Betting the Met Mile on a $20 Budget
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Palace Malice wins the 2013 Belmont Stakes. He returns to the site of that victory for Saturday's Met Mile. (Photos by Eclipse Sportswire)
The $1,250,000 Metropolitan Handicap, also know as the Met Mile, is a new addition to a spectacular Belmont Stakes day lineup.
The Met Mile traditionally has been run on Memorial Day, but this year it will part of an amazing card that features $8 million in purses at Belmont Park. This will be the second richest day of racing in America only behind Breeders’ Cup Saturday.
In addition to earning a prestigious Met Mile win, the victorious horse also will receive an all-expenses-paid starting berth in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in November.
The strong field of 13 entered in the Met Mile is led by the talented Palace Malice, who won last year’s Belmont Stakes and now is a perfect 3-for-3 in 2014. He’s the deserving favorite and will be tough to beat.
The 2013 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile victor Goldencents is also part of the talented group.
GOLDENCENTS
This is how I see the race unfolding: Goldencents takes the lead and Moreno challenges the pace with Broadway Empire also applying pace pressure. Moreno and Broadway Empire get tired while Goldencents grinds it out and holds on for second when Palace Malice surges past for the win. Normandy Invasion rallies for third. Shakin It Up closes ground to finish fourth, and Moreno holds on for fifth after contesting that early pace.
If Palace Malice is able to get a clean trip from that inside post, he should win.
This is a very nice group of talented horses, and I truly think each of the top five that I mentioned has legitimate shot to win this race.
With the $20 budget I am going to play a $1 exacta box with Palace Malice, Goldencents, Moreno, Normandy Invasion, and Shakin It Up.
$1 exacta box: 1,4,5,9,13 (Total wager cost=$20)
$1,250,000 Metropolitan Handicap
Saturday, Belmont Park, Race 9, 4:48 p.m. ET
3-year-olds and older, one mile (dirt)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Weight
Trainer
Odds
1
Palace Malice
John Velazquez
124
Todd Pletcher
8-5
2
Vyjack
Irad Ortiz Jr.
116
Rudy Rodriguez
30-1
3
Scarly Charly
Manuel Franco
110
Mike Hushion
50-1
4
Goldencents
Mike Smith
121
Doug O'Neill
10-1
5
Moreno
Joel Rosario
118
Eric Guillot
10-1
6
Central Banker
Corey Nakatani
119
Al Stall Jr.
8-1
7
Capo Bastone
Victor Espinoza
115
Todd Pletcher
30-1
8
Declan's Warrior
Joe Bravo
114
Nick Zito
30-1
9
Normandy Invasion
Javier Castellano
116
Chad Brown
5-1
10
Clearly Now
Jose Lezcano
117
Brian Lynch
10-1
11
Broadway Empire
Scott Stevens
115
Robertino Diodoro
20-1
12
Romansh
Jose Ortiz
115
Tom Albertrani
15-1
13
Shakin It Up
Rosie Napravnik
120
Bob Baffert
6-1