8/20: Saratoga (The Albany)
 

Travers Week and final third of the meet kicks of Wednesday with a very challenging card featuring three non-winners of 2 lifetime events, 2 impossible 2yo heats and a pAir of excellent listed stakes. Should be a fun day, and I expect to play aggressively with potential for big numbers dotting the lineup. A glorious week of weather is our reward for enduring a trying first half of the session, so let's enjoy the last 12 days of Spa action and finish strong!


SARATOGA RACE COURSE


POST-SCRATCHES


1st: CLM/N2L, F&M-3+, 6.5f (P3, DD)

Most Likely: #2 FLIBBERJIBIT 2-1 5th
Best Value: #1e Contessa entry 5-1 3rd
Next Best: #6 SCR
Exotics Use: #7 Sounds Tacky 20-1 8th


2nd: MSW, 2yo-F, 8.5f-T (P4, P3, DD, Super)

Suppose an option here is to cover the big name outfit firsters (Pletcher's #5 Umbra and Mott's #1 (POE) Herr Mozart) in multi race wagers, but I'll play against them within the race looking for score through McPeek 2nd time starter..

Most Likely: #8 SCR
Best Value: #2 Seal Team 10-1 6th
Next Best: #6 Relatively Ready 8-1 WON
Super Add: #7 Mike from Queens 15-1 8th


3rd: ALW/N2L, F&M-3+, 7f (P3, DD, Super)

Super tricky cond. ALW.. Favored #10 Pretty Carina can win, but looks vulnerable at unacceptable price..

Most Likely: #4 Awesome I Am 7-2 WON
Best Value: #7 SCR
Next Best: #1 Shopit 12-1 5th
Super Add: #9 Pious Ashley 6-1 9th


4th: CLM/N2L, F&M-3+, 1m-IT (P3, DD, Super)

Most Likely: #5 On Lake 3-1 3rd
Next Best: #4 Ardnavagh 2-1 WON
Best Value: #9 Crusader's Code 20-1 8th
Super Add: #3 SCR


5th: MSW, 2yo-F, 5.5f-T (P6, P3, DD, Super)

Most Likely: #6 Fast Tigress 3-1 6th
Best Value: #4 Such Flash 6-1 2nd
Next Best: #8 Warm Springs Girl 4-1 4th
Super Add: #9 Closing Speed 8-1 3rd


6th: CLM, 3+, 8.5f-IT (G/S, P3, DD, Super)

Most Likely: #2 Encinas 5-2 WON
Best Value: #10 Dr Rico 12-1 3rd
Next Best: #6 Real Quality 9-2 2nd
Super Add: #9 Terrific Storm 12-1 5th


7th: MDN CLM, 3+, 7f (P4, P3, DD)

Yet another fun affair.. Likely covering 6 (Domino) & 11 (Zito) in exotics/multis..

Most Likely: #3 Tomlinson Hill 4-1 WON
Next Best: #5 Secret Design 9-2 11th
Best Value: #9 Metulla 6-1 9th
Exotics Use: #10 Fullmoongoose 10-1 7th

.10 SUPER PLAY: 3-5-9 with 3-5-9 with 3-5-6-9-10-12 with 3-5-6-9-10-12 (3x2x4x3 = 72 x .10 = $7.20)


8th: The Bennington, F&M-3+, 6f (P3, DD, Super)

Terrific overnight stake..

Most Likely: #7 City Bird 7-2 2nd
Best Value: #2 Dorm Fever 6-1 6th
Next Best: #6 Zada Belle 2-1 WON
Super Add: #5 Over Forli 10-1 5th


9th: The Albany, NYB-3yo, 9f (DD)

Undefeated Tin Cup Chalice faces his toughest challenge trying tio sweep the elusive Big Apple Triple..

Best Value: #3 Almighty Silver 6-1 4th
Most Likely: #6 Tin Cup Chalice 2-1 WON
Next Best: #5 Ichabad Crane 5-2 6th


10th: NYB-OC/C, F&M-3+, 8.5f-IT (Super)

Most Likely: #2 Absolute Heaven 3-1 3rd
Best Value: #3 My Nina Rose 20-1 10th
Next Best: #1 Stormy Relations 7-2 4th
Super Add: #6 Western Slang 6-1 8th


<$75 P4 Play:

May very well NOT play this Quad, instead employing possibly prudent budgetary restraint spreading wider in rolling P3's.. P3 add-ons indicated with "(X-X-X)"..

7: 3-5 (6-9-10-11)
8: 2-6-7 (4-5-8)
9: 3-5-6-7
10: 1-2-3 (6-7-8)

2x3x4x3 = $72


Good luck!
Steve

Call me a crazy, but I kind of like Crafty NP in the 1st. Takes a bigger drop but his last was not bad until a furlong to the wire. The Maker horse looks formidable but in these cheap claimers it's worth a shot.

You sir, are crazy.

Thank you, I just needed a second opinion. :)

Damn you....I hope I didn't talk you off that. You're one smart crazy mother.

Spyder

19-1!! Hope you cashed nice.

Good call.

Thanks guys!

I backed him, thanks again.

Nice hit CSC. Linda Rice is en fuego right now. :$:

You made me look again and ended up making a nice P3 score off of that. Great call

I am sure my exacta ticket is talking here but I could swear the #10 Pretty Carina cost the #2 Lady on Holiday second place money the way she bore out in the stretch. No Contact and No Horrendous check but clearly the momentum of the #2 was impeded.....any thoughts here? It seems like they rushed to get that one up pretty damn quick there

Continuing the theme from race 1 I like Rice's 3 in the 4th.....missed the scratch from this AM. Damn

i agree the 10 stopped the 2's mojo coming down the stretch and did anybody see castellano's ride on the #6 in the 6th , this guy just keeps blowing races

Interesting 'maneuvering' by Castellano when he couldn't get by the 2. He's a SNAKE.

Big Truck = bad favorite

Going with Almighty Silver

Castellano is having his problems keeping his horses running straight this week, I think the stewards were right in this instance, though it was alarming to the rider of #2 and maybe for the horse I'm sure ... the head on would never justify a DQ.

Certainly live in the exacta pool...Went Icabad over AS and TCC for a dub.

I think I said this earlier this week, Motion is due. You got to think Dominguez will keep him a little closer today, Icabad Crane that is.

Good for Mike Lecesse and Pedro Rodriguez! Tin Cup Chalice by a game head!

Carrying 124 and alot heart also.

It helped that he crawled on the front end, but yes, he was gutsy.

Slow pace or not, the 4 is really supposed to go by.

True to all, the 10th is a very interesting race. Prado seemingly chooses the #2 but Western Slang has a chance it would seem, she's just too good a price to not put a few dollars her way.

It helped even more that the only other speed was conveniently scratched today. Wonder if that was just a coincidence? :rolleyes:
How much was the bonus for winning? 1 mill? Thats a lot of cash!

$250,000. It's funny, I jokingly said it was a conspiracy when they posted the early fractions. Unless That'srightofficer was in on it though, I'm pretty sure the result was legit.

Not saying the result wasnt legit. Tin Cup was very game and Thatsrightofficer looked like a horse who really wanted to win, but as he does often, couldnt go by when it mattered. It does make you wonder that the only other horse in the race with speed is entered off a freshening and scratched. I rememeber the day Writingonthewall won by 6 and watching Talking Horses that night. Jason Blewitt was commenting on how this horse would be perhaps pointed towards the Albany. That was way back in June.
Makes perfect sense to me.

fat man what was he doing in the parking lot on the far turn? , garcia got the trip on the rail and beat him less than a head

if he stays inside and comes up the rail he wins for fun