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Belmont At The Big A Picks & Predictions — June 19, 2026

June 19, 20268 racesAll Aqueduct picks

This card ran on June 19, 2026.

Best bets at Belmont At The Big A, June 19, 2026

Race 11Al MowashaahML 2/11:10 PM EDT

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We're heading to Belmont at the Big A on Friday, June 19 for an eight-race card that mixes maiden action, claiming contests, and allowance company across both dirt and turf. Temperatures are sitting at a comfortable 77°F under cloudy skies — conditions that typically keep tracks playing fair without the hard, sun-baked bias you get on scorching summer afternoons.

The card has a little of everything: a pair of maiden special weights bookending the first half, a couple of turf routes to close things out, and some intriguing claiming and allowance spots in between where sharp handicappers can find real value. Eight races, eight opinions — let's break it down.

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Race 1

1:10 PM EDT

Maiden Special Weight · 5 1/2 fur · Dirt

A wide-open maiden special weight sprint where no horse has a published speed figure to lean on — this one comes down to connections and TrackWiz ratings separating a tightly bunched field.

win1Al MowashaahML 2/1

Al Mowashaah earns the top TrackWiz rating in the field at 58.33 and draws the rail with Manuel Franco in the irons — one of the sharpest sticks in the game right now. Brad Cox is among the elite maiden trainers in the country, and his first-out runners demand respect at any price. The morning line 2/1 is fair, and we're comfortable tapping this one as our top selection in an otherwise wide-open opener.

place5Banker BullML 5/2

Banker Bull sits second in TrackWiz ratings at 57.50 and gets Flavien Prat — a pilot who knows how to put a first-timer in the right spot early in a sprint. Trainer Amelia Green's 5-horse draws a manageable post and figures to get a clean trip near the pace. At 5/2 on the morning line, the value is thin, but the profile is sound enough to back for place.

show2Freedom ChargeML 3/1

Freedom Charge checks in third overall with a 56.67 TrackWiz rating, which in a maiden field this compressed is meaningful separation. Ricardo Santana Jr. knows how to navigate a sprint scenario and trainer Steven Asmussen's barn is routinely dangerous first out. The 3/1 morning line makes this a reasonable exotics anchor for the show spot.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 5 runners

Race 2: Free with an Account

Race 2

1:38 PM EDT

Maiden Claiming · 7 fur · Dirt

Noble Heritage's massive TrackWiz rating towers over this maiden claiming field, but the Chad Brown barn saddles two horses that could make the exacta interesting underneath.

win5Noble HeritageML 9/5

Noble Heritage stands out like a sore thumb here — an 88.83 TrackWiz rating that dwarfs the entire field by 30 points is not something you often see at this level. Trainer Jorge Delgado has the horse pointed for this spot, and Edgard Zayas knows how to ride a 7-furlong trip without panicking. The 9/5 morning line likely gets bet down, but the rating gap justifies the short price — this is a horse that belongs in a much tougher race.

place2Old Time RocknrollML 2/1

Old Time Rocknroll is one of two Chad Brown runners in here, and this one draws Manuel Franco — a combination that always commands attention at the Big A. The 58.33 rating and a 55 average speed figure (best among the non-Noble Heritage horses) suggest this one can handle the 7-furlong maiden claiming distance. At 2/1, the place spot makes sense as an exacta companion to the favorite.

show1Capt Fluff N StuffML 5/2

Capt Fluff N Stuff is the other half of the Chad Brown barn entry, rated 57.50 with a 54 average speed figure. Flavien Prat gives this one every chance, and the barn's overall sharp form here makes running both Brown horses in your exotics a smart move. Don't sleep on a dead-heated or close finish between stablemates — it happens more than you'd think.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 5 runners

Our free coverage kicks off with the first three races on the card, and they're a solid warm-up act. Race 1 is a 5½-furlong maiden special weight on dirt where Al Mowashaah opens as the 2/1 morning-line choice — always worth watching how a short-priced maiden handles the early speed question at this distance. Race 2 is where we get our teeth into it: Noble Heritage tops our TrackWiz ratings with an 88.83 rating in a 7-furlong maiden claimer and comes in as the 9/5 favorite. That's about as confident as our model gets in a maiden field. Race 3 brings the claimers out at 7 furlongs and So Vain at 3/1 gives us a solid value proposition — a horse with a meaningful rating (87.08) at a price that doesn't require you to hold your breath at the window.

The cloudy, mild conditions shouldn't dramatically alter pace scenarios today, which is good news for our free picks — none of them are banking on a track playing unusually fast or slow to make their case.

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Full Card Analysis

Race 3

2:06 PM EDT

Claiming · 7 fur · Dirt

So Vain's TrackWiz rating tells the real story in this claiming sprint — despite a soft morning line, the numbers suggest the chalk Power of Women is being overplayed while a legitimate alternative sits at a generous price.

win4So VainML 3/1

So Vain is our top pick here with a field-best 87.08 TrackWiz rating — a number that leapfrogs Power of Women despite the oddsmakers making her the heavy chalk at 4/5. Kendrick Carmouche gets the mount for trainer Linda Rice, a sharp conditioner who targets claiming races with precision. The 14% career win rate is respectable in this company, and the 3/1 morning line represents legitimate value against an odds-on favorite whose rating trails by more than 15 points.

place3Power of WomenML 4/5

Power of Women is the clear public choice at 4/5 morning line, and that price makes her tougher to back for win — but Ricardo Santana Jr. and trainer Richard Dutrow give her every tool to hit the board. The 71.61 rating isn't weak, and a 16% career win rate is workmanlike in a spot like this. She's best used as a place hedge or underneath in exactas rather than a straight win bet at that price.

show6Icy LegsML 7/2

Icy Legs draws Dylan Davis and posts a 57.81 TrackWiz rating — third best in the field by a reasonable margin over the rest. The 11% career win rate is modest but the 7/2 morning line gives you a fighting chance in the show pool and in exotic combinations. In a race where the top two horses separate themselves, Icy Legs is the most logical third-place finisher.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 6 runners

Race 4

2:36 PM EDT

Starter Allowance · 6 fur · Dirt

Three horses — Apollo Code, Magni, and The Toy Cannon — separate from the rest of this starter allowance field with tightly clustered top ratings, setting up a potential three-way battle for the win.

win1Apollo CodeML 5/2

Apollo Code tops our TrackWiz ratings at 87.81 and pairs Christopher Elliott with trainer Raymond Handal — a combination that's been working well lately. The 16% career win rate is steady, and a 54 average speed figure matches the field's competitive baseline. At 5/2 morning line, this horse is the value play among the top trio given the strong rating advantage over everyone except Magni.

place5MagniML 7/2

Magni checks in at 84.21 on the TrackWiz scale and gets Kendrick Carmouche for trainer M. Anthony Ferraro. The 15% career win rate in this starter allowance company is consistent, and Carmouche's ability to stalk and pounce in a 6-furlong dirt sprint is well-documented. At 7/2, this one makes for a natural place play and a live exacta partner with Apollo Code.

show2The Toy CannonML 2/1

The Toy Cannon carries the highest career win percentage in the field at 28% — that kind of closing efficiency is hard to ignore in a competitive sprint. Trainer Linda K. Dixon has this horse at the 2/1 morning line favorite, and Jaime Rodriguez gives him a clean trip from post 2. He's the most proven winner in the field, and while our ratings slot him third, his experience edge keeps him firmly in the show discussion.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 6 runners

Race 5

3:07 PM EDT

Maiden Special Weight · 1 mi · Dirt

Chad Brown sends out a pair of first-time starters in this mile maiden special weight, but it's a well-traveled rival and a surprising dark horse from outside the barn that threaten to complicate things.

win5AlgheroML 7/2

Alghero earns an 86.35 TrackWiz rating and gets Manuel Franco for the Chad Brown barn — a combination that needs almost no introduction. Brown's first-out maiden runners at one mile on dirt are among the most profitable plays in the New York game, and pairing that with Franco's exceptional feel for pace in longer dirt routes is a strong angle. At 7/2 morning line, this is a fair price for what the numbers say should be the best horse in here.

place4Fateful LightningML 9/2

Fateful Lightning rates just below Alghero at 83.74 and gets Ricardo Santana Jr. from the Gustavo Rodriguez barn. This horse has already seen the track — posting a 54 average speed figure — which gives it a legitimate experience edge over the Brown barn's first-timers. The 9/2 morning line offers real value if Alghero gets into a pace battle up front and leaves the door open for a stalker.

show8Asked and AnsweredML 6/1

Asked and Answered is worth a look in exotics at 6/1 morning line, checking in with a 65.34 TrackWiz rating — third best in the field. Trainer Antonio Arriaga has this one posting a 54 average speed figure, and Jaime Rodriguez has the experience to rate a horse through a one-mile trip without overreaching. In a race with several first-timers, a horse that has already logged a work against real competition carries hidden upside.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 8 runners

Race 6

3:39 PM EDT

Allowance Optional Claiming · 1 1/8 mi · Dirt

A brutally competitive allowance optional claiming route where three horses — Concorde Spirit, Ez Roll, and Shadow Dragon — are separated by less than one rating point, making this one of the toughest calls on the card.

win3Concorde SpiritML 2/1

Concorde Spirit narrowly tops the field with an 86.93 TrackWiz rating and gets Kendrick Carmouche for trainer Gustavo Rodriguez. The 15% career win rate is modest, but the rating edge — however slim — combined with a 52 average speed figure suggests this horse has been doing its best work recently. The 2/1 morning line is the public's number and it's hard to argue with it given the edge in our model.

place6Ez RollML 3/1

Ez Roll sits right behind at 86.55 — essentially a coin flip with Concorde Spirit on numbers alone — and trainer Raymond Handal sends Dylan Davis out from post 6. The 15% career win rate mirrors the top pick's, and a 53 average speed figure keeps pace with the field's competitive range. At 3/1, there's genuine place value here if Concorde Spirit takes the bullet but Ez Roll tracks into second late.

show5Shadow DragonML 7/2

Shadow Dragon rounds out the trifecta of near-identical top ratings at 86.35 with Jose Lezcano up for trainer Oscar Barrera III. The 16% career win rate actually edges the top two rivals, and the 7/2 morning line makes this the most attractive price of the three if you're building tickets. In a pace scenario where the frontrunners compromise each other over 1 1/8 miles, a closer like Shadow Dragon is very much alive.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 6 runners

Race 7

4:11 PM EDT

Allowance · 6 fur · Turf

A full and sprawling 13-horse turf allowance that hides a fascinating pace angle — Cyclonite brings the field's best speed figure into a potentially hot early pace, while a proven closer lurks at a tempting price.

win2CycloniteML 7/2

Cyclonite tops all TrackWiz ratings in this field at 86.35 and brings the best average speed figure in the race at 58 — a number that stands noticeably above most rivals. Flavien Prat takes the mount for Mark Casse, and the 7/2 morning line is fair value for what our model considers the most talented horse in the field. On a 6-furlong turf sprint where pure speed figures matter, Cyclonite's edge in that department is the key angle.

place13Pair of SocksML 5/2

Pair of Socks earns an 84.06 TrackWiz rating and an impressive 26% career win rate — one of the highest among horses with a meaningful sample. Jose Lezcano rides for Linda Rice, who knows this distance and surface as well as anyone stabling at the Big A. At 5/2 on the morning line, this is actually a tighter price than the win pick, making it best deployed as a place play or an exacta underneath Cyclonite.

show10Strate CashML 4/1

Strate Cash comes in at 63.59 TrackWiz — a step back from the top two but interesting at 4/1 with Manuel Franco in the irons for trainer Cherie DeVaux. The 25% career win rate shows this horse knows how to finish, and in a wide-open 13-horse field on the turf, pace dynamics can shuffle the deck in unexpected ways. Franco's ability to find a stalking trip in traffic makes this a worthwhile show addition and a key piece in trifecta construction.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 13 runners

Race 8

4:43 PM EDT

Claiming · 1 1/16 mi · Turf

Calling Card's dominant TrackWiz rating makes this 11-horse turf claiming route look like it has a clear standout — but the 3/1 morning line and a pair of live threats underneath mean the exotics could pay well.

win10Calling CardML 3/1

Calling Card posts the field's best TrackWiz rating at 87.08 and gets Flavien Prat for trainer Michael Maker — a trainer-jockey pairing that has a deep record of success on the New York turf circuit. The 7% career win rate is lower than you'd like, but that number can reflect a horse that's been running against tougher company and is now at the right level. At 3/1 morning line, this is a fair and actionable price for a horse our model rates head and shoulders above the field.

place7Chips and FishML 4/1

Chips and Fish checks in with a 78.83 TrackWiz rating — second best in the race by a meaningful margin — and posts a healthy 20% career win rate that suggests consistent competitiveness. Christopher Elliott rides for Antonio Arriaga from post 7, giving this one a clean outside path to find the turf at 1 1/16 miles. The 4/1 morning line represents genuine place value if Calling Card handles the favorite's pressure up front.

show5Middle MarketML 5/1

Middle Market rates third at 68.76 and Jose Lezcano takes the mount for Marcelo Arenas — a combo worth watching in a multi-horse turf field where pace can get complicated quickly. The 4% career win rate raises an eyebrow, but the rating puts this horse clearly ahead of the rest of the field behind Chips and Fish. At 5/1, Middle Market is a smart show anchor and a live trifecta component in a race where the top two ratings suggest a potential 1-2 finish.

Live odds, scratches and ratings for all 11 runners

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Three solid free plays to get your Friday started — Al Mowashaah, Noble Heritage, and So Vain are our top selections in Races 1–3. For the full eight-race breakdown, pace projections, and multi-race wager strategy, subscribers get the complete picture. Unlock the full card at TrackWiz Premium and make every race count today at the Big A.

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