Belmont Park Picks & Predictions — October 31, 2026

Army Gal comes in with a 25% career win rate and an 82.45 TrackWiz rating — a true dual threat who could easily win this race outright. Trainer Linda Rice is a proven Belmont conditioner, and Jose Lezcano is a top-tier rider who knows this track inside and out. At 4/1 on the morning line, there's legitimate win value here too, but as a place hedge behind L'Eclair, Army Gal is a near-lock for the top two.

Interstatelovesong opens at 5/2 with a 70.02 TrackWiz rating and a solid 25% career win mark. Trainer Thomas Morley has Rajiv Maragh up, and the average speed figure of 54 keeps this horse right in the competitive mix. The 5/2 price makes this more of a win contender than a show play, but in exotics, Interstatelovesong deserves inclusion as the clear third option when the top two are separated from the rest of the field by a significant margin.

Athena's Fury brings the best career win percentage in the field at 40% — that's a horse who converts at a high clip, and trainer Amelia J. Green places her well at 4/1. Jockey Jaime Rodriguez takes the mount, and the 65.77 TrackWiz rating makes Athena's Fury the clear second option here. At a mile on turf, a horse who wins 40% of her starts is almost always worth including in your place bets.

Power of Women is an intriguing show play at 5/1. Her 30% career win percentage is the second-best in the race, and while her TrackWiz rating of 47.11 leaves her off the main pace, she's exactly the type who sneaks into the third spot when the favorites are running toward each other up front. Trainer Horacio De Paz sends her out and Samuel Marin gets the call — a competent combination that often produces honest efforts.

B Thedonald at 6/1 is the TrackWiz value play in this spot, checking in with a 70.92 rating and a 33% career win percentage — meaning roughly one in three times, this horse hits the winner's circle. Trainer Horacio De Paz sends him out, Vincent Cheminaud rides, and that average speed figure of 55 gives him the raw ability to run with the top dogs. At 6/1, the place bet here has legitimate overlay written all over it.

Vekinda carries a 68.1 TrackWiz rating and trainer George Weaver is one of the sharpest conditioners in the New York circuit. Edgard J. Zayas, always a dangerous rider at Belmont, has the mount. A 20% career win rate and an average speed figure of 55 make Vekinda a legitimate threat to hit the board, and at 5/1, there's enough price to make the show bet worthwhile in trifecta constructions.

Hyperborean Spirit opens at 4/1 with a 55.0 TrackWiz rating right behind Borago, and trainer James T. Ryerson puts Christopher Elliott aboard. The average speed figure of 55 is right in the mix, and in a maiden field where several horses have zero recorded speed figures, any horse showing a measurable number has a distinct form edge. Hyperborean Spirit is the natural backup to Borago in all exacta combinations.

Arinato at 5/1 rounds out our top three with a 53.33 TrackWiz rating, and the Linda Rice/Jose Lezcano combination is one of the sharper trainer-jockey partnerships at Belmont Park. While no recorded speed figure is a mild concern, the TrackWiz composite rating still places Arinato clearly above the bottom half of this field. At 5/1, the show price and exotic inclusion make sense as a hedge against the many unknowns in a maiden turf sprint.

Criteria at 6/1 represents a legitimate value play here — a 74.72 TrackWiz rating from the Chad C. Brown barn is always worth respecting, and Brown's turf operation runs at an elite level year-round. Dylan Davis gets the mount, and a 14% career win rate understates what could be a form cycle that's trending upward. At 6/1 in a field where the favorite is 5/2, the exacta with Iron Palace on top and Criteria underneath could pay handsomely.

After Taxes is the most intriguing show play at 10/1, posting the highest average speed figure in the entire field at 58 — that's a number that jumps off the page. Trainer Bruce R. Brown has Jose Lezcano aboard, and a 25% career win rate suggests this horse is not a serial runner-up. The 10/1 price combined with elite raw speed makes After Taxes a strong exotic inclusion, especially in trifectas where a come-from-behind effort at a big price can produce monster payouts.

Bold Fortune will be the betting public's choice at 2/1, and a 68.18 TrackWiz rating with a 33% career win percentage makes that support understandable. George Weaver trains, Dylan Davis rides, and the average speed figure of 55 matches most rivals in this claiming field. The main argument against win betting Bold Fortune is the price — at 2/1, you're not getting paid adequately for a claiming race with real variance.

Sully at 12/1 is one of the more interesting show plays on the card. A 63.91 TrackWiz rating is the third-best in the field, and trainer Oscar S. Barrera III has found a competitive spot here with Rocco Bowen aboard. A 14% career win rate combined with an average speed figure of 55 shows Sully can run — the question is whether the public has overlooked this one in a race that figures to draw heavy action on Red State and Bold Fortune.

A Bourbon for Toby at 15/1 is an outright longshot play that earns a mention because the 60.34 TrackWiz rating jumps out at that price. Trainer Thomas Morley and jockey Rajiv Maragh team up on this one, and an average speed figure of 55 shows this horse has the ability to compete at this level. At 15/1, even a place finish pays exceptionally well, and if Cugino and A Bourbon for Toby both hit the board, the exacta could be a significant score.

Program Trading is the 2/1 morning-line favorite despite a TrackWiz rating of only 55.25 — well below Cugino. That said, a 41% career win rate is legitimately exceptional and Chad C. Brown is among the nation's best turf trainers. Dylan Davis gets the mount, and this horse clearly knows how to win. In exotics, Program Trading almost certainly needs to be included, even if the win price doesn't offer value.

Luck Penny at 5/1 carries a 75.05 TrackWiz rating — second in the field — and a 33% career win percentage that proves this is a consistent performer. Trainer George Weaver has the place bet locked up with two of our top three selections in this race, and Jose Lezcano is a savvy turf jockey who knows how to position a horse for a mile on the grass. The Weaver exacta of Extravaganzoo over Luck Penny is worth a hard look.

Under the Moon at 12/1 sneaks into the top three with a 73.96 TrackWiz rating that places this horse firmly in the legitimate contention tier. Trainer Joe Sharp has Jorge Ruiz aboard, and a 33% career win rate shows Under the Moon can get the job done. At 12/1, if this horse fires and hits the board, it inflates trifecta payouts significantly — especially with two relatively short-priced horses expected to dominate the place pool.

Hurricane Kaz at 8/1 posts a 71.39 TrackWiz rating and an average speed figure of 55, making this one of the better-credentialed horses in the field despite the odds. Trainer Dimitrios K. Synnefias conditions this one, and Julio A. Hernandez takes the mount. In a race where the top-rated horses are all priced at 6/1 or higher, the exacta combining War Profiteer and Hurricane Kaz could return excellent value.

Speightful Storm at 6/1 rounds out our selections with a 68.86 TrackWiz rating that is third-best in the field. Trainer H. James Bond — yes, that really is the trainer's name — has Edgard J. Zayas in the irons, one of the most reliable riders at Belmont Park. An average speed figure of 54 is solid at this maiden claiming level, and at 6/1, Speightful Storm has enough raw ability to hit the board if either of the top two fade.