How to bet With and Against Warren Point in the Man o' War Stakes

An accomplished field of eight will contest the lucrative $600,000 Man o’ War S. (G1) at Belmont Park on Saturday. The 1 3/8-mile turf event features some of the better turf stayers in the U.S., but the race will go through Godolphin homebred #2 Warren Point (9-5) making his stateside debut in the heat.

Trained by the brilliant Charlie Appleby, who wins at a fantastic rate with horses shipping to the States, the well-bred son of Dubawi has performed well in each career start as his 8-5-2-1 lifetime line indicates. In his latest performance, Warren Point fell a half-length shy of Hong Kong champion Russian Emperor in the HH Amir Trophy (G1) in Qatar at about 1 1/2 miles, and he seems poised to be a menacing foe on Saturday with any improvement off of that showing.

The gelded four-year-old got acclimated to his surroundings with a five-furlong morning breeze on the course on Sunday, and it seems like a very positive sign that Frankie Dettori will ship in to ride the British-bred as well.

If the favorite fails to deliver, then the Christophe Clement-trained #6 Soldier Rising (5-1) is surely one to consider. By Frankel, the gelding was Grade-1 placed in the summer when third in the Sword Dancer (G1) at Saratoga, and I expect him to fire big while coming in fresh for his first assignment since November. The five-year-old is a stout late runner who was won or placed in four of his five tries on the Belmont lawn. Jockey Jose Ortiz will be in the silks.

#1 Red Knight (7-2) has been in very good form since coming to the barn of trainer Mike Maker prior to the start of his 2022 campaign. The $1.3 million earner bagged the William L. McKnight S. (G3) in his seasonal bow, prior to finishing a head second in the recent Elkhorn S. (G2) at Keeneland. This Lemon Drop Kid seven-year-old is a four-time winner at Belmont and will be seen talking the early tempo while saving ground every step of the way. Irad Ortiz, Jr. taking the reins is an obvious good thing.

Warren Point – With

• $3 trifecta: 2 with 1,6 with all ($36)
• $2 trifecta: 2 with all with 1,6 ($24)

Warren Point – Against

• $2 trifecta: 1,6 with 1,2,6 with all ($48)
• $1 trifecta: 6 with all with 1,2 ($12)