Welcome back to another edition of the Raymond Track Report! Today’s racing action comes to us from Belmont at the Big A, featuring a solid nine-race card with plenty of betting opportunities. We’ve got a mix of claimers, maidens, and a pair of juicy stakes races that should keep the toteboard busy.
Let’s dive into each race with our Win/Place/Show selections, Joker play, and exotic picks, plus a betting tip to guide your action.
🏇 Race 1 – Claiming $65,000 – 1 Mile Dirt – 1:10 PM
- Win: (3) Pens Street (6-1) – C. Elliott
- Place: (2) Luna Moth (7-2) – R. Silvera
- Show: (1) Sweetest Princess (7-2) – J. Lezcano
- Joker: (4) Ready for Trouble (9-5) – D. Davis
💡 Tip: Pens Street offers value at 6-1 with tactical speed, while Sweetest Princess is a reliable board hitter. Use both in exotics.
Ex: 3/2, 2/1, 1/4 | Tri: 3/2/1, 4/2/1
🏇 Race 2 – Maiden Claiming $52,000 – 1 Mile Turf – 1:43 PM
- Win: (4) Katerina Ristova (50-1) – C. Hiraldo
- Place: (9) Fire Agate (8-1) – R. Santana Jr.
- Show: (5) Galatina (6-1) – M. Franco
- Joker: (10) Tafaany (30-1) – C. Elliott
💡 Tip: Fire Agate is the safe play, but don’t ignore Katerina Ristova at monster odds — perfect type for a big exotics upset.
Ex: 4/9, 9/5, 5/10 | Tri: 4/9/5, 10/9/5
🏇 Race 3 – Maiden Special Weight $85,000 – 1 Mile Dirt – 2:16 PM
- Win: (8) Apalta (5-1) – R. Santana Jr.
- Place: (2) Dettori (8-1) – J. Rodriguez
- Show: (4) Time to Win (4-5) – M. Franco
- Joker: (6) Copious (8-1) – J. Alvarado
💡 Tip: Heavy chalk on Time to Win, but Apalta looks like the improving runner who could spring the mild upset.
🏇 Race 4 – Claiming $33,000 – 6F Dirt – 2:49 PM
- Win: (8) Filly Crystal (9-5) – R. Santana Jr.
- Place: (9) Catchphrase (5-2) – M. Franco
- Show: (2) Fuligni (15-1) – C. Elliott
- Joker: (7) Moonlit Weekend (12-1) – R. Silvera
💡 Tip: Expect Filly Crystal and Catchphrase to battle early. Longshot Fuligni could sneak into the trifecta at a big number.
🏇 Race 5 – Maiden Special Weight $85,000 – 1 1/16M Turf – 3:21 PM
- Win: (6) Via Veneto (10-1) – R. Santana Jr.
- Place: (8) Bourbon Milk Punch (6-1) – J. Rodriguez
- Show: (5) Ellesmere Island (6-1) – M. Franco
- Joker: (4) Divine Rose (15-1) – L. Rivera Jr.
💡 Tip: Turf route chaos potential. Via Veneto has upside; Divine Rose is the sneaky closer that could blow up the trifecta.
🏇 Race 6 – Stakes $175,000 – 6F Turf – 3:51 PM
- Win: (2) Channel the Music (12-1) – S. Marin
- Place: (8) No Pressure (5-1) – R. Santana Jr.
- Show: (4) Longshoreman (8-1) – M. Franco
- Joker: (5) Expressway (10-1) – J. Alvarado
💡 Tip: Wide-open sprint — take shots with 2 and 8, both look primed for upset potential.
🏇 Race 7 – Maiden Special Weight $85,000 – 1 Mile Dirt – 4:21 PM
- Win: (4) Filly Freedom (3-1) – R. Santana Jr.
- Place: (6) Stone Cold Kelly (20-1) – J. Rodriguez
- Show: (7) Trading Strategy (9-2) – M. Franco
- Joker: (2) Alidade (15-1) – J. Alvarado
💡 Tip: Filly Freedom is the horse to beat, but Stone Cold Kelly has the “bombs away” factor if the pace collapses.
🏇 Race 8 – Stakes $200,000 – 1 1/16M Turf – 4:50 PM
- Win: (1) Ball of Fire (20-1) – S. Marin
- Place: (3) Teleport (12-1) – R. Santana Jr.
- Show: (7) Baytown Dreamer (30-1) – B. Curtis
- Joker: (4) Bottas (2-1) – M. Franco
💡 Tip: Turf stakes with upset written all over it. Use longshots (1, 3, 7) underneath to juice up payouts.
🏇 Race 9 – Maiden Special Weight $80,000 – 6F Turf – 5:20 PM
- Win: (4) Joyful Dancer (12-1) – R. Santana Jr.
- Place: (8) Island Charm (9-2) – J. Rodriguez
- Show: (1) Maria Callas (4-1) – M. Franco
- Joker: (10) Crush (20-1) – C. Elliott
💡 Tip: Joyful Dancer is live at a price, and Crush is another double-digit play that could shock late.
📌 Closing Thoughts
Friday’s Belmont card has a nice balance of chalk and chaos, with several turf races wide open for longshot players. Keep an eye on Race 5 (Via Veneto), Race 6 (Channel the Music), and Race 8 (Ball of Fire) — those are the kind of plays that can separate the bettors from the chalk eaters.
👉 Full charts, odds, and updated Raymond Track Reports are available daily at ATSSTATS.com.
