Acorn guide: Odds, analysis, PPs for Belmont Friday feature

The horse racing world eagerly awaits Saturday’s renewal of the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga, but it’s ladies first on Friday as the Grade 1, $500,000 Acorn Stakes is the feature.

The Acorn, starring Kentucky Oaks winner Thorpedo Anna, saw nine entrants for the 1 1/8-mile journey around the Saratoga main course, but the Thursday withdrawal of Becky’s Joker trimmed the field to eight.

Post time for the Acorn, the 12th and final event on the program, is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. EDT. The race will be broadcast live on FS1.

Check out Horse Racing Nation’s free past performances page today for downloadable PPs for the Acorn and more courtesy of our partners at Brisnet.

We also have Super Screener picks and analysis for the Acorn as well as recent top speed figures for each contender.

Acorn Stakes best speed figures

Looking at the pace

Thorpedo Anna is expected to be part of a fast pace in the Acorn, with Where’s My Ring and Regulatory Risk keeping her company. Power Squeeze should be the back marker in a somewhat compact field.

Pace projector appears courtesy of TimeformUS.

HRN picks for the Acorn Stakes

If you’re looking to make picks for the Acorn Stakes, then you’ll want to keep an eye on the sky with rain in the forecast at Saratoga. You’ll also want to be armed with the special Belmont to Breeders’ Cup Super Screener package, which is now on sale for just $127, a savings of $360.

Ed DeRosa’s updated Acorn fair odds believe My Mane Squeeze is a live long shot stepping up and stretching out off her Eight Belles Stakes score. Don’t miss DeRosa’s latest Belmont Stakes fair odds.

Brian Zipse and Matt Shifman offer pace analysis as well as their top picks for the Acorn in the latest edition of HorseCenter.

Horse Racing Nation‘s Andrew Capone spoke to trainer Kenny McPeek on Wednesday at Saratoga regarding the chances of Thorpedo Anna in the Acorn and Mystik Dan in the Belmont.

Padraic Manocchio looked at one of the key races on the Acorn undercard, the Just A Game, featuring a five-pack of Chad Brown runners.

Here’s the field for the Acorn Stakes (G1):