All eyes are on unbeaten superstar Flightline in Saturday’s Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park. The 4-year-old son of Tapit has captured the attention of horse racing fans all around the world.
Flightline has impressed in winning all three starts and the patiently handled runner is the favorite with horse racing betting markets.
Speaker’s Corner has been best-backed to beat the favorite in what’s shaping up to be a more exciting race than the Belmont Stakes.
Let’s check the latest news, stats, injury reports, and horse racing odds for Metropolitan Handicap. We’ve plenty of predictions for you to consider.
Flightline is Airborne
Flightline is a unique thoroughbred and he has the ability to get crowds back on track in New York.
The John Sadler-trained colt has been destroying his opposition by an average winning margin of 12½ lengths, which is an outstanding achievement.
He won the Grade I Malibu in fine style over the likes of Baby Yoda and Stilleto Boy, but he has much stiffer opposition in his way on Saturday. Taking on the likes of Speaker’s Corner, Aloha West and Happy Saver could test him.
However, Flightline could be a freak and Sadler is confident of his chances.
“I always thought he would be better as he goes further,” Sadler told The Paulick Report. “He has a high cruising speed and when you look at some horses that have fast time, you wonder how that will project out. But if you watch his races, it projects out quite well.
“Since it’s a longer than usual gap between races, we’ve made sure that he has a lot of good training in him. When you see a steady series of good works, it’s to make sure he’s ready to go.”
The sportsbook has Flightline at -150, which is short but warranted given his exceptional form.
Pick: Flightline -150
Is Speaker’s Corner a Threat?
The Metropolitan Handicap betting suggests Speaker’s Corner is a threat to Flightline, so we take a deep dive into his form.
The William Mott-trained and Godolphin-raced son of Street Sense won the Grade I Carter Handicap at Aqueduct, but the opposition wasn’t at the same level as he faces here.
Our concern is the strength of opposition, which can also be said for Flightline, but the favorite has been winning by much bigger targets.
It could mature into a match race, which could bring down the house at Belmont.
“As far as I’m concerned, the Met Mile is a heavyweight championship-type bout,” Mott said. “It should be a good race. If our horse shows up and the other horse shows up, it should be interesting.”
The +115 betting online odds suggest Speaker’s Corner and Flightline could pair off and have the race between them.
Bettors Welcome Aloha West
Aloha West owns four wins from nine starts and the son of Hard Spun could test the favored picks.
Horse racing odds have him on the third line of betting at +600 following a third placing in the Churchill Downs Stakes behind Jackie’s Warrior. It followed his win in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Sprint, so he’s a handy type.
He has handled rising in distance before, so it’s not a major concern. The Wayne Catalano-trained 5-year-old needs to overcome two potential stars to win the Metropolitan Handicap, but there is enough betting support to warrant attention.
Our only concern is his lack of experience at Belmont after doing most of his racing at Churchill Downs and Saratoga. However, he is an adaptable type who could grind home and upset Flightline and Speaker’s Corner.
