Some Friday/Saturday races for you.
On Friday:
A couple of nice Turf stakes races at Saratoga:
The National Museum Racing Hall of Fame inductions are occurring on Friday, so the National Museum Racing Hall of Fame Stakes must be occurring too:
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/brisw...9/summary.html
[ URL above, Friday August 5, 2022, Saratoga - Race 8, PPs ]
It is probably shorter from the Museum to the finish line than the race itself, but I digress..
A couple of familiar names in this race;
Wit is here. He was a big player as a 2YO and has made a comeback this year. But he is trying the turf with very little turf pedigree. The word on the street is that he has looked really good on the weeds in the workouts, so expect a good effort from this capable and in shape horse. Tiz The
Tiz The Bomb drops in on his competitors to try to re-establish his turf credentials after the horrible Belmont Derby. He'll find an easier field here, but he will not find is a speed horse to push the pace. TTB shows one race where he takes the lead, and wins, but it is an off the turf situation. Both Wit and TTB are come from behind horses and could use some pace; otherwise, they will be hard pressed to close on whichever horse leads.
And for the stone cold lock of the weekend, the Troy Stakes:
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/brisw...9/summary.html
[ URL above, Friday August 5, 2022, Saratoga - Race 9, PPs ]
Expect
Golden Pal to go to the front and keep on going. Can a horse leave others in the dust on turf? We still don't know what happened to him in the UK; perhaps he didn't like the tea.
On Saturday, there are so many stakes to choose from, we'll just pick a few.. none from Saratoga:
(just kidding Bluedog)
Start with a nice 2YO maiden race at Saratoga:
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/brisw...9/summary.html
[ URL above, Saturday August 6, 2022, Saratoga - Race 6, PPs ]
There are no obvious standouts. But there are a couple of expensive horses, horses trained by Pletcher (who wins at first asking), homebreds by good trainers, a Bolt D'Oro, no horses with great workouts. Pletcher's $675k Gun Runner firster,
Point Proven, might be the best here.
The 3YO fillies will be tested at the Spa in the Test Stakes - Race 9:
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/brisw...9/summary.html
[ URL above, Saturday August 6, 2022, Saratoga - Race 9, PPs ]
Actually it looks like all but one filly will be tested, and that one filly is
Matareya.
November Rein looks like the best of the rest.
Race 10 is the awesome Whitney where we will see
Life Is Good vs.
Olympiad:
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/brisw...9/summary.html
[ URL above, Saturday August 6, 2022, Saratoga - Race 10, PPs ]
This is a really interesting race at 1 1/8 mile. No doubt Life Is Good will go to the lead; he is the lone speed horse. But.. this is a bit longer than he likes to go AND he's lost his only race at Saratoga (OK, to
Jackie's Warrior in a sprint, perhaps he can be forgiven). But he has some primo stalkers here: Olympiad is having a super year; he hasn't lost since his only out of the money finish to
Americanrevolution, who is in this race. Olympiad is OK at Saratoga with a win, place, and show in 3 starts. He will be the 2nd choice; but 1 1/8 mile might be his best distance.
Hot Rod Charlie is the top money earner in the field, but how he fits in is interesting. He has run at the classic distances and rolls back to 1 1/8. So he might have a good kick if he's close. It will take a great effort to beat him. If it is wet, Americanclassic might be your horse; he ran his eyeballs out at the Empire Classic in the mud. He didn't do too badly against
Flightline either. Even if wet, you don't know what kind of track you'll get. Remember,
General Assembly set the track record for 1 1/4 in the slop before
Arrogate broke that record in the Travers. This is one of the best fields I've seen in the Whitney in a number of years. You'll get fair value whomever you bet. Assuming no rain, I'll take Olympiad to run down Life Is Good in the stretch.
The Saratoga Derby, on the turf, follows the Whitney, so people can start to file out:
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/brisw...9/summary.html
[ URL above, Saturday August 6, 2022, Saratoga - Race 11, PPs ]
The odds on this one is interesting. They suggest that
Nations Pride might win over
Stone Age. But
Classic Causeway, yes that one from the KYD who trounced Nations Pride in CC's first attempt on the turf, is in the field too. Maybe I just can't figure out turf races, but I've admitted that already.
Shedaresthedevil takes the easy road out west in the Clement Hirsch Stakes:
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/brisw...99/summary.htm
[ URL above, Saturday August 6, 2022, Del Mar - Race 9, PPs ]
There is always a 2YO maiden race out at Del Mar - Race 5 on Saturday:
http://www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/brisw...99/summary.htm
[ URL above, Saturday August 6, 2022, Del Mar - Race 5, PPs ]
Carmel Road is a $650k firster with a very nice last work. There's an expensive Justify colt making his first start too named
Hawker.
Larry
DevilHorse