Man o’War tops five graded stakes at Belmont Park

By NY Hot List Staff | Thursday, May 12, 2022

The weather in the New York has finally become spring-like and so has the racing. Saturday’s card at Beautiful Belmont Park will feature five stakes, including NYRA’s first Grade 1 turf stakes of the year, the $700,000 Man o’War Stakes, a 1 3/8-mile test that attracted the reigning turf champion Yibir and recent winner Gufo. The card will also include the track’s stepping stone prep to the Belmont Stakes, the Peter Pan Stakes, and offers plenty of opportunities for reinvestment should you have been fortunate enough to cash a ticket on Rich Strike in the Kentucky Derby.

Here’s the Hot List picks for the Man o’War Stakes:

The $700,000 Man o’War (G1) – Belmont Park, Saturday, Race 8.

(1) Easter (A) had a promising American debut when third in an allowance at Aqueduct after racing in France. Trainer Graham Motion is better with imports like this in their later starts. (3) Yibir won the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) last year and the Eclipse Award for Champion Male Turf horse. This year he has a pair of seconds in Group stakes overseas. He thrived on American turf courses last year. (2) Gufo made his 2022 debut a winning one in the Pan American (G2) at Gulfstream Park. He was a Grade 1 winner last year. (4) Abaan was second behind Gufo last time and has the look of an improving turf horse and may be the primary speed in the field.

The rest of the NY Hot List picks and the Special Saturday Pick 3 are available free of charge at this website.