2017 Manhattan Stakes Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - The G1 Woodford Reserve Manhattan Stakes will be run this Saturday, June 10 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. A purse of $1 million will be on the line for horses four years old and upward willing to race 1 1/4 miles on Belmont Park's turf track.

A strong field of nine have been confirmed for the Manhattan Stakes - race 10 on Belmont Park's stacked Saturday card. Post time is 5:37 PM. Let's take a quick look into the past performances of all nine entries for this intriguing and lucrative G1 stakes.

2017 Manhattan Stakes Entries at Belmont Park

World Approval 3-1

Defending third place finisher - Mark Casse trained gelding has eight wins, two seconds and four third place finishes in 20 career starts. He put his name on the radar with a win in July, 2015 in the G3 American Derby and has been decent since. Last time out was a nice 2 1/4 length win with a field-best 106 Beyer Speed Figure in the G2 Dixie Stakes at Pimlico May 20 which followed an easy 2 1/4 length win in the minor EG Vodka Turf Classic at Tampa Bay April 2, six months away, a disappointing eighth in the G1 Pattison Canadian International in October and an OK third in the G1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes at Woodbine September 17. Before that was a seventh in the G1 Arlington Millions August 13, a good win in the G1 United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park July 3, an OK third behind the terrific Flintshire in the 2016 Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park June 11, a second in the G1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic May 7, 2016 and another second in the G2 Muniz Memorial Handicap at Fair Grounds last March. He also won the G3 Saranac Stakes in 2015. World Approval has been competitive at times in his career and hopes to build on a good two race win streak when he departs from post 3 with Julien Leparoux guiding the tepid morning line favorite.

Divisidero 4-1

Defending fifth place finisher in this race - William Bradley trainee has five wins, two seconds and three third place finishes in 13 career starts. He was last seen recording a repeat win in the G1 Woodford reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs May 6 which followed a second in an Allowance at Keeneland April 9, a sixth in the G1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap February 11 and a third as favorite in the G2 Ft. Lauderdale Stakes at Gulfstream January 14. Before that was a fifth in the G1 Manhattan Stakes at Belmont Park June 11, a good win in the 2016 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs May 7, a second in the G3 Appleton Stakes at Gulfstream last April and a third in the G3 Canadian Turf Stakes in February, 2016. He also had consecutive stakes wins in 2015 - the minor $200,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes May 30 and the G2 American Turf Stakes four weeks earlier at Churchill Downs. Divisidero has been competitive for sure placing in three of his last four starts overall. He shoots for his second straight graded stakes score Saturday from post 7 with John Velazquez in the irons of the co-morning line second choice.

Beach Patrol 4-1

Chad Brown trained colt has placed 10 of 12 career starts - three wins, five seconds and two third place finishes. He enters off a decent second behind Divisidero in the G1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs May 6 which followed a fourth in the G1 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap February 11 and another pair of respectable runner-up finishes - the G1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar December 3 and in the G3 Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont Park October 8. Before that was a career-best effort - a win in the G1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington August 13, an OK third in the G1 Belmont Derby Invitational, a sixth in the G3 Penn Mile June 4 and a respectable second in the G2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs May 7. Beach Patrol has been competitive every time except for one bad outing and will be out for his second G1 stakes win in five starts when he leaves from the rail with Florent Geroux aboard the other co-second betting choice.

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Time Test 5-1

British bred Chad Brown trainee has hit the board in 10 of 12 career starts - six wins, three seconds and a third-place finish. He won four Group stakes races at home including the York Stakes two starts back last July and the Brigadier Gerard Stakes in May, 2016. He participated in the 2015 Breeders' Cup Mile and finished a disappointing tenth and has just one other North American start which resulted in an OK runner-up finish last time out in the G3 Fort Marcy Stakes on this track May 6. Time Test has been in there with some tough competition in the past and has fared very well. He hopes to continue that trend when he leaves from gate 4 Saturday with Javier Castellano in the irons.

Sadler's Joy 6-1

Thomas Albertrani trained colt failed to place in his first three career starts but has been good since. Last time out was an OK third in the G1 Man o' War Stakes on this track May 13 which followed a nice win in the G2 Pan American Stakes at Gulfstream April 1 and a good stakes debut - a runner-up finish behind Taghleeb in the G3 WL McKnight Handicap at Gulfstream January 20. Before that were three straight wins including consecutive Allowance Optional Claiming scores in New York with the last coming November 9 and a maiden score at Saratoga in August. Sadler's Joy now has four wins, a second and a third-place finish in nine career starts, has been a factor in every race the last 10 months and hopes to be again from the outside post 9 Saturday. Mike Smith gets the call.

Wake Forest 8-1

German bred Chad Brown Group 3 winner at home has eight wins, two seconds and four third place finishes in 20 career starts. He returned after eight months away April 2, 2016 and posted a respectable second in the G2 Pan American Stakes at Gulfstream and followed that with a terrific win in the G1 Man o' War Stakes here last May 14. After that was an OK third in the G1 United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park July 3, a disappointing tenth in the G1 Arlington Millions August 13, an OK second in the G1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes September 17 and consecutive thirds - the G1 Pattison Canadian International Stakes October 16 and the G3 Red Smith Handicap at Aqueduct in November. He has two starts this year and has been up and down - a last of five last time out in the G1 Man o' War Stakes on this track May 13 followed a nice win in the G2 Mac Diarmida Stakes at Gulfstream Park March 4. Wake Forest has been inconsistent but has placed in four of his last five starts ahead of this weekend. He tries to bounce back off a disappointing effort Saturday when he leaves from gate 2 with Irad Ortiz aboard.

Potemkin 8-1

German bred Andreas Wohler trained gelding has placed in 14 of 15 career starts - nine wins, two seconds and three third place finishes. He makes his North American debut Saturday off his worst career performance - a seventh in the Group 1 Prix Ganay in France. That followed a very good two-race win streak - the Group 1 Premio Roma GBI Racing in Italy in November and the Group 2 Qatar Prix Dollar in October, a second in a Group 3 race in Germany and a third in a Group 1 race also in Germany last July. He has four Group scores - very competitive against top fields and will be after a strong bounce back on Saturday from gate 6. Joel Rosario gets the call.

Ascend 20-1

Has 13 career starts for trainer Graham Motion with five wins and four second place finishes. He makes his graded stakes debut Saturday on the heels of a nice two race win streak - the minor Henry S. Clark Stakes at Laurel Park last time out April 22 and an Allowance at Keeneland October 19. He failed to place in his previous two starts. Ascend steps up in career-best form and will leave from post 5 Saturday with Jose Ortiz scheduled to ride.

Applicator 30-1

Has 25 career starts for trainer Mikhail Yanakov with just two wins, two seconds and a third-place finish. He enters off a respectable second in the G3 Miami Mile at Gulfstream Park April 29 after eight unspectacular results including a ninth in an Allowance Optional Claiming February 16, an eleventh in the G3 WL McKnight Handicap in January, a sixth in an Allowance Optional Claiming January 15, an eleventh in the minor H. Allen Jerkens Stakes December 31 and a DNF in the G3 Harlan's Holiday Stakes December 17. He did win the minor Gleaming Stakes at Gulfstream last May 28 but wasn't great at all after that before a respectable result last time out. He shoots for his first graded stakes score and first win overall in over a year when he leaves from gate 8 with Paco Lopez in the reins.

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2017 Manhattan Stakes Odds & Entries

Race 10 on Belmont Park's Saturday card with a Post Time of 5:37 PM.