2015 Belmont Sprint Championship Picks and Analysis

The Mad Capper returns to analyze this year’s Belmont Spring Championship, where Private Zone highlights the field as the 8-5 morning line favorite. But that’s not all, 7-2 on the morning line, The Big Beast looks to take down Private Zone in what promises to be a stretch run thriller.

Belmont Sprint Championship (G3) – Belmont Park

Date: Saturday, July 5th Post Time: 6:23 PM (ET) Distance: 7 Furlongs (dirt) Purse: $400,000

Official Contenders & Post Positions

PP – Contender|Jockey|Trainer|Odds

Through The Eyes of The Mad Capper

The King:

1)Private Zone– This six-year-old gelded son of Macho Uno towers over the field in terms of back class and accomplishment. He will run at his preferred distance, and his last race at seven furlongs resulted in a resounding win in the Grade2 Churchill Downs Stakes in May of this year. Trainer Jorge Navarro calls upon familiar jockey Martin Pedroza to perform the riding duties in the Belmont Sprint Championship. Private Zone clocked a 48.0 work at Monmouth Park on the twenty-sixth of June, and he might just be talented enough to leave this field in his wake come Saturday.

The Nobles:

1)The Big Beast- Tony Dutrow’s four-year-old son of Yes It’s True ran fourth in the Carter Handicap at Aqueduct back in April of this year. Before that particular outing, The Big Beast had rattled off four consecutive wins, the first of which coming in the colt’s maiden breaking score at Belmont Park. Jockey John Velasquez climbs aboard and will look to put this horse’s keen sense of versatility to good use. The Big Beast has recorded four solid works at the Fair Hill training center, and he appears poised to make a decisive run at the lone king in this field

2)Green Gratto- Green Gratto has finished no worse than third in his last seven starts and has recently been showing a newfound sense of determination when faced with pressure on the front end. The five-year-old son of Here’s Zealous comes in off of an allowance optional victory over this surface, and he also ran a game second in the Carter Handicap in April, a race in which he defeated fellow entry, The Big Beast. Trainer Osvaldo Rojas and jockey Fernando Jara team up once more with the entry that could prove to be a better’s delight.

3)Stallwalkin’ Dude- This gelded son of City Place has finished in the top two in each of his last six outings. He soundly defeated Clearly Now in the True North Stakes in early June, and he is unquestionably at the top of his game for his run in this race. Cornelio Velasquez gets the mount for the trainer that is so unanimously despised in the horse racing community. Stallwalkin’ Dude has shown the ability to run on or off the pace, and he may well work his way into the exotics, yet that is certainly not the hope of this handicapper.

The Knights:

1)C. Zee- Trainer Nick Zito’s hard knocking son of Elusive Bluff ran into a considerable amount of trouble in his last outing at Churchill Downs. He drew the rail post and had a bumping incident with Bayern that he was unable to recover from. Breaking from post number seven should suit his stalking style nicely. Prior to his most recent race, his four previous starts had all been in the money finishes. Jose Lezcano will be in the irons and the Mad Capper is expecting a markedly improved effort here.

2)Moonlight Song– Rust could be the primary issue for this eight-year-old gelded son of Unbridled’s Song. Charlton Baker has pieced together a steady work tab for his return, but the eight month layoff makes this race quite the herculean endeavor versus such an accomplished field. Jockey Joel Rosario climbs aboard, and if the horse is sound and ready, he is quite capable of jolting the exotic based wagers.

The Peasants:

1)Bay of Plenty– This lightly raced son of Medaglia d’Oro was soundly beaten in the Metropolitan Mile last out. Trainer Kieran McLaughlin will be rolling the dice here with the cutback in distance, but drawing the rail post will not be advantageous with such a notable amount of speed drawing to his outside. Irad Ortiz gets the call, but this four-year-old colt will unfortunately get the handicapping boot by yours truly.

2)Clearly Now- The winner of last year’s Belmont Sprint Championship is a personal favorite, yet a horse that looks to be headed in the wrong direction. He tired last out in the True North Stakes at six furlongs, and has only once managed to hit the board in his last four starts. Luis Saez will ride for trainer Brian Lynch, and the pair will be hoping that the five-year-old son of Horse Greeley can regain the form that insured victory just one year ago. Look for Clearly Now to make an early move before fading into obscurity by the time the field reaches the stretch.

The Mad Capper’s Top Picks

3 – Private Zone #4 – Green Gratto #6 – Stallwalkin Dude #7 – C. Zee #2 – The Big Beast

Trifecta for $12.00 → 3/4,6,7/2,4,6,7,8

Follow Matt on Twitter --> @Matticapper

The Maiden’s Top Picks

3 – Private Zone #4 – Green Gratto #7 – C. Zee #2 – The Big Beast

Superfecta Box → 3-2-7-4-6

Follow Claudia on Twitter --> @Claudia_WMS