Horse Racing Betting – Lots of “Blame” To Go Around?

Horse racing bettors will be wondering whether there will be a lot of Blame to go around on Saturday, when the colt by that name takes to the Belmont Park track and runs in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, with an eye toward placement in the Breeders’ Cup Classic next month at Churchill Downs. In the horse racing betting odds, Blame, who beat Quality Road last time, is the +160 favorite.

Horse Racing Betting Odds

To Win Jockey Club Gold Cup

Saturday, October 3 — Belmont Park

Post-time 5:48 PM ET

1          Fly Down          +450

2          Blame              +160

3          Mythical Power    +1000

4          Tranquil Manner    +1500

5          Dry Martini       +1500

6          Haynesfield      +800

7          Hold Me Back    +1500

8          Rail Trip           +250

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Rail Trip doesn’t get one. Okay, I just thought I would get that comment in, because, you know, what other chance am I going to have? On a weekend when Lookin’ for Lucky is in the Grade II Indiana Derby and Zenyatta is still on the west coast (Oak Tree meet) trying to extend her undefeated record, the Jockey Club Gold Cup – a genuine stepping stone toward the Breeders Cup – takes place on Saturday at Belmont Park. The purse is $750,000, and the clear favorite at the moment in the horse racing betting odds is Blame, a winner of five straight races, the last two at the Grade I level, and the victor over Quality Road on August 7 in the Whitney Handicap.

The thing you can say about Blame, trained by Al Stall (how’s that for a racing name?) that you can’t say about any other horse in this field is that it has seven straight Beyer Speed Figures above the 100 mark, with the highest coming in the last race. the consistency is enough, and there is enough time between races, that we really don’t worry too much about a "bounce" for this horse. However, one thing worth noting for anyone involved in horse racing betting is that Blame is making his first start at a mile and a quarter.

To Stall, that is not the least bit troubling. "Everything he has done and factor in his pedigree and his style I think points to a mile and a quarter," he told the Daily Racing Form.

Looking for challengers? Well, Fly Down is a horse that is familiar even to a lot of casual fans who happened to follow the Triple Crown races this year. That’s because he came second at the Belmont Stakes, finishing strongly along with eventual winner Drosselmeyer. That came on the heels of a dominant performance in the Dwyer Stakes, also at Belmont, where he vanquished Drosselmeyer. Fly Down has not only been a mile and a quarter, he registered his best Beyer figure to date (105) in his debut at this distance, which also happened to be his last start, a loss to Afleet Express by a nose in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga. Without question, this Nick Zito-trained three-year-old, which will start on the rail, is going to be a threat in this race, and may be priced to move at +450 in the horse racing betting odds.

Haynesfield likes the track. The four-year-old trained by Steve Asmussen, has more experience at Belmont than any other entrant into this race. And it’s been beneficial experience too, with four wins and a second-place finish in five starts. The best effort may have been in the Suburban Handicap, on July 3, where Haynesfield chalked up a 104 Beyer figure. At +800, he’s a value if you think the experience is a major factor, but it should be noted that in the Whitney, which had Blame in it, Haynesfield came fourth, 11-1/4 lengths behind. Of course, that came after he broke through the gate before the start, then got off horribly.

Then, yes, there is Rail Trip, breaking from the outside. Haynesfield may be the early speed and Rail Trip could be right there as well. This is the first start ever on dirt for Rail Trip, a horse that has raced every time on California’s synthetic surfaces. A lot of people don’t like that kind of thing. Last time out, Rail Trip went off at 2/5 in the Hollywood Gold Cup and came second to Awesome Gem; last year he won the race with a 111 Beyer. For this one, he’s priced at +250 in the horse racing betting odds.

I’m going with FLY DOWN, impressed with that mile and a quarter debut, knowing that if he gets a clean trip (and he should) that he’ll be there at the end, and loving that work of 46;.l40 over a half-mile recently. he’s ready, at +450 in the horse race betting odds (not to mention +150 for a top two finish).

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