Saturday is a massive day of stakes action across the land, including at Belmont Park where the newly renovated venue will play host to four Breeders’ Cup win and you are in events for juveniles. The Champagne and Frizette are the two Grade 1 events on the agenda, but look pretty chalky. Jeremy Plonk and I cover those two and six other graded stakes from across the country in this week’s 1/ST Call Podcast, but here are a trio of horses I like most on the card, including my thoughts in the other two Breeders’ Cup qualifiers.
Race 3:
My first play of the day comes in this state-bred MSW event for 2YOs at six-furlongs over the Inner Turf that appears wide-open. 7-2-ML favorite #7 Forecheck comes in off a runner-up effort at double-digit odds-on debut at the Spa for Linda Rice, but that was a blanket finish where this filly really did not stand out much at all despite a clean trip. She appears vulnerable as do the other runners with experience, so I will hope #3 Dream Spell is ready to fire big at first asking. The Three Diamonds Farm filly ships in from Turfway Park for trainer Mike Maker and has some intriguing pedigree being by Dialed In and out of a Smart Strike mare I remember from this circuit Strike Accord. The Chester and Mary Broman mare was not a world beater, but consistently fired in turf races between seven-furlongs and 1 1/16-miles. The fact Maker lures Flavien Prat is also worth noting. Hopefully, Dream Spell sets a favorable trip along the inside and comes with a strong run late.
Play: #3 Dream Spell (8-1 ML)
Picks: 3-6-4
Race 7: Miss Grillo (G2)
The second of six consecutive stakes races to conclude the Saturday slate is this 1 1/16-mile event for 2YO fillies over the sod awards the winner with a trip to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and I like the chances of #4 Fiora. Trainer Phil Antonacci is not a household name, but generally means business when he enters his runners in races evidenced by his 25%-win rate in 2026 with 59 starters sent to the gate. Antonacci debuted Fiora in a 6.5-furlong affair at Belmont just a couple of weeks ago where she showed solid tactical speed early and plenty left after the wire in her half-length victory versus MSW foes. The fact he wheels this $625k FTS August ’25 purchase back tells me she came out of the race well and he is confident she will love the added ground. Hopefully, Ricardo Santana Jr. finds a prominent spot early and has plenty left late to make it a perfect 2 for 2 to start aboard the Into Mischief filly.
Play: #4 Fiora (3-1 ML)
Picks: 4-7-6
Race 11: Pilgrim (G2)
The finale not only awards a spot in the gate for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, but it also might be the best betting race on the afternoon in Elmont. The two-turn event for 3YOs is a fun one and will be that much more enjoyable if longshot #3 Kipros runs big in his third career start. The son of Oscar Performance is out of a solid female family and easily could get overlooked in this spot despite a pair of better than looks efforts to start his career. He shied in at the start on debut from his rail draw costing him several lengths and was clearly still learning out there, but showed a solid turn of foot late to finish fourth to the impressive High Official. In his subsequent start, Kipros shied in a bit again at the break, but it was nowhere close to as detrimental as it was on debut. From there, he relaxed well off the pace before putting in a big run late to catch a long shot speed horse that looked like he was going to get to the wire first. Trainer Ray Handal is 10 for 46 over the last 90 days with a $2.08 ROI and had a serious two-turn turf 2YO last year in Heeere’s Johnny and may have one again with Kipros.
Play: #3 Kipros (15-1 ML)
Picks: 3-2-10
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