Ateam's Saratoga $100 play-a-day

[ateamstupid]

Saturday, August 24

Late(st) Pick 4:

11th: #2 Forty Tales keeps landing in spots with a ton of speed and today is no different, but passing 13 horses will be no simple task and he's gonna get overbet. I'm interested in two other off-the-pace runners at bigger prices. #9 Overanalyze showed promise as a closing sprinter at 2, then never really developed into a two-turn star at 3. Have a feeling he'll run big on the cutback. #12 Central Banker's return race was enormous and even though it was on grass, note that he jumped forward when going turf-to-dirt last fall at Churchill. Stall is as sharp as they come and the fact that he turns him around quickly to run in this kind of race is a very good sign. The speeds may cancel each other out, but of those, I want #7 Mentor Cane and #10 Let Em Shine.

12th: Tough to get past the big three, #2 Orb, #3 Verrazano and #8 Palace Malice, but #9 Transparent was so much the best in the Curlin, it's a real shame he got DQ'ed for a minor incident on the far turn. McLaughlin's barn has been on an absolute tear this week and if anyone is going to jump up and beat the top three, I think it'll be him.

13th: #7 Slamarama is much the horse to beat cutting back to a turf sprint and dropping in for a tag. The only other horse who interests me is #3 Risk Management. He was terrible in his lone turf race, but that came going longer and his running style and breeding suggest 5 1/2 will be right up his alley. The turf sprint queen looks like she's dropping him for a win off the claim.

14th: Not a good group. I'm using the only two horses to close in the Joy Seeker wire job from opening weekend, #1 As Well and #11 Chow Fun, along with #4 Left Uppercut, who could be ready to roll 2nd back from the short layoff for sneaky Matties. He puts up an out-of-town rider and with the inside the advantageous place to be on the turf, expect him to instruct to send at all costs.

Race 11
$.50 PK4 2,7,9,10,12/2,3,8,9/3,7/1,4,11 $60
$1 PK4 2,9,12/2,3,8/7/1,11 $18
$11 WIN 9,12