Betting With, and Against, Senior Officer in the Vosburgh

A well-matched cast of nine will travel seven-eighths on the main oval at Belmont Park in Thursday's $250,000 Vosburgh (G3). The Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) ‘Win and You’re In’ qualifying tilt features numerous major contenders in the field, led by the Brad Cox-trained #8 Senior Officer (5-2), who finished in a dead heat for second in the Forego (G1) at Saratoga while making his stakes debut most recently. 

Senior Officer – With

• $1 superfecta 8 with 1,2,4 with 1,2,4 with all ($36)

Senior Officer – Against

• $2 trifecta 1,2,4 with 1,2,4,8 with 1,2,4,8 ($36)
• $1 trifecta key 2 with 1,4,8 ($6) 

The steadily improving son of Into Mischief has been first or second in each of his seven lifetime runs to date and has posted a pair of triple-digit Brisnet Speed numbers in two of his last three assignments in advance of this endeavor. The five-year-old gelding has performed well in both career runs at seven-eighths in advance of the heat, and the burly, lightly raced sort has the versatile running style to be a big-time presence in the event. Flavien Prat picks up the mount atop the morning-line choice.  

I’ve been impressed with #2 Contrary Thinking (6-1) from three runs since joining the Amelia Green shedrow in the spring, and he gets a long look in the deep dash. The six-year-old, who was basically used as a ‘rabbit’ for former stablemate Sierra Leone in longer races last season, has found his niche as a very good one-turn runner and looks like a threat here, coming in with very good current form. The Into Mischief gelding will be forwardly placed from the break with Dylan Davis in the irons. 

#1 T Kraft (5-1) has improved his Brisnet Speed figure in a pair of runs in succession and continues to train well for trainer Bill Mott. The Connect colt, who was in the dead heat for second in the Forego (G1) last time, is peaking in preparation for his Belmont bow and will have a clear trip from off the pace from the outside post with Junior Alvarado in the controls. 

The New York-bred #4 Buttah (10-1) was a smart winner of a very key allowance race at Saratoga two back when upsetting his foes at 29-1, and he proved that his tally was no fluke when taking the Morissey S. at The Spa last time out. The gray son of Leofric has really turned the corner since joining the Kantarmaci barn and is hard to ignore while in career form despite the class rise. The four-year-old colt will have Javier Castellano in the irons.