Raquelle,

For some thoughts and opinions on last Saturday's Belmont Stakes please see the article in the "Dog Pound" below.

We're off a great Friday. In Belmont Race # 1 the Exacta Box of three selections (5-2) paid $284.00 and the Trifecta Box of three selections (5-2-1a) paid $465.50. In Belmont Race # 6, we had the Top Pick Winner # 5 (Decorated Court) which paid $9.50. TheExacta with Top pick with 3rd pick ( 5-10) paid $49.50. Finally, in Belmont Race # 9 the Exacta with 2nd pick with top pick ( 8-7) paid $90.50.

Today we have five races for selections and analysis, all from Belmont.

Our Thoughts on Saturday's Belmont Stakes

Like many who witnessed the Belmont last week I was more dissapointed in the finish as a missed chance at history than any money that may have been lost. I see horses that look as strong a win candidate as "Big Brown" lose just about every day. It's a fact of the game: a poor star, a slight bump, traffic issues, a thrown shoe, a bad ride, all of these and other factors, "too numerous to mention" can all contribute to a losing effort. It was an in-opportune moment for "Brown" to have a "bad" day, but these things happen.

As to the "excuses" coming out of his camp, horse trainers for the most part are very, very conservative people by nature. Even the best lose with seven out of every ten horses that they send to the post. In victory and defeat most of the top ones are humble when they win and gratious when they lose. Few will ever critize a rider in public, because if they want to replace him they do so without "theatrics."

Which brings us to trainer Richard Dutrow. I personally think that he is one of the best around, as he treats his claimers as he does his stakes horses. That said, this is a "humbling" game and little is gained by brashness and bragging, except that it makes you look extremely foolish when things "don't work out as planned."

Even if all he said was true and the horse's problems into the first turn were all the jockey's fault, then in my opinion the horse is far from being a "great" one and may barely be a "good" one if that bit of adversity is what made him run so poorly. It's too bad you couldn't ask War Admiral, Citation, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, and Affirmed whether "Big Brown" would have deserved to have his name mentioned with them in the same breath. I'll speak for them and say NO!.

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BELMONT PARK Race #TWO (1:30 PM Eastern)

(# 11) CAESAR BEWARE - Looked good in last when he was dropped in for this tag and won despite traffic woes in deep stretch. Race was his second with lasix and once classier runner draws well for this 7-furlong attempt. Can make it two in a row today.

(# 1A) Nacascolo - Finished second to the top pick last out in his second race since the Contessa claim at Gulfstream on April 3rd. He's very good at shorter distances and his fine speed and stalking ability should play well here.

(# 7) Brescello - Professional sprinter from France will be making his first start in this country. Equally adept on turf or poly, he'll be going out with lasix for his U.S. debut. Very dangerous.

(# 10) Big Jerome - Last time he ran this distance was last October 17th on this course at this tag and it produced a win. He's run longer distances since and will be dropping in price for this.