EMPIRE CLASSIC

Belmont Park, ninth race. Purse: $200,000. Mile-and-an-eighth, 3-year-olds and up. Post: 5:15 p.m.

LOWDOWN: Giant Moon has three wins and two seconds in six starts at Belmont, and is 2-for-3 at this distance, including the Grade 3 Excelsior. Ran second in the Sept. 17 Salute Me Sir after dueling for the early lead. That should set him up well.

TV: HRTV, TVG, OTB Ch. 71

RAVEN RUN

Keeneland, ninth race. Grade 2. Purse: $250,000. Seven furlongs, 3-year-old fillies. Post: 5:23 p.m.

LOWDOWN: We’re going to go for a price here with Negligee. After three unsuccessful tries on turf, John Terranova’s filly returns to synthetic Polytrack, the surface on which she notched both of her starts.

TV: TVG, OTB Ch. 71

TICONDEROGA

Belmont Park, 10th race. Purse: $125,000. Mile-and-an-eighth, turf, fillies and mares. Post: 5:47 p.m.

LOWDOWN: Chestoria, running as an uncoupled entry with Exclusive Scheme for Bill Badgett, has a strong closing kick, has run well on the Belmont turf, and we like her :471⁄5 work last Monday.

TV: HRTV, TVG, OTB Ch. 71

LAST WEEK:
At Keeneland, Zagora (7-2) was second in the Queen Elizabeth Challenge Cup paying $5.20 to place, $3.40 to show. Joshua Tree won the Canadian International at Woodbine paying $9.20, $6.90, $4.30. At Hollywood, Blue Panis (9-2) was beaten a head in the Oak Tree Derby paying $7 to place, $4.20 to show.