Two graded stakes top opening Saturday card at Belmont Park

By NY Hot List Staff // Friday, May 5th, 2023

It has been a while, but Belmont Park is back in action and, while the attention of the racing world is focused on Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby, Saturday’s card at Belmont will feature a pair of graded stakes. Of the two, the Fort Marcy and the Ruffian, it’s the Fort Marcy that looms the most interesting. The turf stakes attracted a field of eight with one main track only starter, topped by City Man, the talented New York State-bred who won five stakes a year ago. A caveat, though, is that his only poor effort in 2022 came in the Fort Marcy when he lost by 18 lengths on a yielding course.

Here are the Hot List picks for the Fort Marcy:

The $200,000 Fort Marcy (G2), Aqueduct, Saturday, Race 9.

(3) Ottoman Fleet will make his American debut for Charlie Appleby who has excellent results bringing Godolphin runners over from Europe. His last race was at Newmarket in Great Britain in a Group 3 that he won by two lengths. In 10 starts, only once did he miss the top three with most of those coming in Group 2 and 3 stakes. (6) City Man ran twice at Gulfstream Park in the winter and won the Fort Lauderdale (G2) after a troubled trip in the early going. He returns from a layoff after the Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1). City Man has nine victories in his career with seven on the grass. (2) King Cause was a Grade 3 winner on the turf at Aqueduct in the Knickerbocker and faced City Man twice since then for Mike Maker who is an excellent turf trainer. (5) Rockemperor will make his 2023 debut as a gelding. This now 7-year-old millionaire-earning Chad Brown runner is a multiple Grade 1 winner who will be hard to beat at his best.

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