Belmont Park Picks for Friday Horse Racing - (2025)

Updated: 22/01/2025

I consider a few horses that I will bet at Belmont on Friday but will be focusing and betting more on Saturday's card.

I like a couple that are being overlooked in the morning lines and will definitely bet a few bucks on them . Here's the Belmont Park Picks for Friday's US Horse Racing.

Belmont Park Picks for Friday's Horse Racing

All your essential Belmont Park Picks for Friday Horse Racing.

1st Race: Allowance O/ C $100000 — 4 YOs And Up– NW 3 Other Than Or Which Never Won 4 Races Lifetime Or $ 100000 Claiming — 1 1/16 M Turf .

6) Ticonderoga( 5-2) will be my pick to win. Chad Brown trains and he is dropping back into an O/ C after running 4th in the G3 Fort Marcy S on Belmont's inner turf. Javier Castellano takes the mount .

5) Aquaphobia( 7-2) defined the pace in the G2 San Luis Rey S before fading against tougher, then shorten up to a mile on grass which may have been a little short for him. Now he stretches back out to 1 1/16 miles and the distance should fit him better .

3) Sycamore Lane( 20-1) run against a solid field in the G1 United Nations H, then was on the shelf for more than two years and ran big in his first start back against somewhat easier. Given another five month break, he has three starts since his last return and they all were design to get him back in peak condition, including twice on SA downhill turf course which obviously were not races his trainer was aiming to win. Now his fourth start in that cycle, I expect him to run big against these .

2nd Race: Maiden Special Weight — 3 YOs& Up F& M– Restricted To New York Breds — 6 Furlongs Turf .

My pick to win is the 4) Barrel Of Destiny( 10-1 ). She is constructing her first start of the year but her broodmare sire is the speedy Disco Rico. She has faded and finished last in both her dirt starts but almost upset the field in her only grass start. Her trainer, Hertler, is best known as trainer of 1983 Champion 3 YO and 1984 Horse Of The Year, Slew O' Gold. He actually trained Barrel Of Destiny's dam to two wins, both on grass, at 6 furlongs and 1 mile against NY breeds. Rosario who picks up the mount also rode her dam in the 1 mile grass test .

6) Mama Mary( 5-1) will be my pock to finish 2nd. She is a first time starter but is working solidly for her debut. Joe Sharp and Adam Beschizza teams up and they are to be respected on grass .

I will take a shot with the 1) Sundance Joy( 50-1) to finish 3rd in the tri. Both her sire and broodmare sire were G1 winners on dirt. In her only grass try, she was stuck in the 11 post and had to be used to get a decent position, so I will throw that race out and devote her another shoot, this time from the rail .

3rd Race: Bed O' Roses Invitational S( Grade 3 )– 7 Furlongs — 4 YOs& Up F& M– Purse $250,000.

I like 4) Union Strike( 20-1) to win. In her first lifetime start, she ran 2nd to American Pharoah's full sister at 5 1/2 furlongs and the return to beat her in the G2 Del Mar Debutante while still a damsel at 7 furlongs. Running third in that race was BC Juvenile Fillies winner, Champagne Room. She runs her best races at under a mile and Nakatani is known for upsets when overlooked .

6) Lewis Bay( 4-1) looks like she will catch a fast track this time and will enjoy the weight transgress she gets from the two favorites and would be no surprise. She has ran against the best class throughout her career. Chad Brown trains And Irad Ortiz Jr retains the mount .

8) Highway Star (8 -1) is the leading fund earner in this field and is a steal at 8-1, so she will be included in my tri box. Luis Saez returns for the mount and he was the jockey when she last won. She actually is dropping a few pounds and that will also help her cause .

4th Race: Allowance O/ C $62,500 — N/ W Of Two Races Other Than Or N/ W 3 Race Lifetime Or Claiming $ 62,500 — 3 YO& Up — 6 Furlongs Turf .

My pick to win will be 1) Phi Beta Express( 10-1 ). He almost won his last against this class in fast time and now moves to the grass for his first attempt on that surface. His bloodlines on both sides of his pedigree suggests he will enjoy the move. Danny Gargan is a good trainer and Carmouche retains the mount .

9) Expected Ruler( 10-1) should sit behind the front runners and make a strong run in the stretching, so he will be my pick for 2nd. Derek Ryan is a capable trainer and Irad Ortiz Jr. decided to take the mount for a trainer he does not often ride for, which suggests he thinks he has a good shoot against these .

5) Dowse's Beach( 6-1) has rated before and he is another to be aware of as his trainer Brad Cox is quickly making a name for himself. Luis Saez returns for the mount but has not tried to rate him yet, so I will put him as my third selection .

6) Salmanazar( 3-1) is facing older horses for the first time and is carrying top weight when 3 YO allowance he would normally enjoy is taken into consideration. For this reason, I will use him in a super box merely and try to beat him .

5th Race: Tremont S- 2 YOs- 5 1/2 Furlongs — Purse $150,000.

7) Mae Never No( 9-5) is my pick to win. She is the only filly in the field but her trainer, Wesley Ward, seems to always take this route with his best fillies. Fillies are normally ahead in development over colts at this stage of their life and Ward is probably testing her before shipping her to Europe as he does with a lot of his fillies .

4) Outshine( 7-2) should offer the toughest challenge to my top picking and I will box him in my exacta. Pletcher develops and John Velasquez has chosen this one as the one he wants to ride .

1) Our Braintrust( 12-1) is my pick for third. His trainer Cathal Lynch is good with young horses and Castellano has picked up the mount. His sire, Freud, is a full brother to Giant's Causeway and has put out his share of solid runners. His broodmare sire, Trust N Luck was a good 2 YO and won the 2003 G1 Fountain Of Youth as a 3 YO before running second to Empire Maker in the G1 Florida Derby .

6th Race: Maiden Special Weight — 3 YOs& Up– 7 Furlongs–Purse $85,000.

My pick to win is 4) Fixedincome Larry( 15-1 ). I absolutely love his pedigree and his trainer, Jeremiah Englehart, wins at 23% with his trainees. Manuel Franco returns as the jockey and his works indicated his trainer was simply dedicating him an out in his last. Now he is working like the trainer has cranked him up a couple of notches .

11) Enchinitas (8 -1) will be my pick for 2nd. In his first start, he ran respectable behind a highly regarded Pletcher horse who was hammered down to less than even money after violating poorly. He has two works since on Belmont's developing track, including a bullet( best work at distance ), which is usually a few ticks slower than their main dirt track and indicates he will move forward, especially with a better breaking .

8) Fallstar( 7-2) will be included in my tri box. His dam, Potesta, won 3 of 4 lifetime starts, including the G2 Hollywood Oaks in her third lifetime start beating a solid field, before she suffered a career ending injury. The horse who beat him in his first start, would run second in the Delta Downs Jackpot 2 starts subsequently to Gunnevera and was trained by Baffert, as was West Coast, who beat him in his next start. Now entered back at the distance his pedigree suggests he will like the most, he will be live. Chad Brown trains and Castellano rides .

7th Race: Allowance O/ C $80,000 — 1 Mile Turf — N/ W Of 1 Other Than or N/ W 2 Lifetime Races Or Claiming $80,000 — 3 YOs — Purse $90,000.

I like the 3) Penalty( 12-1) to win. He features one of the angles I am always on the lookout for( 3rd race after a winning effort) and will be my picking to win. His worst race was on a wet fast dirt track which is not kind to his style of running and in his last chased the only speed throughout in a fast day for a mile on grass. His dam, Amazing Shoes, tried stakes once and she ran 2nd to Glinda The Good, the dam of Good Magic. Mott trains and Luis Saez has taken the mount over from Irad Ortiz Jr, who has chosen to ride another in this race .

12) Have At It( 12-1) will be my picking for 2nd. Irad Ortiz Jr has accepted this mount and moves from my top picking. Have At It's dam, Akronism, won a pair of G3′ s on Woodbine's turf track and all weather track, both in fast days. Clement trains but this will be his trainee first start against winners and he also is first time lasix .

7) War Chest( 15-1) will be included in my tri box. His 2nd dam is Azeri, a multiple G1 winning filly, and his dam, Wine Princess, an exact look alike as her dam, also won several graded stakes. His sire < War Front never raced on the grass but has became a sire of sires with his foals, who excels on grass, like his pedigree suggested.

6) Almithmaar (8 -1) would be higher on my list except there are several who should maintain him busy but I may include him underneath in a super. He has a pedigree that wins a lot of races. His dam is a G2 stakes winning filly on grass who banked $1.1 million in her racing career. His broodmare sire, Royal Academy, who won the 1990 G1 BC Turf Mile is a 1/2 brother to Terlingua, the dam of Storm Cat and a top sire on his own .

8th Race: The True North S( Grade 2 )— 4 YOs& Up– 6 1/2 Furlongs–Purse $250,000.

3) Imperial Hint( 9-2) will be my picking to win. I am willing to throw out his last as he may not have like the off going as much as several others in that race. His only two off tracks appearances before that, he beat up on inferior foes. But he should have gotten a lot of conditioning from that start. Castellano retains the mount .

8) Whitmore( 6-1) will be my pick for 2nd. I actually would like Joking better if I thought he was ready to run after 1 1/2 years off, but that is asking a lot, especially from a 9 YO .

6) Westwood( 6-1) will be my pick for 3rd. His dam Ashado was champion 3 YO and Older Filly Champion in 2004& 2005.

Race 9: New York S( Grade 2 )– 4 YOs& Up F& M– 1 1/4 Miles On Inner Turf–Purse $600,000.

I like the 2) Holy Helena( 6-1) to win. She won the Queen's Plate last year on Woodbine's all weather track against colts and after a failed experience on dirt, she was switched to grass where she has not been beaten yet. But this will be her toughest test yet on grass .

5) Sistercharlie( 9-5) is the favorite and is strictly the one to beat. She has done nothing wrong yet and is bred to get better the farther they go .

3) Snowy Winter( 20-1) should be able to follow the pace and could be the one they will not want to give a big lead to. Her trainer is fairly new but learn under several top trainers before buying a few and going out on his own. She is the only one in here where most of her races have been up a slight grade, a major factor in European conditioning. Also, most of her races have came against the colts .

10th Race: Belmont Gold Cup Invitational( Grade 2 )– 4 YOs& Up– 2 Miles Turf–Purse $400,000.

1) Call To Mind( 7-2) will be my pick to win. This horse is owned by the Queen Of England and her horses are always well spotted as she use merely the best of trainers .

4) Funny Kid( 5-1) will be my pick for 2nd. I do not know much about the trainer of this horse but his jockey has ran a few good races in the U.S. and Canada. His proprietor is what made me consider him to be a major threat as they have shipped over here and won several BC races .

9) Focus Group( 10-1) will be my picking for third. His trainer is Chad Brown and Jose Ortiz returns as the jockey. His bloodlines indicate he will only get stronger the farther they go, much like the 1 ).

11th Race: Maiden Special Weight — 3 YOs And Up– 1 3/8 Miles Turf — Purse $90,000.

9) Prompt( 5-1) will be my pick to win. The winner of his last start has bumped into several good horses before finally violating his maid, including Analyze It. Prompt ran an much improved race after blinkers were removed and should be sitting on his maiden score .

8) Wicked Trick (8 -1) will be my picking for 2nd. At first glance, he looks like he may not want to go this far, but his bloodlines indicates otherwise. His sire, Hat Trick, is a son of Sunday Silence and his broodmare sire, Sky Classic, was not only a son of Nijinsky II but his dam was No Class, the best producing daughter of major turf influence, No Double. Sky Classic was upset in The BC Turf by a nose as the heavy favorite in his last career start .

10) Hampton Point( 15-1) will be my pick for third. He deserves another chance as he broke poorly in his first career start, then went broad around the far turning and was left with too much to do. His trainer knows how to prepare them on grass also and he switches to Irad Ortiz Jr as the jockey, presumably to get a better violate .

These are my Friday's picks at Belmont, but I like several more Saturday, especially if no moisture hits the track on Saturday morning. I will be posting my pickings for Saturday sometime tomorrow after I look at the rest of the races( about 1/2 thru the card, currently ).

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