The Met Mile Saturday at Belmont Park has attracted a dozen potential stars and there are many options for bettors to consider. The Met Mile is one of the most important stakes in America and that is accentuated by the $1.2 million purse. Older horses, often the best middle distance runners in the United States, will be showcased.
The Met Mile was first run in 1891 at Morris Park Racetrack. In 1904, its location was moved to Belmont Park
Four other horses have won the Met Mile twice: Gulch, Forego, Stymie and Mad Hatter.
Other legends like Kelso, Native Dancer, Tom Fool, Holy Bull and Ghostzapper are also Met Mile winners.
From the rail out, Inside Straight throws his ante into the pot. Inside Straight is a nice horse as not many can win in the mud, on grass, and at nine furlongs. He has been stabled at Belmont for well over a month and although trainer Robertino Diordoro may not be a household name, he wins races wherever he goes and he has strings around the country. The bad news is that it not easy to draw an inside straight and this runner needs to find room to maneuver in the drive.
Todd Pletcher had Rally Cry set off the layoff last time. Sure, it was only an allowance race but it was by far his best effort and colt is coming to this race right. He has been very solid since trying the Gotham last year and note runners in the company line last time were both well clear. The racer posted a bullet workout eight mornings ago and cannot be counted out.
Denman’s Call may have disliked the wet/fast sealed strip in the last effort. If you figure he also needed that race one can make a case that he can move forward. He showed trainer Doug O’Neill enough talent to give him a shot in the Graded stakes right after the maiden win. He also beat a nice horse on March 11 in the Triple Bend as the place horse that day has won half of his 16 starts including a Grade 1 and a Grade 2.
Solid Wager needed his effort since he had been away. This runner won the Cary Grant Stakes last year in a second off the layoff situation but sometimes when late-running sprinters like this are sent long, they are a bit closer early and don’t have the same late punch.
Sharp Azteca has positional speed and maybe even commanding speed. He went :43 and change in the Malibu to close out 2016 and if he repeats that, the rest better have their running shoes on. He did catch the mud last time and those Dubai trips can be taxing. That was a nice horse that beat him last time as Second Summer has won five of 17 and has earned over $900,000.
Mohaymen has five straight wins and five straight losses in the resume. He has been set down by trainer Kiaran McLaughlin for this race but not sure those bullet workouts will be enough to put him over the top today.
Economic Model handles any kind of going and wonder if connections had this race in mind all the time. Love the series of drills coming to this event and he was five clear last time. The King’s Bishop last year was a solid effort as the winner that day returned to take the Breeders’ Cup Sprint.
Tom’s Ready rates an upset glance in this fixture. He chased a nice horse on the Triple Crown Trail last year as Gun Runner has banked over $4.3 million in his career and was second to Arrogate in the Dubai World Cup. Tom’s Ready is trained by Dallas Stewart, who has engineered some major upsets in his career. His student Lemons Forever won the Kentucky Oaks in 2006 at 47-1 and his student Golden Soul finished second to winner Orb in the 2013 Kentucky Derby at 50-1.
Mor Spirit has been in the exacta in ten of twelve races. A Grade 1 winner at 2, this Bob Baffert student was hung out to dry from post 17 in the Kentucky Derby last year. Love fact he has natural speed but doesn’t need the lead to win and he has trained superbly for this race accentuated by the second best of 76 workout last Sunday.
Virtual Machine has teased several times early in his career and connections had the confidence in him to try the stakes. Could envision this runner pushing the issue, but not sure he’ll be around late.
Tommy Macho is repeatedly proven off the layoff. This runner will likely get first run on the deep closers and he was flattered by the horse that ran second to him in the Hal’s Hope in the 2017 opener. That runner, Bird Song, has won twice since, the last in the Grade 2 Alysheba May 5 at Churchill Downs with a 100 Beyer.
Awesome Slew had an excuse last summer in the Haskell when Exaggerator caught a surface he adores. This racer was impressive taking the Smarty Jones last year but the place horse that day has lost thrice since.
When the gate in the Met Mile opens, look for Sharp Azteca to gun for the lead at all costs. He has gone 1:08 flat in his career and if he shows that kind of velocity, he could prove hard to collar. Virtual Machine should also be forwardly spotted. This runner got a feel of the Belmont Park surface and that can only help him. The concern about Virtual Machine is that even if he is close to the lead, it’s doubtful that he could hold off all comers.
The runner that may get the extremely coveted Met Mile trip is Mor Spirit. The millionaire has already repaid his $650,000 purchase price. He opened 2017 with a second in the Grade 2 San Antonio at Santa Anita and then shipped to Oaklawn Park to win a $250,000 stakes. He won his last race controlling the pace and the outcome in a Grade 3 at Lone Star Park in Texas. Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will put him in the right spot to succeed.
