Odds and picks for Stars and Stripes Racing Festival at Belmont Park

Saturday’s 11-race card at Belmont Park, dubbed the Stars and Stripes Racing Festival, Comprises five graded stakes events, highlighted by a Set of Grade 1s, the Belmont Derby Invitational and Belmont Oaks Invitational.

The $750,000 Belmont Oaks is restricted to three-year-old fillies and will be conducted in a distance of 1 1/4 miles on the inner turf program. The race is the first jewel in the newly created”Turf Tiara”, together with the series continuing with all the Saratoga Oaks and finish with the Jockey Club Oaks.
The $1 million Belmont Derby are also run at 1 1/4 miles on the grass and also kicks off a new series, the”Turf Trinity,” which comprises the inaugural Saratoga Derby and finishes with the Jockey Club Derby in September.
Let’s take a closer look at those Grade 1 races.
The Belmont Oaks odds, analysis and selections Concrete Rose is recorded as the 3/1 second choice in the morning line, but she is two-for-two this season, both successes impressive Grade 3 scores, including beating Newspaperofrecord in May at Churchill Downs. This filly has lost just once in her profession and might be hard to down now.
Newspaperofrecord will be receiving lots of attention as the 5/2 favorite but has not been able to carry her pace in two outings this season, finishing second twice. But the Chad Brown trainee was a significant turf star in 2018, also when this woman may throttle down her speed a notch and relax, she’ll be able to receive clear in the lane and then hang . The 10-furlong space is a concern, but she will figure it out now.
Olendon (9/2) is a European star who was beaten by only a length at this space in her final outing.
Coral Beach (15/1) is a interesting horse, as she only has two wins from 16 starts but conducted a credible fourth in her most recent outing at a field of 27 horses at Ascot. This girl looks like a live longshot Saturday off this effort.
The field is rounded out by undefeated Cafe Americano (12/1), Ascot shipper Just Beautiful (10/1), Japan invader Jodie (12/1), Dyna Passer (30/1) and Cambier Parc (8/1), that conquered Newspaperofrecord in the Wonder Again Stakes.
The Belmont Derby will be run as seventh race on the 11-race card with pole time group at 3:30 pm. CT (NBC).
Selections:
No. 2 NEWSPAPEROFRECORD, 5/2 odds: Puts it all together today No. 3 CORAL BEACH, 15/1: Conquer 23 horses in her final race
No. 4 CONCRETE ROSE, 3/1: Should be tough here
No. 9 CAMBIER PARC, 4/1: Beat the best pick over this track
The Belmont Derby odds, analysis and picks Digital Age (9/2) and Demarchelier (6/1) both check into this race with perfect three-for-three records. They are also both trained by Chad Brown, with a total of four horses entered in the Belmont Derby, and is capable of winning this race.
Seismic Wave (5/1) comes into the Belmont Derby off a strong finish in the Pennine Ridge Stakes at Belmont on June 1, where he missed by a neck. The son of Tapit should relish this distance and can generate a nice turn of foot in the lane should in the mood.
Cape of Good Hope (10/1) was last seen at Royal Ascot finishing 10th at the same 1 1/4-mile distance. He is much better than that previous race suggests, and a day at Belmont might only be what this Irish-bred needs to wake up.
Rockemperor (8/1) ships to New York after running all seven career races at France. He finished sixth of 15 horses in the Prix de Jockey Club and today finds himself at the capable hands of Brown.
Master Fencer (12/1) may find this race a bit easier and more to his liking than the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. We can probably assume he will be flying late and develop somewhat short, but he might be closer today.
Those are the top contenders as I see it in this race.
The field is going to be performed by Social Paranoia (8/1), Moon Colony (12/1), Henley’s Joy (12/1), Spinoff (15/1), Plus Que Parfait (15/1), Standard Deviation (15/1), English Bee (30/1) and Blenheim Palace (30/1), together with He is No Lemon, (30/1) on the also-eligible list, hoping for a defection.
The Belmont Derby will be run as the ninth race with a post time of 4:44 pm. CT (NBC).
Selections:
No. 3 SEISMIC WAVE 5/1: Strong stretch move in last makes him hard now No. 9 CAPE OF GOOD HOPE 10/1: Would Awaken at Belmont
No. 13 DIGITAL AGE 9/2: Colt is an ideal 3/3 and ought to make some noise
No. 7 MASTER FENCER 12/1: Should be a bit closer now No. 14 ROCKEMPEROR 8/1: Much better than his last race suggests