Selections

Saratoga August 4

Race 2

  • 8  Cocked and Loaded  8/5

  • 1  Pinstripe  2-1

  • 3  Formal Submission  4-1

Nothing much to comment about here. There’s a lot of speed signed on for this one, but Pinstripe has a race over the track and that gives him an advantage. Cocked and Loaded has been with much better horses and cuts back in distance. He had a big year last year but has been slow into stride this year. Still, if Rivelli decides to keep him in the field, he looks best. Formal Submission is likely to be the speed of the speed.

Race 3

  • 5  Hoponthebusgus  3-1

  • 2  Bellelarama  4-1

  • 8  Murrell’s Belle  5-1

This race is a bit of a crapshoot, so I went with the known commodities – RuRod with the 5, Steve Asmussen with the 2, and Gary Gullo with the 8. Murrell’s Belle did show good speed in a MSW and drops in for a price today.

Race 4

  • 4  Midnight Visitor  3-1

  • 6  Splashtackular  4-1

  • 8  Indulgent  9/2

Midnight Visitor comes in from KY for his 2016 debut and has 2YO figures that would be competitive even if he didn’t improve. Splashtackular goes for top 2YO trainer Mark Casse. She’s got three decent starts and a nice work in prep for this one. Indulgent got the third slot off her potential for improvement. She was a little tardy at the start last out and with a clean break could be the winner.

Race 5

  • 1  Tizanillusion  8/5

  • 5  Wildcat Belle  4-1

  • 4  Sober on Sunday  4-1

Tizanillusion hasn’t run a bad race and looks well meant at the short sprint distance. Wildcat Belle comes over from Parx for high percentage trainer Danny Gargan. Her win last out was dominating and she makes her turf debut today. Breeding is not spectacular for the turf, but at the short distance she should do fine. Sober on Sunday is another trying the grass after a maiden win on the dirt. Like the workout pattern.

Race 6

  • 7  About That Base  3-1

  • 1  Passporttovictory  4-1

  • 8  Tainted Angel  4-1

Another tough race to come up with a solid selection. About That Base goes for Pletcher/Velasquez and if he gets bet, you have to assume he’s got talent. Passporttovictory and Tainted Angel both looked good in their debut race where they finished close to each other.

Race 7

  • 10  Barrier to Entry  3-1

  • 2  Same Kinda Crazy  7/2

  • 5  Downside Scenario  4-1

  • 4  It’s Two Hot Benny  5-1

Barrier to Entry looked good first time on the turf in a while and returns at the same level. High percentage in the money horse. Same Kinda Crazy was so-so in his first try with winners, but that was at the NW1X level. In a better spot today. Downside Scenario is another who may have been a little over his head when racing with winners and should like this group better.

Race 8

  • 4  Iromea  5/2

  • 9  Songoficeandfire  3-1

  • 2  Joyful Hope  4-1

  • 6  Sky Painter  5-1

Iromea has some long races from France and seems to have thrived under Clement’s care. Songoficeandfire will get a lot of action based on her recent graded stakes runs. Tops the field figurewise. Joyful Hope comes first time from Italy for Clement who is 25% with Euro shippers.

Race 9

  • 7  Holding Gold  2-1

  • 9  Too Discreet  5/2

  • 3  Commend  3-1

This edition of the Quick Call puts together a strong field. Let’s run through the contenders.

Bust Another had been effective in optional claimers and state-bred races on the dirt when trainer Michael Pino decided to try a turf sprint. The horse responded by running a good race, leading until deep in the stretch. He’s a contender, although in this field he’ll have to get by some quality runners.

Commend is perhaps the most interesting horse in the race. He looked good in two races at a mile in Kentucky. Bill Mott moved him to the sprint distance and he ran a good one, especially considering the race was on a yielding turf and the pace was not quick. He broke well, relaxed toward the back of the pack , swung wide around the turn, and finished in excellent time – an unadjusted 21 4/5, having to beat horses who had plenty of energy left after the slow pace. While the competition is stiff, this horse is a major contender.

Don’t Be So Salty has been in a number of graded stakes, albeit with limited success. He’s got three things going for him in this race. First, he moves over to the Linda Rice barn, and she is 31% with new charges. Second, he gets a positive rider switch to Jose Ortiz. Third, he’s got a win and a third on the SAR turf. It’s difficult to tell if these changes will propel the horse past this field, but he can’t be completely discounted.

Holding Gold looks strong in this spot. Notice that the only race the horse wasn’t in was against Exaggerator in the Saratoga Special last year. He’s won at the short sprint distance, although that was on the synthetic at WO. In his last race he went 7F on the WO turf and ran an enormous figure. This is his sternest test to date and if he replicates his last you have to give him a big chance to repeat.

Too Discreet has shown plenty of early foot in longer races this year, but his first two wins came at the abbreviated sprint at SAR. He won the Paradise Creek at BEL two and a half months ago in wire to wire fashion. Has a good combination of speed and staying power and is another major contender.

Holding Gold, Too Discreet, and Commend get the top three spots, but in the verticals you can’t ignore Bust Another and Don’t Be So Salty. I expect Holding Gold and Too Discreet to battle toward the front end and for Commend to be coming hard at the end. Who’s the winner – that’s not the right question. Who’s the value – that will determine where the money should go.

Race 10

  • 8  More Zen Tea  3-1

  • 1  Readthebyline  7-2

  • 2  Global Positioning  4-1

  • 3  Bug Juice  5-1

More Zen Tea was claimed by Contessa two back and he moved him up to an OC$40K at a mile and an eighth where he didn’t race badly. He’s won at 7F so this sprint should be to his liking. Readthebyline has won at SAR, BEL and AQU and has the advantage of high percentage trainer Danny Gargan. Global Positioning hasn’t run a bad race this year and fits well with this group.