Cap Day

Tweet It's Cap Day at Belmont Park today and more importantly today's big race features Commentator, Nick Zito's 7yo chestnut gelding (6-5 ML), in the Metropolitan Handicap [aka the Met Mile (G1)]. I was fortunate enough to see his rousing 14 length win going a mile in January in an allowance race at Gulfstream where he set the track record and looked terrific doing so. He faces some formidable competition today in Kieran McLaughlin's Divine Park (5-2) coming off two straight wins. The Met Mile was first run in 1891 at Morris Park until 1904 when it was first run at Belmont. It has been there since (other than four runnings at the Big A) and is the first leg of the New York Handicap Triple (Suburban and Brooklyn round out the latter legs). Only four horses have captured the NY Triple, the last being Fit to Fight (1984). The others are notable horses, Whisk Brook II, Tom Fool and Kelso (the latter two both having races named after them at NY tracks).

The other speed horse in the race is First Defence, who finished second after pressuring Hard Spun in last summer's King's Bishop on Travers Day. He could end up in a duel with Commentator in the early stages of this race and that could benefit Tony Dutrow's Premium Wine, should the speed burn out the two front-runners. Also entered and last seen on the first Saturday in May is Z Humor (coupled with Premium Wine - Zayat entries), trying a shorter distance after his 14th place finish at Churchill. Another horse to keep an eye on is Kiss the Kid (15-1), who finished a strong third in the Donn (G1) at Gulfstream and the same in the Godolphin (G2).

Is he good enough to single on top? I think so.

Tri (1x3x5):
1st: Commentator
2nd: First Defence, Divine Park, Kiss the Kid
3rd: add Premium Wine, Z Humor

Let's hope that NYRA selected New York State-based New Era Cap to manufacture their cap day hats! The Buffalo-based company had been around since 1920 and is a fourth generation company dedicated to Western New York and manufacturing in the USA.