Las Vegas, NV - The Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap is on tap for this Monday, May 28th from Belmont Park. A very nice purse of $750,000 is on the line for three year olds willing to race one mile on Belmont Park's main dirt track.
A small but very strong field of six horses will go as the main event on Belmont's Holiday Monday card. It is race 10 on the schedule with a post time of 5:47 PM. Here is a look at the six entries and the past performances that brought them to this prestigious event.
To Honor and Serve - will make his second start of 2012 after an impressive win last time out at the Grade 3 Westchester Stakes on this track on April 28th. 2011 was good to this horse - he closed it out with a win in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap in November at Aqueduct. To Honor and Serve won three of four starts in 2011 - the only hiccup being a disappointing seventh at the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs in November. To Honor and Serve has seven wins (three for three at the one-turn mile and two for two on this track), a second and two third place finishes in 12 career starts and may be the best of the impressive field.
Caleb's Posse - won the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile in November during an impressive streak of four graded stakes wins in six races. He has two starts in 2012 with a second last time out in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct in April and another close second in the Grade 3 Tom Fool Handicap at Aqueduct in March. Caleb's Posse has the talent and just may be due for his first win of 2012.
Shackleford - Shackleford won the 2011 Preakness, finished fourth in the Derby and fifth in the Belmont Stakes - he has to be considered a serious contender in this one. He won the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes most recently in his only start of the year and also boasts impressive results such as a respectable 2nd in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs in November and seconds in the Florida Derby and Indiana Derby. Shackelford did struggle late in 2011 with a seventh in the Donn Handicap and an OK third in the Carter Handicap but his win on May 5th is reason enough to think that he is back in form.
Jackson Bend - is a definite contender in this race after posting two impressive wins in his last two starts - the Grade 1 Carter Handicap last time out and the Grade 2 Hal's Hope Stakes on January 14th and also has a third place finish at the Sentient Breeders' Cup Sprint at Churchill Downs in November. He's a multiple stakes winner with a host of runner up finishes in big races. Jackson Bend has a huge heart and cannot be ignored!
Metropolitan Handicap betting at Belmont Park with OffTrackBetting.com
Caixa Electronica - Todd Pletcher trained Caixa Electronica is coming of the biggest race of his career - a win at the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic Stakes. He has a staggering 52 starts with 17 wins and may just be peaking at the right time ahead of this huge race.
Saginaw - comes into this race on an impressive five race win streak - none of the graded stakes variety however. Saginaw has 27 career starts with 11 wins and is running better than at any part of her career.
Race 10 on Belmont Park's Monday card with a Post Time of 5:47 PM.
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