Older sprinters are set to race seven-eighths of a mile in Saturday’s $250,000, Grade 2 John A. Nerud Stakes at Belmont Park, one in all two graded stakes going down on the New York oval to kick off July.

Inaugurated in 2008 because the James Marvin Stakes, the Nerud has gone by means of a few title modifications within the final decade, most just lately shifting in 2019 to honor John Andrew Nerud, coach of the legendary 1968 Horse of the Yr Dr. Fager.

Many proficient horses have received the Nerud lately, together with Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dust Mile winner Life Is Good (2022) and Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dash runner-up Personal Zone (2015). Thus far, not one of the 2023 Nerud entrants has received on the Grade 1 degree, however that might change because the season goes on. The seven-horse discipline incorporates a number of proficient names with upside for additional success.

Chief amongst them is #1 Sweet Man Rocket, who has received 5 of his seven dash begins. Again in 2021, he regarded like a potential Kentucky Derby Introduced by Woodford Reserve contender after stretching his velocity to win the 1 1/16-mile, Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes. Two subsequent defeats working lengthy on the Street to the Kentucky Derby dashed these plans, nevertheless, and revealed Sweet Man Rocket to be a sprinter at coronary heart.

Certainly, Sweet Man Rocket has been spectacular since slicing again in distance. Through the winter at Gulfstream Park, he received an allowance-optional claiming race and the Gulfstream Park Dash Stakes in convincing trend. Then, after misfiring with a Tenth-place end within the Grade 3 Depend Fleet Dash Handicap at Oaklawn Park, Sweet Man Rocket traveled to Belmont Park and received the Grade 3 Runhappy Stakes sprinting three-quarters of a mile.

Within the Runhappy Stakes, Sweet Man Rocket tracked the early tempo earlier than edging away to beat the red-hot #4 Twisted Trip by 1 1/2 lengths. Twisted Trip entered that race off 4 consecutive victories, together with a pair of stakes, whereas different crushed runners within the Runhappy Stakes included a number of graded stakes winner Drafted, a number of stakes winner Beren, and stakes winner Stage Left. It’s secure to say Sweet Man Rocket beat a high quality discipline.

Sweet Man Rocket’s Runhappy Stakes efficiency produced a career-best 101 Brisnet velocity score, probably the greatest current numbers posted by any horse within the Nerud discipline. He’s steadily enhancing, enters off a pointy sequence of exercises, and is eligible to run even higher whereas stretching out to seven furlongs. In brief, Sweet Man Rocket is a compelling option to take dwelling first prize for Corridor of Fame coach Invoice Mott.

Sweet Man Rocket shouldn’t be an excessively quick worth within the wagering, so a win wager could present a passable payoff for bettors taking part in on a small funds. However these with a bit extra capital to spend would possibly think about including an exacta taking part in Sweet Man Rocket on high of two or three others.

The above-mentioned Twisted Trip is a logical alternative to make use of within the exacta; he ran properly in opposition to Sweet Man Rocket within the Runhappy Stakes and beforehand received the Web page McKenney Handicap sprinting seven-eighths of a mile at Parx Racing. Twisted Trip commonly units, presses, or tracks the tempo, and for the reason that Nerud discipline isn’t precisely filled with velocity on paper, he figures to work out a good journey on or close to a modest tempo.

We additionally need to respect the possibilities of #3 Weyburn, who’s slicing again in distance off a third-place end in a powerful renewal of the one-mile, Grade 3 Westchester Stakes at Belmont Park. Weyburn has spent a lot of his profession working one mile or farther, however he additionally boasts three wins and two seconds from a quintet of begins touring seven-eighths of a mile. These efforts embrace victories within the 2022 and 2023 editions of the Sir Shackleton Stakes at Gulfstream Park, plus a runner-up end in a Gulfstream allowance-optional claiming race wherein he was crushed solely by Grade 1 winner White Abarrio.

Even #7 Synthesis has a shot to issue on his greatest day. Whereas he’s faltered in his current stakes begins, he bumped into hassle when ending sixth within the Grade 2 True North Stakes final trip, so we are able to’t decide that defeat too harshly. Two begins again, Synthesis trounced the competitors in an allowance-optional claiming race sprinting seven-eighths of a mile at Belmont Park, beating a high quality discipline (together with the a number of Grade 1-placed Following Sea) by 3 3/4 lengths with a 101 Brisnet score.

Let’s used Twisted Trip, Weyburn, and Synthesis in equal energy for our exacta play:

Wagering Technique on a $10 Funds

$10 to win on #1 Sweet Man Rocket

What to say on the betting window: Belmont Park, ninth race, $10 to win on #1 Sweet Man Rocket

Wagering Technique on a $30 Funds

$15 to win on #1 Sweet Man Rocket

What to say on the betting window: Belmont Park, ninth race, $15 to win on #1 Sweet Man Rocket

$5 exacta: 1 with 3,4,7 ($15)

What to say on the betting window: Belmont Park, ninth race, $5 exacta 1 with 3,4,7

Good luck, and benefit from the race!