Fast & firm with a carryover just shy of $18k in the pick six for the Friday card at Belmont Park.  

Prior to the pick six sequence getting started, we have an interesting matchup of high-priced first-time starters for guys named Pletcher and Brown in Race 3. 

While Chad Brown's Mask brought $685k as a yearling, Pletcher's Navistar was purchased for $900k following a 10-flat work back in March.  Seems likely that at least one, and probably both, can run a little.  

Race 4:  The scratch of class-dropping Hello Holiday changes things a bit in this 2-life claimer on turf.  It now seems that Escape Velocity (back to turf off the claim) and Mascarello have the advantage in this field. 

The former's turf form was less-than-compelling while he was in Chad's barn, though he was facing better horses in those two races.  His new trainer is underrated off the claim, and this horse does figure to appreciate getting back on grass at this level.   

Mascarello is 1-for-21 on the way in, but only seven of those races have come on turf, and he is clearly better on this surface.  He may have been best when going with the first run into a solid pace two starts back at Saratoga, and he was rated too far back off the early pace last time, before catching some traffic in the stretch.  

Race 5:  Shimmering Moon and Court Dancer are the two best horses in the race.  The question is: How much faith can you put in either one of them?  

The only alternative - and it's not a bad one - is Special Dividend, who was in good form prior to enduring a layoff, and is switching from turf-to-dirt after apparently prepping in a turf sprint off the layoff last month.  

Race 6:  Soglio is hard a tough call dropping fro the first time after failing to fulfill his early potential, but he is the horse to beat in this race, as his best race will win it.  Motion's numbers dropping in for a tag for the first time on turf are not good at 3 for 38 over the past five years, though it may be worth pointing out that two of the three wins in that sample have come this year.  

The other horse to take very seriously is Itsabigboy, who is making his turf debut off the claim for Brad Cox.  Itsabigboy had each of his two scheduled turf starts rained off to the main track at Saratoga, and he ran well in both of those races.  His dam was a stakes winner on turf in her career, as well. 

Nutzforbolz has improved on turf and can win, but he may be facing a couple of better horses here after coming with a late run - and seeming to have the momentum - at this level last time, only to be denied at the end.  

Race 7:  Wide open dirt sprint is one to take some coverage if you can.  I thought Schivarelli ran well when dropped sharply in class last time, and he had plenty of back form to handle this rise back up off the claim.  

Still Krz, Bluegrass Singer and Bolita Boyz all have a race that would make them tough, as does Anytime Anyplace, who is dropping out of a poor performance at Laurel last month.  

Race 8:  Call Provision in the horse to beat after just getting outfinished by the talented Get Jets last time, and he will appreciate getting to run over this longer distance today.  

To me he is a pretty solid favorite, though there is a horse with a race to get to that could make things close.  That horse is Holiday Star, who is making his third start back from an extended layoff today.  

Holiday Star went evenly in the stretch after getting himself into position in his first start back, though I don't see why you would go too hard on him for that.  In his next start, which came vs. stakes company at Laurel, he might have been compromised a bit by saving ground behind a solid pace for the level, as he could not get any momentum up from behind horses coming to the stretch, and he could not reach the runners that had the jump on him late.  

Race 9:  I took Here and There in this tough 3-life claimer for older sprinters, but would want to also use horses like Little Schmo, Rossie Val and Delta Outlaw.