Betting the Phipps on a $20 Budget
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Close Hatches won last year's Grade 1 Mother Goose Stakes over the same track and distance that she will race at in the Ogden Phipps Stakes. (Photo by NYRA/Coglinese Photos)
The Belmont Stakes day racing card is absolutely incredible and I couldn’t be more thrilled for the Ogden Phipps Stakes. At 1 1/16 miles on dirt, this Grade 1 race is open to fillies and mares three years of age and older and has a $1-million purse.
Renamed in 2002 in honor of the late prominent owner and breeder, Ogden Phipps, this race was inaugurated as the Hempstead Handicap in 1961 and will be held for the 46th time this Saturday.
Out of the six horses running, the three most talked about are Close Hatches, champion Beholder and Princess of Sylmar for obvious reasons.
In their last meeting in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, which I was lucky enough to catch in person, Princess of Sylmar stumbled and never threatened while the hometown favorite, Beholder, went on to win, beating Close Hatches by 4 ¼ lengths.
The other three entrants - Antipathy, Belle Gallantey and Classic Point - haven’t ever won a stakes race. To me, these horses are running for fourth, although Classic Point was close when she missed getting first by a neck in the Honorable Miss Handicap last summer at Saratoga Race Course.
While Close Hatches has beaten Princess of Sylmar in two of their last three races, she has never beaten Beholder. Out of those three, Close Hatches is also the only one that has two starts (both wins) this year already under her belt. These three are collectively 10-for-10 at this distance, so something’s gotta give on Saturday.
These three tower over the remaining three and it should be an incredible race.
Of the three top contenders Close Hatches should show the most value.
Top Selections: Close Hatches, Princess of Sylmar, Beholder
Betting Strategies:
Strategy A: $20 win on Close Hatches
Strategy B: $20 exacta 1 with 6
Strategy C: $20 trifecta 1 with 6 with 3