Belmont Park Picks Today: My Selections in Every Race for October 24, 2026

We have an amazing day full of minor stakes at Belmont Park. These ten New York-bred stakes give us plenty of horses with something to prove but some seem more solid bets.

For my Belmont Park picks today on October 24, 2026, I'm tackling 11 races beginning at the program's 12:05 p.m. ET first post, with five scheduled turf races and six on dirt. I love the contrast between young horses stretching out in the juvenile stakes and seasoned runners trying to settle familiar arguments, with Shoot It True giving me my strongest opinion in the 6th race.

These picks were made before scratches and race-day changes and assume Fast and Firm ground so please check that this fact remains before betting. If you're ready to join me for the card, place your horse-racing bets at BetOnline.

Race 1: Bella Knows Needs Room to Finish

My Pick: #6 Bella Knows (Morning line: 2-1)

I'm giving Bella Knows the opener on her turf allowance form, even if the shorter trip asks a different question. She finished second in June, then had to steady into the first turn in her latest outing after an earlier race sent her extremely wide into the stretch. I want Manny Franco to let her find her feet, keep her within reach, and produce one clean run rather than spend the race repairing another awkward position. The catch is obvious: her recent races have been routes, and she cannot let these sprinters get away while she is still arranging her furniture.

My alternative: #4 Cravings (Morning line: 5-1) ran on for second on turf earlier this month and also owns a convincing dirt win at seven furlongs. I like her if the shorter assignment brings her finish into play sooner, but she shares the pick's need for something to chase.

Race 2: Sun Kissed Bliss Takes Her Speed Farther

My Pick: #4 Sun Kissed Bliss (Morning line: 5-2)

I'll take Sun Kissed Bliss in the Maid of the Mist, respecting her perfect record without dismissing the longer distance. She won her debut and then the Lady Finger, showing she could break sharply, secure position, and keep going when asked. I expect Kendrick Carmouche to use that natural speed to establish a comfortable rhythm instead of making the mile a wrestling match from the start. Her finishing record is the attraction; stretching beyond those sprint victories is the examination, and I want to see her save something for the final furlong.

My alternative: #5 B Yutiful Carly (Morning line: 9-5) rallied to win her debut after a slow start before finishing third in the Seeking the Ante. I can see her turning the tables on the speedier types if the leaders spend too much energy early, although she also has to prove this longer trip.

Race 3: Munnings Express Brings the Right Kind of Class

My Pick: #3 Munnings Express (Morning line: 1-1)

Even at what will surely be a short starting price, I keep coming back to Munnings Express, who has already answered the state-bred sprint question. Her Johnstone victory came with an inside advance and a decisive finish, and her latest fourth was against Grade 2 company in the Gallant Bloom. I want Manny Franco close enough to keep the leaders honest without turning an advantageous stalking position into an unnecessary duel. She weakened in that graded outing, so I am asking for her more effective finish; class relief still leaves her a race to run.

My alternative: #5 Venetta (Morning line: 5-2) won the Bouwerie and New York Oaks before weakening over a longer route in the Fleet Indian. I find the cutback interesting for a filly who has already won sprinting, with Flavien Prat able to keep her involved rather than leave her a mountain to climb.

Race 4: Valtellina Can Let the Leaders Do the Arguing

My Pick: #3 Valtellina (Morning line: 8-5)

I prefer the likely second-favorite Valtellina in the Empire Distaff on consecutive mile wins and evidence that the extra distance is manageable. Her runner-up effort in the Critical Eye came at today's nine furlongs, so I am not buying a distance story based on wishful thinking. I want Dylan Davis to let the forward horses establish the pace, keep her out of an early argument, and bring her into the race when their comfortable strides begin to shorten. She has to carry her recent allowance success into stakes company, but the combination of current form and an already competitive effort at the trip keeps me interested.

My alternative: #4 Grazie (Morning line: 7-5) has won her last two while racing prominently, including a comfortable mile victory last month. I would fear her most if Prat can control matters without a prolonged fight, because Valtellina's late run becomes a tougher assignment against a leader with fuel left.

Race 5: Spirit of St Louis Gets the Last Word

My Pick: #3 Spirit of St Louis (Morning line: 9-5)

I'll be siding with Spirit of St Louis in the Mohawk, a race I expect to enjoy more than I expect to solve comfortably. He rallied to win the West Point after running well without winning in his previous starts, and his overall record tells me he knows what to do when the opportunity arrives. My preferred picture has him conserving energy behind the pace, then finding daylight for the sort of sustained finish that won his latest stakes assignment. The danger is a race that turns into a leisurely procession: nine furlongs gives a closer time, but time alone does not make the horses in front stop.

My alternative: #1 Sounds Like a Plan (Morning line: 3-1) led late and fought on for second behind the pick in the West Point. I see his inside position and forward style as a different route to victory: ration the speed, make the closer come and get him, and avoid another expensive late confrontation.

Race 6: Shoot It True Is My Strongest Opinion

My Pick: #3 Shoot It True (Morning line: 1-1)

Of all the horses in all the races today, I'm most convinced by Shoot It True in the New York Filly and Mare Turf Sprint Championship, because her recent record combines serious opposition with a finish I can believe in. She followed graded-stakes placings with a decisive Saratoga allowance victory, rallying around the turn and clearing her rivals rather than merely collecting another minor award. I want Antonio Fresu to let the speed organize itself, keep her balanced, and bring that run into the open when the race starts getting serious. Her latest winning effort was shorter than this, and the break since August means she still has to return with that same acceleration. I'm asking her to repeat an established strength, which is a much more comfortable position than asking a horse to discover one.

My alternative: #5 Highway Harmony (Morning line: 3-1) owns a convincing state-bred stakes win at six furlongs and is much more likely to be involved early. I would worry about her stealing a breather in front, although her latest effort ended with her weakening after setting the pace.

Race 7: Scramjet Has to Take His Speed Around a Mile

My Pick: #1 Scramjet (Morning line: 8-5)

I give Scramjet a narrow nod in the Sleepy Hollow because his two sprint wins show more than one useful way to get the job done. He handled pressure in his maiden victory, then tracked outside before taking command in the Funny Cide, so I do not need him to lead every step. From the rail, I want Carmouche to secure position without getting trapped into proving a point before the real running begins. The mile is new territory, and an unbeaten record does not tell me how much horse will be left when he reaches the part of the race he has never seen.

My alternative: #4 Professor Plum (Morning line: 5-2) chased Scramjet home in the Funny Cide after contact entering the stretch and had already shown a strong rally in his maiden win. I like his different approach if the longer trip turns this into a test of patience and finishing, rather than another sprint decided by early position.

Race 8: Sacrosanct Can Wait for His Opening

My Pick: #8 Sacrosanct (Morning line: 3-1)

I want Sacrosanct in the Hudson because his sprint form gives him options beyond needing one perfect trip. His spring allowance win came from an outside pursuit, and his latest dirt effort was a competitive third at this distance against open allowance company. I expect Manny Franco to find a tracking position and give him a target, with the option of waiting a little longer if the front becomes crowded. He has not raced since late July, so the question is whether the familiar punch returns immediately; I cannot simply treat his best spring effort as a standing appointment with the winner's circle.

My alternative: #1 Buttah (Morning line: 5-2) won the John Morrissey before finishing fourth in the Vosburgh, giving him recent graded opposition and a strong state-bred result. I see him getting first run from a handy position if Sacrosanct takes too long to wind up, with the inside trip helping him stay involved.

Race 9: Waralo Makes the Closers Catch Him

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

I'm with Waralo in the New York Turf Sprint Championship because his recent graded seconds are stronger evidence than the absence of a win beside them might suggest. He was narrowly beaten in both the Troy and Belmont Turf Sprint, and he had already shown his resolve by winning the Ashley T. Cole. I want Jose Lezcano to use his natural early foot to establish the terms, then make the late runners produce something better than a threatening silhouette. Those close defeats also supply the warning: he can do nearly everything right and still get caught, so I want controlled speed rather than an opening quarter spent showing off.

My alternative: #3 Twenty Six Black (Morning line: 2-1) brings a genuine late threat, highlighted by his decisive Harvey Pack victory. I would expect him to become more dangerous if Waralo has to work harder than planned early, but his last two efforts lacked the final kick needed to settle the argument.

Race 10: Wynstock Has Started Finishing the Job

My Pick: #8 Wynstock (Morning line: 7-2)

I'll take Wynstock in the Empire Classic because his last two starts offer a much more persuasive picture than his less reliable efforts earlier in the season. He won over nine furlongs at Saratoga in July and then fought out a narrow mile victory in September, showing both a sustained move and determination in a close finish. I want Carmouche within striking range, conserving enough horse to make that outside advance when the leaders are committed. His earlier defeat in the Commentator included loading reluctance and no rally, so I still see a runner who must bring the cooperative version of himself to a demanding assignment.

My alternative: #9 Doc Sullivan (Morning line: 4-1) finished right alongside Wynstock in September and comes out of the Vosburgh. I respect his late-running chance if the pace becomes demanding, but his repeated runner-up finishes are why I prefer the horse who has recently been finding a way past the last rival.

Race 11: Gallant Greta Gets a Very Narrow Nod

My Pick: #9 Gallant Greta (Morning line: 4-1)

I lean toward Gallant Greta in the Ticonderoga, but I see this as a genuine three-or-more-horse toss-up, not a race whose possibilities end with two names. She returned from a long absence to win the Ricks Memorial, stalking before moving wide and splitting rivals, which gives me a current winning effort to work with. I want Flavien Prat to find cover, avoid spending her run before the stretch, and let her finish rather than force an early decision from the outside. This is only her second start back, and a crowded late-running contest leaves plenty of room for the best intention to meet the wrong opening.

My alternative: #2 Awesome Czech (Morning line: 4-1) finished a close second in the All Along after drifting behind a rival and altering course. I like her ability to sit a little closer than the pick, although her traffic-filled Yaddo effort shows why finding a clean passage matters as much as having a finish.

My Bottom Line: Trust the Finish, Respect the Trip

I'm most comfortable standing behind Shoot It True's established turf-sprint finish, while the juvenile routes and crowded finale are much more balanced affairs. To do your own handicapping visit the Belmont Park entries and race guide close where you will find the horse racing picks today, our track-bias tool, jockey statistics, and trainer statistics which are useful companions when comparing a card's different questions.