12Aug

Saratoga Preview 8.13.22: Fourstardave and Saratoga Special

August 12, 2022By Handicapping, Handicapping Articles, News, Play of the Day
Happy Fourstardave Day! Today is the Fourstardave Handicap. Named for “The Sultan of Saratoga” who won a race at the Spa for eight consecutive years from 1987 to 1994 – and that was when the meet only had twenty-four and thirty racing days. He was the people’s horse and was beloved by all Saratoga race fans of that era. Appropriately, “Dave” is buried on the backside at Clare Court and forever resides at Saratoga.   Race 4 – Saratoga Special – Grade II Six and One Half Furlongs on the Dirt for Two Year Olds The top two finishers from the Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill are entered…
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05Aug

Saratoga Preview 8.6.22: Whitney, Saratoga Derby Invy

August 5, 2022By Handicapping, Handicapping Articles, News
Happy Whitney Day!  This is a fantastic card with four graded stakes races including three Grade 1s – the Test, the Saratoga Derby Invitational, and the Whitney.  I’ll dive into the Saratoga Derby and the Whitney Stakes – both of which sport a $1 million purse. Belmont Stakes day is the only other day on the New York racing calendar when there are two million dollar races - the Met Mile ($1 million) and Belmont Stakes ($1.5 million).   Race 10 – The Whitney Stakes – Grade I  One Mile and One Furlong On the Dirt, For Four Year Olds and Upward  The Whitney is arguably the most important…
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28Jul

Saratoga Preview Sat 7.30: G1 Vanderbilt, G2 Jim Dandy

July 28, 2022By Handicapping, Handicapping Articles, News
Happy Jim Dandy Day!  There are two very nice stakes races on the card today, albeit with short fields. As horse players we like big fields as it spreads the money around and gives us better prices on our good opinions. But there is no need to have a big field to have a great race.  Just check out the four horse Shuvee from Sunday and the five horse CCA Oaks from Saturday.   They were both awesome races between the leaders in their respective divisions.   While reigning Sprint Champion Jackie’s Warrior lays over the field in the Vanderbilt there is very good match-up in the Jim Dandy between…
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22Jul

Saratoga Preview: G1 CCA Oaks / G3 Caress

July 22, 2022By Handicapping, Handicapping Articles, News
Happy Coaching Club American Oaks Day!  Last year’s rendition of the Coaching Club American Oaks saw Marajuca defeat Malathaat and Clairiere in a thrilling stretch run. This year’s renewal features another big time showdown between Todd Pletcher’s Nest and D. Wayne Lukas’s Secret Oath.  Both of these filles were last seen in Triple Crown events where Nest ran an excellent second to Mo Donegal in the Belmont Stakes and Secret Oath was a good fourth in the Preakness.  In the Caress Stakes we get five runners out of the Intercontinental Stakes at Belmont including the winner Caravel, who is back to defend her title in this race.   …
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15Jul

Preview: Diana/Sanford Saratoga 7/16/22

July 15, 2022By Handicapping, Handicapping Articles, News, Play of the Day
Happy Diana Day!  The first Saturday card of the meet has eleven races co-featured by the Grade III Sanford and the Grade I Diana. These are two very competitive stakes races where you will need to go at least three or four deep to cover logical runners in any horizontal plays.  Race 8 – The Diana Stakes - Grade I   One Mile and One Furlong on the Mellon Turf Course   for Fillies and Mares Four Years Old and Upward  Chad Brown had his five year win streak in this race broken last year by Charlie Appleby who swept the exacta with Althiqa and Summer Romance.  Appleby is back…
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11Jul

Saratoga 2022 Opening Week Stakes

July 11, 2022By Handicapping, Handicapping Articles, News
Saratoga 2022 Meet Thursday, Jul 14 Schuylerville G3 $175K F2YO Dirt 6 Furlongs Thursday, Jul 14 Wilton $135K F3YO Dirt 1 Mile Friday, Jul 15 Coronation Cup $150K F3YO Turf 5 1/2 Friday, Jul 15 Forbidden Apple G3 $175K 4&UP Turf 1 Mile Saturday, Jul 16 Diana G1 $500K F&M 4&UP Turf 1 1/8 Saturday, Jul 16 Sanford G3 $175K 2YO Dirt 6 Furlongs Sunday, Jul 17 Quick Call presented by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation G3 $175K 3YO Turf 5 1/2 Furlongs
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10Jun

Belmont Stakes 2022 Preview

June 10, 2022By Handicapping, Handicapping Articles, News

Happy Belmont Day! Welcome to the best race card of the year this side of The Breeders’ Cup. It features eight grade 1s punctuated by the Manhattan, the Met Mile, and the Belmont Stakes. The wide open Belmont Stakes features the return of Derby winner Rich Strike, and the Met Mile has a great showdown between Flightline and Speaker’s Corner. I’ll tackle the Met Mile and the Belmont Stakes.

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21May

Preakness 147 Preview

May 21, 2022By Handicapping, Handicapping Articles, News

Race 13 – The Preakness – Grade I – One Mile and Three Sixteenths on the Dirt for Three Year Olds
We have nine entered here with three coming out of the Kentucky Derby, led by Epicenter who was a very good second two weeks ago.
D. Wayne Lukas goes for his record tying seventh Preakness Stakes with the filly Secret Oath. She would be the seventh filly to win the Preakness Stakes. While two fillies have won this race recently (Swiss Skydiver in 2020 and Rachel Alexandra in 2009) – Rachel’s win was the first filly win in the Preakness since Nellie Morse in 1924. By chance, 1924 was the last year that this race was run at a mile and an eighth.

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08Apr

Wood Memorial and Blue Grass Preview

April 8, 2022By Handicapping, Handicapping Articles

The racing season is beginning to bloom in the New York Spring sunshine. Turf racing has returned to the Big A and today marks the first Grade I (The Carter) of 2022 in New York on a card that is headlined by the Wood Memorial. I’ll tackle two of the primary Derby preps being contested today – the Wood at the Big A and the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. Both offer 100-40-20-10 Derby points to get into the starting gate of what appears to be a wide open Kentucky Derby.

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