LISTEN: Handicapper Brad Thomas Breaks Down Belmont Stakes Field
ELMONT, N.Y. (WFAN) -- Horse racing handicapper Brad Thomas was back on Mike Francesa's show Friday, this time breaking down the Belmont Stakes field.
Thomas said it's a "second-rate" field, but a good betting race.
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He said his top value pick is Senior Investment, who has 7 -1 odds. Thomas said the four likeliest winners, in his opinion, are favorite Irish War Cry (7-2), Tapwrit (6-1), Senior Investment and Epicharis (12-1). He also likes Lookin at Lee (5-1) a good bit.
Here's some of what Thomas had to say about those five horses. Listen to the interview below to hear his full commentary.
TAPWRIT (6-1)
"I don't think a mile and a half is going to be Tapwrit's best distance. In fact, I think it's beyond his actual limit. But again, it's beyond everybody's limit in this race, for the most part. Tapwrit is cycling back to his A-race, from a speed figure standpoint. I think he has a win chance."
LOOKIN AT LEE (5-1)
"He's one of my favorite horses. He's wonderfully consistent. He's an honest colt who has raced 11 times in his career, which is way more than anyone else in this field. He's gotten better through hard campaigning and with both tougher competition and more distance."
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IRISH WAR CRY (7-2)
"This horse is an in-and-out horse form-wise. He has a great race, he has a bad race, he comes back with a great race. He's due to be back in form here with his A-race, if that pattern holds true.
"Even though it might be more contentious than some people think, a soft pace is going to help him because that will get him in rhythm, and he's better than the horses who are going to be up on the pace, for the most part. So if he can stay, it's really his race to lose, I believe."
SENIOR INVESTMENT (7-1)
"Senior Investment, along with Epicharis, is a rare 2017 thoroughbred who might actually have upside stretching out to a mile and a half. He is a major win threat to me, especially if he manages to pass some horses on the back stretch and doesn't have to sweep by the whole field in the final five-eighths of a mile."
EPICHARIS (12-1)
"This horse (who has lameness in his right front hoof) was an enigma before the injury -- or whatever it is -- even more so now. ... This horse is about as well-bred for a mile and a half on both sides of his pedigree as a modern horse can be.
"A fully at-his-best Epicharis would be one of the likeliest winners of this race to me because of what I believe to be his distance prowess, from what I've seen in his races and what I know about his pedigree. ... A foot issue is never thing and especially a bad thing at Belmont in the Belmont."