Belmont's Memorial Day Card Packed With State-Bred Stakes Races

If you thought that the upcoming racing action on Saturday and Sunday at Belmont Park seemed a bit thin in terms of stakes races, you’re correct, but that’s because Belmont is saving most of the weekend action for Memorial Day.

Six of the ten races on Belmont’s Monday card are stakes races for New York-breds, and all of them are shaping up to be competitive events with plenty of options for bettors. Let’s take a quick look at each race….

Race 3, Mount Vernon Stakes: Frosty Margarita has won three stakes race on dirt but none on turf, which she’ll attempt to change in this one-mile event for fillies and mares. But standing in the way is Chad Brown’s Fifty Five, winner of the 2017 Florida Oaks (gr. III) and also the Ticonderoga Stakes against state-breds at Belmont last October.

Race 4, Critical Eye Stakes: The graded stakes winners Highway Star and Holiday Disguise will face off in this competitive one-mile race.

Race 6, Bouwerie Stakes: Pure Silver won the Adirondack Stakes (gr. II) at Saratoga last summer, but has gone 0-for-5 since then and will need to step up her game a notch for trainer Todd Pletcher. After all, it could take a big effort to beat Midnight Disguise, winner of the Busanda Stakes and Busher Stakes against open company during the winter, while the unbeaten fillies Letmetakethiscall and She’s Quiet add further depth to this seven-furlong sprint.

Race 7, Mike Lee Stakes: The talented Sea Foam has never finished out of the exacta in five starts for trainer Christophe Clement and won the Notebook Stakes last November, but the son of Medaglia d’Oro will be returning from a layoff in this seven-furlong event. That could give an advantage to Aveenu Malcainu, third in the Nashua Stakes (gr. II) and Bay Shore Stakes (gr. II), or perhaps the up-and-coming stakes winner Retonova, who is 2-for-2 thus far in his career

Race 8, Kingston Stakes: Voodoo Song made headlines last summer by winning an unprecedented four races during the Saratoga meet and recently returned from a layoff to win a Belmont allowance race in hard-fought fashion. He’s clearly the horse to beat in the one-mile Kingston, though Offering Plan and Kharafa—both veterans of stakes races for New York-breds—could offer a challenge along with Dot Matrix and Mo Maverick, recent allowance winners against open company on other racing circuits.

Race 9, Commentator Stakes: The 2017 Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) winner Diversify will return to state-bred company while seeking to rebound from a pair of disappointing defeats against tougher company.

Post time for the first race of the day is 1:30 p.m. Eastern.