Three allowances spice up pick four

The Friday card at Belmont Park includes three allowance or optional-claiming races that are lined up like dominos as races 6 to 8. They begin the late pick four, which is completed by a $40,000 maiden-claiming race.

With dry weather forecast for Friday, the three turf races look safe, assuring good-sized fields. If the races stay intact, they could have 12, 7, 10, and 12 horses.

Race 6 is a competitive statebred first-level allowance for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles over the Widener course. While Itsinthestars and Pinchbeck are top contenders, there are others in here with a chance.

Itsinthestars, who races for Mark Casse, finished fourth, beaten 1 1/4 lengths, at this level May 20. The winner, Broken Borders, came right back to win a second-level optional claimer.

Lem Me Dance, who could be a bit of a price, finished third last out behind 8-5 favorite Fire Key and Lady Joan, who came back last Sunday to win the Cupecoy’s Joy division of the New York Stallion Stakes. Lem Me Dance will be treated with Lasix for the first time Friday.

Out of Trouble finished fourth behind next-out winner Overnegotiate last time out. Overnegotiate returned to take a second-level optional claimer by 2 1/2 lengths.

In race 7, Stormy’s Song will face winners at a mile after scoring a seven-length debut win for trainer Brian Lynch. Although her Beyer Speed Figure of 76 is a bit shy of

those of Dancing All Night and Divine Miss Grey, she was in hand on the lead on the far turn and then was geared down late in the 6 1/2-furlong race by Joel Rosario, who is back aboard.

Dancing All Night enters off a 1 1/16-mile maiden win for Shug McGaughey. Divine Miss Grey is improving and has won a $50,000 starter race and a $40,000 claimer in her last two outings for Danny Gargan.

Race 8 is a wide-open secondlevel optional claimer at 1 1/4 miles over the inner turf. Hello Don Julio should appreciate the longer distance for Mike Dilger. He has been second at this level in both of his starts this year.

Eirigh, whom Todd Pletcher has entered for a $62,500 claiming tag, will be dropping in class and should like the added ground. He will get firm turf after racing over yielding grass and Tapeta in his first two starts of the season.

Converge won his 4-year-old debut by a head over secondlevel optional-claiming New York-breds for Chad Brown. Having had a race, he may improve off that effort, and he did win the Grade 3 Palm Beach at Gulfstream Park last year at 3.

In the finale, Lion in Wait is nicely spotted by trainer Tom Morley. She has been second against $40,000 maiden claimers in her last two starts. If she doesn’t win, this leg of the pick four gets complicated.