If I feel well enough, I will go out to Belmont Park on Long Island: on Friday, to watch Hot Money run in the sixth race; and on Saturday, to watch Mustang Island in the 10th race. Based on Hot Money's performances on the turf to date (two wins in his first three tries and favored at $0.95 to $1.00 in his third start, in which he cracked a splint bone) and the apparent quality of his opposition, he will probably be favored to win. Although he has been away from the races for a long time, his trainer, Christophe Clement, is renowned amongst bettors for having his horses ready to run after long layoffs.
Mustang Island's prospects on Saturday are more difficult to assess. He is a little behind Hot Money in coming to hand this spring. Unlike Hot Money, he is still shedding his winter coat, and he has had one or two fewer works than Hot Money. The talent of the competition in Mustang Island's race is more difficult to assess, and Mustang Island has never before been asked to sprint on the turf. He won last year at the distance of 1 1/16 th miles in his only race on the turf. In that race, he was rank and fought with his jockey; we are hoping that in a six-furlong race, which will have a faster pace, Mustang Island will settle under light restraint behind the early leaders. Like Hot Money, he will be ridden by Majiv Maragh, a talented young jockey.
I think that the probable favorite in Mustang island's race will be Onzain, which belongs to a friend of mine, Bill Punk. As owners and trainers say about their friends' horses, if I can't win it, I hope Bill does!
