Venue thoughts for July 18
 

It's going to be opening weekend at Saratoga, with the Coaching Club American Oaks and the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes being the featured races. My normal reaction would be to take us all to the Spa to enjoy the beginning of the season, even though this season is going to be much different from those that have preceded it. I'm sure that the scenes of the paddock without lots of fans will come as a shock.

I noticed that Monmouth Park is running its biggest day of the year, featuring the Haskell Stakes with a fist full of Derby qualifying points. I think that Monmouth Park will also be having a free online handicapping contest with some generous prizes. They have done so is previous years. While I have fond memories of placing my first bets at Monmouth Park while being well below the legal age to do so, my heart still belongs to Saratoga. I could be easily persuaded to include the Haskell as an additional contest race if others would enjoy that.

I'd welcome your thoughts. And please stay safe and well.

Saratoga with the Haskell added would be fine with me. I usually take a shot at the Haskell Challenge, but if there are 14 races like usual, I'd just as soon pass. I don't really enjoy trying to handicap that many races. With that many, it becomes a bit of a grueling exercise. I would probably be just as well off to take a wild guess on some of those earlier races.

SPA + HASKELL
Sounds like a new law firm ;)

But the best Bet of the day :tro: :tro:

BLOODHORSE

NYRA Closes Saratoga to Out-of-Town Jockeys
Click Here!

The New York Racing Association has closed Saratoga Race Course to out-of-town jockeys until further notice,
part of updated health and safety protocols announced July 14
to address a rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases among jockeys across the country.

VIEW FULL STORY

Probably a very sensible precaution. It's going to cause some jockeys to make tough decisions - both Irad Ortiz and Ricardo Santana had key mounts at Monmouth on Haskell Day. I would guess that they will forego those rather than sacrifice the entire Saratoga meeting. A rider like Mike Smith will be impacted by this, probably missing rides on horses like Midnight Bisou.

The scheduling of the Oaks/Derby prior to the end of the Saratoga meet is going to make for some unusual jockey assignments for the final 4 days of the Sarstoga meet. Lots of the regular NYRA jockeys will have rides at CD at that time, and won't be able to return to the Spa after the Derby.

Del Mar Cancellation
 

BloodHorse
NEWS ALERT

Del Mar Cancels Racing July 17-19 Due to COVID-19

Click Here!
Del Mar, which just opened July 10, will close July 17-19 due to
multiple members of the jockeys' room
at the California track testing positive for COVID-19.

VIEW FULL STORY

SECOND THOUGHT-ITIS

After looking at both cards for Saturday
My personal opinion is that Monmouth has the better card :tro:

Saratoga Stakes
One has seven horses + the other has six :(

Monmouth
6 Excellent Stakes :tro:

You did ask for opinions so I’m just offering mine

Two words

THE SPA but it is for sure your call!!!

Don Guido, one of these days you'll have to tell us what you really feel:D:D

Ruff, you are probably correct about Monmouth. The final half of their card has some very good races. A number of our players will probably be playing the free Haskell Game, all 14 races of it.

I grew up in Monmouth County, so must show proper respect to Molly Pitcher, the heroine of the Battle of Monmouth Courthouse during the Revolutionary War and the namesake of race 14. Heck, while I was in high school I even caddied for the gentleman [and he truly was a gentleman] for whom the feature stakes race is named.

But [there's always a "but", isn't there?], it is OPENING WEEKEND at Saratoga, and many of us have been waiting for it to arrive, even without the fans to join John Imbriale in calling out, "And they're off at Saratoga." While some of the fields may lack quantity, they appear to have quality. We will get to see the races live on Fox Sports. We can enjoy what is arguably the best jockey colony in the country. And we can at least dream that we could be there in person [sigh]. In lieu of that, we can start Saturday morning by reading the 2020 Saratoga Special, one of the best racing publications around and just the thing to get one into the right frame of mind.

So, our contest card for Saturday will be as follows:
Races 2 through 11 at Saratoga, followed by
Race 12 from Monmouth [the Haskell Stakes]

Post time for Race 2 at the Spa will be 1:43 Eastern time.

Entries for all races are available - time to start studying.;)