Thursday Belmont at Saratoga Stakes Picks

Thursday, July 3 kicks off the July 4th Racing Festival at Saratoga with a pair of stakes races. The Victory Ride (G3) features a five-horse field, but three very evenly matched horses headline it with Indy Bay, Echo Sound, and Beauty Reigns all vying for favoritism. In the Wild Applause, trainer Chad Brown brings a few intriguing runners, including one new to his barn in the form of Play With Fire who is coming off a victory in the Hilltop Stakes on the Preakness Stakes Weekend undercard. NYRA Bets handicapper Matthew DeSantis analyzes both fields and provides with an in-depth preview and selections so you can get the 4th of July weekend started off with a bang.