How to bet the 2021 Sands Point Stakes

A well-matched field of eight sophomore fillies will vie in Saturday’s $200,000 Sands Point S. (G2) at Belmont Park. The nine-furlong affair will be run on the inner turf course and appears to be a very good betting race that lacks a standout. I will focus on a trio of contenders in the cast and base my wagers around them.

Grade-1 placed #5 Higher Truth has finished in the top three in each start following an unplaced debut for conditioner Chad Brown, and the bay daughter of Galileo rates a big chance with her best performance on Saturday. The expensive Irish-bred was a close third in the Belmont Oaks (G1) three back, prior to recording fine runner-up finishes in both the Saratoga Oaks (G3) and Jockey Club Oaks.

Higher Truth has tactical speed in a field lacking pace, and I envision this lass sitting in the first or second flight early on before putting in her stout late kick in the lane. I am not certain that she will prefer the cut back in distance as she is something of a grinder, but the bay has plenty of class to her and will be difficult to keep out of the top three with Irad picking up the mount.

Mark Casse’s #8 Our Flash Drive has been consistently good in 2021 and will relish the added ground on Saturday after running a mile on the green in two straight. The Ghostzapper filly broke slowly before putting in a nice late run to be fourth behind a slow early tempo in the Pebbles S. most recently, and a cleaner break in this affair will have the Live Oak homebred in a much better position on the backside. The Florida-bred has been training in swift fashion as of late, and Dylan Davis will guide her once again.

#3 Harajuku hails from an excellent family and proved that she was ready for this kind of competition when a closing third in the Jockey Club Oaks while making her U.S. bow last time out. Now in the hands of Graham Motion, the Flaxman homebred rallied into a crawling pace in her latest endeavor, and any kind of forward move will give her a big chance late on Saturday. The Group 3 heroine figures to be moving best of all inside the final furlong with Junior Alvarado inheriting the mount.

Sands Point Wagers

• $4 trifecta box 3, 5, 8 ($24)
• 50-cent trifecta 3, 5, 8 with 3, 5, 8 with all ($18)
• 50-cent trifecta 3, 5, 8 with all with 3, 5, 8 ($18)