Belmont Stakes 2024 At Saratoga: 'Met Mile', Woody Stephens, Manhattan Picks
The 156th running of the Belmont Stakes might be the main event at Saratoga Race Course Saturday, June 8th, but the undercard brings the heat too. On top of the third jewel of the Triple Crown, there are eight other graded races on the card, including five other Grade I races. Between the NBA Finals, MLB, and Memorial Tournament, I can responsibly bet only three Belmont Stakes undercard gallops. That said, I'm focusing on the Woody Stephens Stakes, Metropolitan Handicap, and Manhattan Stakes.
2024 Belmont Stakes Undercard Picks
Race 8: Grade I Woody Stephens Stakes, 3:22 p.m. ET post-time
A 12-horse, seven-furlong race on the dirt track for three-year-olds with a $500,000 purse.
1- Book'em Danno
- Morning Line (ML) odds: 9-2
- Record (Starts-Win-Place-Show): 6-4-2-0
- Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
- Trainer: Derek Ryan
- Best Beyer Speed: 90
The #1 horse is coming off a long break. Ryan sat the New Jersey-bred to rest him for summer meets. His last time out at the Grade III Saudia Arabia Derby, Book'em Danno was second to Forever Young by a head, who finished third in the nail-biter 2024 Kentucky Derby. Before heading overseas, he was the top choice in his last four American races.
Book'em Danno beat West Saratoga, a Kentucky Derby horse, by 12.5 lengths in the Pasco Stakes earlier this year. Ryan cut back Book'em Danno's distance, which appears to be for the best. He's won all four sprints and placed in both mile-long races, once by a three-fourths length and the other time by a head.
3- Imagination
- ML odds: 10-1
- Record: 7-2-4-0
- Jockey: Lanfranco Dettori
- Trainer: Bob Baffert
- Best Beyer Speed: 96
His odds in the Preakness Stakes were $4.20 because Imagination hit the board in his first four races. But, since he ran way worse than his odds at the Preakness, we are getting a great price on the #10 horse. Also, Imagination's four second-place finishes are by less than a combined three lengths. He was the top betting choice in two of his three graded races and his last six races were 1+ mile long.
9- Nash
- ML odds: 6-1
- Record: 7-2-4-1
- Jockey: Florent Geroux
- Trainer: Brad Cox
- Best Beyer Speed: 97
This will be Nash's shortest distance since his first career race and I like betting thoroughbreds cutting back. Nash has hit the board in all seven races and two graded races, including the Pat Day Mile on 2024 Kentucky Derby day at Churchill Downs. Lastly, the only race Nash didn't go off as the top betting choice he won by 10.25 lengths in a field that included Resilience (running in the Belmont) and the #12 horse, Be You.
Pick(s):
- $5 "Across the Board" (Win-Place-Show) on 3-Imagination for a $15 total bet
- $1 Exacta Box: 1-3-9 for a $6 total bet
- $1 Trifecta Box: 1-3-9 for a $6 total bet
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Race 10: Grade I Metropolitan Handicap ‘Met Mile’, 4:52 p.m. ET post-time
A six-horse, one-mile race on the dirt track for three-year-olds and up with a $1 million purse.
4- Blazing Saddles
- ML odds: 8-1
- Record: 9-3-1-3
- Jockey: Manuel Franco
- Trainer: Chad Brown
- Best Beyer Speed: 98
The Good Magic colt broke his maiden at The Spa in his first career race in July 2022, winning by 6.25 lengths. Blazing Sevens has won both mile-long races. One was the Grade I Champagne Stakes in October 2022. The other was his last time out at Aqueduct last month. He finished second by the head in the 2023 Preakness Stakes.
National Treasure defeats Blazing Sevens to win the 2023 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. (Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports)
Ultimately, this is a "value bet" because Blazing Sevens will outrun his odds and this is a home game for Brown who lives in Saratoga County. Blazing Sevens is 2-0 at the 1-mile distance, 1-0-2 in three starts at Saratoga, and 1-1-2 in graded stakes races.
$5 "Across the Board" on 4-Blazing Saddles for a $15 total bet
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Race 11: Grade I Manhattan Stakes, 5:36 p.m. ET post-time
A nine-horse, one-and-one-sixteenth-mile race on turf for four-plus-year-olds with a $1 million purse.
5- Program Trading (GB)
- ML odds: 5-2
- Record: 6-5-1-0
- Jockey: Flavien Prat
- Trainer: Chad Brown
- Best Beyer Speed: 102
The Brown trainee is the rightful favorite in this race. I hit Program Trading at Churchill Downs Derby day in the Grade I Turf Classic when he ran his fastest Beyer. This four-year-old is 3-0 in three career-graded races, including the Saratoga Derby Invitational in August 2023. Typically, I avoid the favorites at Saratoga because it's known as the "Graveyard for Champions". However, I'm a fan boy of Program Trading since he already won me money.
$20 on 5- Program Trading to Win
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