’s Grade I New York Stakes, which headlines the day-before-Belmont-Stakes card.
There are horse racing odds available for the New York Stakes, Belmont Gold Cup, and Bed o ’Roses, so we look at the best betting chances for the stakes races on Friday.
The prelim races to the Belmont Stakes (this is edition 154) are action-packed, and there is money to be made.
Check the latest news, stats, injury reports, and Horse racing odds. There are plenty of predictions for you to consider.
New York Stakes
Chad Brown seemingly always has a strong contingent in the $750,000 New York Stakes, on the turf at a mile-and-a-quarter for fillies and mares 4-years-old and older. This time, it’s no less than three legit chances to win.
The trainer sends out Flighty Lady, Virginia Joy, and the 6-5 morning-line favorite in Rougir. She’s a smart filly in the making, purchased out of France after running seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. In her first start under Brown, she was a going-away winner of the Beaugay at Belmont.
Winning on this track is ideal. The 4-year-old daughter of Territories also had impressive form in France, including a good third in the Grade I Prix Marcel Boussac and a nose win in the Grade I Prix de L’Opera.
Her trainer believes she wants the added distance, and she has relished more time in the barn.
“She wants to go a little further for sure,” Brown told DRF. “I think she’s going to be very effective from a mile and an eighth to a mile and a quarter.
“She looked tired (when arriving in the U.S.). We knew the talent’s there; she’s really blossomed now.”
Flavien Prat retains the assignment, having drawn post position No. 2.
Stablemate Bleecker Street (Irad Ortiz Jr., post No. 5) is the early second choice, offering a big threat while going after a fourth (stakes) win in a row The Quality Road filly has yet to suffer defeat (6-for-6), entering off a closing win in the Modesty at Churchill.
Prat was her jockey then as well but has chosen Rougir here.
Bleecker Street faces tougher ladies in New York, but Brown is confident.
“Look, all you can do is put nice quality, well-bred, good-training horses on a path to succeed,” Brown said. “Some of them cooperate and develop step by step like she has. It’s rewarding to see, she deserves a lot of credit.”
We like Rougir to win, and we’re agreeing with the sportsbook for the New York Stakes. Post time for the New York Stakes, 10th race on the 11-race card, is 5:50 p.m. ET.
Pick: Rougir (morning line 6-5)
Belmont Gold Cup
It’s two miles on the lawn, and the Europeans have a tremendous record in the $400,000 Belmont Gold Cup. Among those leading the charge is Loft.
The 4-year-old German-bred gelded son of Adlerflug has had 10 starts, with two wins, four seconds and two thirds, It’s a quality record, and why he’s one of the favorites to win.
He hails from the Marcel Weiss stable, who trained Torquator Tasso to win the 2021 Arc de Triomphe. German jockey Andrasch Starke takes the mount after compatriot (and regular rider) Rene Piecheluk had visa problems,
Stable assistant Julia Romich said the signs are good for the 4-year-old colt.
“He has been perfect so far leading to this race,” Romich said. “You never know until you try to ship a horse like this but we know that we have good German horses running right now and he’s coming into this off a group 2 win against them.”
European-trained runners have won the last four editions of the Belmont Gold Cup, but the Todd Pletcher-trained Abaan is looking to put a stop to that.
Horse racing betting odds markets could see money come for the 5-year-old gelding Abaan, who finished fifth in the Man O’War Stakes at his last effort. There was a win in the H. Allen Jerkens before running some tidy, non-winning efforts. Luis Saez rides from post No. 2.
It’s always a tough race but we’re picking Loft to win. He has experience at the top level and he’s a standout play given the odds.
Actually, the morning-line choice (at 2-1) is the British-bred gelding, Outbox. Highlighting his season was a win in a million-dollar stakes race at Dubai. Hollie Doyle rides the 7-year-old, who starts from post No. 4, for trainer Archie Watson.
The Belmont Gold Cup is the 8th race, listed post time at 4:42 p.m. ET.
Pick: Loft (morning line 4-1)
Bed o’ Roses Stakes
It’s disappointing that only four ladies entered for $300,000 in the Bed o’ Roses Stakes. Perhaps it’s an intriguing affair, anyway. It is for fillies and mares, at least four years of age, at seven furlings (race 3, 1:58 p.m. ET).
The small field does have quality, though, in the presence of even-money early favorite Bella Sofia (Luis Saez, post No. 3), Glass Ceiling (Dylan Davis, post No. 2) and Obligatory (Jose Ortiz, post No. 1).
The ladies are a combined 6-for-6 this season, with Glass Ceiling, having won her last four starts (dating to this past December), the “old maid” of the group at age 5.
Obligatory shoots for her fourth consecutive win, taking down the Gr I Derby City Distaff (Churchill) in her last try.
Bella Sofia’s lone loss in her last five was a fourth-place finish in the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Mare Sprint (Del Mar).
