NYRA Preview: Belmont Park 9/12

Race 2: $75,000 MSW for 3-year-olds and upward going 1 mile on the dirt

#1 Mubarmaj (9/5) showed a lot of talent when he debuted on August 3, running wide in the far turn before finishing third. The eventual winner, En Wye Cee, romped against that field and was never going to lose. Mubarmaj’s most recent morning work (a bullet 1:00.80 over 5 furlongs) indicates that he’s raring to get back to the track. Chad Brown is winning at 36% this year when his horses stretch out on the dirt.

#2 Spice Road (6/5) actually crossed the wire first here on June 20 in the mud, but he was disqualified to second after making contact with another runner in the stretch. Last time out, he was forced six-wide into the stretch and flattened out when Luis Saez asked him for one final push while running an extra furlong than what he’ll travel here. Against this smaller field, he should not have any issues getting to the front and controlling the speed throughout the race while looking to go gate-to-wire.

Tom Albertrani tried the turf with #4 Ownitifyouwantit (6/1) twice here in New York, but those results didn’t pan out like he had hoped. This horse has three career dirt starts, all coming at Gulfstream Park, with the most recent one coming back in March. That day, he faced a very competitive field and passed several horses before finishing second. His dirt experience proved that he is a player here. He should be able to keep close to Spice Road early before trying to pounce in the stretch.

#5 Road to Meath (6/1) has not run since January, when he finished fourth at Gulfstream Park. On that day, he struggled to fire out of the gate, compromising his running ability. Kendrick Carmouche will get the opportunity to prove that this colt has the talent to win at this class level. His morning works have been impressive, including a bullet 1:00.80 covering 5 furlongs over the local training track.

Ricky’s Picks: 1-2-4-5