The excitement keeps building at Saratoga on Friday, June 5, 2026 – Day 3 of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival! Daily Racing Form handicapper Mike Beer delivers his expert race-by-race analysis and picks for a loaded 14-race card featuring five graded stakes, including the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes, with his best bet of the day in Race 6. Just one day remains until the Belmont Stakes!
Also, view FREE DRF Past Performances for today’s Race of the Day.
BEST BET: Deference (6th race)
Sixth Race
1. Deference
2. Isadora Duncan
3. Shelzawa
Thought DEFERENCE ran the best race on debut when doing the hard work in the lead in a race that ultimately went to closers; tried more patient tactics after breaking on top last time, and wound up getting bumped and shuffled back while in tight on the far turn, then rallied gamely too late; one more chance. ISADORA DUNCAN was away last and trailing all the way to the top of the stretch, then finished well through noticeable greenness in a debut effort she appeared to badly need; had to avoid a fallen rider, then was bothered by a loose horse early in the second start; she did not run well in her return at Keeneland, but showed some potential as a 2yo, and might get overlooked this time. SHELZAWA just missed in both starts in France on the all-weather surface going longer; was particularly eye-catching in the debut when shuffled to last and waited with for a long way before flying home to just miss; has been purchased by top connections and sent to Brown for the stateside debut; dangerous.
Here are Mike’s thoughts on the other thirteen races on Friday’s Saratoga racing card.
First Race
1. Hadrian’s Wall
2. Mr. Willian
3. Dark Assault
HADRIAN’S WALL was the only first-time starter in that field when finishing a good second to a heavily favored stablemate on debut; stretched out to this distance for his second start and ran even better when falling just short of another stablemate in Ottinho (last seen finishing a distant second in the Grade 1 Blue Grass with an 89 Beyer); looks well-spotted with Lasix on for the 3yo debut. MR. WILLIAN appeared to have horse while blocked in the stretch, then clipped heels while trying to angle clear and lost his chance in the debut on turf; improved in the second start while only second-best to a wire-to-wire winner after a three-wide trip; bred dirt, and his two races are okay. DARK ASSAULT took a pretty tough beat when nailed by My World (won the Nashua and Jerome in his next two starts) sprinting last October; Phipps homebred from the female family of BC Distaff winner Pleasant Home has paired up Beyer tops in his first two starts as a 3yo; stretches out again.
Second Race
1. Kenny Be
2. Elysian Meadows
3. Hit the Post
KENNY BE ran a couple of fast races as a 2yo, then struggled a bit last summer, and was ultimately sidelined after a disappointing effort here at the end of July – where he badly lost position early, before coming up empty in the stretch; finished well into an in-form rival off the layoff, and he was a convincing winner last time with a competitive figure; seems to have turned it around, and he is tactical. ELYSIAN MEADOWS is 0-12 since winning the first two starts of his career as a 2yo; he kept some tough company after that promising start, while also trying to go longer on both turf and dirt; has finished well too late in both starts since returning from a long layoff this year; late threat if he can pull the right trip. HIT THE POST was first back from the layoff when contesting the pace with the eventual winner and getting tired over a sloppy track at the end of April; earned an 88 Beyer breaking his maiden on this track last summer, and was a stakes winner when turned back to sprint again three starts later; can easily do better, and his speed plays in this field.
Third Race
1. Presidential Power
2. Hero Declared
3. Tab At Zanzibar
$675k yearling PRESIDENTIAL POWER has some solid breezes showing up to his debut; colt by top sire Constitution has some turf on the bottom of his pedigree, though this female family traces back to some classy dirt horses; interesting making the debut on the main track against a field that is hard to get a handle on. HERO DECLARED was a buzz horse around here as a 2yo last summer; went heavily favored in his debut, where he showed easy speed before getting run over by an impressive winner in a very fast race; appears to be training well again as he gets set to return from a long layoff. TAB AT ZANZIBAR contested the pace and gamely prevailed for second behind an impressive winner in his recent debut downstate; Cox 13 for his last 29 (45%) with 3-year-olds and up, second career start, on dirt between 6.5-7 furlongs, $2.92 ROI.
Fourth Race
1. Ways and Means
2. Grand Job
3. Senza Parole
WAYS AND MEANS rolled in this race last year with a 111 Beyer, making it 4 for 5 in her career over Saratoga dirt; didn’t turn up again until Derby Day, where she was only second-best to a front-running winner; she has to run it, but her top race probably makes her too good for this field. GRAND JOB has run fast races in her first two starts as a 5yo, and those efforts did not come out of nowhere, as she looked like a potential stakes horse while winning each of her first three starts around one turn after arriving stateside at the end of 2024; did everything but win that Grade 1 last time while earning a big figure; big threat to the favorite with speed from the rail. SENZA PAROLE still hasn’t gotten back to the 94 Beyer she earned winning her debut up here as a 2yo; she missed a year after that, and it took her a couple of starts to get going when she finally returned, but she ran better than it looks when downing the streaking Grammy Girl last November sprinting, then blasted a field over a one-turn mile in her next start; needs this turn back.
Fifth Race
1. Triskelion
2. Di Natale
3. Shore War
TRISKELION got the maiden win on a different surface, though she ran well in all three starts sprinting on turf as a 2yo, beginning with a tough-trip debut effort; forward to go starting back on grass. DI NATALE is a good gate horse, but this rider has opted for tracking trips in the two stateside starts on turf, and she was denied by front-running winners in the stretch both times (both happen to be pretty good horses); suffered a similar fate on synthetic two back when engaging in a long duel before coming away second best; tries again. SHORE WAR is 0-6 on this surface, but she has paired-up 78 Beyers in her two turf sprints since swithcing into this barn, and she didn’t get ideal trips in either of those races; switches riders again looking for the right trip.
Seventh Race
1. Money Game
2. Full Screen
3. Bendoog
MONEY GAME has looked good winning all three starts over a distance to begin his career; made hard work of that last one, but he was first back from a long layoff in that spot, and he still improved to a new Beyer top; gets a good test while facing some hardened older rivals here, but he is talented with upside, and more distance is only going to help him. FULL SCREEN hasn’t been seen since blowing away a couple of these same rivals in the Queens County at the end of December; also dismantled a pair of these when earning a triple-digit Beyer two starts back; going to be tough if close to ready off the bench. BENDOOG runs his race no matter the track, distance, or pace scenario; was at a disadvantage while facing a speedy rival in a short field off the layoff two back; came back with a solid run to share the win last time, and he can get this far; has settled for second or third often enough, but he is hard to discount.
Eighth Race
1. Gold Trust
2. Final Verdict
3. Boltage
GOLD TRUST found himself when turned back last summer, winning three in a row sprinting before the layoff; chased down a quality rival going this distance in August with a new Beyer top; second off the layoff with tactical speed. FINAL VERDICT has settled for either second or third six times since posting his most recent victory back at the end of 2024, but his figures stack up well with this field, and his handy speed gives his rider options; second off the layoff and switching to Prat to try again. BOLTAGE got into early trouble and closed ground too late into a wire-to-wire winner going this distance on turf two back; he is versatile enough to run his race over a variety of surfaces and distances, and he can keep closer to the pace if necessary; threat switching back to turf.
Ninth Race
1. Fitz Right
2. Coach Mazzula
3. Time to Dream
FITZ RIGHT seemed to improve more than the figure would suggest when burying a field with a visually impressive run at Tampa two starts back; confirmed that impression in the Memories of Silver when running that field over in the final furlong from off the pace; going good now. COACH MAZZULA has run well in all seven starts so far while putting her ample early speed to use; made it two in a row when dropped back to a mile to wire the Hilltop three weeks ago with a slight new Beyer top; dangerous speed. TIME TO DREAM looked good going 2 for 2 here last summer, including a stakes win with a big finish; endured a bit of a troubled trip in her next start, then failed to land a blow at the Breeders’ Cup; back to Saratoga for the third start off the layoff
Tenth Race
1. Always a Runner
2. Prom Queen
3. Meaning
ALWAYS A RUNNER flashed plenty of talent while overcoming her noticeable inexperience to win on debut; has improved quickly from there to win a pair of stakes over this distance, including a convincing Oaks victory over three of these same rivals; she is only going to be tougher for these fillies to down from here. PROM QUEEN might be the one to take from the Oaks, if you’re looking to beat the favorite; she was impressive in her two wins leading into that race, and was badly compromised by losing position early, which forced her to play catch-up the rest of the way; will have less traffic to deal with here and can easily rebound. MEANING chased a solid pace and made a short lead in midstretch of the Oaks, but could not stop ALWAYS A RUNNER late and settled for second; not out of this.
Eleventh Race
1. Kathynmarissa
2. Laurelin
3. Portfolio Duration
KATHYNMARISSA wasn’t expected to beat her then-stablemate Gezora in the Modesty, but no one told her that, and she looked loaded all the way around the track, before swinging wide and powering down the outside to a decisive victory; can be tough right back based on that evidence, and added ground isn’t an issue. LAURELIN improved from race to race as a 3yo while handling rises in both class and distance; she was downed by one of her New York rivals in her return from the layoff, but trips made the difference in that race; like her stretching back out for this with a race under her belt. PORTFOLIO DURATION finished fast to just miss in her debut early last year, then returned to post two impressive wins at Tampa after a layoff; handled the step up in class well on Derby Day when just failing to catch an in-form and speedy rival; steps up again, this time while also stretching out.
Twelfth Race
1. Bless the Broken
2. Fully Subscribed
3. Regaled
BLESS THE BROKEN and FULLY SUBSCRIBED just met in a Grade 1 at Churchill, where they both ran well in a race that was dominated up close. BLESS THE BROKEN got to save the ground, while FULLY SUBSCRIBED took a three-wide trip, but that race was more about position than ground loss. BLESS THE BROKEN impressed winning her first start for Cox at Fair Grounds, and she has confirmed the good form in a pair of top-level races since; can turn the tables on her main rival. FULLY SUBSCRIBED has appeared to be headed for races like this from day one; took a couple of starts to get into form after the layoff last year, but she dominated both the Mother Goose and Comely over this distance before getting a break, and she ran a winning race last time while forced to try to chase down a talented rival from behind; great post. Late-running REGALED is at the mercy of pace and trip, but she is underrated and benefits if the top two go at it this time. Have never liked NITROGEN as a dirt horse, and will stand against her in this spot, though she can obviously win.
Thirteenth Race
1. Princess Wadadli
2. Angel Gift
3. Grace and Grit
PRINCESS WADADLI got early control and was never seriously threatened when scoring her maiden win over a suspect group in January; had an excuse for the second start when breaking from an outside post and stuck chasing three-wide over an inside, speed-favoring track; didn’t earn much of a figure off the layoff, but she looked good running over a lone speed going that shorter distance; still has upside for an underrated trainer. ANGEL GIFT was off to a troubled start in the debut here as a 2yo, but she ranged up on that field confidently around the turn, before rolling them over in the stretch; tried stakes company in all three subsequent starts to no avail; starts back in her available condition with Lasix on. GRACE AND GRIT has won two of her three starts since moving into this barn, and she earned a figure that comes in above par for this kind of race when scoring over this distance last time, ensuring that most of these have to improve to beat her – assuming she can hold her form.
Embed from Getty ImagesFourteenth Race
1. Mount Sopris
2. Blazing Tiger
3. Daunting
MOUNT SOPRIS didn’t look like a sprinter when debuting here as a 2yo in a very strong MSW field; still managed to finish gamely up the inside in that spot to just miss second; saved ground and just finished evenly when stretched out for his second start, though he landed in another tough spot that day; new gelding is bred to get better with time and distance, and he breaks from a perfect post. BLAZING TIGER was intent on conceding the lead when stretched out for his second career start; he finally did, then appeared to race greenly while looking unfocused chasing through the stretch; used his speed last time, but he got run over by an impressive stablemate in the stretch and had to settle for second; keeps getting better; switches to Irad. DAUNTING is by a top turf sire, and is the first foal from his unraced dam, who is a sister to Grade 1-winning turf miler Blowout; the second dam was a Group 1 winner in France; well-bred for top connections.
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