How to bet the Belmont Park turf stakes on June 3

A pair of very competitive Grade 3 tilts on the lawn for ladies will highlight a three-stakes card at Belmont Park on Thursday.

Race 6 -- Intercontinental S. (G3)

A cast of nine fillies and mares, two of which are entered for the main track only, will vie in the seven-furlong affair on the outer course. I am not sure if #1 Publication (10-1) is ready to take down this competition at this stage in her development, but the Chad Brown trainee is a fine prospect with a world of room for improvement. Well-bred Tapit four-year-old was a smart winner off the bench in her seasonal debut on the course, improving to two-for-two at Belmont, and she hinted that more is in the tank with her run through the wire last time out.

The Juddmonte homebred has trained forwardly in preparation for her second outing off the layoff, and I love her morning-line price combined with the presence of Castellano. The gray will be saving ground before making her presence inside the final furlong.

Wager

• $15 to win and place on #1 Publication ($30)

Race 8 -- Wonder Again S. (G3)

Named after one of my all-time favorites, the Wonder Again features 10 three-year-old fillies in a deep 1 1/8-mile test on the inner lawn.

I really liked the return race by #10 Plum Ali (5-1) off the shelf in the Appalachian S. (G2) when she was third for Clement. A standout juvenile in 2020, the Grade 2 heroine was a clear third behind a very good pair most recently despite having no pace to rally into at Keeneland.

By First Samurai, the chestnut miss was an easy winner in her lone prior experience at Belmont, and she has the tactical ability to avoid being hung wide throughout with Rosario in the controls, as well. The Kentucky-bred shows four solid morning drills on the lawn locally and seems poised for a big move forward the second time back.

Wager

• $20 to win on #10 Plum Ali ($20)
• $3 exacta key box: 10 with 7,9 ($12)