How to bet the Beldame Stakes

A compact field of five fillies and mares will go postward in the $250,000 Beldame S. (G2) at Aqueduct on Friday. Multiple Grade 1 heroine #5 Randomized (1-2) is not especially consistent, but the Chad Brown charge bagged this race in 2023, and she is both the speed and class of the affair. 

Beldame Wagers

• $25 exacta 5 with 4 ($25)
• $10 exacta 4 with 5 ($10)

Randomized has been a mixed bag from four runs this campaign, as she won the Molly Pitcher S. (G3) and finished a close third in the La Trioenne S. (G1) at Churchill Downs, but also lost by a combined 52 lengths in her other pair of appearances. On her best day, the bay will flash substantial early foot and use her high cruising speed to put her foes away late, and this seems like an ideal spot for her to be her best self. The Nyquist mare sports a 3-2-1-0 mark at Aqueduct; she has posted three morning moves in advance of the race, and the outside draw should allow for a clear trip throughout, as well. She will be formidable, putting forth something close to her top effort beneath Flavien Prat. 

The peaking #4 Majestic Oops (2-1) has been in excellent form since April for conditioner Dan Ward. The Majestic Harbor five-year-old owns a pair of stakes triumphs this season, and while she was defeated in her last two assignments, she performed quite well on each occasion. The mare was a sharp second in the Molly Pitcher (G3) two back in a race that came up very deep this year. In her latest outing, she was clear in third behind a strong top two in the Ballerina S. (G1) at Saratoga, finishing more than seven lengths ahead of her nearest pursuer. 

Majestic Oops gives me the impression of a horse that will be up to the task on the stretch out in distance to nine panels, and the Ballerina might have been the ideal prep for her Aqueduct debut. The Cal-bred wouldn’t be a big surprise under Carmouche. 

As for the others in the group:  #1 Just Music looks to be in deep today. Grade 2 heroine, #2 Margie’s Intention, has never faced elders and also lacks the speed to stay in range early. #3 Gun Song capped off 2024 with some big races but has yet to regain that form as a four-year-old.