SATURDAY - BELMONT

9.32 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (Grade 1)

The second running of the Stars & Stripes Festival features the Grade 1, $1.25 million Belmont Derby Invitational at Belmont Park and has attracted two international competitors in Canndal from France and Postulation from the Dermot Weld stable.

The 10-furlong turf race has drawn a competitive field of nine three-year-old colts, led by Kentucky Derby also-ran Bolo and Grade 2 American Turf winner Divisidero.

Juddmonte Farm’s Kentucky-bred Postulation will be making his US debut for trainer Dermot Weld with Pat Smullen on board. The son of Harlan’s Holiday won the Tri Equestrian Silver Stakes at Curragh when defying Parish Hall by a neck.

The Aga Khan’s Canndal was placed in each of his last three starts in France, highlighted by a length and three-quarter victory in the Prix de Champerret and a third-place effort in the Group 2 Prix Hocquart. The Medicean colt will be ridden by Christophe Soumillon for Mikel Delzangles.

The American favourite Bolo closed out 2014 with an impressive win in the Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita. He ran in good company in a pair of third-place finishes in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes and the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, earning enough points to secure a berth in the Kentucky Derby where he was 12th. Bolo has since won an allowance race easily at Santa Anita and will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano.

Divisidero trained by Buff Bradley is a turf specialist posting three wins in his four runs, highlighted win in the American Turf on the Kentucky Derby day at Churchill Downs. The son of Kitten’s Joy, followed up that effort in winning the local prep race for the Belmont Derby where he beat today’s rivals Takeover Target and Startup Nation, both trained by Chad Brown.

Paddy Power Belmont Derby: 3/1 Bolo, 4/1 Postulation, 9/2 Divisidero, 7/1 Canndal, Takeover Target, 8/1 Startup Nation, 12/1 Force the Pass, Grannys Kitten, 16/1 Closing Bell

SELECTION: Bolo

Next Best: Divisidero

10.45 Belmont Oaks

Invitational Stakes (Grade 1)

Colm O’Donoghue will partner Outstanding against top US turf filly Lady Eli in the 14-runner Belmont Oaks. The Galileo filly has won her last two starts at Naas and races on first-time lasix.

Lady Eli is undefeated in her five runs, the highlight of which was the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last year in a field that included European fillies Osaila and Oaks winner Qualify.

She has won on four different racetracks in races, with slow and fast paces. The highlight of her victories has been a sharp turn of foot when rider, Irad Ortiz Jr, put her into a drive. She has beaten many of tonight’s rivals last time in the nine-furlong Wonder Again Stakes here. Lady Eli tries the mile and a quarter distance for the first time. Spanish Queen is also a worthy opponent having won the Grade 1 American Oaks at Santa Anita.

Paddy Power Belmont Oaks: 6/4 Lady Eli, 9/2 Spanish Queen, 6/1 Outstanding (6), 10/1 Consumer Credit, Olorda, 12/1 Strict Compliance, 16/1 Sentiero Italia

SELECTION: Lady Eli

Next Best: Outstanding

REST OF THE CARD

Also on the 4th of July weekend card is the Dwyer Stakes (Grade 3) (ATR 8.52) where Keith Desmoreaux’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Texas Red returns to the track following a defeat on his three-year-old debut last January and subsequent injury. Todd Pletcher’s Blofeld looks his main danger in a field of seven.

Bob Baffert’s Enchanting Lady is favourite over Promise Me Silver in the Grade 3 Victory Ride for three-year-old fillies at 8.15pm.

The Grade 2 Suburban Handicap (11.11pm) has a field of six with last year’s Belmont Stakes winner and track specialist Tonalist a short-priced favourite ahead of the Pletcher duo Coach Inge and Mylute.

The closing race the Grade 3 Belmont Sprint Championship Stakes (11.23) is also intriguing with top sprinters Private Zone and The Big Beast taking on last year’s shock wide margin winner Clearly Now and Godolphin’s Bay Of Plenty.

SUNDAY - MONMOUTH

10.46 United Nations Stakes (Grade 1)

America’s current top turf horse Main Sequence returns to the track tomorrow night (ATR 10.46pm) when he takes on some familiar foes in Twilight Eclipse, Big Blue Kitten, Imagining and Slumber in the Monmouth Grade 1. The six-year-old began his winning run in the US when taking this race last year and his victory over Flintshire in the Breeders’ Cup Turf sealed a perfect four race winning season that gave him two Eclipse Awards. He is still unbeaten in the US and has Twilight Eclipse behind him in every race. On his last run he could only finish seventh behind Dolniya in Meydan in March. Twilight Eclipse won his first Grade 1 at Belmont’s Man O’ War Stakes in May. Juddmonte’s Slumber beat Big Blue Kitten by over two lengths in the Grade 1 Knob Creek Manhattan Stakes in June. He may be the danger to the favourite but his rivals all must hope he needs the run after his three-month absence.

CANADA SUNDAY

Queen’s Plate Stakes

A field of 14 including one filly, Academic, line up for Canada’s feature race.

Roger Attfield will chase Queen’s Plate history with the favourite Danish Dynaformer one of two horses Attfield sends for the 156th running of the $1-million race. Attfield is seeking a record-setting ninth victory.

Danish Dynaformer has won three of five starts this season, including last month’s $150,000 Plate Trial,

Luis Contreras rode Danish Dynaformer to victory in the Plate Trial but will be aboard Ami’s Flatter. That will allow Patrick Husbands, eight times Canada’s top jockey, to ride Danish Dynaformer and try to win consecutive Queen’s Plates and a third overall.

Trainer Reade Baker has the most horses in the field with three, including Oaks winner Academic.

Academic won the Oaks in a track-record time, almost a full second faster than Danish Dynaformer’s time in his Trial.