Horse Racing This Weekend: Key Races, Top Horses & Best Bets [June 6]
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Jason Beem Horse Racing Podcast
Jason is joined by Kellie Reilly for International Radar including discussion of some Belmont day runners. Then Jason discusses the undercard races for Belmont Day at Saratoga.
Top horses and best bets for horse racing this weekend
Click to jump to each race listed!
Best Bets for the 2026 Belmont Stakes
Read the full analysis here: Tipsheet: 2026 Belmont Stakes
A fantastic field of nine three-year-olds will travel 1 1/4 miles on the dirt at Saratoga in Saturday’s third leg of the Triple Crown, the $2 million Belmont (G1).
Belmont Stakes Picks
- #4 Renegade
- #3 Chief Wallabee
- #7 Commandment
Belmont Stakes Wagers
- $40 win #4 Renegade
- $20 exacta box 3-4
- 50-cent superfecta 3,4 with 3,4,7,8 with 3,4,7,8,9 with 3,4,7,8,9
Top Horses for the 2026 Belmont Stakes
#4 RENEGADE (2-1): Morning-line choice and top pick ran a winning race in defeat in the Run for the Roses and gets top billing for Pletcher. The $975,000 yearling purchase has been very good in each of his three assignments this campaign and appears to be coming up to the race in fine fashion, too. Irad Ortiz will once again guide the stout late runner.
Pro: Arguably the best in the Kentucky Derby after a horrendous trip in the opening furlong.
Con: A strong pace would obviously help, but little speed is entered here.
#3 CHIEF WALLABEE (3-1): A solid win threat from the barn of Bill Mott, the colt was a brave fourth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) despite having an unfavorable trip in Louisville, and the son of Constitution looms large with clear sailing in the Belmont. The bay homebred has trained well as of late and should move up while racing with blinkers on for the second time in his career. Third in the Florida Derby (G1), he will stalk the pace while always in range beneath Junior Alvarado.
Pro: Given relative inexperience, ran quite well to finish fourth in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
Con: Has fallen short three times at this level; perhaps a slight cut below?
#7 COMMANDMENT (6-1): Florida Derby (G1) victor ran evenly late in the Derby and is eligible to improve for conditioner Brad Cox. The millionaire son of Into Mischief has impressed on multiple occasions this season, and his best performance puts him right there with any contender in the cast. He picks up two-time Belmont winner John Velazquez, too.
Pro: Flattened out after the middle move in the Derby; likely better than that.
Con: Like several of these, lack of pace might blunt effectiveness.
RELATED
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- 2026 Belmont Stakes odds, predictions, contenders, horses
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- Belmont Stakes 2026 odds, news and notes
- Stakes Spot Plays for Saratoga, Sunday June 7
- Betting All-Stakes Pick 5 into 2026 Belmont
Bentornato winning the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) at Del Mar (Photo by Horsephotos.com)
Pick 4 of the Week: Saratoga Saturday, June 6
A total of five Pick 4 wagers will be hosted by Saratoga on Saturday, and I’ll take a swing at the middle sequence, which features a trio of graded tilts.
Race 6 Wager
- 50-cent Pick 4: 1,5 with 2,3,4 with 2,3,8 with 1,5,6,9,10 ($45)
Best Bets for the 2026 Jaipur Stakes
Read the full analysis here: Exotics Plays for the 2026 Jaipur Stakes
An ultra-competitive cast of 10 will speed 5 1/2 furlongs on the Saratoga outer turf oval in Saturday’s $500,000 Jaipur (G1). The race is too deep for me to single a runner, so I will spread with a few talented contenders in the heat.
Jaipur Exotics
Top Horses for the 2026 Jaipur Stakes
#1 Governor Sam (15-1) for the win at big odds in the grassy dash, but the four-year-old has a lot going for him in the heat and will add a lot of spice to the gimmicks under Paco Lopez. The Improbable gelding sports a 3-2-1-0 mark on the course, led by a daylight victory in the Quick Call (G3) here in July. A beaten fourth on the synthetic at Gulfstream Park in his 2026 debut, the George Weaver trainee is pretty quick from the gate in a field without a ton of pace, and with his draw on the fence, I assume that he will be sent hard early to secure good position from the start. The bay has picked up each of his five lifetime wins at the distance, and if he leads early, he will be dangerous late and offer great value.
#6 Ag Bullet (3-1) fired a bullet five-eighths in advance of her six-year-old debut and is a must-use for Richard Baltas. The outstanding gray has amassed more than $2.9 million in her lifetime ahead of her seasonal bow and is proven on the oval. I would have liked to see the daughter of Twirling Candy have a prep run for this heat, but she is a fantastic turf dasher and could surely be up to the task in her second local appearance, nonetheless. John Velazquez retains the mount.
#9 Twenty Six Black (12-1) lacks the credentials of the top guns in the cast, but the New York-bred bay ran two excellent races on this course in 2025 and has never finished worse than third in six career tries at the distance. Trained by Horacio de Paz, he had a nice tightener for the race with a close second in the Elusive Quality S. in his 2026 debut at Aqueduct, and I expect him to improve second time back. Manny Franco will guide the stalker.
#10 My Boy Prince (5-1) bagged the deep Shakertown (G2) at Keeneland two prior and was also second best in this race last spring. The classy son of Cairo Prince has found his niche as a turf dasher and has the versatility to run from close up, or well back, in the early stages of the race. Jose Ortiz will guide the Ontario-bred once again.
Racing at Churchill Downs (Photo by Coady Photography)
Pick 3 of the Week: Churchill Downs Saturday, June 6
The Pick 3 of the Week will come from Churchill Downs on Saturday and starts off with a pair of maiden contests.
Race 6 Wager
- $2 Pick 3: 3,4,5,10,11 with 10 with 4,6,9,11 ($40)
TwinSpires Jury
The biggest weekend in horse racing is here, and the TwinSpires Jury is bringing together an all-star handicapping panel for a special Belmont Stakes edition!
Host Nick Tammaro welcomes legendary horseplayer, former NHL All-Star, and TBS NHL broadcaster Eddie Olczyk alongside TwinSpires handicappers James Scully and Darin Zoccali for an in-depth preview of one of the most anticipated race days of the year.
Best Bets for the 2026 Manhattan Stakes
Read the full analysis here: Tipsheet: 2026 Manhattan Stakes
A superb cast of nine grassy specialists will run 1 3/16 miles on the lawn at Saratoga in Saturday’s lucrative, $1 million Manhattan (G1).
2026 Manhattan Stakes Picks
- #6 Bright Picture
- #5 Deterministic
- #7 Rhetorical
2026 Manhattan Stakes Wagers
Top Horses for the Manhattan Stakes
#6 BRIGHT PICTURE (3-1): Top pick from the barn of living legend Andre Fabre will make his first appearance in the U.S. in this spot, and he gets top billing, with Flavien Prat picking up the mount. The Intello gelding has run three big races in succession in 2026 and has never been better for a master conditioner who doesn’t ship to the states unless it is warranted.
#5 DETERMINISTIC (7-2): Multiple Grade 1 victor has compiled a fine 9-6-2-1 mark on the turf in his career and rides in on a four-race win streak dating back to last season for Miguel Clement. The Liam’s Map five-year-old has reportedly been in awesome form in the mornings of late, and while he’s no sure thing at 1 3/16 miles, he bagged the race last campaign at 1 1/8 miles and is a must-use on Saturday. Kendrick Carmouche stays in the silks.
#7 RHETORICAL (2-1): Excellent New York-bred is a two-time Grade 1 hero coming off a facile romp in the Turf Classic on Derby Day in his second appearance of the season. The gelded son of Not This Time owns three wins and a third from four local runs to date, and the five-year-old also has the gate presence to be close in the heat from the opening bell. He will be formidable with Irad in the controls.
Further Ado wins the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs. (Photo by Coady Media)
Tipsheet: 2026 Matt Winn Stakes
A strong field of eight will travel 1 1/16 miles on Churchill Downs' main track in Sunday’s $500,000 Matt Winn (G3).
Matt Winn Stakes Picks
- #7 Further Ado
- #2 Potente
- #5 Corona de Oro
- #6 Taptastic
Matt Winn Stakes Wagers
- $30 to win on #7 Further Ado
- $1 Superfecta: 7 with 2,5 with 1,2,5,6 with ALL ($30)
Total: $60
RELATED: How to bet the 2026 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs
International Race Day | Epsom Derby & Oaks and British Spot Plays
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