Horse Racing Odds - Grade 1’s galore at Belmont Saturday

• Who: Thoroughbreds – Munnings, Fabulous Strike, Summer Bird, Quality Road

• What: Bet Horses – The Vosburgh, The Jockey Club Gold Cup

• Where: Belmont Park

• When: Saturday, October 3rd

Belmont Park is featuring five Grade 1 races this Saturday, and weather could play an important role in both the composition of the fields and the performance of the participants. We’ll take a look at The Vosburgh and The Jockey Club Gold Cup, and try to identify the winners.

In The Vosburgh, Fabulous Strike is the morning line favorite at even money in the racebook, and deservedly so. He’s fast, he’s a fighter, he’s in top form, and he loves Belmont (6-4-1-0; earnings of $562,540; top Beyer Speed Figure of 114). I’m leaning another way, however. If the track is labeled fast (there’s a possibility of rain), I’ll be betting on Munnings to win at odds of 3-1 or better. He too has had success at “Big Sandy” (3-2-1-0; $350,000; 111). If Go Go Shoot engages Fabulous Strike for the early lead, the race could set up nicely for a stalker like Munnings. Munnings hasn’t done his best on off tracks, however, so if the track is labeled anything but fast, I’ll probably pass the race.

The Jockey Club Gold Cup shapes up as a very compelling event. Macho Again is at the top of his game, and should be closing strongly through the stretch. His only try at Belmont came last year in The Belmont Stakes, in which he split the field of nine with a fifth-place finish. He’s a much better horse now, however, and the 1 ¼-mile distance of the Gold Cup should be within his scope. Quality Road was thought to be the best 3YO colt in the country after The Florida Derby, but quarter cracks compromised his season. He came back from a 4-month layoff to capture the 6 ½-furlong Amsterdam, but wasn’t quite ready to handle the mile-and-a-quarter Travers last out, in which he weakened to finish third. That race should set him up for his best effort, and he figures to be the main threat to morning line favorite, Summer Bird (2-1).

Summer Bird has really blossomed under the tutelage of trainer Tim Ice, and jockey Kent Desormeaux fits the horse like a glove. He was aboard for the Belmont and Travers victories, as well as the runner-up finish in The Haskell to the marvelous Rachel Alexandra. The horse can handle a wet or dry strip, gets a 4-pound break in the weights from his elders, and should enjoy a nice trip from just off the pace. I’ll bet him to win at odds of 7-5 or better.

Those are my horse racing odds tips for this weekend. Best of luck and happy gambling!

Pete Mitchell is BetOnline.com's horse racing expert.