Belmont Park Odds & Picks: Mother Goose, Dwyer & Pumpkin Pie

Belmont Park ran a 10-race card on Thursday, November 5, 2026.

Race 7 was a claiming race for 3-year-olds and upward.

The distance was 1 mile and 1 furlong on the dirt.

Seven runners went to post.

The official off time was 20:45 Eastern.

The race was declared "Weighed In" — meaning all horses returned safely and the result stood.

Ice Chocolat went off as the heavy favorite at odds of 8/11.

Classic Creation was the second choice at 10/3.

Relampago Verde was next at 5/1.

Clear Conscience was listed at 11/2.

Belouni was 6/1.

Late Call was 13/2.

American Grant was 14/1.

Life And Light was 50/1.

Polar Bear Plunge was 50/1.

Two horses from the original field did not run.

Relampago Verde, number 7, was a non-runner.

Belouni, number 9, was withdrawn.

Belouni was trained by Michael Maker and was to be ridden by Kendrick Carmouche.

Relampago Verde was trained by Horacio De and was to be ridden by Samuel Marin.

Because of the late scratches, Rule 4 came into effect.

Rule 4 applies to board prices only.

The deduction was 15 pence in the pound.

That means every dollar bet on the board prices was effectively reduced by 15 percent in payout.

Rule 4 is a standard horse racing rule used in North America and the UK.

It protects bookmakers when a horse is withdrawn after betting has opened.

The deduction percentage depends on the odds of the withdrawn horse.

In this case, a 15p deduction suggests the withdrawn horses were considered legitimate contenders.

The total prize money for Race 7 was $57,000.

The winner took home $36,540.

Second place earned $11,600.

Third place earned $5,800.

Fourth place earned $4,060.

These are standard purse splits for a claiming race at Belmont Park.

Claiming races are the most common type of race in North American thoroughbred racing.

Horses in claiming races are available for purchase — or "claimed" — by any licensed owner for a set price.

The claiming price for this race was not listed in the available source material.

Belmont Park is located in Elmont, New York, on Long Island.

It is one of the premier racetracks in the United States.

The track hosts the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown, every June.

The winter meet at Belmont Park is currently underway.

The New York Racing Association recently published the condition book for the winter meet.

Thursday's card was part of the build-up to a major Saturday card.

Saturday, November 7, 2026, features three stakes races at Belmont Park.

Race 6 is the Listed $175,000 Pumpkin Pie Stakes at 2:10 p.m. Eastern.

Race 8 is the Listed $200,000 Dwyer Stakes at 3:12 p.m. Eastern.

Race 9 is the Grade 2 $300,000 Mother Goose Stakes at 3:43 p.m. Eastern.

The Dwyer Stakes features undefeated 2025 champion 2-year-old Ted Noffey.

Ted Noffey is trained by Todd Pletcher and will be ridden by John Velazquez.

He returns from a one-year layoff.

The Mother Goose Stakes features Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes winner Bodacious Bay.

Bodacious Bay is trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. and will be ridden by Micah Husbands.

But Thursday's Race 7 was a claiming race — not a stakes race.

It was for horses that could be claimed.

These are the horses that form the backbone of the racing industry.

They run for smaller purses but are just as competitive.

The exact order of finish for Race 7 was not provided in the source material.

The source material only listed the pre-race odds and the field.

The winning time was also not provided.

The source material noted "Winning time: -" which means the time was not displayed or not recorded in the feed.

What is known is that Ice Chocolat was the heavy favorite at 8/11.

That is approximately 1.73 in decimal odds.

A horse at 8/11 is expected to win roughly 58 percent of the time according to the odds.

Classic Creation at 10/3 is approximately 4.33 in decimal odds.

That implies about a 23 percent chance.

Relampago Verde at 5/1 is 6.00 in decimal odds, about a 17 percent chance.

The remaining horses were all longer odds.

Clear Conscience at 11/2 is 6.50.

Belouni at 6/1 is 7.00.

Late Call at 13/2 is 7.50.

American Grant at 14/1 is 15.00.

Life And Light at 50/1 is 51.00.

Polar Bear Plunge at 50/1 is 51.00.

With two horses scratched, the actual field size was five runners.

That is a small field for a claiming race.

Small fields often lead to less betting action and lower handle.

But they also often produce more predictable outcomes.

Trainers and owners who claimed horses out of this race will have new additions to their barns.

Claiming races are a form of horse trading.

A horse that runs well in a claiming race can be claimed and moved to a different barn.

A horse that runs poorly can be dropped in class and claimed by a trainer who thinks they can improve it.

The claiming game is a constant cycle of buying and selling.

Some trainers make their entire living by claiming horses and moving them up the class ladder.

Others claim horses to fill races for their owners.

The claiming price is set by the race conditions.

Horses in the race are all entered to be claimed at that price.

Any licensed owner can submit a claim slip before the race.

If multiple owners claim the same horse, a drawing determines who gets it.

The claiming process is confidential until after the race.

Then the new owner's name is announced.

The horse is transferred to the new trainer.

This can happen within hours of the race.

Thursday's Race 7 was a typical mid-week claiming race at Belmont Park.

It offered a purse that attracted a mix of veteran campaigners and up-and-comers.

The oldest horse in the field was 6 years old.

Both Relampago Verde and Belouni were 6.

Ice Chocolat, Classic Creation, and the others were likely younger, though exact ages were not listed for all.

The race was run on dirt.

Belmont Park's main track is a deep, sandy loam surface.

It is known for being fair to all running styles.

Speed horses can win, closers can win, and horses on the rail or wide can win.

The distance of 1 1/16 miles is a classic route distance.

It requires both speed and stamina.

Horses that can run all day at this distance are valuable.

They can be entered in a wide range of races.

The jockeys in this race were a mix of local regulars and visiting riders.

Samuel Marin was scheduled to ride Relampago Verde before the scratch.

Kendrick Carmouche was scheduled to ride Belouni before the withdrawal.

Carmouche is a well-known jockey on the New York circuit.

He has won multiple graded stakes.

Marin is a less prominent rider but gets mounts regularly.

The trainers in the race included Michael Maker, a veteran trainer with a national reputation.

Maker is based in Kentucky but ships horses to New York frequently.

Horacio De is a New York-based trainer with a smaller stable.

The race was part of a full Thursday card that started at 17:40 Eastern.

There were nine races on the card.

Race 7 was the seventh race of the day.

The first race went off at 17:40.

Race 2 at 18:10.

Race 3 at 18:40.

Race 4 at 19:10.

Race 5 at 19:41.

Race 6 at 20:12.

Race 7 at 20:43.

Race 8 at 21:14.

Race 9 at 21:45.

All times are Eastern.

The off time for Race 7 was 20:45, two minutes after the scheduled post time.

That is a typical delay for a race with scratches.

The race was televised on America's Day at the Races on the FOX Sports network.