By Dennis Miller
The Belmont Stakes is over a week away from taking place and it’s already looking like we have a very good race taking place!
Right now, it appears the top four finishers from the Kentucky Derby – Golden Tempo, Renegade, Ocelli, and Chief Wallabee – will run in the race June 6 at Saratoga.
And in celebration of the day, we will be having another FREE Pick’em contest at the Pleasanton OTB!
The contest will involve picking the winner on selected races from Saratoga on Belmont day. You earn 5-3-1 points based on your pick running in the top three places in the selected races!
You have a chance to win cash vouchers for the first three finishers in the contest. Look for entry forms at the Pleasanton OTB on Thursday, June 4!
While we look forward to June 6, we have a full load of graded races this Saturday at Churchill Downs. There are six graded races from the 6th through 11th race on Saturday.
Following is a couple of the races I found interesting.
Churchill Downs
Grade II Shawnee
(6th race, 12:19 p.m. PDT)
There are only seven horses entered here to go 1-1/16-miles on the main track but it is a loaded field with no less than four horses having a shot to win.
Majestic Oops (Phil D’Amato, Francisco Arrieta) is a 6-year-old with 36 career starts. She’s been sharp this year, winning two of three starts. Most recently she ran third in the Grade I Apple Blossom on April 11 at Oaklawn Park. Before that she won the Grade II Azeri and the $150,000 American Beauty, both at Oaklawn. She chooses the hang near the pace and takes over late. She has hit the board 25 of her 36 career starts.
Splendora (Bob Baffert, Flavien Prat) is part of Baffert’s new Churchill stable. The 5-year-old has two wins in three starts this year, most recently running fourth out of five in the Grade I Derby City Distaff on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Before then she had won five straight dating back to last year. In November she won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, then followed with wins in the Grade II Lukas and the Grade I Beholder, both at Santa Anita. She likes to be on or near the lead.
Too Much Kiki (W. Bret Calhoun, Jose Ortiz) has hit the board in 17-of-19 career starts, with the 5-year-old record 10 wins. Her entire career has been spent running state-bred races in Texas. Her last two starts were a pair of seconds, the first March 21 in the Yellow Rose at Houston, and the second and most recently, the Blue Bonnett at Lone Star on April 16. Likes to come from off the pace and is stepping up here but you can’t argue withb the career mark. She’s not afraid to fight in the lane.
Immersive (Brad Cox, Irad Ortiz) has won five of eight career starts and may be the one to beat here. She was off since September of last year, coming back to run second in the Grade III Distaff on April 4 at Aqueduct. She has been favored the last six starts and has a win in the BC Juvenile Fillies in 2024. She is going to be on the pace or just off in this one.
Grade III Aristides
(8th race, 1:25 p.m.)
The are seven in this race ready to battle out over six furlongs, in a race filled with speed, meaning it may set up nicely for a closer.
Roll On Big Joe (R. B. Hess, Julien Leparoux) has posted four straight 100 or better Beyer marks. He has a win and a second in two starts this year. He started the year with a win in the King Cotton on Feb. 8 at Oaklawn, then came back April 11 in the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap, chasing the lead throughout. He will be charging out of the gate, always wanting to be on or right off the lead.
Cornucopian (Bob Baffert, Flavien Prat) most recently was fifth in the Grade I Churchill Downs on the Derby undercard. He preferred to fire out but didn’t that day and never got going. Before that he won both his other starts this year. First came a $50,000 optional claimer on Jan. 31, with the second being the Grade 3 San Carlos March 29 at Santa Anita. Expect a return to form here where you will find him stalking the pace.
Madaket Road (Bob Baffert, Irad Ortiz) is a Baffert-runner than flirted with the Kentucky Derby trail last year before settling for a spot in the Pat Day Mile on Derby day where he ran second. Since then he’s dialed back to sprinting and most recently won an allowance race on May 8 at Churchill. It was his first start of the year and there is every reason to expect a return to form this Grade I runner.
Mad House (David VanWinkle, Paco Lopez) was the winner of the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn in his last start, wiring the field to win by a half-length at 9/1. He got a 102 Beyer for the win and may be the quickest of the lot here. He messed the bed in the BC Sprint last year finishing dead-last by 24 lengths. Came back from there and won a $100,000 optional claimer at Tampa Bay Downs on March 6. He has won six of 12 career starts.