Opening week at newly renovated Belmont Park concludes later this afternoon with a nine-race card that kicks off at 1:10 PM eastern. The slate is headlined by the $175k Forever Together over the grass and features the first Pick 6 carryover of the meet after Beau Cheval scored a 10-1-upset victory in the finale. $71,365 is up for grabs in the traditional $1 Pick 6 that gets rolling at 2:57 PM with Race 4. Here are a few horses I like on the day, including a pair of must uses in the Pick 6.
Race 1:
The opener is a MSW for 3YOs and upward at 1 1/16-miles over the main track where trainer Chad Brown holds a strong 1-2-punch with the favorite #6 Hadrian’s Wall and second choice #8 Collado Hueco. Hadrian’s Wall has run the fastest races, but has had little desire winning in his two starts of 2026 despite finishing second in both tries. He lacks a desire to win that I am not sure will be there anymore on the cutback to one-turn. Collado Huaco has a bit more upside at this point, but has struggled to get out of the gate. This could once again leave the well-bred Peter Brant colt with too much to do late.
I will try to beat them both with #5 Noble Edition. The Wathnan Racing runner debuted during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival where he finished an off-the-pace fourth to stablemate and next out winner Tab at Zanzibar. He followed that up in July with a non-effort over the slop to the good looking Stimulate. He has to show more life early in races to be a factor late, but I expect a career best effort off the freshening as Brad Cox aims to earn his second victory at the newly renovated venue.
Play: #5 Noble Edition (10-1 ML)
Picks: 5-6-8
Race 8: Forever Together
There is a noticeable lack of early speed signed on in this 1 1/16-mile event for fillies and mares over the grass, so being prominent early is likely to be a significant advantage. Last year’s winner #1 Oversubscribed draws the rail and has as much speed as anyone, so perhaps Flavien Prat will use the inside to gain a tactical edge, but it is a tall task to win a stakes race in back-to-back years off a significant layoff. She won last year off more than twelve months on the sidelines and comes into this year’s event not having raced since a runner-up effort at Aqueduct in mid-April. She can win, but I will search for more value with #3 Ashikdah. Jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. has been on fire of late and seems to have a great feel thus far for the differences between Belmont and Saratoga. He rides this 4YO filly that makes her third start since arriving in the States and enters off a win against second-level allowance foes at the Spa in early August. She appears as live as anyone as the second biggest price on the board.
Play: #3 Ashikdah (8-1 ML)
Picks: 3-7-1
Race 9:
I like the chances of 7-2-second choice #1 Ganderella quite a bit in the finale. The daughter of Hard Spun ran a strong third in her turf debut at Saratoga in July running third at odds of 46-1 and followed it up with a runner-up effort as the chalk last time out. She disappointed the public that day, but one has to wonder why Edgard Zayas opted to leave the rail and instead make an early three-wide move on the far turn. Now, trainer John Terranova turns to Flavien Prat. Prat is almost certain to not make the same mistake with a filly that appears to be sitting on her best and draws favorably along the rail. A single for yours truly to close things out.
Play: #1 Ganderella (7-2 ML)
Picks: 1-4-3
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