Steve Matthews' Belmont selections for Friday, May 19
Best bet: WHO HOO THATS ME (7)
Best value: AWESOME FORCE (5)
FIRST: Old Point drops, returns to dirt and owns fast back numbers, Break the Ice was a better-than-it-looked fifth in last; dangerous. Bold Honor is riding a forward line on the numbers.
SECOND: Joey the Fish regressed in last after improved third in prior; rebounds. Chasing Daylight owns speed and drops; very playable. Mursal fired 3-furlong bullet for return from freshener.
THIRD: Dancing Sophia was freshened after winning three straight this past winter; picks up where she left off. Movie Moxy took backward step in last after game placing in prior; bounce-back threat. Pharoah's Heart consistently fires big efforts; be no surprise.
FOURTH: Arina logged scorching final fraction in last; gets first U.S. score. Canisy could prove very tough on a soft lead. Whimsical Dance ships in for potent Woodbine-based barn; don't ignore.
FIFTH: Awesome Force wheels back quickly and gets class relief after displaying improved speed in last; addition of blinkers is key. Metamorphoses logged improved late-pace figure in last; very interesting. Myles could take them wire to wire if allowed an unchallenged lead.
SIXTH: Trash Talker was a front-running winner in last; controlling speed once again. Bring Me a Check owns stalker's style and is favorably posted outside; worth long look. American Gentleman could secure garden spot with heads-up handling; don't ignore.
SEVENTH: Who Hoo Thats Me should be ideally positioned in field that's jammed with front-runners. Rotknee could play out as the speed of the speed with aggressive handling. Twelfth Man would be aided by pace meltdown; must consider.
EIGHTH: Fatima's Dressing owns field's fastest late-pace figures. Playingwithmatches could prove a tough customer on a soft lead. Conman was a fast-closing second in last; must be factored into the mix.
NINTH: Buckortwo drops to lifetime low and should be favorably positioned near the front of the pack. Brennan's War also owns speed and must be considered. Tie Breaker was a strong second in last; dangerous. Big Boulder is training swiftly for debut; right in the thick of this.
