Handicapping Articles

“PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                        Date:  7/19/2023      Featured Track/Race:   Saratoga – Race 9      Race overview:  A typically strong N1X for f/ms sprinting 5 ½Fs on the grass.       Pace:  It’s a turf sprint with plenty of talent, several of which want to motor early, so things will be fast and contested up front.      Trends:  You need to be close in the turrf sprints, as coming from far back just isn’t a great recipe for success.       Best Play:  #3 CADENCIA (3-1) (turf only): Expected pace presser almost got the mile last time with a huge…

“PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                        Date:  7/16/2023      Featured Track/Race:   Saratoga – Race 4      Race overview:  A competitive field of 14k N3L’s sprinting 6Fs on the main.       Pace:  It looks honest, as there are more than a few who want to be involved early, though none of them a pure burners either, so it doesn’t have the feel of a race that will fall apart late.      Trends:  It’s early in the meet, so there’s nothing current to gleam, though as a general rule of thumb, being close early on the main track is always a positive. …

Happy Diana Day!  The first Saratoga Saturday card is headlined by the Grade I Diana Stakes and the Grade III Sanford for two year olds.  Chad Brown trains four of the five Diana starters today – but it is a competitive field and not a slam dunk for In Italian. Remarkably, Chad has won six of the past seven renewals of the Diana.  Trivia Question: In Italian looks to repeat today in the Diana Stakes – who was the last horse to win two renditions of the Diana? Answer below.  Race 4 – The Diana Stakes – Grade I   One Mile and One Furlong on the Mellon Turf…

“PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                        Date:  7/15/2023      Featured Track/Race:   Saratoga – Race 5      Race overview:  A solid field of NYB N1X runners going 6Fs on the main track.       Pace:  It looks honest, as there are more than a few here that want to be close early, though there’s also no true burners either.      Trends:  It’s early in the meet, so there’s nothing current to gleam, though as a general rule of thumb, being close early on the main track is always a positive.       Best Play:  #8 MARIACHI (5-2): Lightly raced colt ran huge…

“PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                        Date:  7/13/2023      Featured Track/Race:   Saratoga – Race 5      Race overview:  A full, albeit a relatively watered down, field of veteran 20k claimers going 1 1/8 miles on the main.        Pace:  It actually appears relatively honest, though it’s 2023 in NY, so expect things to be painfully slow early, with little initiative taken.      Trends:  It’s obviously Opening Day, so there’s nothing current to gleam, though as a general rule of thumb, you want to be close early going two turns on the main, as races rarely fall apart late.      …

“PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                        Date:  7/14/2023      Featured Track/Race:   Saratoga – Race 10      Race overview:  A full field of 12 35k claimers routing 1 1/16 miles on the turf.       Pace:  Expect things to be slow early and a sprint late, as there’s not a ton of early speed entered—at least on paper.      Trends:  N/A       Best Play:  #3 HILLIARD (7-2) (turf only): Versatile sort was a month the best last time but had plenty of trouble, yet still ran only strongly in a speed race, and now looks primed against this group.     …

“PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                        Date:  7/9/2023      Featured Track/Race:   Belmont Park – Race 6      Race overview:  A competitive 30k N2L for 3up routing 1 1/16 on the inner turf.       Pace:  There’s not much here, which means #6 NO REGARD (15-1), with Carmouche up, may be aggressive and try to make the front over #3 Spettro (6-1), who is the speed on paper, but isn’t all that fast.      Trends:  The turf course has been fast and firm for the majority of the meet, which has yielded quick splits while showing a penchant for carrying speed a…

“PLAY of the DAY” by Brian Nadeau                        Date:  7/8/2023      Featured Track/Race:   Belmont Park – Race 10      Race overview:  A deep and competitive renewal of the G1 Belmont Derby for 3yos, going 1 ¼ miles on the inner turf.       Pace:  Expect a slow pace with a bunched group, led by #8 Kalik (5-1), who wired the local prep, the G2 Pennine Ridge last time.      Trends:  The turf course has been fast and firm for the majority of the meet, which has yielded quick splits while showing a penchant for carrying speed a bit farther than you might expect. …