Horse Racing picks for Belmont Park race track on Saturday, July 9: Nations Pride can take Belmont Derby

Nations Pride horse racing

There is plenty of great horse racing across America today, including a high-class meeting at Belmont Park race track including the Belmont Oaks and the Caesars Belmont Derby. We have been on fire with our picks for a long time now and we are now up +301.83 units with our race selections to our recommended stakes dating back to August 5, 2021. Let’s keep it rolling!

Here are our best bets for today’s action at Belmont Park.

2:03 pm ET Belmont Park (Race 3) – Royal Currency 5/2 (2-star play)

Royal Currncy sets the standard having finished runner-up in 5 of her 6 starts, including in a mile maiden special weight at this venue at the end of May. Only the hot favourite was too good for her that day and she had been beaten a neck over 7 furlongs at Aqueduct before that.

The shorter distance today is no issue and she can provide jockey Dylan Davis with a winner following a 1:01.66 5-furlong work. 

2:32 pm ET Belmont Park (Race 4) – Dynamic One 7/5 (2-star play)

Runner-up in Grade 2 company in spring last year, the Union Rags colt missed the rest of 2021 following a 7th in the Grade 1 Travers at Saratoga in August. He has demonstrated good form in 3 starts this year including when taking the Listed Blame Stakes over a mile and 1/16th at Churchill Downs early last month.

He finished runner-up at Aqueduct previously and is taken to help Todd Pletcher improve on his 22% strike-rate (23/103) at this meeting. 

4:06 pm ET Belmont Park (Race 7, Belmont Oaks) – Concert Hall 3/1 (2-star play)

Concert Hall showed that she is a top-level performer in Europe when finishing 3rd over a mile in the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh in May and 4th in the 12-furlong Oaks at Epsom just under 2 weeks later.

She disappointed back in Ireland last time out, but with the trip in her favour and Ryan Moore riding, the daughter of Dubawi is taken to provide trainer Aidan O’Brien with back-to-back wins in this race.

4:38 pm ET Belmont Park (Race 8) – Pretty Birdie 2/1 (2-star play)

Pretty Birdie demonstrated good form in 3 starts since proving a disappointment when 5th to today’s rival Happy Soul in a stakes event over 6 furlongs at Oaklawn Park in February. She followed that effort with a listed-race success over the same track and trip.

She made all that day and subsequently placed 2nd twice, including in the Grade 2 Eight Belles Stakes over 7 furlongs. The shorter distance today is a positive and she looks up to returning to winning ways. 

5:12 pm ET Belmont Park (Race 9, Caesars Belmont Derby) – Nations Pride 5/1 (2-star play)

Nations Pride looked progressive in delivering a 4th consecutive victory when scoring by 7 lengths in a 10-furlong contest on a turf track at Newmarket in April. He had previously won the Jumeirah Derby over the same distance at Meydan in the UAE.

He could finish only 8th in the Epsom Derby when moving up to 12 furlongs subsequently, but he looks capable of delivering a victory for the Charlie Appleby stable, who do well with their runners in America.

Exotic

Early Pick 3

Race 1: 2, 7
Race 2: 2, 8
Race 3: 6, 8

Stake: $2
Total stake: $16

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