 This is covering the spread part of the Fandall podcast network The final triple crown race of 2023 is coming up on Saturday. It's the Belmont stakes We're gonna break that down today with Christina black or getting her read on a pretty loaded field for Saturdays race breakdown Her thoughts on Belmont in general and get you ready. We should be a fun Saturday, of course racing This is covering the spread right here on the Fandall podcast network and number fire calm My name is Jim Sonnis. I am a senior writer and analyst for number fire joined here once again by Christina blacker You can find her on Twitter at Christina FDTV. She of course is a host reporter and analyst for fan dual TV We're gonna preview the Belmont steaks and Christina You're coming in a high note because you called national treasure to win the preakness So I feel like you're playing with house money for the Keep the momentum going if we can right got it right in the preakness. I had angel of empire in the derby He was third. So we were close out there and hopefully fingers crossed So we can pick the right winner for the preakness but or for the Belmont, but I'm not choosing either of them Actually, I'm gonna go a different direction entirely. Although both those horses are back in this field. I went a different way It's a tough one though Like you look at the names and it's all the names we've been discussing throughout this this triple crown season It's a like there are five horses who I think you could have justified betting at a certain point So I feel like as as an analyst this has to be like a delight for you to get to analyze like the true cream of the crop It is it's a great betting opportunity for anyone at home And I say that also because we don't have a triple crown on the line now for you know from a sportsman's perspective Of course, you want the triple crown on the line It makes this race that much more exciting and just kind of builds up the drama But on the years and in the additions when we don't have a heavy favorite like that Every horse is good value even the favorite I mean Forte is the morning line favorite for the Belmont this year. He's five to two plus two fifty So if you end up with a price like that on a favorite, you're in a pretty good position as a gambler And we're gonna talk about the favorites. We're gonna talk about the post draw We'll talk about national treasures win and all that here in just one second But first a reminder to make sure you're subscribed to the covering the spread podcast feed wherever you get your Podcasts, of course, we are also over on the fangirl YouTube page for today If you want some MLB money lines and strikeout props I talked to pitching ninja Rob Friedman earlier on today to get his read on Friday nights Very fun to slay get that over on the fangirl YouTube page and over on the covering the spread podcast feed now Christina before we talk about the Belmont I do want to go back to the preakness again talking about national treasure there and they were four to one on the morning line to win that one obviously they Ran really well and I want to ask you though because I think the preakness is pretty unique in that It was a smaller field and stuff like that and a lot of the horse is running Saturday We're not there so did the preakness alter the way you view national treasure or was that run? Kind of in line with expectations and you're still kind of at the same level of national treasure you were before So I'll say this I do think national treasure has progressed I do think he's gotten better as the year has gone on and remember we're talking about Three-year-olds and so we're still kind of in a young stage of their career a lot of horses start to really hit their best at About four we call it an improving four-year-old You'll see that improvement all the way into their five-year-old season So I do think national treasure is a horse that is improving right now But I think the preakness was unique for him in that he had the perfect setup from a race shape Perspective and I'm talking about the pace in there when we were talking before the preakness I talked a lot about how I felt like he was the horse that was going to make the early lead He was going to have the ability to go out there on the front end and try to steal a gate to wire the day before the Preakness we had a scratch from that field by the name of first mission who was really the only other horse that had any kind of Early speed to contend with national treasure So this race looked like it was served up for him on a silver platter going into the preakness Then you took out his main competitor from a pace perspective the day before and it was like you handed it to him I mean it was a brilliant ride from Johnny Velasquez in that he used that speed He floated horses into the first turn. He floated horses into the second turn. He really Outrode the competition from a pace perspective to give national treasure the best opportunity to win And that's why I think it all kind of came together for him. I think he's a great horse I think he's one of the best in this class, but I don't think he's gonna end up with that setup Every time he runs so I don't see him as one that you're gonna follow for the rest of the year And he's just gonna be winning races left and right right and that's that takes nothing away from national treasure I think it says more about this field because it is very tough and we'll talk about the field here in a second But it's not just the field It's also the track because all these tracks are super unique They're a Belmont Park for this weekend and what's your kind of analysis of this track? What are unique traits about Belmont and how it differs from the previous two triple crown races? Belmont is dramatically different from Pimlico where we run the preakness and from Churchill Downs where we run the Kentucky Derby so Belmont is a mile-and-a-half oval in circumference It's a huge track and because of that you think not only is the stretch pretty long But the turns are really big so these big wide Sweeping turns that they have at Belmont as opposed to a tighter turn at a Pimlico a tighter turn at a Churchill Downs Are really at a lot of other racetracks across the country Belmont is unique in and of itself. It's also Affectionately referred to as big sandy. It's a deeper surface So you think about Yourself if you're out running on the beach if you're down running near the ocean It's a little bit more firm right and you're gonna hit your stride And you're gonna feel good and you might feel like you have a little more endurance You go up to the top of the beach where you first enter and you get into that deep sand and all of a sudden You don't feel as fit anymore and it's a lot more work to get over a track like that So that is what is unique about Belmont the circumference the actual dirt surface itself And then the fact that we are going a mile and a half so in horse racing a mile and a half is basically a marathon once you hit Ten furlongs and beyond you're talking marathon horses and these are again three year olds This is the farthest we've ever asked them to compete and over a demanding surface That's why Belmont gets the nickname the test of a champion because it really is a Difficult set of circumstances for a young horse to go into and excel at and part of the reason this Circumstances could be more difficult this week is because of the smoke issues in New York And that's obviously impacting Belmont Park So their training was interrupted earlier on this week Does that introduce more variance into your handicap given that there are some more variables You can't really account for in that sense, right? So it does in a way, but I'll trust in the New York Racing Association and kind of their decisions right to move forward So they did interrupt training a little bit a lot of these horses would have just walked in the barns for the last couple of days They are going to race on Friday. They missed the Thursday program So Friday is a go Saturday is a go provided that it doesn't get any worse But they're very confident that the air quality is going to clear up enough to be a healthy enough environment for everybody to compete for The human athletes to compete for the horses to compete at this point as far as fitness goes though If you aren't fit enough by Wednesday or Thursday, you're not fit enough by Saturday I mean, it's just too late to make up that kind of fitness This is training that has been happening for months for these horses So I'm not as concerned about their fitness and again I'll just leave it to you know The officials there that are making those kind of decisions to Decide whether or not this is a healthy enough environment and as of right now They're saying that it is and it does seem like there's been an increased emphasis on on safety and health recently Which is a good thing So I definitely think that's you know trusting them people on the ground to make the right decision is probably wise as well Now part of the reason you were on national treasure at the Freakness was a post draw They got that inside post and you were talking about the blinders and how they'd be able to run their race now Looking at the post draw for the Belmont anything stand out to you in terms of how it alters the way you view horses for this race It doesn't really bother me post position in the Belmont is not as Significant for one thing we have a nine horse field in here when you're talking about the Kentucky derby And you're talking about post position with 20 horses over a tighter track That's when it really comes into play We thought it came into play in the Preakness because national treasure drew the rail and that gave him the best Opportunity to be on the lead and to save ground all the way around there back to the kind of talk of the Circumference of this track so where they start for the Belmont They have a good long run into that first turn and then you have that big first sweeping turn as well You don't really want to get hung out too wide on that first turn That would be my only thing that I would say is something to keep in mind Like if you had a horse that was a speed horse who was drawn on the outside Maybe that would be a concern because they're really gonna have to use themselves to get to that position But the Belmont is not generally a race that is conducive to a horse that wants to go gate to wire because of the mile And a half it takes a lot to be a front runner out there at 10 for a long So I don't think the post position draw is going to affect this one much at all because of the track and Because of the short field really the nine horses that we have and that allows you to handicap this one pretty straight up So let's talk about the field Christina because it is a great one We have got Forte tap at rice angel of empire national treasure all five to one are shorter as of right now So who's the favorites and is that horse a betting value in your eyes? So I think the favorite is going to be Forte remember Forte was the favorite for the Kentucky Derby He was scratched the morning of the Derby because of a foot bruise something very very minor but just terrible timing and it's a real gut punch for the horses connections because Mage who Forte beat twice in the prep season won the Derby and there's never another Derby You can only run it three years old So for Forte this is like this is waking up the morning of the Super Bowl and not being able to play for whatever reason Like this is this is as much of sort of pulp pouring salt into the wound as it gets I think he's coming back in a big way, but for me personally I'm not gonna bet Forte because I know he did miss a good chunk of training because of that foot bruise when something like that happens You really have to back off a horse and you have to give them the time just to heal and to you know Get back to a hundred percent when you're dealing with foot issues Then when you come back you're gonna come back a little bit gingerly into that training because you don't want to Reaggravate anything so I do think there's a bit of a fitness concern for Forte going a mile and a half off this kind of a break Remember he hasn't actually raced since April the first Because he was training to the Derby then had to miss the preakness now here We are you know three weeks later from the preakness for the Belmont so he's five to two He's plus 250 he might come down a little bit in price I do think that he is the classiest horse of this group He might just have the class and the caliber to overcome the fitness issue in here So if you if you want to bet him, I can't say no, I think he's I think he's the best horse But for me, I like a horse like tapatrice who's his stablemate who hasn't missed a beat Who ran in the Kentucky Derby although he didn't run very well in the Derby He was seventh that day, but when I personally handicapped the Belmont I I could have told you this was my Belmont horse back in February My handicapped horse is that I think can run a mile and a half a handicapped horse is that I think have the Stride for Belmont and tapatrice is that horse. He's also a son of tap it his father So tap it is a stallion that gives a lot of stamina to his offspring Four of the last eight Belmont winners have been sons of tap it so he has this combination of pedigree of physical makeup and of Fitness that I think is gonna be really hard to defeat in the race this weekend tap a trace for me All day. He's three to one. He's plus 300. I think he will be the second choice at the one We get to post time, but he's he's hands down my Belmont horse. I don't know about national treasure I don't know if he wants a mile and a half and again He doesn't get the setup that he had in the preakness Angel of Empire is another one that could win it He definitely definitely could win it, but I don't know that Once he hits his best ride and once tap it trice hits his best ride I think if you line the two of them up Tap it trice gains momentum with distance tap a trice Almost lowers his body like a car. You think like a car like drops down and accelerates That's what he does when he hits his best momentum And I think once he hits his best ride. He's better than Angel of Empire reduce drag. Love it Okay, so tap it tries three one Kristina's pick here for the Belmont stakes and you mentioned how the length here is hard to compare to and Does that mean that there's no real comps to look at to judge tap a trice's length Is it really the pedigree that makes you say with confidence that that background? That that lineage is what makes them built to win this kind of race Well, so the speed figures I think will still help you, you know, like you can be looking at the racing forum You can be looking at Surrograph you can look at the patterns that we would generally use to handicap a race like this coming in and it is going to help You and I think on numbers tap a trice is right there with the other, you know horses of this field same thing with angel of empire He's a horse that to me on his speed figures and numbers. He seems like he's still improving He's still on the right trajectory for improvement. So yeah speed figure wise. He fits right there You can definitely use that but I think you also have to in your handicapping for a race like this Isolate the distance and first start with who do I think can get a mile and a half and then of that group Who do I think is the best? Okay, and tap a trice via the lineage is kind of proven that would be a place where they may excel now It's not just the the big race for the Belmont steaks There are other ones too So when you look at the entire car Christina Any other horses you're looking at any other bets or a horse if you want to mention as far as Non-win bets for the Belmont steaks. What else stands out to you for this weekend? Definitely, so it's a phenomenal card top to bottom the Belmont is race number 12 on the day There's 13 total and we have so many champions of the game coming back to run this weekend This is what a card like this will attract. We have a horse like Cody's wish Who's gonna be a short price? But he's one of the stories of the year from kind of a sentimental standpoint He was named after a little boy who has some pretty significant health challenges and he met this boy Cody Dormer as a foal and they had this amazing Connection and Cody's parents travel to the race every time he competes Cody doesn't speak He's in a wheelchair, but when he is around this horse He has this incredible kind of way of lighting up and he does Clearly express himself in those moments and the horse you'll watch him He goes down he just drops his nose right in front of him and he he gets it like there's this amazing connection Between those two so from a sentimental standpoint And if you're someone that you know You just want to maybe try to get some friends to be involved in horses or find something to latch on to You got to watch that race and just tell them the story of Cody's wish From a handicapping and gambling standpoint. There's a few horses. I really like in race 12 Charlie Applebee has two horses in their Ottoman fleet is one of them and then his other horse I'm gonna try to figure out the name of it really quickly because I have them all here two of them in there for for Charlie Applebee those two Would be the two horses in the 11th. I'm sorry the 11th race I've got so many papers in front of me here and then in race eight the other horse that I like you I think you're gonna get a good price is the number 13 Drew's gold so James Trapman trains do Drew's gold He's kind of a he's he's not a big barn, but he's a very capable trainer He doesn't have a lot of runners so he wouldn't be a familiar name the source is eight to one on the morning line He's four for four and undefeated. He's in the deepest competition of his life on Saturday But his speed figures and his pattern Shows that he's sitting on a big race and he probably could run the best of his career So I really like Drew's golden I think he's gonna be dismissed because he does run for a smaller barn Okay, Drew's flee eight to one. That's an race eight on Saturday a race 11 Ottoman fleet The horse that Christina is on for Saturday Christina It has been a pleasure getting to talk to you throughout this entire triple crown season It's been delight to get to learn more about this this fun sports. So I appreciate it Hopefully, I think you said you're flying to London next week. So good luck I mean I found the other horse by the way Warren point, okay So it's Warren point and Ottoman fleet in race 11 Perfect, and then Drew's golden the eighth tap a trace in the Belmont Capitry three to one Ottoman fleet Warren fleets and then Drew's gold eight to one. That's in race number eight Christina. Good luck. Have fun Enjoy and hopefully we'll talk to you again here on the show talks more horse racing It's been a blast so far anytime. It's been really fun. Please call anytime Absolutely. Well, Christina. Thank you. We'll talk to you later. That again was Christina Blacker You can find her on Twitter at Christina FDTV find all of her work over at Fandall TV. Check out all the great work They are doing over there. She's a host analyst and reporter for Fandall TV doing some fantastic stuff It is almost time to crown a new NBA champion and Fandall wants you to be part of the excitement because right now New customers get a no sweat first bed up to $2,500 that's $2,500 back in bonus bets if your first bet doesn't win There is no better place to bet all the finals action than America's number one sports book Fandall Official sports betting partner of the NBA must be 21 plus and president select states first online real money wager only $10 deposit acquired Refund issued is not on the trouble bonus bets that expire in 14 days Restrictions apply seafold terms at Fandall comm sports book Fandall is offering online sports wagering in Kansas under an agreement with Kansas star casino LLC gambling problem Call 1-800 gambler or visit Fandall comm slash RG in Arizona 1-800 next step protects next step to 533 for 2 in Connecticut 1-888-789-777-7 or visit Ccpg.org slash Jeff in Indiana 1-800 9 with it in Wyoming in Kansas 1-800 5 2 2 4,700 in Kansas KS gambling help calm Louisiana's 1-877 770 stop in Massachusetts gambling helpline ma.org Work all 800 327 5050 for 24 7 support in Maryland MD gambling help that or in New York 1-877 8 open wire text open wide and in West Virginia 1-800 gambler net That's gonna wrap things up here for today and this week here on a covering the spread We have got a game for and be a finals preview up on the covering the spread podcast feed Talk to Tom Vecchio about that yesterday You can find a time stamp for when that discussion begins in the episode description also talks some NASCAR For Sonoma in there as well and then earlier today as mentioned we had Rob Friedman pitching ninja on to talk some strikeout props Fandall has a market where you can bet the Pitcher to lead the night into strikeouts and get a pretty fun one for that So find that in the covering the spread podcast feed along with a couple of money lines I like for MLB forts night one final Thank you to Christina Blacker find her on Twitter at Christina FDTV and find Oliver fantastic work over on Fandall TV as well I am on Twitter at Jim Saunders J-i-m-s-a-n-n-e-s you can also follow the Fandall podcast network at Fandall podcast Hope you all had a fantastic week. Good luck to you betting the Belmont or other stuff across this weekend We'll talk to you once again on Monday for more. This has been covering the spread right here on the Fandall podcast network