At the Gate - Thursday
In Wednesday?s feature, I knew we would not see the 7/2 morning line on our top pick Dashing Debby in the Adirondfack Stakes (G2), and the filly was drilled to 4/5 as the gates opened.
The filly shot out to set sharp early fractions of 21.49 and 44.32, and she folded like a cheap suit, fading to finish fifth.
Worstcasescenario , who pressed the early pace just outside the big favorite, took over in upper stretch and drew clear impressively to win by 4 ? lengths, returning $29.80 for the win.
The winner is trained by Richard Violette and was ridden to victory by Alan Garcia, who looks like he does not want to give up the jockey title he won here for the first time last summer.
Thursday?s feature is the $150,000 Saratoga Special (G2) for two year olds going 6 ? furlongs. It is one of the toughest races on the card, with four of the nine runners in the field exiting races on synthetic surfaces.
Despite the Calder shipper Dashing Debby crashing and burning yesterday, I am going back with another Calder shipper in D?Funnybone.
Here is today's opener from Saratoga to get our day off to a good start:
SAR Race 1 MG Walsh Novice S. (1:00 et)
#8 Zozimus 5/1
#12 Left Unsaid 4/1
#6 Nationbuilder 6/1
#2 You the Man 3/1
Analysis: #8 Zozimus is making his first start off a 3 1/2 month for the Hendricks barn that is showing a 3 for 8 mark (with a +ROI) with horses coming back off a 61-180 day layoff. The trainer is 1 for 11 in jump races here at the Spa going back five years. The gelding has a habit of landing in the bottom half of the exacta, but is coming off a good second in his last start at Percy Warner behind Dalucci, who ran a decent fourth in the Ben Nevis II here on August 13. Third place finisher Sermon of Love won his next two starts including a win here on August 3 going 1 1/2 miles to break his maiden in a flat race.
#12 Left Unsaid made a good late run to finish in the runner up spot last out in the Kiser. The Voss trainee gets extra ground to run them down here. The barn has won 11 jump races here at the Spa over the past five years including three already this season.
Wagering
WIN: #8 to win at 7/2 or better.
EX: 8,12 / 2,6,8,12
TRI: 8,12 / 2,6,8,12 / 1,2,6,8,12
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Saratoga:
SAR Race 9 Saratoga Special S. G2 (5:31 et)
#6 D'Funnybone 7/2
#3 Zip Quick 4/1
#4 Flatter Than Me 9/2
#9 Fearless Cowboy 8/1
Analysis: #6 D'Funnybone gets the call in a tricky race in which four of these are coming off the fake stuff and our top pick ships in from Calder. The colt was a very impressive maiden winner in his debut, then was a game second last out in the Gomez Memorial, beaten a half length for the top spot. The winner of the race was Jackson Bend, who returned to win the Dr. Fager in his next outing on August 8. The colt was purchased privately after his last start by Paul Pompa and lands with the Dutrow barn that is 30% winners with newcomers to the barn. The colt owns a solid pace profile throughout and it would be no surprise to see him move forward in his first start for the new connections.
#3 Zip Quick ships in from the left coast for the Snake Charmer. The colt was a good second last out in the Hollywood Juvie (G3) and has popped three bullet works since that outing. Lasix is added to the mix here. The colt was a $320K buy, a good number for an offspring of City Zip. I'm banking he takes to the real dirt.
Wagering
WIN: #6 to win at 5/2 or better.
EX: 3,6 / 3,4,6,9
TRI: 3,6 / 3,4,6,9 / 3,4,6,8,9
Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.
Saratoga
R6: #4 Silver Jazz 12/1
R6: #9 Chromosphere 8/1
R7: #6 Supreme Serene 8/1
R8: #1 Galaxy Love / #1a World Express 15/1
R8: #10 Miss Saul 12/1
R9: #9 Fearless Cowboy 8/1
R10: #4 Proud Diva 15/1
R10: #6 Maggie?s Miracle 15/1
Good luck today!
In Wednesday?s feature, I knew we would not see the 7/2 morning line on our top pick Dashing Debby in the Adirondfack Stakes (G2), and the filly was drilled to 4/5 as the gates opened.
The filly shot out to set sharp early fractions of 21.49 and 44.32, and she folded like a cheap suit, fading to finish fifth.
Worstcasescenario , who pressed the early pace just outside the big favorite, took over in upper stretch and drew clear impressively to win by 4 ? lengths, returning $29.80 for the win.
The winner is trained by Richard Violette and was ridden to victory by Alan Garcia, who looks like he does not want to give up the jockey title he won here for the first time last summer.
Thursday?s feature is the $150,000 Saratoga Special (G2) for two year olds going 6 ? furlongs. It is one of the toughest races on the card, with four of the nine runners in the field exiting races on synthetic surfaces.
Despite the Calder shipper Dashing Debby crashing and burning yesterday, I am going back with another Calder shipper in D?Funnybone.
Here is today's opener from Saratoga to get our day off to a good start:
SAR Race 1 MG Walsh Novice S. (1:00 et)
#8 Zozimus 5/1
#12 Left Unsaid 4/1
#6 Nationbuilder 6/1
#2 You the Man 3/1
Analysis: #8 Zozimus is making his first start off a 3 1/2 month for the Hendricks barn that is showing a 3 for 8 mark (with a +ROI) with horses coming back off a 61-180 day layoff. The trainer is 1 for 11 in jump races here at the Spa going back five years. The gelding has a habit of landing in the bottom half of the exacta, but is coming off a good second in his last start at Percy Warner behind Dalucci, who ran a decent fourth in the Ben Nevis II here on August 13. Third place finisher Sermon of Love won his next two starts including a win here on August 3 going 1 1/2 miles to break his maiden in a flat race.
#12 Left Unsaid made a good late run to finish in the runner up spot last out in the Kiser. The Voss trainee gets extra ground to run them down here. The barn has won 11 jump races here at the Spa over the past five years including three already this season.
Wagering
WIN: #8 to win at 7/2 or better.
EX: 8,12 / 2,6,8,12
TRI: 8,12 / 2,6,8,12 / 1,2,6,8,12
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Saratoga:
SAR Race 9 Saratoga Special S. G2 (5:31 et)
#6 D'Funnybone 7/2
#3 Zip Quick 4/1
#4 Flatter Than Me 9/2
#9 Fearless Cowboy 8/1
Analysis: #6 D'Funnybone gets the call in a tricky race in which four of these are coming off the fake stuff and our top pick ships in from Calder. The colt was a very impressive maiden winner in his debut, then was a game second last out in the Gomez Memorial, beaten a half length for the top spot. The winner of the race was Jackson Bend, who returned to win the Dr. Fager in his next outing on August 8. The colt was purchased privately after his last start by Paul Pompa and lands with the Dutrow barn that is 30% winners with newcomers to the barn. The colt owns a solid pace profile throughout and it would be no surprise to see him move forward in his first start for the new connections.
#3 Zip Quick ships in from the left coast for the Snake Charmer. The colt was a good second last out in the Hollywood Juvie (G3) and has popped three bullet works since that outing. Lasix is added to the mix here. The colt was a $320K buy, a good number for an offspring of City Zip. I'm banking he takes to the real dirt.
Wagering
WIN: #6 to win at 5/2 or better.
EX: 3,6 / 3,4,6,9
TRI: 3,6 / 3,4,6,9 / 3,4,6,8,9
Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.
Saratoga
R6: #4 Silver Jazz 12/1
R6: #9 Chromosphere 8/1
R7: #6 Supreme Serene 8/1
R8: #1 Galaxy Love / #1a World Express 15/1
R8: #10 Miss Saul 12/1
R9: #9 Fearless Cowboy 8/1
R10: #4 Proud Diva 15/1
R10: #6 Maggie?s Miracle 15/1
Good luck today!
