7/31 (SAR): Diana H. (G1), Jim Dandy S. (G2)
 

1st (1:00) William B. Fasig S.

1 1/16 Miles (Inner Turf) | Fillies and Mares | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $70,000

1 Chestoria Cohen D 123 L
2 Exclusive Scheme Velazquez J R 119 L
3 Akilina Maragh R 121 L
4 My Magic Moment Dominguez R A 119 L
5 Our Golden Dream Leparoux J R 119 L
6 You Go West Girl Lezcano J 121 L
7 Don't Forget Gil Castellano J J 121 L
8 Gold for the Queen Lezcano J 121 L
9 Big Brownie Hill C 119 L



9th (5:15) Diana S. (G1)

1 1/8 Miles (Mellon Turf) | Fillies and Mares | 3 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $500,000

1 Proviso (GB) Smith M E 123 L
2 My Princess Jess Velasquez C 118 L
3 Phola Dominguez R A 120 L
4 Forever Together Leparoux J R 120 L
5 Dynaslew Coa E M 118 L
6 Shared Account Prado E S 118 L
7 Maram Lezcano J 118 L



10th (5:48) Jim Dandy S. (G2)

1 1/8 Miles | Open | 3 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $500,000

1 Steinbeck (IRE) Gomez G K 115 FTL
2 Afleet Express Castellano J J 119 L
3 Stormy's Majesty Prado E S 115 L
4 Aikenite Cohen D 115 L
5 A Little Warm Velazquez J R 115 L
6 Miner's Reserve Borel C H 115 L
7 Winslow Homer Dominguez R A 119 L
8 Friend Or Foe Maragh R 115 L
9 Fly Down Lezcano J 121 L

I love the match up in the Diana, we really find out how good Proviso is in this spot.

I love Fly Down; hate the post, but I don't think it will kill him.

Miner's Reserve is a talented colt in his own right; I would have preferred to see him run in the 3 year old stakes run the day after the Jim Dandy, especially if it turns out Zito is using him as a rabbit for Fly Down.

I like Fly Down a lot and I think he will move late but not win this race, he would then be dangerous on the stretch out in the Travers likely at over 10-1. The biggest questions in this race for me are, Was Winslow Homer ever that good, and how good is Afleet Express? Winslow Homers last was brutal, but the horse who won that race might be at the top of this class. He should have at least ran second though. Afleet Express IMO might be that good, but he has to prove it in here. A few things I am pretty sure of Friend or Foe wont run well in here, and the 2 horses coming out of the Delware race the 5,6 are not that good, I want them to prove that last number is legit in here, I am not sold at all on either of them. I would actually be shocked if 5,6,8 even hit the board.

Good luck with Steinbeck I guess.

His grandfather was pretty good. Im actually looking at him now, what is he doing here? Gomez picks the mount up, he might be ok.

I'm not sure what to do with Steinbeck. You have to like the fact that he's a fresh face facing a weak crop, but his pedigree is just SO turfy.

Afleet Express might be too good for them, but I'm a little worried about the distance.

Does anyone else find it extremely annoying that the last race on this card - and most of the other cards so far - is a cheap claimer? I'd like to play this PK4, but have no desire to handicap this race. I know a lot of people don't like a race with firsters to be after the first leg of a major sequence, but I preferred Saturday's closing race strongly to these $25k's.

Don't worry, Gales has your back and says Eddie K's horse can't lose the nightcap.

NT

I don't really understand the complaint. These are solid, consistent turf horses who run 75-85 Beyers. It's far from a piss poor field. I'd sure as hell prefer this to the standard $25,000-$22,500 maiden claimer that closes out SoCal cards. It's a two-horse race on paper, anyway.

Can anyone find a horse other than Discovery in the Whitney to win a major stakes race at Saratoga three years in a row? Forever Together has the chance in the Diana.

Anyone know the logic behind putting a stakes that drew a solid 9 horses as the 1st race instead of in the late P4? With the three races here in the P4 it would be a must play for me, as it is I will probably skip it.

There are two MTOs, so it's only a field of seven to start, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a scratch from one of the Badgetts or a horse like Don't Forget Gil if the race stays on turf.

That being said, I'm surprised that the 7th race, a pretty good NW1X isn't in the pic-4 instead of the NY-bred turf maidens.

Thanks, that makes more sense although personally I'd still play a 7 horse stakes race over maidens or claimers in a P4. Not sure the point in the MTOs, aside from scattered T'storms tonight it is looking like no rain until Tuesday or Wednesday.

Wasn't Wasted Tears originally pointing for the Diana?
I've been a little out of the loop lately, but figured she would go in this one.

Nick was originially quoted as saying that Miner's Reserve was pointing for the Curlin, now he shows up here. When he went in the FLA Derby it was at the insistence of his then jockey KD and Bob LaPenta. Nick felt he wasn't ready and wheeling back off a big effort with short rest he was right.

Is there any sense that there is a similar situation here, where Bob has insisted that MR go in this spot (he was pretty soundly beaten by A Little Warm in his last)? Of course, Fly Down is Richard Pell's horse.

MR has since been entered in the Curlin stakes - that's where I hope he goes. I like him a lot, but he's not a graded horse at this point - and I'd love to see him get a stakes win.

Are you sure you don't own Zenyatta?

I'm pretty sure I'm not related to the Moss's...........

Are you implying Miner's Reserve has a serious shot in this race? If not, then please explain why he's not better off in the Curlin? I personally don't want him in the race for 2 reasons: 1) I hate to root against one of my favorite horses and that's what would happen here. I'm very confident in Fly Down. 2) I don't think he belongs with these horses yet; what has he shown that makes you think he does? I love the horse, so it's not that I don't think he's not talented.

I'm pretty sure that Winslow Homer and MR were only entered in the Jim Dandy in case the Curlin didn't fill. I bet they both scratch out of the Jim Dandy.

who in there, besides fly down, is a real worry? second money if he manages that is 100k. that's better than a win in the curlin, isn't it? only way to know is to try.

actually, third here pays better then a win there. guess we'll see saturday.