I'm baaack!! I apologize for the gap in coverage, but I did want to weigh in on the potential for a historical 2018 Belmont Stakes. If you followed my posts prior to the Derby you knew I was very high on Justify. He has lived up to the hype in a big way. That being said, does he have what it takes to achieve thoroughbred immortality and win the Triple Crown? The answer here is a resounding YES!
For some time, my belief has been that Justify is one of those generational Super Horses. He scored triple digit Beyer Speed Figures (BSF) in each of his first four races - the fourth being the Kentucky Derby. He broke the Curse of Apollo and was spectacular in doing so.
In the Preakness, he faced his toughest challenge to date with a short, two-week turnaround and racing against the mud, fog, and Good Magic pressing a contentious pace. In spite of that, and his slowest BSF, Justify still won the race.
In New York on Saturday, I expect to see a fresh horse who will make his own pace and gallop into that rarest of clubs - Triple Crown Champions.
With that as my backdrop, the bettor in me will have a back-up plan. Justify will be an odds-on favorite, therefore the profits will be in the exotic wagers. My hedge bet will be to put Hofburg on top of Justify in some exactas, just in case Belmont turns into the Graveyard of Favorites. Otherwise, in exactas, trifectas, and superfectas, play Justify on top of Hofburg, Bravazo, and Tenfold. The field is as follows:
Post: Horse (Jockey; Trainer; Odds)
1: Justify (Mike Smith; Bob Baffert; 4-5)
2: Free Drop Billy (Robby Albarado; Dale Romans; 30-1)
3: Bravazo (Luis Saez; D. Wayne Lukas; 8-1)
4: Hofburg (Irad Ortiz; William I. Mott; 9-2)
5: Restoring Hope (Florent Geroux; Bob Baffert; 30-1)
6: Gronkowski (Jose Ortiz; Chad Brown; 12-1)
7: Tenfold (Ricardo Santana Jr.; Steven Asmussen; 12-1)
8: Vino Rosso (John R. Velazquez; Todd Pletcher; 8-1)
9: Noble Indy (Javier Castellano; Todd Pletcher; 30-1)
10: Blended Citizen (Kyle Frey; Doug O'Neill; 15-1)
For some time, my belief has been that Justify is one of those generational Super Horses. He scored triple digit Beyer Speed Figures (BSF) in each of his first four races - the fourth being the Kentucky Derby. He broke the Curse of Apollo and was spectacular in doing so.
In the Preakness, he faced his toughest challenge to date with a short, two-week turnaround and racing against the mud, fog, and Good Magic pressing a contentious pace. In spite of that, and his slowest BSF, Justify still won the race.
In New York on Saturday, I expect to see a fresh horse who will make his own pace and gallop into that rarest of clubs - Triple Crown Champions.
With that as my backdrop, the bettor in me will have a back-up plan. Justify will be an odds-on favorite, therefore the profits will be in the exotic wagers. My hedge bet will be to put Hofburg on top of Justify in some exactas, just in case Belmont turns into the Graveyard of Favorites. Otherwise, in exactas, trifectas, and superfectas, play Justify on top of Hofburg, Bravazo, and Tenfold. The field is as follows:
Post: Horse (Jockey; Trainer; Odds)
1: Justify (Mike Smith; Bob Baffert; 4-5)
2: Free Drop Billy (Robby Albarado; Dale Romans; 30-1)
3: Bravazo (Luis Saez; D. Wayne Lukas; 8-1)
4: Hofburg (Irad Ortiz; William I. Mott; 9-2)
5: Restoring Hope (Florent Geroux; Bob Baffert; 30-1)
6: Gronkowski (Jose Ortiz; Chad Brown; 12-1)
7: Tenfold (Ricardo Santana Jr.; Steven Asmussen; 12-1)
8: Vino Rosso (John R. Velazquez; Todd Pletcher; 8-1)
9: Noble Indy (Javier Castellano; Todd Pletcher; 30-1)
10: Blended Citizen (Kyle Frey; Doug O'Neill; 15-1)
Comments
Post a Comment