Belmont Park: Spooky Stakes Plays for Halloween

A trio of black-type races highlights a strong nine-race Halloween card at Belmont Park on Sunday.

Race 6 -- Pumpkin Pie S. (1st division)

Fillies and mares will travel seven panels on the dirt in the first division of the $100,000 affair. #1 Victim of Love is a two-time Grade 3 victress over Big Sandy and gets a pass for tiring in the stretch over a sloppy, sealed surface with a deep Grade 3 cast locally last time out. The Speightstown mare is the quickest contender in the field, and she will be ultra-tough with a clean break under Joel Rosario.

Race 7 -- Bold Ruler H. (G3)

A well-matched field of eight will run seven-eighths on the main oval in a good betting event. I became a believer in the lightly raced #7 Wondrwherecraigis when he dusted his foes in the Tale of the Cat S. at Saratoga in August. The gelded son of Munnings is very fast and is clearly the one to catch for Russell, and he gets a perfect post to avoid any trouble in the early stages, as well. Dark bay Kentucky-bred will be tough to run down with his best showing under the guidance of Luis Saez.

Race 8 -- Pumpkin Pie S. (2nd division)

The final stakes event on the card is also at seven-eighths and features a graded-quality field. I believe that the Indiana-bred #3 Piedi Bianchi is worth a play at a price. Trained by Carlos Martin, the versatile daughter of Overanalyze has finished first or second in four straight tilts since having the blinkers removed, and the mare has also placed in four of her six previous tries at Belmont. Javier Castellano will pilot the gray six-year-old.

Grade 1-placed stakes heroine #8 Lake Avenue also rates as a major win threat in my opinion. The chestnut daughter of Tapit has placed behind four of the top one-turn runners in training in succession, and the class relief will be a welcome thing for the Godolphin homebred. She will be tracking the early tempo while clear throughout under Junior Alvarado.