NYRA handicapper Andy Serling provides daily analysis of track trends and conditions at the Big A in an attempt to share his thoughts and insights into any possible track biases. This can be a helpful resource for handicappers, as track conditions can change from one day to the next.
Belmont Park Track Trends | Saratoga Track Trends
Sunday, June 30
Fast / Firm
Cloudy
82
Wind 15 to 25 MPH SW
Another day where inside speed did well on the Main Track, and some races made it look like a bias, but other races were run fairly, with outside closers doing well, suggesting the track was fair. The turf courses likely played fairly, with dynamics and trips playing the biggest role in the results. The final race was run in a driving rain.
Saturday, June 29
Fast / Firm
Cloudy
77
Wind 15 to 25 MPH South
The rail was good on the Main Track, but how much of an advantage is debatable, as the results were dominated by short priced winners. While both Turf sprints ( on the Outer ) were won wire to wire, they were short priced horses that were able to control on the front end. In all likelihood, both turf courses played fairly.
Friday, June 28
Fast / Firm
Clear
76
Wind 10 to 25 MPH South
The Main Track played fairly, as did both Turf courses. The rails were out 9 feet on the Inner Turf and 24 feet on the Outer.
Thursday, June 27
Fast / Off
Clear
83
Wind 10 to 20 MPH SW
After overnight heavy rain, we were off the turf, but the Main Track was Fast. It was listed Good for the 1st race. While the rail was good, and there were a number of races that made it appear to be an inside bias, there were others that played out fairly, with outside closers fairing well. The best conclusion is that overall the track was fair.
Sunday, June 23
Fast / Firm
Cloudy
88
Wind 15 to 25 MPH South
The rail was very strong on the Main Track and seemingly a significant advantage. The Inner Turf played fairly. There is an argument that saving ground was an advantage on the Outer Turf, and speed did well, but it could have been circumstantial. Worth following.
Saturday, June 22
Fast / Firm
Clear
87
Wind 15 to 25 MPH South
There is an argument the rail was good, and an advantage, on the Main Track, but many races played out fairly. Worth following perhaps. The turf courses appeared to play fairly.
Friday, June 21
Fast / Firm
Clear
93
Wind 15 to 25 MPH South
All courses, turf and dirt, played fairly.
Thursday, June 20
Fast / Firm
Clear
87
Wind 10 to 20 MPH South
The Main Track played fairly, as did both turf courses. The rails on the Inner Turf were at zero and 12 feet on the Outer.
Sunday, June 16
Fast / Firm
Clear
76
Wind 10 to 20 MPH SE
The rail was likely an advantage on the Main Track. Worth following. The Inner Turf played fairly while it's possible the rail was at least a slight advantage on the Outer Turf.
Saturday, June 15
Fast / Good
Clear
78
Wind 10 to 20 MPH North
While much of the best running on the Main Track was done off the rail, there is no evidence the rail was dead, as otherwise the track played fairly. There were two races on each turf course and they appeared to play fairly.
Friday, June 14
Fast / Firm
Cloudy
82
Wind 10 to 20 MPH South
There were four races on the Main Track and an argument could be made that the rail was an advantage, though how significant is debatable. The rails were at zero on the Outer Turf and inside runners did well in two of the three races, though arguably they may have been best, and given the third race played out fairly, it's not clear the rail was a big advantage. Worth following. The rails were at 27 feet on the Inner Turf which likely played fairly.
Monday, May 27
Fast ( 1&4 ) Sloppy ( sealed ) 5-9 / Firm
Cloudy early, Showers/Rainy later
71
Wind 15 to 25 MPH SE
There is an argument that the rail was a real advantage in the two dry track dirt races, while speed dominated, save a 2:5 winner, after the track got sloppy. There was one race on each turf course. They both appeared to play fairly.
Sunday, May 26
Fast / Firm
Clear
76
Wind 5 to 15 MPH South
The Main Track played fairly. There's an argument that saving ground was an advantage on the Inner Turf, as all the successful horses spent much of the race inside, if not in front. Speed could have been an advantage on the Outer Turf, even though the 9th race fell apart, as despite the relatively rapid pace, the inside speed horse held on well for third. Worth following on both courses.
Saturday, May 25
Fast / Firm
Clear
77
Wind 5 to 15 MPH SE
The Main Track played fairly, as did the Inner Turf. Both races on the Outer Turf were won wire to wire, but it was likely situational, as reasonably logical horses were allowed to control, just worth pointing out.
Friday, May 24
Fast / Firm
Clear
81
Wind 5 to 15 MPH SW
Speed, and the rail, both appeared to be an advantage. How severe is debatable but it's worth following. There was one race on each turf course and they played fairly. Rails were out 18 feet on the Inner and 12 on the Outer.
Sunday, May 19
Fast / Firm
Cloudy
69
Wind 5 to 15 MPH SE
All courses, turf and dirt, played fairly.
Saturday, Mary 18
Fast / Firm
Cloudy
69
Wind 5 to 10 MPH SE
We saw speed dominate the Main Track races, but given the prices, it's arguable that it was situational and likely the track was at least close to fair. The turf courses appeared to play fairly.
Friday, May 17
Fast / Good
Cloudy
70
Wind 5 to 15 MPH SE
Speed did well on the Main Track, but it wasn't a clear advantage, as likely the track played fairly. There was one race on each turf course, and likely the Outer was close to Firm with the Inner on the Good side of Firm. Nothing to suggest any bias on either course.
Thursday, May 16
Muddy ( sealed ) / Off
Cloudy
63
Wind 15 to 25 MPH North
While speed did well, and margins were exaggerated in some races, we saw many logical results and fairly run races. A lot of the running was done off the rail but it's not clear the rail was bad. Worth following though few horses raced right down on the inside.
Sunday, May 12
Muddy ( sealed ) 1-3; Muddy ( Harrowed ) 4-6; Good 7&9 / Good ( 8 )
Showers early, cleared late
52
Wind 10 to 20 MPH SE
Arguably speed was an advantage, at least early, but given the changing track conditions it's hard to be overly confident about the track. One consistency was that the rail was good and a possible advantage. There was one race on the ( Outer ) Turf course and it likely played fairly. The pace mostly collapsed.
Saturday, May 11
Fast / Good
Clear
61
Wind 10 to 20 MPH SE
The rail was good on the Main Track but there's no real evidence it was a significant advantage, as overall the course played fairly. There were two races on each turf course, and they both appeared to play fairly. The rails were down to zero on the Inner for the first time since 4/21 but there is no evidence the course was at all biased.
Friday, May 10
Muddy ( sealed ) / Off
Showery
53
Wind 15 to 25 MPH East
While speed did fairly well, it was mostly situational with logical results, and overall the track played fairly.
Thursday, May 9
Fast / Firm
Cloudy
69
Wind 5 to 15 MPH SE
The Main Track played fairly, as did both turf courses. There was only one race on each course. The rails were out 24 feet on the Outer Turf and 27 feet on the Inner.
Sunday, May 5
Fast ( 1, 4, 5 ); Good ( sealed ) 6-8 / Firm
Showery
54
Wind 15 to 25 MPH SE
While speed did well when the track was harrowed, and the rail was good, the results were logical. It's worth considering that speed was an advantage when the track was sealed after the 5th race. There was one race on each turf course, with the race on the Inner being won wire to wire, but likely the courses continue to play fairly.
Saturday, May 4
Fast / Firm
Cloudy
62
Wind 15 to 25 MPH SE
The rail was good on the Main Track, but no apparent advantage, as the course played fairly. Both turf courses appeared to play fairly too.
Friday, May 3
Fast / Firm
Cloudy
60
Wind 15 to 25 MPH SE
The rail was good on the Main Track, but overall the track played fairly. The rails are out 12 feet on the Outer Turf and 18 on the Inner Turf. There were two races on each course and they both played fairly.
Thursday, May 2
Fast / Firm
Clear
69
Wind 5 to 15 MPH South
The Main Track played fairly. There were two turf races, both on the Outer Course with the rails out 12 feet, and they played fairly (one a sprint, one a route).
Sunday, April 28
Fast / Firm
Clear
67
Wind 10 to 20 MPH South
The rail was good on the Main Track but the track played fairly. Both turf courses played fairly as well.
Saturday, April 27
Fast / Firm
Clear
58
Wind 15 to 25 MPH South
All surfaces, turf and dirt, played fairly.
Friday, April 26
Fast / Firm
Clear
58
Wind 10 to 20 MPH South
The Main Track played fairly. There were two races on the Inner Turf and one on the Outer. Worth entertaining there was an edge to saving ground on the Inner but it also may just be due to ground loss, or lack thereof.
Thursday, April 25
Fast / Firm
Clear
55
Wind 10 to 20 MPH SE
While speed did well on the Main Track, overall the track likely played fairly. The rails were out 9 feet on the Inner Turf and 36 feet on the Outer. With one race on each course, it’s hard to say there were any trends and likely they played fairly.
Sunday, April 21
Fast / Firm
Cloudy
53
Wind 10 to 20 MPH West
While forward horses dominated the five dirt races, the results were fairly logical, and likely the track played fairly. There were two races on the Outer Turf and one on the Inner. There did not appear to be any noticeable biases.
Saturday, April 20
Fast / Good
Clear
60
Wind 10 to 20 MPH SW
While a lot of the best running was done outside on the Main Track, it was likely situational, as the dirt appeared to play fairly. There was a race on each turf course, the 9th was taken off the turf after some light rain in the morning, and with logical results there is no real way to determine any bias. Likely the courses were fair. They were labelled "good" but likely were Firm.
Friday, April 19
Fast
Clear
56
Wind 15 to 25 MPH SE
Speed did well but likely the track played fairly.
Thursday, April 18
Fast
Cloudy
48
Wind 15 to 25 MPH NE
While much of the effective running was done at least a little off the rail, there is no argument the rail was dead, and likely the track played fairly.
Sunday, April 14
Fast
Cloudy
66
Wind 10 to 20 MPH South
The rail was good, though not a clear advantage, as the track played fairly.
Saturday, April 13
Fast
Cloudy
53
Wind 15 to 25 MPH West
Speed did well, but with mostly logical results, the track was likely at least reasonably fair.
Friday, April 12
Sloppy ( sealed ) 1-5; Muddy ( sealed ) 6-8
Early showers/cloudy later
59
Wind 15 to 25 MPH SW
Speed appeared to be dominant early in the card, but the track got fairer as the day wore on. Not clear it was a strong bias early but worth considering.
Thursday, April 11
Fast
Cloudy
59
Wind 15 to 25 MPH SE
The track played fairly.
Sunday, April 7
Fast
Clear
53
Wind 15 to 25 MPH North
The rail was a distinct advantage.
Saturday, April 6
Fast
Clear
48
Wind 15 to 25 MPH North
There is an argument that the rail was an advantage, perhaps it abated during the day, with the track playing at least relatively fairly as the day wore on.
Friday, April 5
Fast
Cloudy
47
Wind 15 to 25 MPH West
While speed did well in many races, the track likely played fairly.
Thursday, April 4
Good ( 1-2 ); Fast ( 3-8 )
Cloudy
46
Wind 15 to 25 MPH NW
The track played fairly.
Saturday, March 30
Fast
Clear
56
Wind 15 to 25 MPH West
While the rail was good today, and at least some kind of advantage, it was mostly an extreme speed bias as making up ground was pretty much non-existent throughout the day.
Friday, March 29
Good ( 1); Fast ( 2-8 )
Clear
54
Wind 15 to 25 MPH NW
The track played fairly, though most of the running was done at least one path off the rail. No definitive proof the rail was bad.
Thursday, March 28
Sloppy ( sealed )
Rainy
51
Wind 15 to 25 MPH North
Speed dominated throughout the day, though with many logical results it’s hard to be certain it was a strong bias, though few horses made significant closes. While much of the best running was done outside, we saw horses make effective runs inside.
Sunday, March 24
Fast
Clear
45
Wind 15 to 25 MPH North
The track played fairly. The rail was good but no clear advantage.
Friday, March 22
Fast
Clear
53
Wind 10 to 20 MPH South
The track played fairly.
Thursday, March 21
Fast
Clear
42
Wind 15 to 25 MPH NW
The rail was good but overall the track played fairly
Sunday, March 17
Fast
Clear
60
Wind 15 to 25 MPH West
The rail was good, if not an advantage, and the track played fairly.
Saturday, March 16
Fast
Clear
56
Wind 15 to 25 MPH South
The track played fairly.
Friday, March 15
Fast
Cloudy
68
Wind 15 to 25 MPH NW
While speed seemed to do well, they were mostly logical results, as overall the track played fairly.
Thursday, March 14
Fast
Clear
66
Wind 5 to 10 MPH South
Most of the best running was done at least a path or two off the rail, but there is no clear evidence the rail was bad, though it might be worth following. Likely the track played fairly.
Sunday, March 10
Muddy ( sealed )
Cloudy
50
Wind 15 to 25 MPH West
Most of the best running in the stretch was done well off the rail. Whether or not the rail was bad is hard to know as a lot of successful runners stayed at least close to the inside prior to the stretch. Speed and closers were effective during the day suggesting the track was fair from that standpoint.
Saturday, March 9
Fast 1-4; Fast ( Sealed ) 5-6; Good ( sealed ) 7; Muddy ( sealed ) 8-9
Rainy
44
Wind 15 to 25 MPH East
Hard to make trends as the track changed quite a bit during the day. Speed could have been an advantage early, but likely the track was playing fairly. A case could be made that as the track got wetter, particularly for the 8th and 9th races, the outside paths were the place to be. However, race dynamics likely played a strong role in closers dominating the second half of the card.
Friday, March 8
Fast
Clear
52
Wind 5 to 15 MPH East
Much of the better running seemed to be done off the inside but there is no clear evidence the rail was bad, especially as the day wore on. While it was possible to close, speed was a distinct advantage.
Thursday, March 7
Muddy ( sealed )
Cloudy
52
Wind 15 to 25 MPH North
Speed was dominant throughout the day with the best running being done off the inside. Possible the rail was bad. Worth following.
Sunday, March 3
Muddy ( sealed )
Clear
62
Wind 5 to 10 MPH NW
The track played fairly.
Saturday, March 2
Sloppy ( sealed )
Rainy
50
Wind 15 to 25 MPH East
Riders stayed well clear of the inside, more so as the day wore on, and it's reasonable to question the inside. Horses ran well at least close to the inside in the 4th and 5th races, but given the rain, it's hard to say the track was consistent throughout the day. We did see speed and closers fair well, though speed could have been an edge in the second half of the card. Not clear however.
Friday, March 1
Fast
Clear
43
Wind 10 to 20 MPH South
Much like 2/29, the rail was likely not the best place to be, and the track played with an outside flow.
Thursday, February 29
Fast
Cloudy
40
Wind 15 to 25 MPH West
While the rail likely wasn’t dead, the track did have a significant outside flow, and moving in the middle of the track was likely beneficial.
Sunday, February 25
Fast
Clear
36
Wind 5 to 10 MPH South
Despite riders staying away from the rail for the most part, there is no evidence the rail was bad, and the track played fairly.
Saturday, February 24
Fast
Clear
43
Wind 15 to 25 MPH North
The rail was good but not an apparent advantage as overall the track played fairly.
Friday, February 23
Fast
Cloudy
47
Wind 5 to 10 MPH North
There is an argument the track had a bit of an outside flow, but it may also have a bit circumstantial, as there is no real evidence the rail was bad. Mostly just a fair track.
Monday, February 19
Fast
Clear
40
Wind 10 to 20 MPH NW
Speed did well but the track likely played fairly.
Sunday, February 18
Fast
Clear
38
Wind 15 to 25 MPH West
The track played fairly.
Saturday, February 17
Good
Cloudy/Flurries
37
Wind 15 to 25 MPH NW
The riders mostly stayed off the inside, with pretty much all the effective running done well off the rail, but whether the rail was bad is debatable. In the 4th race the runner up battled back down on the rail which lends at least some ambiguity to things. Probably worth following.
Friday, February 16
Fast
Clear
41
Wind 15 to 25 MPH NW
The track played fairly.
Sunday, February 11
Fast
Cloudy
48
Wind 5 to 15 MPH NW
The track played fairly.
Saturday, February 10
Fast
Cloudy
55
Wind 5 to 15 MPH WSW
The rail was good but not a clear advantage as the track played fairly.
Friday, February 9
Fast
Clear
50
Wind 10 to 25 MPH South
The rail was likely an advantage, but as the day wore on, the track appeared to be playing fairly.
Sunday, February 4
Good
Clear
43
Wind 5 to 15 MPH NW
The rail continues to be a significant advantage. While we saw some horses close effectively outside, saving ground at some point helped, to say the least.
Saturday, February 3
Muddy ( sealed )
Clear
40
Wind 10 to 20 MPH North
The rail was very good and a significant advantage. We saw some aberrational performances where horses were effective closing outside, but being inside was very helpful.
Friday, February 2
Sloppy ( sealed )
Showers
43
Wind 15 to 25 MPH North
Speed did well but we saw plenty of horses run effectively from behind depending on race dynamics. The rail was subtly an advantage, though runners did well wide, and the riders seemed to stay away from the inside much of the day.
Sloppy ( sealed )
Showers
40
Wind 15 to 25 MPH NE
All the effective running was done well out into the track. Some closers were effective but it may have helped to be forward.
Muddy ( sealed )
Cloudy
46
Wind 5 to 15 MPH North
Another day where the majority of the running was done well out into the track but there were horses than ran effectively at least close to the rail. Closers and speed horses were effective throughout the day. Likely a reasonably fair track.
Friday, January 26
Sloppy ( sealed )
Cloudy
46
Wind 5 to 15 MPH North
While a lot of runners stayed clear of the rail, we saw horses do well, even rally, near the inside. Overall, the track played fairly.
Friday, January 19
Fast
Snowing
30
Wind 15 to 25 MPH NE
While we saw some effective closers, and outside moves, the rail continues to be an advantage. The track, for the second day in a row, produced especially slow times. There were larger than normal gaps between finishers in many of the races.
Thursday, January 18
Fast
Cloudy
32
Wind 10 to 20 MPH West
While we saw some effective running off the rail, the inside/rail was a significant advantage.
Sunday, January 14
Fast
Clear
40
Wind 15 to 25 MPH West
The track played fairly.
Saturday, January 13
Sloppy ( sealed )
Cloudy
45
Wind 15 to 25 MPH West
While riders mostly stayed away from the rail early, and all the best running was done wide, it's arguable that changed as the day wore on and the inside, at least the two path, was OK. Worth following but not a clear bad inside.
Friday, January 12
Fast
Clear
47
Wind 10 to 20 MPH SE
The track was playing much quicker but the rail continues to be dead.
Thursday, January 11
Fast
Clear
46
Wind 15 to 25 MPH West
All the effective running was done well off the rail and there is a strong argument that the rail was dead. Worth following.
Sunday, January 7
Sloppy ( sealed )
Showery
36
Wind 15 to 25 MPH NW
The track was sloppy from heavy overnight rains. Most of the effective running was done well off the rail. It seemed like the inside few paths were bad, at least early, but as the day wore on there's some question of whether or not the inside was bad. Still, likely best wide, often the wider the better, and worth following horses that ran inside.
Saturday, January 6
Fast
Cloudy
34
Wind 15 to 25 MPH East
The rail was good, if not an advantage, and the track played fairly.
Friday, January 5
Fast
37
Wind 10 to 20 MPH West
The track played fairly and the rail was good.
Thursday, January 4
Fast
Clear
44
Wind 15 to 25 MPH NW
The track played fairly though there is an argument that the rail was an advantage. Worth following.
Monday, January 1
Fast
Cloudy
44
Wind 5 to 15 MPH North
The track played fairly, but there is a reasonable argument that the rail was an advantage.
Download previous years' track trends below:
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