Pete’s Picks: Emollient in Garden City, Wise Dan over Za Approval in Woodbine Mile Exacta
Who: Thoroughbreds – Emollient, Discreet Marq, Alterite, Summer of Fun, Watsdachances, Wise Dan, Za Approval
What: Horse Racing Betting Tips – The Garden City, The Woodbine Mile
Where: Belmont Park, Woodbine
When: Saturday and Sunday, September 14th and 15th
Multiple Grade 1 winner Emollient heads a cast of 11 in Saturday’s 35th Running of The Garden City atBelmont Park. On Sunday, reigning Horse of the Year Wise Dan puts his 8-race winning streak on the line in the 17 th Running of The Woodbine Mile, which he won handily last year. Let’s take a closer look at this pair of Grade 1 events below.
#1-Emollient (3-1) has had only one start on the lawn, and it was a winning one last out in the Grade 1 American Oaks at Hollywood Park. She defeated stakes winner Emotional Kitten that day, and you’ll note that #6-Summer of Fun (8-1) was nosed out by Emotional Kitten two back in The Hilltop at Pimlico. The turnback in distance shouldn’t bother her, as he has excellent tactical speed. The two-month break should suit her as well, as she won last out off a similar break. #2-Discreet Marq (7-2) enters this affair on a 3-race winning streak, including the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks last out, and looms the main threat. French-bred invader #4-Alterite (4-1) has quality, having kept Group 1 company in her home country recently, and will race with Lasix for the first time Saturday for top-notch trainer Chad Brown. The presence of jockey John Velazquez doesn’t hurt either. Still, I’ll take a chance that she needs a bit more time to acclimate to U.S. racing. I’ll bet on the royally-bred Bill Mott trainee #1-Emollient to win at odds of 5-2 or better.
There’s no reason to believe that #4-Wise Dan (2-5) won’t handle his five opponents rather easily this Sunday in defense of his Woobine Mile title. So as is often the case with prohibitive favorites, we’ll try to find a horse (or two) to use underneath. If the Woodbine turf course comes up “firm” on Sunday, #6-Za Approval (4-1) looks like the one. The Live Oak homebred has only run one bad race on grass in a dozen tries, and that was over a yielding course at Belmont Park last fall. The 5YO gelding is in career form, coming off a game second to the blazing-fast Obviously last out in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Hollywood Park, and a pair of Grade 3 wins prior to that. His bullet breeze at Belmont Park on September 5th indicates that he retains his edge. I’ll bet a straight 4-6 exacta in The Woodbine Mile…Wise Dan over Za Approval. Note: If Za Approval is scratched, I’ll pass the race.
Those are my horse racing betting tips for this weekend. Best of luck and happy gambling!
