On Saturday, there’s a 74% chance that it rains at Belmont Park. That’s why we decided to handicap and make free horse racing picks for 3 dirt races. Luckily for horseplayers, the featured event, the Grade 2 Ruffian Stakes, takes place over dirt. Check out top plays and Horse Racing Odds from Belmont Park for Saturday, July 11. You can also visit our Online Racebook to place your bets on active racetracks.

Belmont Park Horse Racing Picks

• When: Saturday, July 11 at 1:15 pm ET
• Where: Elmont, NY
• Weather: Thunderstorms in the afternoon

Belmont Park Picks for Saturday, July 11

Race 4 – 2:55 pm ET – 1 Mile Dirt – $150,000 G2 Ruffian Stakes

Monomoy Girl will go off a seriously underlaid chalk. She should offer odds of 1/5 if not 1/9. But, the winner of 10-of-12 doesn’t lay over this field like so many believe. Sure, she blasted her opponents in her last race by 2 ¾ lengths. But that was the slowest Monomoy Girl ran since a July 2018 race at Saratoga.

We’re taking  a shot on Todd Pletcher trained Always Shopping to beat her. Pletcher has done well with talented 4-year-old fillies in the past. He could have another good one if Always Shopping puts everything together on Saturday. The Awesome Again sired filly goes turf-to-dirt, a 25% winning move. We’ll back the 15/1 morning line runner to shock the odds on favorite.

Monomoy Girl won’t finish worse than second. If you don’t want to take a shot on Always Shopping to win, put Monomoy Girl on top and Shopping on the bottom of the exacta.

On her best day, Vexatious can win a race like the Ruffian Stakes. Unfortunately, she’s had few great days. We’ll use to fill out the trifecta.

• Win: Always Shopping
• Place: Monomoy Girl
• Show: Vexatious

Race 7– 4:32 pm ET – 6 ½ Furlongs Dirt– $56,000 Allowance

The seventh sets up for Steve Jerkens trained presser Wailin Josie. The Central Banker sired 4-year-old filly finished behind Bustin Scones in her last. But she should get the jump on that rival in this while the speed horses don’t inspire.

Bustin Scones figures to go off the chalk. She buried 5/2 on the morning line Good Credence in her last. Although that rival gets blinkers, Scones should get a similar run, which means, again, she finishes in front of Good Credence.

Of the speed horses, Fair Lassie is the most dangerous. She’s got 3 wins from 5 races at the distance. She finished third in one of the other races at 6 ½, making her a decent play for most slots on your exotic tickets.

• Win: Wailin Josie
• Place: Bustin Scones
• Show: Fair Lassie

Race 8 – 5:04 pm ET – 1 1/16 Miles Dirt – $40,000 Claiming

Mike Maker trained Super Dude has a big shot to get the win money in the eighth at Big Sandy on Saturday. The Dude won a $50,000 optional claimer back in March at Oaklawn Park. Since then, the 6-year-old First Dude sired gelding has 2 fifth place finishes and a third. The works leading up to this are fantastic while Dude is 3-of-5 with a second at the distance.

26% for the year winning trainer Rob Atras has yet to get on track. He could with Heavy Roller. The Malibu Moon sired gelding takes a slight drop in class from $50,000 claiming to this $40,000 level. Atras is looking for the win money. Roller could get it.

1-Kumar and 1A-Leitone both have a shot to grab the win. But since there’s two of them, expect the odds to fall well below the 5/2 morning line. The entry is a must use. We just don’t see a situation where the win odds justify a wager for the top spot, though.

• Win: Super Dude
• Place: Heavy Roller
• Show: Kumar / Leitone