Race 7: $43,000 Maiden-special-weight for 2yo’s at 6 furlongs Tough race to get a gauge on so check the board; on paper ODYSSEUS has the look of a live newcomer for a solid debut barn; helps that Maragh has done little wrong of late. ROYAL STOCKS had little chance in his Spa debut after breaking…

Brian’s New York Showcase preview

With New York-bred Showcase Day on tap for Saturday we’ll bypass the Pick4 handicapping and instead give a brief preview of the card, which came up, as always, balanced and competitive on a great day that helps support New York-bred racing. Race 1: LIVING FOR THIS just missed at this level in his last and…

Brian’s condensed Pick 4 preview, October 17

With the scheduled Grade III Athenia getting cancelled on Thursday due to the heavy rains in the forecast, there’s a good chance that all of Saturday’s action will be washed off the turf. With that in mind, we’ll take a condensed look at the late Pk4 in terms of the main-track-only. Race 7: $16,000 claimer…

Brian’s Belmont babies preview

Familial and travel commitments mean that Brian’s Pick 4 preview is on hiatus this week, but fortunately for us, we’ve got his preview of the two-year-old stakes at Belmont. The Grade I, $440,000 Frizette for 2-year-old fillies at 1-mile.1. Annie’s Melody: Enters off just a 5 ½-furlong maiden win at Monmouth over seven weeks ago,…

Brian’s Pick 4 preview, October 3rd

My favorite day of the year. What used to be known as Breeders’ Cup preview day now has five Grade I races that always have major implications on both the Breeders’ Cup and the championship picture. If you’re anywhere near Belmont, it’s well worth making the trip over, not only to see some world-class racing…

Brian’s Pick 4 preview, September 26

Race 7: $22,000 claimer for 3&up at 6 furlongs on the inner turf (N2L). 1. Khan Of Khans: Toss that run in the slop in June and his form isn’t bad at all. The only problem is that this will be his first try against winners and he had to defeat cheap claimers to get…

Brian’s Pick 4 preview, September 19

Race 7: $23,000 claimer for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf (N2L). 1. Live On The Edge: Seems like the logical next step for a runner that just broke his maiden over claimers at the Spa. Faces a much tougher group today, but several in here have shown they aren’t…

Brian’s Pick 4 preview, September 5

Race 9: The Grade I, $300,000 Forego for 3&up at 7 furlongs.1. Pyro: Made a nice return earlier in the meet when his patented late rally fell just short in a minor stakes. Eligible to be much tighter today as well and that means he’s someone you need to be aware of in the lane.…

Brian’s Pick 4 preview, Travers Day

My petition to NYRA in an effort to pay out 3-out-of-4 denied, I forge on to Saturday’s $1 million guaranteed Pk4. It will have to pay half that much to get me out of the hole. Race 9: The Grade II, $200,000 Ballston Spa for filly/mares 3&up at 1 1/16 miles on the Mellon turf.…

Brian’s Pick 4 preview, August 22nd

Race 8: $55,000 MSW for 2-year-olds going 6 ½ furlongs. 1. Discreetly Mine: Somewhat alarming that Discreet Cat’s little brother is still a maiden after two starts and he gets no favor from the rail draw today. Blinkers come off in an attempt to get him to settle early, but if he breaks slowly from…