9/4: Saratoga (Day 38; Spinaway/Saranac)
 

Spa Saturday action was largely unproductive from a betting standpoint, but thrilling with premium quality efforts from Havre de Grace in the Woodward and Jackson Bend in the Forego. Sharp maidenbreakers were a big part of the day too with Darley's Alpha and Bill Parcell's Saratoga Snacks were sharp on the main track at 7f and 6.5f. while Live Oak's Za Approval and blanket finish topper Kitten's Kid (Merrill Scherer) aced lawn diplomas.

In the wagering, things never really jelled over the 12 race slate despite a handful of winners and exotics sprinkled throughout the day. When the dust settled, I found myself $300 poorer thanks to unsuccessful P4 and P6 tickets. Hope everyone did OK (or minimized the losses anyway). Weather is a bit iffy this afternoon and very iffy for Labor Day Monday..


SARATOGA


POST-SCRATCHES


1st: CLM/N2L, 3+, 1m-IT (P3, DD, Super)

Delightful start to the betting with this wide open affair that featuresdroppers and dirt/turf moves, et al.. Dive in and sprinkle liberally with price horses!

Best Value: #8 Cooper River 8-1 7th
Next Best: #10 Living Right 7-2 2nd
Exotics Use: #2 Storm Galileo 12-1 3rd
Super Add: #7 Equivocation 12-1 4th

.10 SUPER PLAY: Key 8 in W/PL slots with 1-2-4-5-10 (1x5x4x3 + 5x1x4x3) = 60 + 60 = 120 x .10 = $12.00


2nd: ALW/N1X, F&M-3+, 6f (P4, P3, DD)

3-5? Seriously, 3-5? Come on..

Best Value: #2 Sharp Tongue Lady 8-1 3rd
Next Best: #5 Fantasy of Flight 3-5 2nd
Exotics Use: #3 Dust and Diamonds 6-1 WON ($12.20)


3rd: Sightseek-R, F&M-3+, 9f (P3, DD, Super)

Most Likely: #4 Arena Elvira 7-5 WON ($3.00)
Best Value: #3 All About Alex 10-1 5th
Exotics Use: #2 Lacie Slew 7-2 3rd


4th: NY-ALW/N1X, 3+, 7f (P3, DD, Super)

Best Value: #7 Jupiter Trio 9-2 4th
Next Best: #4 Southbeachsandy 7-2 WON ($6.30)
Exotics Use: #14 Papa's Nice Cat 8-1 10th
Super Add: #3 Ground Force 6-1 2nd


5th: MDN CLM, 3+, 7f (P3, DD, Super)

Most Likely: #7 Special Action 5-2 8th
Best Value: #4 Next Page 8-1 6th
Exotics Use: #1 My Piano Man 6-1 WON ($12.60)
Super Add: #9 Astonish 15-1 7th


<$75 P4 Play:

2: 2-3-5
3: 3-4
4: 3-4-7-14
5: 1-4-7

3x2x4x3 = $72 ($36 for .50)

$. Pick 4 (3-4-1/4/6/9/13-1) Paid $343.00 ($171.50 for .50)


6th: MSW, 2yo-F, 8.5f-T (P3, DD, Super)

Lots of possible pedigree notes, but none better than Stan Hough's Carolina Light who is a half to Scrappy T!!! (Oh.. and Tar Heel Mom of course).. Scrappy T!!!

Best Value: #7 Heart of Destiny 10-1 WON ($32.60)
Next Best: #6 Formative 3-1 4th
Exotics Use: #9 Zultanite 15-1 7th
Super Add: #8 Karlovy Vary 8-1 3rd


7th: MSW, 2yo-F, 7f (P6, P3, DD, Super)

This is a curious set of 2yo fillies with far too many 'obvious' horses. I'm looking elsewhere..

Most Likely: #10 Be With Me 5-1 5th
Best Value: #9 Sea Island 15-1 9th
Exotics Use: #3 Centrique 8-1 7th
Super Add: #6 Newbie 8-1 4th


8th: NY-MSW, 3+, 5.5f-T (G/S, P3, DD, Super)

Likely has no chance in his debut, but it is hard not to root for Robbie Davis sending his first starter out (#6 Sandyinthesun) as a trainer under daughter Jackie..

Most Likely: #2 Paci Di Notte 9-2 5th
Best Value: #3 Faulkner 5-1 3rd
Exotics Use: #7 Turn Up the Music 7-2 WON ($7.40)
Super Add: #1 Angel Ray 12-1 12th


9th: 104th Saranac (G3), 3yo, 9f-IT (P4, P3, DD, Super)

Most Likely: #5 Brilliant Speed 7-2 WON ($6.50)
Best Value: #4 Queen'splatekitten 8-1 2nd
Next Best: #6 Seal Cove 6-1 7th
Exotics Use: #10 Sky Blazer 15-1 4th


10th: 120th Spinaway (G1), 2yo-F, 7f (P3, DD)

Most Likely: #3 Georgie's Angel 2-1 4th
Best Value: #5 Lady Pecan 8-1 8th
Next Best: #7 Judy the Beauty 3-1 2nd
Exotics Use: #1e A. Dutrow entry 7-2 WON ($8.80)/5th


11th: CLM/N2L, F&M-3+, 5.5f-T (DD, Super)

Ausable Chasm was intended for this but had the bad luck of not being in the field when a total of 20 (!) entered..

Most Likely: #4 Schillerette 7-2 4th
Best Value: #9 Jazz Life 6-1 5th
Next Best: #1 Silver Screamer 3-1 WON ($5.90)
Exotics Use: #10 Unknown Wonder 15-1 10th
Super Add: #8 Copious Notes 12-1 9th


12th: CLM, F&M-3+, 1m-IT (Super)

RACE CANCELLED

Most Likely: #5 Glory in Motion 4-1
Next Best: #4 Ready to Party 5-1
Exotics Use: #10 High Strider 3-1
Super Add: #8 Starjetta 7-2


<$75 P4 Play:

9: 4-5-6
10: 1-3-5-7
11: 1-4-9-10
12: 4-5-10

3x4x4x3 = 144 x .50 = $72

$.50 Pick 4 (5-1-1-ALL) Paid $20.87 (x 3 = $62.61)


Good luck!
Steve

spinaway
 

ward says beauty is the best horse he has ever trained
thats good enough for me to try and derail the pletcher money train

Great call on the 7 in the 6th!!! Thanks much!

Ditto...just got back to the computer and threw down on it too. Thanks Stevie!

That was just an incredible ride by Prado there in the 6th. Wow.

Quite an ROI for Jim Baker horses this meet.

Race 12 off the turf... 7 furlongs.

Cancelled.

Thanks a lot guys! Glad you scored.. Was a big boost.

He's like a new man. Mike the Cop has been getting him better and better mounts as the meet has progressed, and he seems to be responding in kind by riding with verve and confidence.

Baker does a great job. That's his 3rd win in 19 starts and most of his horses have been running really well. Prices: $30.60 on Bergerac, $32.60 today and $10.60 on Gunman. Bergerac and Heart of Destiny have been real delights here at meet's end.

Steve,

Congrats on the monster day!

Thanks for the hospitality and all your efforts and time to make everyone feel welcome at the Spa. I don't know how you do all that you do, it is amazing.

Hope you close with a bang tomorrow, best of luck to My pal of pals tomorrow, and go get some sleep!!

solid early pk4 today. stayed away thinking it was chalky, but it paid pretty well, congrats, not as confusing as yesterday's sequence. Passed up on the later pk4 due to bbq's and beers...... would have been PISSED had i played it though. Was it really that bad up there not to run the 12th or what?

happy labor day boss, enjoy your last day at the............................................... .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ..............................................spa


-bt-

Larry,

Thanks very much.. Always great having you and the Popyaks in town for your annual visit. Congratulations on your clever Super score. That was a great ticket!

Thanks also for ongoing appreciative and gracious encouragement.

Continued success!
SB

Thanks BT. Beating the silly underlay in the first leg was the key to that P4. Glad I played and suggested the $1 version. Never fret over missed opps. There's always today.. and tomorrow.. And Wednesday.

Steve,

I can't thank you enough for a providing a different way to play the superfecta in the first... Using your method, I was able to hit the superfecta multiple times keying the 10 & 4 in the first & second slot. A nice score for only a small investment and thanks to you educating the public...

rock,

You're completely welcome. Delighted to hear the example provided the model for your hits ($220+ for every .10.. Nice!)

Continued success and I really appreciate you letting me know it helped your play. That means a lot to me.

Saratoga Closing Day
 

Always one of my saddest days of the year when Saratoga closes.
It is always a bit hard to follow from such a long way away but the generosity that Steve shows by keeping us up close makes it feel like we are almost there. That and the pictures of Barbara L. form DRF and the daily blogs of Steve Crist allow someone like me to really experience the SPA on a daily basis.
Thanks Steve for your time and gererosity and showing our family a good time when we visited the first week of August

So glad you had a good meet and i actually started to cash some nice tickets this last week also.....

The countdown of 10 1/2 months starts tomorrow....

Paul