BANKROLL
BANKROLL: $1,064.75
I’ve been following racing at Saratoga for almost 30 years. I’ve never seen a $10,000 claimer on a card before, but one makes an appearance Thursday.
I’m not going to skewer the racing secretary too much for this. It’s the job of a secretary to card races that fill, based on the horses that are on the backstretch, and this one goes with eight runners. However, it wasn’t all that long ago that Saratoga barely carded claiming races of any kind, and the appearance of this one is jarring.
There’s always chatter about Saratoga adding dates or starting earlier. I’m not a fan of that idea for a number of reasons, and this is one of them. If Saratoga adds dates, these are the races we’ll see more and more, and that’s not the Saratoga I know and have loved since I was a kid.
WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS: Clearly Unhinged appeared to have every shot in the Honorable Miss but never really kicked on. I dropped $30.
THURSDAY’S PLAY: I’m focusing on the seventh, which houses my best bet of the day. That’s #2 DOT’S DOLLAR, and I’ll try to extract some value out of that one in a few ways. I’ll have a $13 win bet, and he’s a single for me in $5 doubles starting with #3 SHAKEITFORTHEBIRD, #4 ARK ROYAL, and #7 IN THE CHASE in the sixth and ending with #5 LA BANQUERA and #8 DOLOMITE in the eighth. Finally, I’ll have a $2 Pick Three starting in the sixth using all of these horses.
TOTAL WAGERED: $50.
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SELECTIONS/ANALYSIS
Best Bet: Dot’s Dollar, Race 7
Longshot: Kid Kreesa, Race 10
R1
Young At Heart
Mega Changer
Miss C Banker
#11 YOUNG AT HEART (7/2): Is bred to be a solid turf horse and could have a big chance if she draws in off the AE list. She needs a scratch to run, but given her pedigree and a strong series of works for a high-percentage barn, I think she’s well-meant; #12 MEGA CHANGER (8-1): Is out of the mare Megahertz, who was a fantastic turf runner in her day. She ships up from Penn National and is another who could be very competitive if she draws in; #10 MISS C BANKER (5/2): Showed speed in her debut downstate and has a right to improve at second asking. This barn’s runner’s tend to improve with experience, and such a step forward (combined with scratches that keep the AE’s out) would likely make her the one to catch.
R2
Run Devil
Condiment Girl
Mucho Mama Mia
#4 RUN DEVIL (5-1): Comes back to what’s probably the right level and cuts back to what’s probably the right distance. Her two-turn efforts at Monmouth seem like throwouts, and she should relish a route similar to the one she won at three starts ago; #6 CONDIMENT GIRL (5/2): Takes a big drop in her first start for Linda Rice, and channeling her late-2023 and early-2024 form would strictly make her the one to beat. Those last two starts, though, sure seem like a major step back, and because of that, I’ll try to beat her; #7 MUCHO MAMA MIA (10-1): Has won two of her last three starts, including a restricted claiming event last time out. Irad Ortiz, Jr., sees fit to ride back, and this barn has gotten off to a very strong start this season.
R3
Golden Degree (MTO)
Idea Generation
High Stick
#7 IDEA GENERATION (8/5): Makes her 2024 debut in this spot and is a major player if she’s ready to run. Her 2023 campaign included a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Waya, and Chad Brown-trained comebackers always merit respect; #8 HIGH STICK (5/2): Comes up from Monmouth and is the likely early speed in this event. She went wire-to-wire going a mile and a quarter last season, so this distance may very well be what she wants; HOOLIE ENTRY (9/2): I prefer #1A IN TIME, a winner going long in France last year. Her form includes tries in a few Group 2 races there and in Dubai, and her back class could be enough to get her a piece of this.
R4
Unsolved Mystery (MTO)
Pallotta Sisters
Miss Bonnie T
#9 PALLOTTA SISTERS (8/5): Takes a significant class drop for a barn that doesn’t do this very often. However, this ownership group is an aggressive one, so perhaps they’re calling the shots. Either way, anything close to either of her outings this year would make her a formidable favorite; #2 MISS BONNIE T (10-1): Provides value underneath due to her demonstrated love of the Saratoga turf course. She has three top-two finishes in four local starts, and she goes third off the bench here beneath Javier Castellano; #7 ELLE EST FORTE (5/2): Rallied to finish second in May downstate and is another dropping down in class. She may need a pace to run at, but if she gets one, she should be heard from late.
R5
Pletcher entry
Masterwork
Paynter’s Prodigy
PLETCHER ENTRY (1-1): I’m not a fan of the price, but #1A UNLIMITEDPOTENTIAL seems very, very tough. Something clearly went wrong in the last-out clunker at Churchill Downs, which came after a solid maiden-breaking score at Keeneland. If this one does not run, though, #1 WHISKEY N SODA seems like a bet-against at his likely price; #9 MASTERWORK (5-1): Drops in after tiring against $40,000 claimers last time out and stretches back out to a two-turn distance. He’s also been gelded since the last-out clunker, and that could also move him forward; #3 PAYNTER’S PRODIGY (12-1): Hasn’t run since January but hasn’t performed badly in two starts to date. He won going two turns at first asking at Laurel, then finished third over Gulfstream’s synthetic surface before going to the sidelines.
R6
In the Chase
Ark Royal
Shakeitforthebird
#7 IN THE CHASE (3-1): Debuts for a sharp first-out barn and is bred to be a runner. His dam’s three prior foals to race are all winners, and third dam Darien Miss is the damn of multiple Grade 1 winner Fleet Renee and Grade 2-winning 2-year-old Future Quest, among others; #4 ARK ROYAL (6-1): Is another first-time starter with a productive dam. He’s kin to four winners and has been working well in the mornings for a trainer that doesn’t always ask for a ton out of his first-time starters; #3 SHAKEITFORTHEBIRD (9/2): Posted several sharp works at Finger Lakes and has been stabled at Saratoga for a few weeks. When these connections ship in, they mean business, and you’ll want to watch the tote board early to see if smart money shows up.
R7
Dot’s Dollar
Printrack
Magnolia Midnight
#2 DOT’S DOLLAR (4-1): Is one of only a few in here that’s shown they can pass others late, and exits a sharp score downstate beneath Flavien Prat. Prat sees fit to ride back in this spot, and he should have plenty of pace to chase in this seven-furlong starter allowance; #6 PRINTRACK (2-1): Hasn’t finished out of the exacta in more than a year and figures to be prominent early. His last-out score wasn’t bad, but he’ll likely have to go much faster early on in this spot; #5 MAGNOLIA MIDNIGHT (4-1): Chased my second choice home last time out, and I have to think they’ll be a bit more aggressive early on here. He’s shown an affinity for this track in the past, and it’s possible a return to upstate New York wakes him up.
R8
Dolomite
La Banquera
Better Humor Me
#8 DOLOMITE (8/5): Comes off the bench for Chad Brown and gets Lasix for the first time in her 3-year-old debut. She was last seen running third in the Grade 2 Demoiselle, comes back in a first-level allowance against state-bred competition, and looms large provided she’s ready to run; #5 LA BANQUERA (4-1): Tried stakes company at second asking and may have bounced off of a sharp first-out score. She earned an 86 Beyer Speed Figure in her unveiling, easily the highest such number of any horse in this field, and a return to that form would give her a big chance; #1 BETTER HUMOR ME (8-1): Ran fairly well in a four-start 2023 campaign and has been training steadily for Charlton Baker ahead of her return off of a long layoff. Regular rider Kendrick Carmouche knows her well, and she’s shown an ability to sit back and pass others late, which could come in handy.
R9
Roses for Debra
Kaufymaker
Dontlookbackatall
#10 ROSES FOR DEBRA (8/5): Was a hard-luck second in the Grade 2 Intercontinental, and I’m pretty sure Irad Ortiz, Jr., wants that ride back. Horse and rider moved too late that day, and I simply don’t think that scenario plays out again in the Grade 3 Caress; #4 KAUFYMAKER (9/2): Did a lot of the dirty work up front in the Intercontinental, which was her first start in nine months. Given the long layoff and fast pace, I thought she ran very well, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s once again the one to catch late; #8 DONTLOOKBACKATALL (10-1): Hasn’t finished outside the top two since 2022 and comes in off of back-to-back scores in listed stakes races. This is a class test, and Irad hops off to ride my top choice, but Joel Rosario riding for Christophe Clement isn’t exactly a bad thing.
R10
Kid Kreesa
Dakota Country
Koru
#5 KID KREESA (20-1): Is a wacky pick in a Thursday finale where I simply don’t have much of a strong opinion. However, in a race without much other gate speed, this one has shown early interest, and I think there’s a chance he goes early without much competition and forgets to stop; #12 DAKOTA COUNTRY (5/2): Drops in for a tag and may be talented enough to overcome the terrible outside draw. His last-out effort was a solid second against maiden special weight foes, and the recent bullet drill hints that he’s doing well; #7 KORU (7/2): Was fourth in the race my second choice exits and adds blinkers for Chad Brown. His two-back effort wasn’t a bad one, and that day’s winner came right back to win at next asking. The question is, is there enough pace signed on to set up for this one’s late kick?
