Meet the Mets Mile – G1 Metropolitan Handicap
By: Dylan Jarmulowicz
The
Grade I Metropolitan Handicap is one of the best races of the year in my
opinion. It always draws a solid group of older horses from not only New York,
but from all over the country. The last few years, the Met Mile has been
relegated from its customary spot on Memorial Day to Belmont Stakes Day to be a
part of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. So while the race no longer anchors
a day of racing and is not as prominent, it’s still the best one turn mile race
of the year sans the Breeders’ Cup. This year’s edition features a field of 12
and reminds me of the 2011 race which was a wide open affair won dominantly by
Tizway.
Belmont
Park Race 9 – Grade I 1 Mile Post Time – 4:41pm (Eastern)
Advance Weather: Chance
of Storms, 70s
As I
prefaced above, this race looks wide open and we’ll start with #5 FROSTED (7/2).
He is the morning line favorite and is a horse that I have played against
basically his entire career. He is a talented horse but too many times he has
hung like a chandelier in the stretch for me to bet him on top.
I’ll play
against him again with my top choice is #6 UPSTART (20-1). He has been working
great and if you look at his running lines, his best races have come off a
layoff. He comes into this spot off a two month layoff. I also like the fact
that this is a one turn race and his running style of making one run round the
far turn is a style that works well in these longer one turn races.
#7
STANFORD (5-1), #12 ANCHOR DOWN (12-1) and #13 MARKING (8-1) should provide a
solid pace up and maybe a three wide speed duel for the lead. STANFORD is the
most decorated horse coming off a win in the Charles Town Classic but ANCHOR
DOWN won the Westchester Stakes last start here at Belmont so both are tough
customers and won’t go away without giving their best effort. I will have them
on my tickets in case one gets loose on the lead.
Finally,
#11 CALCULATOR (10-1) is interesting at a price. He has a closing running style
should be perfect for this spot. The potential problem with him is that he has
a tendency be stuck out wide and with another outside post it could be the
difference between winning and finishing second or third.
My Plays:
Win: #6
Exacta: 6,11/4,5,6,7,11,12
and 7,12/6,11
Trifecta:
6,11/5,6,7,11,12/4,5,6,7,11,12 and 7,12/5,6,11/5,6,11
Good Luck!
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