Golden Tempo Looks Vulnerable at 9-2 in Belmont as Chief Wallabee, Powershift Offer Better Value
Updated
Updated · CBS Sports · Jun 3
Golden Tempo Looks Vulnerable at 9-2 in Belmont as Chief Wallabee, Powershift Offer Better Value
3 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · Jun 3
Summary
Golden Tempo enters Saturday's Belmont off a Kentucky Derby win, but analysts rate him a poor wager because his 9-2 morning-line price offers far less value than his 23-1 Derby odds.
The main concern is pace: the Derby's 18-horse field collapsed after a hot early tempo, while this nine-horse Belmont field has almost no proven front-runners, a setup that hurts a deep closer like Golden Tempo.
Chief Wallabee is the preferred win candidate after finishing fourth in the Derby despite racing much closer to a brutal pace than the top three, suggesting a slower Belmont could suit him far better.
Powershift is the alternative value play at fair odds of 9.1-1 because Todd Pletcher's colt brings a co-best 95 Beyer and a possible lone-speed tactical edge.
Five of the nine Belmont runners come out of the Derby, making trip analysis and projected race shape central to betting the final leg of the Triple Crown at Saratoga.