Wide Open New York at Belmont Saturday

Racing action in New York is highlighted this weekend with a pair of graded stakes races on Saturday at Belmont Park.  First up, race 8 on the 11-race card, will be the Grade II $200,000 New York for fillies and mares age three-year-old and up going 1 ¼ miles on the sweeping Belmont turf.  The race is shaping up to be a reunion of sorts for old rivals, as five of the expected starters met earlier this year in the Grade II Sheepshead Bay.

Tannery looks for second in a row

Included in the field is the winner of that one, Tannery, who had shipped over last September from her native Ireland. Tannery made her US debut with a third-place finish in the Grade I Garden City Stakes, but so far this year had three out-of-the money tries before scoring a one-length victory over a soft turf in the Sheepshead. Her biggest challenge is likely to come from another Irish-bred in the form of Dream Peace, a Group II winner in France seeking her first US victory after four straight in-the-money finishes in Grade I races.

New York offers great betting value

Whether you’re at the track or wagering at one of New York’s OTBs, the race looks to offer good value, with the morning-line odds on the favorite, Dream Peace, set at 5-2. Second choice at 7-2 is Lady of Shamrock, who ships in from California with two Grade I victories on her resume. Tannery is listed as 9-2 in the morning line. Also on the card is the $150,000 Grade III Victory Ride for three-year-old fillies, going six- furlongs on the dirt. Last year’s winner, Emma’s Encore, set a record for the event, running a blistering 1:08.4.