Belmont Stakes Trifecta Ticket Pick

BetUS online racebook fans have finally reached the end of the Triple Crown road. The Test of Champions, the 1 ½ mile Belmont Stakes, is set to run this Saturday with Mine That Bird, the Kentucky Derby winner, a huge favorite in the Racebook.

At odds of -150, Mine That Bird figures to be one of the biggest favorites to win the Belmont in its history once the gates open.

That’s okay because if horseplayers can convince themselves that Mine That Bird loses then creating a trifecta ticket around a couple of other horses could yield nice profits in the Racebook.

Let’s take a look at the two trifecta tickets I intend on playing this Saturday.

Key Horses:

#6 Charitable Man +300 - - He figures to be lone speed in this race with only Miner’s Escape able to challenge him. He should get away from the field at the top of the stretch and coast to a victory unless Dunkirk, who will be around 3 to 4 lengths off of Charitable Man in the early going, can challenge. He’s the top key horse in this race.

#2 Dunkirk +400 - - Dunkirk will be close enough to scare horseplayers who have bet Charitable Man to win on Saturday. He’s got what’s needed to go right by Charitable Man but since the pace figures to be soft, he more than likely will not be able to get by the son of Lemon Drop Kid. Still, he has the best shot to upset the pick and deserves some consideration for the victory.

Other Horses to Use:

#7 Mine That Bird -150 - - The Kentucky Derby winner will be going off at odds that are way too low for bettors to use as a key horse in the trifecta. Not only that, but the pace of the Belmont figures to be much slower than it was in both the Derby and the Preakness. He can win the race, no doubt, but he’s not a good bet to win the race.

#4 Summer Bird +1200 - - His closing ability might be on par with Mine That Bird’s as he had to go 7 wide on the worst part of the track in the Kentucky Derby. In the Arkansas Derby, he was fantastic and just couldn’t get to either Old Fashioned or Papa Clem, but he did close better than any other horse in that race after going wide again. Like Mine That Bird, he’s a son of Birdstone.

#3 Mr. Hot Stuff +1500 - - Like Summer Bird, Mr. Hot Stuff, a son of Tiznow, figures to improve big time in this race. He too is a closer…or is he? He should be closer to the pace in this and could be formidable as his daddy didn’t improve until around this time either. The Tiznow’s love the Belmont dirt, he’s had ample time to rest after his terrible Kentucky Derby run, and his trainer, Eoin Harty, loves his chances and Harty never pumps up his horses.

#9 Miner’s Escape +1500 - - Trainer Nick Zito takes a front runner and throws him against a huge favorite, then tries to steal it on the front end. Sound familiar? The scenario played out in 2008 when Zito won the Belmont with D’Tara. The difference in this race is that Charitable Man won’t let Miner’s Escape get away with soft fractions and Miner’s Escape might not be fast enough early to stick with Charitable Man. But if Zito goes after Charitable Man early, is it impossible to believe that the horse hangs on for a third place finish?

Trifecta Ticket Construction

I’m playing two trifecta tickets using Charitable Man and Dunkirk as keys in the win slot.

$4 trifecta

6 with [ 2, 3, 4, 7] with [2, 3, 4, 7, 9] = $64

$2 trifecta

2 with [3, 4, 6, 7] with [3, 4, 6, 7, 9] = $32

Total Trifecta Bet = $96