Vagrancy Handicap – Race 3 at Belmont Park – Post Time 2:34 PM Eastern

Kirby’s Penny is six for 11 in her career. Better still, she’s 5 for 7 on dirt, all since last April. She finished second in the other two dirt starts. She’s absolutely ready for grade 3 competition as she faces today with John Velazquez riding as for two big wins last summer at Saratoga and her most recent win, on April 8, came off a 6 month layoff and the effort should be improved upon 2^nd off the rest. Opening at 6 to 1, she’s exceptionally playable.

Swing and Sway is another very playable horse, opening at 12 to 1, having just won the Carousel Stakes at Oaklawn and two before that the American Beauty Stakes. She’s now 5 for 15 in her career and could also be very competitive here. There are no real knocks on any of the other four, but Holiday Disguise, who opens at 9/5, hasn’t any more probability than the rest. Sure, she won the similar G3 Distaff Stakes last month at Aqueduct, but it wasn’t any better of an effort nor was the horse she beat, Sounds Delicious (who was disqualified from 2^nd to 4^th) anything really special in terms of this field.

Win Bets: Kirby’s Penny at odds of 2 to 1 or more and Swing and Sway at odds of 3 to 1 or more. Place bets may be warranted at 5 to 1 or higher.

The most efficient way to bet multiple horses to win is to use a “Dutching” tool like the one available at Amwager, which helps allocated your betting dollars for the best return.

Runhappy Stakes – Race 8 at Belmont Park- Post Time 5:14 PM Eastern

Always Sunshine is EVERY bit as likely to win as favorite’s Skyler’s Scramjet and Westwood, but opens at 12/1. He returns from a layoff since last July but won his 2017 debut by four lengths off a layoff since the previous October so that’s not an issue. Winner of nearly $400,000 in his career and first or second in 10 of 18 dirt races, he will be ignored by many in this race compared to others. Back in 2016, Always Sunshine finished 2^nd in the Grade 3 Tom Fool Stakes on the circuit, the same race Skyler’s Scramjet won in March of this year. Later that spring he won the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint with a career best 118 Equibase Figure and in his last start of 2017 earned a 109 figure which stacks up favorably against the favorites here if repeated.

King Kranz goes for his 3^rd win in a row since moving to the Rodriguez barn and Iran Ortiz, Jr. rides back after being up for the first time last month in a strong win. The comeback win in March earned a 108 figure and opening at 9/2 we cannot rule him out as a contender to win.

Skyler’s Scramjet can’t be labeled a vulnerable favorite as the drop from grade 1 company in the Carter Handicap last time out helps his chances to return to winning form, and Westwood is another with a shot although his first graded stakes attempt last month wasn’t good as he faded to 5^th in the stretch after leading.

Win Bets: Always Sunshine to win and to place at 2 to 1 or more.

Exacta: Always Sunshine and King Kranz over Always Sunshine, King Kranz, Skyler’s Scramjet and Westwood (as there’s no point in using the two favorites with each other for 1^st & 2^nd), then ALSO the opposite, which is Always Sunshine, King Kranz, Skyler’s Scramjet and Westwood over Always Sunshine and King Kranz.

Peter Pan Stakes – Race 10 at Belmont Park – Post Time 6:18 Eastern

Just Whistle earned the best last race Equibase figure, 106, when winning last month at Keeneland. That was his second start of the year and a big improvement off his runner-up effort one month prior which followed six months away from the races. As a son of Pioneer of the Nile there is little doubt Just Whistle can successfully negotiate the mile and one-eighth distance of the Peter Pan. As a horse on a pattern for significant improvement in his third start off a layoff, he appears to be the one to beat in this race.

High North earned his first win last fall in his third career start, then tried stakes company and was not disgraced when fourth of 14 in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. After taking the winter off, he was entered in the Risen Star Stakes without a prep first and ran poorly, then again in the Rebel Stakes. Adding blinkers for the Northern Spur Stakes next out, he returned to top form, earning a 105 figure when drawing off by two and one-half lengths in a field of eight. Trainer Brad Cox is still on a high from winning the Kentucky Oaks with Monomoy Girl last weekend and his 30% success rate with back-to-back winners in dirt routes over the past two years is another reason supporting High North potentially winning his second stakes race in a row.

Blended Citizen needs a hot pace in front of him to succeed, as occurred in March when rallying to win the Jeff Ruby Steaks by a neck with a 109 figure. Following that effort, Blended Citizen tried to earn enough points for a Kentucky Derby start by running in the Blue Grass Stakes but could only manage a fifth place finish. In the Peter Pan, with the prospect for a hotly contested pace unlikely, Blended Citizen may be hard pressed to pass the field to win but it is not an impossible task and so he will round out the three horses with the best chance to win this year’s Peter Pan Stakes.

I’m completely taking a stand against Core Beliefs, shipping out from California and overbet off his 3^rd place effort in the Santa Anita Derby behind Justify.

Win Bets: Just Whistle at 2 to 1 or more, a TRUE KEY BET on the day.

A win bet on High North is warranted at 3 to 1 or more.

Exacta: Box Just Whistle, High North and Blended Citizen.

Man O’ War Stakes – Race 11 at Belmont Park – Post Time 6:50 Eastern

Postulation can post the upset in this year’s Man O’War, or even finish 2^nd for a big profit. He SHOULD NOT be 20/1 on the morning line considering his record in similar races, including a head loss in the Kentucky Turf Cup last summer and a win in the American St. Leger prior to that. The jockey change to Vargas, mostly unknown to local betters, helps his odds but there is no concern because Vargas was aboard for BOTH the aforementioned stakes efforts. After the Kentucky Turf Cup, Postulation finished 8^th of 10 in the Canadian International (run on a very soft course) then took time off. When returning last month off a six month layoff, he ran BIG by rallying from 4^th to battle down the stretch before tiring just a bit to be beaten a pair of necks on the wire. With 8 first or second place finishes in 16 turf races and nearly $400K in earnings, and proven at marathon distances, and possibly more importantly much stronger 2^nd off the layoff, Postulation gets a BIG push here.

Almost as likely and certainly as playable is One Go All Go, upset winner of the similar Elkhorn Stakes last month at Keeneland. He’s now run BIG in five of his last six races since Dickey took over his training. Even though in four of those he finished 2nd he was never far afield and in two of those he finished just behind Hi Happy and Sadler’s Joy, who open at much lower odds than the 6/1 starting odds for One Go All Go. As with the Elkhorn, there is very little of any other early pace in the race so if Landeros gets One Go All Go to the lead easily and slows things down, he could win his 2^nd graded stakes in a row.

There are no real knocks on Sadler’s Joy, Hi Happy or some of the rest, but the key for profit is getting either Postulation or One Go All Go home on top, or even second.

Win Bets: Postulation to win and place at 3 to 1 or more. One Go All Go to win and place at 3 to 1 or more.

Exactas: Postulation and One Go All Go over ALL, then also the opposite, which is ALL over Postulation and One Go All Go.