By ED FOUNTAINE
May 8, 2008
Want to see if anyone's willing to stand up in public and pick against Big Brown in the Preakness? Then you'll want to attend the Preakness Handicapping Seminar & "Celebration of Maryland Crab" this Tuesday at Gallagher's Steak House, 228 W. 52nd St., beginning at noon; call for reservations at 212-245-5336. For $50, you get a three-course power lunch and a chance to listen to 12 prognosticators, including The Post's John DaSilva and Anthony Affrunti, give their Preakness picks; in other words, who to use underneath Big Brown.
Track was fast, turf firm at Belmont; Eibar Coa won three straight, Javier Castellano had two-bagger. But star of the show was Barclay Tagg, who saddled three winners on card, two of them in stakes, giving him meet-leading five victories.
THIRD RACE: In $75,000 Savin overnight stakes at mile-and-quarter on turf for fillies and mares, Tagg's Flawless Treasure, 9-5 under Castellano after rallying from far back to finish fourth in two starts on Keeneland lawn, made worst-to-first move circling field on far turn, drew clear as much best.
FOURTH RACE: In 45G maiden claimer at mile-and-sixteenth on lawn, 6-1 Perfection Loop cleared field early from post 9 to drop in, set pace, chased by Ghazi the Great, with 7-2 Money Manager, Castellano up, stalking pace outside. Turning for home, Perfection Loop scooted clear, opened daylight mid-stretch under Coa, looked like winner until 2-1 favorite Footloose Man rallied up fence under Alan Garcia, swung off rail to split horses, blew by Perfection Loop in deep stretch, then just held off charge of Money Manager to his outside by narrowest of bobs.
EIGHTH RACE: Tagg's Groomedforvictory, coming off 51/2-length score at Gulfstream, was 3-5 favorite back vs. NY-breds for first time since his debut last Nov. Breaking from rail under Castellano, the Victory Gallop gelding was steadied while in tight along rail down backside, hard held waiting for room while still boxed inside around turn, swung outside top of stretch for clear sailing. By that time, 5-1 Megapixel had opened commanding lead after setting pace under Edgar Prado, but Castellano got Groomedforvictory rolling through final furlong, and they rolled right by Megapixel in final yards.
PICK SIX
Winning numbers: 7-4-1-5-1-12
93 winners (6 of 6) each paid $2,013
1,742 consolation (5 of 6) winners each paid $26.80
No carryover
