Betting the Met Mile on a Budget

Tonalist looks to capture another Belmont Stakes-day win in Saturday's Met Mile. (Photo by NYRA)
The Met Mile is the premier one-mile race in U.S. Thoroughbred racing in which the best sprinters look to extend their speed and the best distance dirt horses cut back in distance for a shot to win a race that has been a huge boost to the résumés of many top sires.
Conquistador Cielo won this race on Memorial Day in 1982 and amazingly ran back five days later to win the Belmont Stakes for the first of trainer Woody Stephen's amazing five Belmont victories in a row.
This race is filled with quality speed horses all possibly gunning for the lead, including 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Bayern, who cruised to a 7 1/2-length romp, less than four-fifths of a second off the track record, in last year's Woody Stephens. The race also drew speedball Private Zone, who is 2-for-2 on the track, and front-runners Bay of Plenty and Tamarkuz, which sets up for a closer to take all the money.
Tonalist, the 2014 Belmont Stakes winner who denied California Chrome the 2014 Triple Crown, is the ultimate “horse for course” with a perfect 4-for-4 record, including his fastest race ever when he won the Westchester Stakes at today’s distance. Look for Tonalist to pick off all the speed in the Metropolitan Hanicap and take home the winner’s share of the $1,250,000 purse.
After a dull performance in his last race, Honor Code, who was first or second in his first six starts, is training perfectly and has top U.S. jockey Javier Castellano riding. They will be flying in the stretch Saturday and Honor Code figures to be a nice price.
Favorite Bayern is a freak when he is on his game. He is training spectacularly, but he should be a short price and will have to outlast the early speed and then hold off the closers. You can’t ignore him, but he’s hard to like in the Met Mile. Use Bayern in exotics!
The last horse I really like today is Wicked Strong. He was also a bit dull in his first race of 2015, but Wicked Strong training very well and might rally to close out some nice exactas or trifectas!
Vick's Picks:#4 Tonalist#9 Honor Code#7 Bayern#6 Wicked Strong
Betting Strategies
Strategy A: $20 win - #4 Tonalist
Strategy B: $2 exacta box - #4 Tonalist, #9 Honor Code, #7 Bayern, #6 Wicked Strong ($24)
Strategy C: $2 trifecta: #4 Tonalist with #9 Honor Code, #7 Bayern, #6 Wicked Strong with #9 Honor Code, #7 Bayern, #6 Wicked Strong = $12
$1 trifecta:  #9 Honor Code, #7 Bayern, #6 Wicked Strong with #1 Tonalist with #9 Honor Code, #7 Bayern, #6 Wicked Strong = $6
$2 trifecta:  #9 Honor Code with #7 Bayern with #1 Tonalist = $2 
$1,250,000 NYRA.com Metropolitan Handicap
Saturday, Belmont Park, Race 9, 4:49 p.m. ET
One mile, 3-year-olds and older, dirt

PP

Horse

Jockey

Trainer

Owner

ML Odds

1

Private Zone

Martin Pedroza

Jorge Navarro

Good Friends Stable

4-1

2

Bay of Plenty

Mike Smith

Kiaran McLaughlin

Godolphin Racing

20-1

3

Noble Moon

Jose Ortiz

Leah Gyarmati

Treadway Racing Stable

30-1

4

Tonalist

John Velazquez

Christophe Clement

Robert S. Evans

5-2

5

Tamarkuz

Irad Ortiz Jr.

Kiaran McLaughlin

Shadwell Stable

10-1

6

Wicked Strong

Joel Rosario

Jimmy Jerkens

Centennial Farms

6-1

7

Bayern

Martin Garcia

Bob Baffert

Kaleem Shah

7-2

8

Pants On Fire

Paco Lopez

Kelly Breen

George and Lori Hall

15-1

9

Honor Code

Javier Castellano

Shug McGaughey

Lane's End Racing and Dell Ridge Farm

6-1

10

Kobe’s Back

Gary Stevens

Peter Eurton

Susan Searing

20-1