Get ready for an unforgettable week of racing! Daily Racing Form handicapper Mike Beer delivers his full card race-by-race analysis, best bet of the day, and expert picks for Wednesday, June 3, 2026 – the opening day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga. Enjoy five straight days of world-class racing, including the 158th running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.
Also, view FREE DRF Past Performances for today’s Race of the Day.
BEST BET: Zeus Lightning (10th race)
Tenth Race
1. Zeus Lightning
2. Rossbeigh
3. Blame It On K J
ZEUS LIGHTNING was away slowly from the gate, then proceeded to race greenly from start to finish in a useful debut run early last year vs open MSW rivals; he failed to improve when shipped up here to make his second start, though he endured a brutal trip in that race; got in a prep off the layoff, now switches back to the grass with some class relief attached; might be a lot better than he looks, and he will be a fair price. ROSSBEIGH debuted under these exact conditions here last summer, and ran a winning race that day despite coming away second-best to a winner sneaking up the inside on him; new gelding has a long layoff to overcome, but he won’t have to improve much as he breaks from the rail. BLAME IT ON K J was competitive in all three starts routing on turf at this level as a 3yo; lacks early speed, but he will be running late if he can work out a trip. FREE REFILLS ran okay as the lone firster in that field in his debut against open company; tried a premature, wide move and faded at this level last time; can do better.
Here are Marcus’s thoughts on the other nine races on Wednesday’s Saratoga racing card.
First Race
1. Ziggle Pops
2. Little Trilby
3. Coutach
ZIGGLE POPS scored a Grade 1 win over course and distance two summers ago. He missed nearly two years after, but has returned with a pair of solid efforts in tough company as a 9yo, including that three-mile Grade 1 last time, where he wasn’t as patiently ridden as the in-form winner. LITTLE TRILBY scored a blowout win over weaker here last summer; has handled the move up in class since, with wins in both starts when completing the course, including an easy Grade 1 off the layoff going shorter. COUTACH has more to prove than stablemate LITTLE TRILBY, but he arrived in good form from Europe last year, has won three of five stateside, and handles distance; steps up.
Second Race
1. Irish Lullaby
2. Hot Currency
3. Venetta
IRISH LULLABY gained valuable experience when outpaced a bit early, then chasing gamely to no avail while failing to change leads in her debut; was much more clued in in the second start, where she strongly tracked the pace before running right over a favored first-time starter on the lead; has never run on dirt, but she is bred for it as a half-sister to multiple NY-bred stakes winner and over $500k earner Barese, as well as two other stakes-placed dirt sprinters. HOT CURRENCY impressed in the maiden win last November, then ran well in each of her next two starts, though she settled for second in both of those races; was freshened up a bit before returning to post a dominant stakes win with a field-best 84 Beyer last time; perfect post on the outside. VENETTA got bet on debut but lost her chance at the start, before putting in a late run that suggested the money wasn’t necessarily wrong; had to work hard for that maiden win when heavily favored again as an MTO, but she earned that victory while forced to duel throughout with well-meant firster Careless Whisper, who might be pretty good in her own right.
Third Race
1. Five G
2. Awesome Czech
3. Being Betty
FIVE G hasn’t run on turf since the end of her 2yo campaign, where she followed up a clear-cut maiden win with an excellent second to Laurelin in the Tepin just 15 days later; she was a two-time stakes winner on dirt early last year before missing time; has proven to be no match for Grade 1 horses a couple of times recently, but she confirmed that she can still run when dominating allowance rivals two back; interesting switching back to the grass. AWESOME CZECH improved noticeably as a 4yo last summer, progressing to win the Yaddo and the Ticonderoga (as well as an open allowance race) after being badly pace-compromised in this race; ran well again when falling just short in the Cardinal at Churchill at the end of November, but her trip luck ran out in her next two starts when caught wide both times; breaks from a perfect post with tactical speed, and her good race makes her tough in here. BEING BETTY is in excellent form right now, and she has proven to be adaptable in terms of both distance and running style; playable if the presence of Irad doesn’t knock down her price.
Fourth Race
1. George Briggs
2. Spirit of St Louis
3. Leon Blue
GEORGE BRIGGS impressed on debut as a 2yo, then ran well in each of his next three starts on turf without winning; made his first start for this trainer last month, and could hardly have looked better while attaining better early position under Prat, yet still showing off his typical strong finish; steps back up with forward still to go. SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS dominated the NY-bred stakes set on turf throughout 2023 and 2024, then moved up in class and won a pair of Grade 1 races early last year; that form hasn’t quite held up since, though he finished gamely into a poor setup when given some class relief last time; tough with his good race, and he might not be favored this time. LEON BLUE couldn’t get the right trip while flashing potential in three starts as a 2yo; returned an improved horse last year, despite having only one turf win to show for it; appeared to need that first start back when chasing and tiring to finish behind SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS; pace-adaptable from a nice inside draw, and he will be a price.
Fifth Race
1. Bernietakescharge
2. Walk With Me
3. Valtellina
BERNIETAKESCHARGE earned a 94 Beyer winning this race last summer, before getting in over her head in a Grade 1 in her next start; she was likely best in the Empire Distaff last October when forced to duel all the way and only getting caught late; bounced out of that to win the Bay Ridge, where she took the race to one of her main Critical Eye rivals right from the start, then ran well in the Ladies when putting away the odds-on favorite on the lead, only to get run down by an in-form rival at the end; returns fresh to face NY-breds again. WALK WITH ME hasn’t run fast enough to win this, but some of her races are better than they might look on paper, and she gets this distance; can fall into a trip from the rail with Prat taking over. VALTELLINA stretched out effectively last year, and she was in good form heading into the Empire Distaff, where she parlayed a perfect trip into a top-figure win; final start before getting a break came in a tougher Grade 3; still has room to improve.
Sixth Race
1. Olivia’s Grace
2. Sacred Goddess
3. Dancingwithdestiny
OLIVIA’S GRACE made all three turf starts as a 3yo over this course and distance; made the first move to the lead and was caught late in the turf debut, then was ridden patiently to win her next start more easily than the final margin might suggest; failed to land a blow in her first attempt at this condition before the layoff, though she was never in posiiton to be effective in that spot, and was actually trying to make a late run with no chance; second off the layoff after chasing the in-form Highway Harmony (four wins in a row on turf) and tiring in the return. SACRED GODDESS was a good-looking debut winner here as a 2yo, then ran in four straight stakes to no avail; faced three of these same rivals in her 3yo debut last month downstate, and she had the toughest trip of the four before finishing up well to just miss third; dangerous if she can work out a clean trip from the outside. DANCINGWITHDESTINY got away last from the gate and was behind horses early, before finishing gamely for third in her debut; has shown good speed in all three starts since, including that last one when weakening late to finish behind three of these same rivals; goes shorter with Lasix on.
Embed from Getty ImagesSeventh Race
1. Homewood Hustle
2. A Little At First
3. Jack’s World
HOMEWOOD HUSTLE put himself into position early on, then proved to be an easy winner of the career debut while finishing up strongly, despite still showing some signs of greenness; well-bred colt is giving away experience here, but he might have a future for a barn that wins at a high percentage; Lasix on. A LITTLE AT FIRST and JACK’S WORLD made their respective 3yo debuts in a very strong race for the level, and they both tried hard in that spot before finishing close together at the end. A LITTLE AT FIRST improved race-by-race up to an easy maiden win last November, and he caught a couple of spots of slight trouble in the first start back. JACK’S WORLD also moved forward steadily out of a troubled debut here last August, and was convincing in his maiden win with new blinkers five days after A LITTLE AT FIRST; never looked like winning that return race, but he stayed gamely and outfinished A LITTLE AT FIRST for fourth.
Eighth Race
1. Party in the Army
2. Sculcos Folly
3. Bravaro
PARTY IN THE ARMY is in tough while facing three (at least) talented rivals in a very strong running of the Mike Lee, though there are some things to like. He ran well twice behind Arctic Beast in stakes races as a 2yo, particularly the Breeders’ Futurity, where he blew the start in a short field; he cleaned up the gate issues as time went on, and won his two starts before the layoff easily, the second of those with an 81 Beyer in January; needs to improve again, but he is eligible to do so, can race without the lead, and will be a price in a race where the three main players are not easy to separate. SCULCOS FOLLY had no trouble getting a mile when crushing the Gander two back with a 92 Beyer; scored similarly easy and fast wins on either side of that victory sprinting; going good now with speed from the rail. BRAVARO looked good winning both 2yo starts in the state-bred ranks, including the Sleepy Hollow, where he had to wait for room before overpowering that field; was no match for a talented rival in the Fountain of Youth, then had less-than-ideal trips in two additional Derby preps; clearly dangerous stepping back in both class and distance.
Ninth Race
1. Wynstock
2. Donegal Surges
3. Bank Frenzy
WYNSTOCK is 2 for 2 with figures of 95 and 96 over this distance since the claim; more importantly, he has been much more engaged early for the new connections; took a shot stretching all the way out in a tougher race last time; better fit here. DONEGAL SURGES is unreliable, but his good effort makes him tough in this spot, and he can get this distance; needs his best after finishing gamely too late when cut back to sprint last time. BANK FRENZY won this race last year with a 97 Beyer, and is 3 for 4 going this distance overall in his career; took the race right to today’s rival IRON DOME before putting him away to win the Empire Classic the last time he raced around two turns; will appreciate stretching back out for this as he returns from a layoff.
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