Saturday, June 6, 2009

Expert Belmont Picks

A list of Expert Picks to help you bet:

From the NYTimes:

Win: Mine That Bird x 4, Flying Private x 2, Charitable Man x 1
Place: Charitable Man x 2, Summer Bird x 2, Mine That Bird x 3
Show: Charitable Man x 2, Dunkirk x 2, Mr. Hot Stuff x 1, Summer Bird x 1, Brave Victory x 1


More picks to win:

Bernard Aguinaldo of SportsTicker: Charitable Man
Jerry Bossert of New York Daily News: Mine That Bird
Ed DeRosaof Thoroughbred Times: Charitable Man
Joe Drape of The New York Times: Mine That Bird
Dick Jerardi of Philadelphia Daily News: Mine That Bird
Ed McNamara of Newsday: Dunkirk
Tom Pedulla of USA TODAY: Mine That Bird
Laffit Pincay III of Horse Racing TV: Dunkirk
Jay Privman of Daily Racing Form: Charitable Man
Jennie Rees of The (Louisville) Courier-Journal: Mine That Bird
Richard Rosenblatt of The Associated Press: Charitable Man
Mike Watchmaker of Daily Racing Form: Dunkirk
Alicia Wincze of Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader: Charitable Man

Mine That Bird and Calvin Borel

Calvin Borel was the jockey who rode Mine That Bird to its victory in the Kentucky Derby. Mine That Bird entered the Kentucky Derby as an underdog, with 50-1 odds. With Borel on the back of Bird, the two beat the closest competition by a stunning 6 3/4 lengths.

On May 16th, Borel would ride a different horse, a filly named Rachel Alexandra whom he rode regularly prior to Mine That Bird's win at the Kentucky Derby, at the Preakness in Baltimore, Maryland. Rachel Alexandra was nearly unchallenged throughout most of the race. Mine That Bird, would make up ground, closing Rachel Alexandra's largest lead of 4 lengths to 1 length at the finish line.

Unfortunately, Rachel Alexandra was pulled from the Belmont Stakes by owner Jess Jackson due to fatigue and not being in top shape. So, with his regular horse out of the race, Borel is again on the back of Mine That Bird for today's Belmont Stakes. Borel is attempting to win his own personal Triple Crown, and has a good chance to achieve this riding Mine That Bird, which is the favorite with 2-1 odds.

The Future: Mine That Bird

Mine That Bird has shown well throughout the Triple Crown series, and his future still looks bright. Co-owners Dr. Leonard Blach and Mark Allen have decided to continue to run Mine That Bird after the Belmont Stakes.

Mine That Bird was purchased by its current co-owners after winning four races in Canada. Blach and Allen paid $400,000 for Mine That Bird. According to Allen, there was no haggling for horse. Everyone knew running the horse could pay off in the future, and Mine That Bird has not failed to live up to his promise.

Bennie Woolley Jr., Mine That Bird's trainer, says that the horse naturally looks for open space. Once Mine That Bird sees the lead, he pushes with what he has left. This year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness are evidence of Mine That Bird's ability to launch into a gear most other horses don't possess.

If you're betting on Mine That Bird today, don't be afraid of a poor initial showing. The last quarter mile will be where Mine That Bird will make his move. A great showing today most likely means more races--and more prize money--in the future.

Belmont Stakes Picks, Odds, and Jockeys

Below are the Belmont Stakes Picks, with the jockeys that will be riding in the race, at the beginning of the day:

1. Chocolate Candy, 10-1, Garrett Gomez
2. Dunkirk, 4-1, John Velazquez
3. Mr. Hot Stuff, 15-1, Edgar Prado
4. Summer Bird, 12-1, Kent Desormeaux
5. Luv Gov, 20-1, Miguel Mena
6. Charitable Man, 3-1, Alan Garcia
7. Mine That Bird, 2-1, Calvin Borel
8. Flying Private, 12-1, Julien Leparoux
9. Miner's Escape, 15-1, Jose Lezcano
10. Brave Victory, 15-1, Rajiv Maragh