3 minute read
Best Bets for Black Heart Bart Stakes Day at Belmont.
We head to Belmont on Saturday to celebrate a stalwart of the turf, WA's own Black Heart Bart with the running of the race named in his honour.
The six-time Group 1 winner began his career in the west before venturing to Darren Weir's stables, before Lindsey Smith trained the gelding to capture his final victory in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes at Caulfield.
Belmont was rated a Good 4 on Wednesday and with some ran about on Friday - possibly up to 15mm - the track should be in perfect condition with Saturday only partly cloudy and 21 degrees.
We'll start off with the Value Play of the weekend which comes up in the race eight, the Black Heart Bart Stakes, where LACED UP HEELS catches the eye.
The Luke Fernie-trained mare hasn't won first-up in the past, but has run figures that would see her competitive in this event as she carries the bottom weight.
She went close in two fresh efforts in Victoria, beaten just 0.6L at Caulfield in August 2023, before a brilliant effort against the bias in the Bluff Knoll at Albany in March.
She ran to a first-up rating of 95+ with Racing and Sports,and while she will need to be better than that on Saturday, her previous two fresh efforts rated higher.
Searchin' Roc's was a dominant winner first-up and has been kept fresh leading into Saturday's event, though further looks better for her, not 1200m. The same could be said for Frigid who boasts a good second-up record, but all those runs have been over further than the sprint trip.
It's also worth noting that Pike trialled Aztec Ruler prior to his first-up run today, but has elected to stick with Frigid.
With enough knocks made over the first few, Laced Up Heels appears tghe one who is poised to strike on Saturday.
Many of her rivals will be looking further down the track, but a race like this is valuable for her future and it's at the right level for her to be competitive.
She's trialled well coming into this and with some knocks on her rivals ahead of her in the market, I'm happy to put up Laced Up Heels as the value bet of the day.
As for my Best Bet on the card, that comes up in the last race of the day in the form of ROPE THEM IN for the Steve Wolfe barn.
The son of Playing God improved with every start last time in work to announce himself as a contender through The Pinnacles at Ascot later this year.
A four-year-old now, he comes up against some fit and in-form gallopers, though he has already been to a higher level and he's expected to take the next step coming back into work this time.
The form out of Toropa's last start has only been fair, and Sentimental Belle meets that galloper on better terms on Saturday afternoon.
Rope Them In wouldn't have to be at his best to be winning, and with not a whole lot of speed engaged, he'll press on to be close to the speed.
He has plenty of upside, and if he can pick up where he left off last campaign, he's clearly the one to beat.
The Best From The West
Best Bet: Race 9 #1 ROPE THEM IN @ $3*
Value Play: Race 8 #14 LACED UP HEELS @ $8*
*Prices correct as of 3pm, Thursday September 26