Belmont Park Picks Today: Top Selections for October 23, 2026 horse racing

I'm not letting the turf stars hog the whole spotlight at Belmont Park on October 23, 2026, because the youngsters give this nine-race card plenty of bite. My Belmont Park picks today begin with McMoon's speed and a meaningful class drop, the combination behind my strongest opinion of the afternoon. With two Perfect Sting minor stakes and the Grade 3 Sands Point closing the program, I also have several turf arguments to settle before calling it a day. I've approached these Belmont Park entries looking for horses who can get a useful position and still finish, particularly where a crowded field makes the obvious choice less comfortable. These picks were made before scratches and race-day changes so be sure to double check those before the afternoon kicks-in. When you're ready to play the card, place your horse-racing bets at BetOnline.

Race 1: McMoon gets back to his speed game

My Pick: #4 McMoon (Morning line: 1-1)

I want McMoon back doing what he showed on debut: getting involved early in a dirt sprint, rather than trying to carry that speed around a turf mile. His Saratoga debut at today's six-furlong distance produced a second and a 60 Beyer, and the move from maiden special weights into this $50,000 claiming spot gives George Weaver a more manageable assignment. I expect Edgard Zayas to use that early foot and make the others come get him, ideally without spending the opening quarter fighting for every inch. The catch is that McMoon has tired in both subsequent starts, so I'm backing the return to his best setup rather than declaring those disappointments imaginary. This is my strongest opinion, but he still has to save something for the last furlong instead of treating the finish line as somebody else's responsibility.

My alternative: #5 Greek God (Morning line: 7-2) went wide and never threatened in his Saratoga debut, but he also gets the class relief and a second chance to understand the assignment. I'd expect him farther back than McMoon, making his best chance a cleaner journey and a leader who spends too much too soon.

Race 2: Just You Baby has earned another chance

My Pick: #2 Just You Baby (Morning line: 8-5)

Just You Baby has done enough running to make me believe there is a maiden win here, even if he has not yet delivered the decisive punch. He finished second at Saratoga and third at Belmont while covering extra ground in both races, and today's mile gives Ricardo Santana Jr. another chance to let him settle before asking for the serious work. I want him settling behind the early activity, with no premature chase just because the field is small. His latest effort carried the telling comment "no kick," so the extra distance needs to help him sustain his run rather than merely give him more room to hang. I'm taking the experience and competitive efforts, but I still want to see him turn proximity into a win.

My alternative: #3 Island Pal (Morning line: 4-1) changes from turf to dirt and adds blinkers after a debut in which he traveled wide and never got properly involved. He has more unanswered questions than my pick, but a better break and more focused early involvement could make him a different proposition without needing to invent a completely new horse.

Race 3: Queen Martina gets a narrow nod in a crowded argument

My Pick: #4 Queen Martina (Ire) (Morning line: 2-1)

Queen Martina's American debut is the reason I'm willing to start with her in this genuinely competitive turf sprint. She tossed her head early, came from well back and missed by only half a length against this allowance level, giving Bill Mott something useful to build on rather than a reputation to sell. I picture her taking cover while the forward runners sort themselves out, then asking Manuel Franco to bring that finishing run into the race before the leaders get too much breathing room. The shorter trip leaves less recovery time after another awkward start, and this multi-horse puzzle deserves a wider look than two selections.

My alternative: #5 Obstreperous (Morning line: 6-1) brings six career wins and summer form that includes competitive efforts in stakes company, including a fourth in the Caress. She can race closer than Queen Martina, which gives her a different route to the finish if the late runners find themselves waiting for room instead of using it.

Race 4: Mysticious can make experience count

My Pick: #5 Mysticious (Morning line: 3-1)

I'll take Mysticious to make her experience count against an inexperienced field with plenty of expensive questions. Her latest second came after she veered out, hit the gate and traveled three to four paths wide, yet she still finished ahead of today's alternative. That gives me a concrete reason to expect her to stay involved just behind the early speed and make the first serious move when the running starts. I want Zayas keeping her comfortable rather than repeating the drawn-out duel that wore her down at Saratoga, because being experienced does not make a young filly immune to doing too much early. The newcomers keep this interesting, but Mysticious has already shown she can take a few knocks and remain competitive at this level.

My alternative: #2 Tia Melanie (Morning line: 5-2) chased Mysticious home on debut and now gets the chance to turn that introduction into a more polished performance. I see her sitting a little farther off the first flight and trying to catch my pick late, with her limited experience leaving more room for improvement than the bare finishing order suggests.

Race 5: Wind Flower can get first run in the Perfect Sting

My Pick: #9 Wind Flower (Morning line: 3-1)

Wind Flower gets my vote because I can see the trip without having to order a pace collapse off the menu. She chased wide and drew clear in her latest turf sprint, producing a 97 Beyer and looking much more effective at that shorter assignment than when she was caught up in a less successful route effort earlier in the year. I expect Jose Lezcano to keep her within striking distance, get her moving before the deepest closers, and make them catch a mare who has already begun opening daylight. Seven furlongs and the outside draw are the concerns; I don't want a stalking trip turning into a costly chase around the field. Her sprint success is persuasive, but I'm asking her to carry that finish a little farther.

My alternative: #3 Epic Style (Morning line: 7-2) has won her last two starts, most recently swinging six wide and driving clear in the Sweet Briar Too. She is the late-running threat I most respect, particularly if Wind Flower gets drawn into the early action and leaves the door open for a stronger finishing punch.

Race 6: Emphasis has room to grow into the job

My Pick: #4 Emphasis (Morning line: 9-2)

Emphasis is the horse I want sitting just behind the argument in this six-furlong allowance. He won on debut, disappeared for more than a year, then returned with a faster performance despite tiring into fifth after an outside trip. Todd Pletcher has given him another series of works, and I'd like Santana to let the more committed speed establish the tempo before moving him into contention. There should be enough early activity to reward a horse who can wait, but Emphasis still has only two races behind him and must prove he can finish against winners. I'm looking for progress, not assuming a single comeback has settled every question about the interruption.

My alternative: #3 Dr Ruben M (Morning line: 7-2) offers the more seasoned answer, having drawn clear in an August dirt sprint before finishing third in this allowance condition. He can put himself into the race earlier than Emphasis, although that advantage becomes a liability if the forward group turns the opening stages into a prolonged argument.

Race 7: Jadorlinija can stay in the right conversation

My Pick: #3 Jadorlinija (Morning line: 2-1)

I'm siding with Jadorlinija because her recent dirt-route efforts give me a fairly clear picture of what she can do when allowed to establish a comfortable position. She made the running and edged clear to win her Saratoga maiden, then followed with a second against this allowance condition after traveling three wide on the turn. Santana has been aboard for both efforts, and I'd like him to preserve that tactical flexibility rather than decide before the break that she absolutely has to lead. A mile is familiar territory, but ten runners complicate the trip, and her latest second showed that staying close is not the same as threatening the winner. I prefer her consistent involvement, but I still need a more decisive finish against winners this time.

My alternative: #7 Street View (Morning line: 6-1) drew clear in an August claiming win but has since finished behind the principals in a pair of shorter allowance races. She can settle and make a later move, giving her a chance to upset my pick if the early runners soften each other up, though her uneven route record stops me from treating the extra ground as an automatic cure.

Race 8: Love Cervere brings the finish, but this is a toss-up

My Pick: #7 Love Cervere (Morning line: 5-2)

Love Cervere is my preference in the other Perfect Sting, and I'm expecting the closing stages to be considerably more interesting than the opening ones. She came wide and edged away in the Floral Park last time, recovering from a poor Grade 1 effort and reminding me that her late run belongs in a serious turf-sprint discussion. I want Franco to find cover and keep her close enough to launch without needing the leaders to stop, because seven furlongs offers opportunity but does not excuse giving away the whole first half. There are several genuine winning cases here, making this a toss-up that deserves a wider look rather than an artificially tidy two-horse verdict. Love Cervere has shown she can finish the job; the question is whether she gets to do it before the race has already escaped her.

My alternative: #8 Gratefully (Morning line: 4-1) won her first five starts before stumbling and weakening in the Intercontinental, so I'm not reducing her whole career to that last ugly line. She can be much closer to the lead than Love Cervere, but the return from June, removal of blinkers and first try at seven furlongs leave meaningful questions alongside the obvious ability.

Race 9: Crossover Capital takes another step in the Sands Point

My Pick: #7 Crossover Capital (Fr) (Morning line: 3-1)

I'm giving Crossover Capital the narrow nod in the Grade 3 Sands Point because her brief career has moved in the right direction without requiring the same trip every time. She won her first two starts, then rallied into third in the Winter Memories after coming wide into the stretch, showing she could remain competitive when the class question became more serious. With Chad Brown and Flavien Prat, I'm looking for her to settle into a stalking or closing position and build one sustained run rather than get involved in the early bargaining. Her two wins came at a mile and a sixteenth, so today's extra ground is another question, not a reason to announce that she has already solved the distance. This is another multi-horse puzzle, and I'm choosing her finishing potential without pretending the opposition will make it easy.

My alternative: #2 Bless Her (Morning line: 7-2) brings a second in the Dueling Grounds Oaks and a fourth in the Saratoga Oaks, giving her a stronger collection of recent graded-stakes tests. She can sit closer than Crossover Capital and get first run, making her dangerous if my pick's improvement hasn't yet caught up with the company.

My Bottom Line: Speed early, patience late

McMoon in the first is my strongest opinion, with his return to a dirt sprint and class relief giving me a straightforward reason to take his early speed seriously. I also like Wind Flower's chance to get the jump on the late runners. It gets harder in other races and there are crowded fields in the second Perfect Sting and the Sands Point. For more horse racing picks today, check the Belmont Park race page, the horse-racing articles hub, and the track-bias, jockey and trainer tools to conduct your own handicapping. If you want to get involved, bet the card at BetOnline!