Belmont Park Picks & Predictions — November 1, 2026

Cadillac Mary sits 2nd in our ratings at 76.67 and has placed in two of three career sprint starts — directly relevant experience for today's six-furlong turf test. Samuel Marin (23% win rate, 59% ITM) has the horse's connections clicking, and trainer Jeremiah Englehart is a B-plus. Her recent race speed of 12.33 sec/furlong ranks 6th, which is a mild concern in a field this size, but the sprint record and solid connections make her a strong exacta piece at 5/1.

Comets Choice checks in 3rd in TrackWiz ratings at 71.46 with a recent race speed of 12.00 sec/furlong, which is second-best in this wide-open bunch. The concern is a modest 25% in-the-money rate from sprint starts, but he's shown he can compete at this level. At 6/1 on the morning line, he's a reasonable trifecta inclusion in a maiden claiming race where the back of the ticket should be built wide.

House of War opens as the 6/5 morning-line favorite on the strength of a 50% career win rate and 50% ITM, with Manuel Franco (24% win rate, 64% ITM) aboard — a top-shelf jock who knows how to find the winner's circle. He rates 2nd in the field at 59.67, and TrackWiz sims have him at nearly 25%, the second-highest mark in the field. As a place wager at a juice-heavy morning line, he's the safety net here.

Howard's Hope sits 3rd in the field rating-wise at 55.83 and has a 50% career win rate, which has some intrigue at 7/2. The concern is legitimate: his recent race speed of 15.49 sec/furlong ranks last among horses with recent pace data, a red flag in stakes company. His workouts also rank 7th in the field. We're using him in the show spot as a hedge given his connections (trainer Horacio De Paz holds an A grade) and the value his 7/2 line represents in a trifecta.

Gun Broker at 2/1 is a natural place target — he's rated 2nd at 58.33, has already shown he can hit the board (100% in-the-money from his most recent start), and draws Flavien Prat, who wins 30% of his mounts. His recent race speed of 12.40 sec/furlong ranks second in the field. He's the logical favorite here and sims at nearly 22%, but at short odds, the place pool may offer better value than the win side.

Flightress rounds out the exotics at 5/2 with a TrackWiz rating of 57.50 (3rd in the field) and a 50% in-the-money mark from her career starts. Her biggest selling point is a top workout rank — best in the field over the last month at 11.95 sec/furlong — suggesting she's training toward a sharp effort. Trainer Claude McGaughey III runs a competitive operation, and at her morning-line price she's an affordable show play in trifectas.

Eye On the Ball sits 2nd in ratings at 78.64 and owns the best recent race speed in the entire field at 11.59 sec/furlong — a legitimate standout number in a 16-horse sprint. He's shown he can win at six furlongs, placing in two of three starts at that distance. The trainer-jockey duo of Chris Englehart (A grade) and Jose Lezcano (17% win rate, 51% ITM) is a respectable combo. At 8/1, he's a great place play and a value add in any multi-horse exotics.

Chips and Fish checks in 3rd at 72.26 with a perfect 2-for-2 placing record at Belmont Park specifically — home-field form matters, especially in a claiming race on a surface where track bias can matter. He's placed in all four sprint starts of his career, which is a remarkably clean record. The mild concern is a subpar recent workout (16th in the field) and a slightly short rest period that has historically worked against him, but at 7/2 in the show spot he's a sound exotics piece.

Ori comes in rated 2nd at 78.13 with a 33% career win rate and has placed in each of his last two outings — active, in-form, and ready. His recent race speed of 12.06 sec/furlong leads the entire field by a slim margin, and the Castellano/Casse partnership wins 26% of starts together. The age flag (1.6 years older than the field average) is worth noting, but a proven mile record and the best recent speed figure are strong counters to that concern.

Mid Summer has quietly put together the most consistent recent form in this race — placing in five of his last six starts and hitting the board in five consecutive outings. Paco Lopez wins 28% of his mounts and finishes in the money 64% of the time, giving this horse a top-five jockey. The recent race speed of 12.26 sec/furlong is slightly off the pace of the leaders (ranked 11th), but in a field this wide, consistency often holds up better than raw speed in the exotics.

Yes It Tiz is the clear second wheel here at 77.85 with three wins from eight career dirt starts and a remarkable 83% in-the-money rate — almost never off the board. Flavien Prat (30% win rate) is one of the best in the game, and Brad Cox is a Grade A handler who ships horses in ready to run. His recent race speed of 12.37 sec/furlong ranks 2nd in the field. At 3/1, he's a comfortable place investment and the natural exacta partner to the favorite.

Boutwell Time sneaks in at 12/1 with the best recent race speed in the field at 12.27 sec/furlong — a positive sign heading into a stakes sprint. He's a 31% career winner with five wins on dirt from 14 tries, and jockey Antonio Fresu (21% win rate, 60% ITM) is an A-minus rider who handles this type of spot well. Trainer Juan Carlos Guerrero also grades A-minus. At 12/1 he's a live trifecta wheel and a legitimate show value play in a field where the top two spots feel fairly locked up.

Bendoog is rated 2nd in the field at 74.17 with a sterling 85% in-the-money rate — arguably the most reliable horse in the race from a consistency standpoint, with five wins and 17 placings from 20 dirt starts. Junior Alvarado (B-plus jockey) and the Mott barn have a 20% win rate together and a 55% ITM. The concern is age (seven years old) and workouts that rank 6th in the field, but a horse who hits the board 85% of the time in stakes company almost always belongs in the place and show conversation.

Warp Nine at 12/1 is a genuine value play in the trifecta — a 76% in-the-money rate and placing in 12 consecutive races makes him one of the most consistent horses on the card regardless of the morning line. He's placed in 20 of 24 career dirt starts, showing remarkable durability and form. The concern is a recent race speed that ranks 7th in the field, which could keep him from winning outright, but in a trifecta with soft underlays at the top, a horse this consistent at double-digit odds is exactly the right show stab.

Intellect is rated 2nd at 81.64 with a 88% in-the-money career mark — nearly identical consistency to the top pick — and the Chad Brown/Manuel Franco partnership (22% win rate together, 67% ITM) is the most dangerous combo at Belmont Park on any given day. He's placed in his last three outings, suggesting peak form. The knock is workouts ranking 12th in a 16-horse field, but a Brown horse with a live jock and an 88% ITM rate doesn't need to be a workout star. At 3/1, he's the safest place play on the ticket.

Capitol Hill at 6/1 checks in 3rd in the field at 71.35 with a 53% in-the-money rate and active form — placing in each of his last two races and four of his last six. Junior Alvarado is a capable pilot, and the Mott barn knows the Belmont turf course. The workout concern (13th in a 16-horse field) is real, but in a wide-open stakes full of question marks, a horse with an active streak and trainer William Mott's experience managing a big stable is worth putting in underneath.

Twain is rated 2nd at 67.38 with a 22% career win rate and a 77% in-the-money mark — the highest ITM rate of any horse in this race. He's placed in each of his last two starts and three of his last four, giving him genuine momentum. Antonio Fresu (21% win rate, 60% ITM) is an A-minus jockey who pairs well with trainer Madison Meyers. At 8/1 on the morning line with a 11% sim win share, there's solid value in the place pool here.

Fuerteventura sits 3rd in the field at 64.09 with the best recent race speed in the race at 12.12 sec/furlong, a meaningful edge going a route of ground on the turf. He's placed in each of his last two starts and four of his last six, with Javier Castellano (B jockey) up for trainer Jamie Ness (A grade). The concerns — a claiming price bump and an age flag (seven years old) — are worth noting, but a horse with the top speed figure and active form at 6/1 earns a spot in trifectas.