Fly Down set to take down Belmont field

This year’s Triple Crown has completely fallen apart with Super Saver taking the Kentucky Derby then falling flat on his face over a dry Pimlico track in the Preakness and Lookin At Lucky was eliminated from the Derby when he drew post No. 1 for the Run for the Roses but bounced back to gut out a win in the Preakness.Neither is in today’s Belmont, and the 1 1/2-miles Test of a Champion appears to be a wide-open affair.Trainer Nick Zito, a native New Yorker who has won the Belmont twice, looks to hold a very strong hand today with the morning-line favorite of Ice Box, who was second in the Derby and Fly Down, who won the Dwyer by six lengths over the Belmont track May 8.There is no doubt Ice Box will put in his patented late run through the lane today but I just don’t think he will get a fast enough pace up front to carry him to the winner’s circle.The second choice in the morning line is First Dude who ran a game second to Lookin At Lucky in the Preakness at odds of 24-1.First Dude’s jockey, Ramon Dominguez should be able to dictate the pace of the race on the front end and the son of Stephen Got Even will take this group a long way but I don’t expect to see him around at the finish after that grueling run three weeks ago.That leaves us with Fly Down, who comes into the Belmont lightly raced and sporting a bullet workout May 30 over the Saratoga training track.Fly Down beat First Dude by 1/2-length back in November when breaking his maiden and by a head when winning an entry-level allowance race in February.There is not a jockey in the race who knows the tricky Belmont oval better than Fly Down’s jock, J.R. Velazquez, and the son of Mineshaft should get a good mid-flight run up the long backstretch.If we can get anywhere near 4-1 the value looks decent on this improving colt who has three wins from five lifetime starts.The Belmont is also the final leg in a $1 million guaranteed all-stakes pick four:Putting together a $27 ticket we will use Custom Carlos, Formidable and Checklist in the True North; Tanda, Seeking the Title and Tidal Pool in the Acorn; Gio Ponti in the Manhattan; and Fly Down, Ice Box and Stately Victor in the Belmont .The ticket: 2,6,8/2,4,10/1/5,6,9.NOTES: I’m It Wayne scored for us at Suffolk opening day when he won an entry-level allowance race by two lengths, and the 4-year-old takes the logical next step for trainer Marcus Vitali tackling non-winners of two other than allowance foes in today’s eighth race in East Boston.I’m It Wayne has drawn a favorable outside post but there appears to be enough early speed signed on in this race to make things difficult on the front end.Take Down Two, who was second at this level last out, looks to be the beneficiary of a possible speed duel early on.The son of Not for Love will be making his second start after a layoff and has Suffolk’s leading rider, Tammi Piermarini, in the saddle.Take Down Two looks primed to earn his initial Suffolk Downs win this afternoon.First post at Suffolk is set for 1:15 today.