Horse Racing Betting News For Sunday 6/14/20

Horse Races Today: Sunday's Belmont Park and Churchill Downs Analysis & Odds
June 14, 2020
By Mike Dempsey

We got off to a tough start on Saturday at Belmont Park as our top pick Our Troubadour got the worst of bobs and was beaten the slimmest of noses in the opener.

The photo in the feature race was much more to my liking. I thought the favorite Ollie’s Candy was vulnerable in the Ogden Phipps and picked Point of Honor on top and She’s a Julie second.

In a three way photo it was She’s a Julie that got her nose in front, returning $31.40. Point of Honor was a neck in front of the favorite and we knocked down an exacta that returned $108.00, a great payoff considering it was just a field of six.

The feature in my column from Churchill Downs was the sixth race and my top pick Ebben was a sharp winner paying $8.00 to win with my second choice Pyron completing a $2 exacta that paid a nice $36.20.

We had another photo go our way in the nightcap at Churchill downs, which was the Louisville (3). My top pick Admission Office was dead game and prevailed by a head over the favorite Arklow, who was my second choice. The winner returned $9.20 and the exacta with two logical runners paid a solid $28.00.

We had a few other solid exactas at Belmont Park that paid $78.00, $48.60, $36.20 and $85.00. I did whiff on the fourth and sixth races which cost me a good shot of a couple of big Pick 5 payoffs.

My Best Plays Report for Sunday includes my nine strongest plays from Churchill Downs and Belmont Park.

You can catch the action from Belmont Park and Churchill Downs today from 1:00 to 1:30 on FS2 and 2:30 to 6:30 on FS1. Horseplayers can also stream all the horse racing action using the Watch TVG App. The horse betting company based in the U.S. is offering a risk free bet up to $300 for new players.

Here is the opening race from Belmont Park to get the day off to a good start:
Belmont Park Race 1 Analysis - 6/14 (1:15)
#6 Road Home 8-5
#9 Cause I Said So 8-1
#8 Fried Rice King 4-1
#7 Judicial Restraint 5-2

Analysis: Road Home drops in for a tag for the first time here in his eighth career start. Last out the colt stalked the early pace and finished evenly in a third-place finish. Two back he ran second behind a 12 1/4 length winner in the slop. His last pair of speed figs are tops in here and he owns a solid pace profile throughout. The Mott barn is 25% winners with runners dropping from maiden special to maiden claiming.

Cause I Said So pressed the early pace and weakened to finish third last out against $50,000 foes in a four horse field. The runner up First Degree came back to graduate for a $25,000 tag in his next start. The gelding returns off a 3 1/2-month break with a class drop. The Nevin barn is 16% winners (with a +ROI) with runners coming back off a 61-180-day layoff. He catches an easier spot here. The gelding is out of a stakes placed Student Council mare that has dropped one winner. Decent value if he goes off near his 8-1 morning line.

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Churchill Downs:
Churchill Downs Race 6 Analysis - 6/14 (3:42)
#5 Flight Times 4-1
#7 Crush It 4-1
#4 Junior Gilliam 7-2
#8 Tres Equis 5-1

Analysis: Flight Times set the early fractions and battled on gamely to miss by a slim nose last out for this tag at 6-5. The gelding beat restricted $5,000 foes two back at Sam Houston. Asmussen claimed this guy for $7,5000 four back and he catches a field here where there is not much early zip. He is going to prove tough to catch in this spot.

Crush It tracked the early pace and came up short in the stretch in a fourth-place finish last out against $10,000 starter optional claimers. He makes his second start since landing with the Sharp barn and the blinkers come off. He has been competitive versus tougher but has not won since taking a race on the fake stuff at Presque Isle against $8,000 foes last August. He should move forward in his second go off a 2 1/2-month break and Sharp has been sending out live runners at the meeting.

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Belmont Park:
Belmont Park Race 9 Analysis - 6/14 (5:36)
#4 Dream Bigger 2-1
#3 Gandy Dancing 9-2
#2 City Man 5-1
#6 Captain Bombastic 5-2

Analysis: Dream Bigger looks like a solid favorite here, the RRod trainee having landed in the exacta in six of his seven starts. The colt makes his first start since trouncing the field in the state bred Damon Runyon at today's seven furlongs at the Big A, winning by 7 3/4 lengths. His other trip at seven furlongs was three back in a New York Stallion Series race in the slop where he was beaten just a nose. The colt owns a solid pace profile throughout and spent the last few months at Palm Beach Downs but did not make a start in Florida. He looks quick enough to shake loose early and will be tough to catch in this spot.

Gandy Dancing was brushed coming out of the gate, tracked the early pace and took command, drawing off to win by 6 3/4 lengths in a good looking effort at six furlongs. Four he beat have come back to run, the best finish a second by Farragut, who was beaten just a nose. The $220,000 Spa purchase is by Flatter out of a Forest Wildcat mare that has dropped two other winners. Looks as if he still has plenty of upside and has been working sharply since his debut effort.

City Man is making his first starts since December for the Clement barn that is off to a strong meet, hitting at a 27% clip. The colt made a mild late bid to finish fourth on turf in the Central Park last. He won the state bred Funny Cide last summer at the Spa in his first go against winner and then was beaten just a head and a nose in the state bred Bongard. The barn is 21% winners (with a +ROI) with runners returning off a +180-day layoff. The return to the main track will suit this guy.

Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.

Belmont Park
R1: #9 Cause I Said So 8-1
R4: #6 Duplicated 12-1
R6: #5 Ian Glass 12-1
R7: #11 On the Couch 10-1
R7: #2 Boom Boom Kaboom 12-1
R10: #1 Reckless Spirit 12-1
R10: #6 Albie 8-1