On Saturday, Belmont Park runs eight Grade 1 stakes races, including the $1,000,000 Grade 1 Acorn and the third jewel in Horse Racing’s Triple Crown, the $1,500,000 Belmont Stakes. Check out top plays and Horse Racing Odds for the Top Stakes Races of the Week from Saturday, June 5th. You can also visit our Online Racebook to place your bets on active racetracks.
Horse Racing Betting Odds & Picks May 31st Edition
Top Stakes Races of the Week
- When: Saturday, June 5
Belmont Park – Grade 1 Races | Saturday, June 5
- Jaipur Invitational Stakes – 6 furlongs turf – $400,000
Belmont Park has invited 11 horses to run in the Jaipur on Saturday. Well-known turf sprinters like Doug O’Neil trained Stubbins, Got Stormy from the Mark Casse barn, and Peter Miller trained Sombeyay are three of the invitees.
- Woody Stephens – 7 furlongs dirt – $400,000
Horses that had raced on the Derby Trail but didn’t quite make it to Churchill Downs will run in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens. Nova Rags, Dream Shake, Caddo River, Jackie’s Warrior and Drain the Clock are all three-year-olds who at one time had generated Derby buzz.
- Just A Game – 1 mile turf – $500,000
Chad Brown will saddle a couple in the Just A Game, Blowout and Pocket Square. Bill Mott trained New York Girl will get a few looks. Godolphin trainer Charles Appleby could upset the proverbial, uh, apple cart with runners Althiqa and Summer Romance.
- Ogden Phipps Stakes – 1 1/16 miles dirt – $500,000
The Ogden Phipps should be an awesome race if Shedaresthedevil and Swiss Skydiver resume their rivalry. Those two aren’t the only runners with a chance. Letruska beat Swiss Skydiver and Monomoy Girl in the Apple Blossom. Todd Pletcher trained Valiance finished second to Monomoy Girl in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
- Acorn Stakes – 1 mile dirt – $500,000
Kentucky Oaks second-place finisher Search Results will lead the Acorn Stakes field. Travel Column looks for a bounce back performance after running fifth in the Oaks. Obligatory, Make Mischief, and Ava’s Grace should all run.
Horse Racing Weekly Betting Update
- Manhattan Stakes – 1 ¼ miles turf – $750,000
Chad Brown will saddle up to 3 runners in the Manhattan on Saturday: Tribhuvan, Rockemperor, and Domestic Spending. Todd Pletcher puts the saddle on Colonel Liam. Christophe Clement trained Gufo and Grade 1 Man o’ War winner Channel Cat figure to fight for favoritism.
- Metropolitan Stakes – 1 mile dirt – $1,000,000
The Belmont Stakes warm-up race is for a million-dollar purse. Knicks Go returns to the races. So does By My Standards and Dr. Post. Steve Asmussen trained Silver State goes for his fifth win in a row and Mischievous Alex goes for his fourth straight.
- Belmont Stakes – 1 ½ miles dirt – $1,500,000
Essential Quality and Rombauer figure to leave the starting gate the favorites. Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World looks for a bounce back performance after a terrible Kentucky Derby and Godolphin hopes their runner, Rebel Romance, can pull of the upset. The Test of Champions concludes 2021’s Triple Crown of Horse Racing. Make sure to check it out.
