BANKROLL

BANKROLL: $1,183.50

Friday is Hall of Fame Day. Having a ballot for that institution is one of the great honors of my career, and it’s going to be awesome to see Arrogate, California Chrome, Songbird, and Corey Nakatani get enshrined.

If you haven’t had a chance to venture to the museum, you absolutely should. They renovated the place a few years ago, it’s gotten rave reviews, and it makes for a fantastic way to spend a few hours before an afternoon at the races.

THURSDAY’S RESULTS: My top picks went a modest 3-for-10, but a lot of underneath horses ran huge. More importantly (for this section, at least), I saw the ball really clearly when it mattered. Gala Brand rallied from last to first to win the sixth at a bit of a price. In total, a win bet and a double into the next race turned $30 worth of bets into $253.50 (in hindsight, I should’ve avoided a double that underpaid a bit, but it’s still a really good score).

FRIDAY’S PLAY: We’re going to focus on the Friday opener. I’m excited to bet #3 LUDWIG, a first-time gelding with a stellar local work tab, several different ways. I’ll have $5 exactas keying him above and below #1 OPPORTUNITY SET/#1A INDEX FUND and #4 WICKED AGAIN, as well as $5 doubles that single him and end with #2 BETTER LUCK, #3 GLACIAL POWER, and #4 STUCK ON YOU in the second.

TOTAL WAGERED: $35.

ANALYSIS/SELECTIONS

Thursday: 3-for-10
Meet: 13-for-58

Best Bet: Ludwig, Race 1
Longshot: Aspen Grove, Race 7

R1

Ludwig
Wicked Again
Brown entry

#3 LUDWIG (4-1): Has been working very well ahead of his first start since May. He’s been gelded since that last-out effort, too, and it certainly seems like he’s responded well to the ultimate equipment change; #4 WICKED AGAIN (7/5): Ran in a few strong maiden races earlier this year where he came up against several next-out winners. He’s shown plenty of early speed and should be prominent from the jump; BROWN ENTRY (6/5): #1A INDEX FUND is probably the better-meant half of the entry. He was second in his lone start to date, which came last November, and while his morning line price hits me as an underlay, he’s a contender if he’s ready to go.

R2

Crown That Saint (MTO)
Three Diamonds entry
Glacial Power

#2 BETTER LUCK (5-1): Is bred up and down for the turf and attracts Luis Saez, who hits at a strong clip when riding for this outfit. I don’t see a lot of turf pedigree in this field, and that means this son of Twirling Candy and an Artie Schiller mare might have found a great spot for the unveiling; #3 GLACIAL POWER (4-1): Had an excuse first time out, when he didn’t break well and spotted the field several lengths. He showed some late interest to rally for fourth, and improvement is logical at second asking; #4 STUCK ON YOU (8-1): Goes to the grass for Wesley Ward after running a one-paced third in her debut. She’s out of a Street Cry mare, so there’s some turf breeding here, and few barns are better with turf sprinters than this one.

R3

Bourbon’s Hope
Risk Profile
Printrack

#4 BOURBON’S HOPE (7/2): Has won two in a row since going back to Linda Rice’s barn, and the last-out win has aged well. That day’s runner-up came back to win at next asking, and Jose Ortiz lands on this one rather than his stablemate, who we’ll get to…right now; #1 RISK PROFILE (4-1): Hasn’t won since early-2022, but goes first off the claim for Rice and takes a significant drop in class. He’s hit the board in all three local tries, and perhaps the shallower waters are what he needs; #5 PRINTRACK (10-1): Has shown plenty of early zip lately and could find himself dictating terms from the jump. How long he’ll stay there is anyone’s guess, but he could get comfortable and hang on for a piece of it at a price.

R4

Lem Me Drink
Sperss
Jayla

#3 LEM ME DRINK (4-1): Is probably in a “now or never” spot given the 0-for-11 record, but her recent races include a bunch of next-out winners and she’s been very competitive. Against a field of other horses that haven’t been particularly impressive, that might well be enough; #6 SPERSS (5-1): Gets a big rider switch to Luis Saez and ran fairly well in her lone two-turn turf start to date. She was a respectable fourth that day and has plenty of room to move forward given her relative inexperience; #8 JAYLA (5-1): Takes a significant drop into the state-bred maiden claiming ranks after wintering at Fair Grounds. She has some solid turf races on her sheet and may respond to the class relief.

R5

Joking Way
Baltasar
Major Blue

#8 JOKING WAY (5-1): Goes first off the claim for Linda Rice and has run up against some very fast horses to this point in his career. The race he exits saw the winner repeat next time out, and Rice has moved up too many horses for me to ignore; #3 BALTASAR (5-1): Made his 2023 debut a winning one at Belmont, and it certainly helps his cause that his best races have come at this seven-furlong route. He could be able to sit just off the pace and have first run turning for home; #2 MAJOR BLUE (12-1): Takes a significant drop in class for this one, and while he’s been distanced in his pst several starts, he’s also shown plenty against lesser-quality horses. The class relief could wake him up at a big price.

R6

Happy Bob
Run Diem Z
Creation of Adam

#4 HAPPY BOB (1-1): Cuts back in distance after finishing third going a mile earlier in the meet. He runs for half the claiming price, too, and this field certainly features no world-beaters. Any sort of step forward off of his last-out effort would make him a formidable favorite; #6 RUN DIEM Z (10-1): Showed speed in his debut downstate and comes in off of a strong four-furlong work over this track. The runner-up in that race came right back to win, which helps, and I’m expecting a move forward; #8 CREATION OF ADAM (8-1): Draws a cushy outside post in his unveiling and has been working reasonably well for a barn that’s been firing at this stand. He might not need to be much to be a factor in his first lifetime start, and the price figures to be right.

R7

Aspen Grove
Elusive Princess
Xigera

#10 ASPEN GROVE (8-1): Came over from Europe to win the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks and looks live again in the Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks. She does seem to like firmer ground, so rain would be a negative, but if the course is on the drier side, I think she’ll be tough; #3 ELUSIVE PRINCESS (7/2): Has faced some of the best fillies in her native France and exits a fifth-place finish in the prestigious Group 1 Prix de Diane. The distance shouldn’t be any sort of a problem, and the presence of Flavien Prat is a plus; #4 XIGERA (6-1): Has a record that looks far, far better if you toss her Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies clunker. She comes in off of two wins in a row, has plenty of tactical speed, and has shown she can handle this turf course.

R8

Nagirroc
General Jim
More Than Looks

#7 NAGIRROC (7/2): May have been compromised by being too close to a scorching pace last time out in the Grade 3 Manila at Belmont. He set a track record at Pimlico two starts ago, and while Prat going elsewhere is a bit of a problem, this one’s best race wins the Grade 2 Hall of Fame; #6 GENERAL JIM (6-1): Bounced off a fantastic two-back effort last time out in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens and comes back to the grass here. I think this mile distance suits him better, and he should get plenty of pace to run at in this spot; #1 MORE THAN LOOKS (4-1): Benefited from a pace meltdown to win the Manila, but could also be coming into his own in the back half of his 3-year-old season. The faster they go early, the better his chances figure to be.

R9

Timely Conquest
Missing Fortune
Chasing Daylight

#7 TIMELY CONQUEST (4-1): Overcame a slow start to win her debut for a barn that often doesn’t have first-time starters fully cranked (and was ice cold at that point in time, too). She faces winners for the first time, but I think she’s got every right to be a nice horse; #5 MISSING FORTUNE (6-1): Romped at Finger Lakes last time out, and the local rider sees fit to ship in with the horse. That’s often a sign that a central New York shipper is well-meant, and she fits off of the last-out speed figures she earned; #6 CHASING DAYLIGHT (8-1): Was second behind a much-the-best winner last time out going a bit longer and could appreciate the slight cutback in distance. That last-out winner has since won again, so we know she’s legitimate, and even though that was a claimer and this is an allowance, it can be argued this is a softer spot.

R10

One Giant Leap (MTO)
Deep Cover
Athenry

#6 DEEP COVER (4-1): May have moved a bit too early last time out when he finished third against similar company downstate. The rider switch to Javier Castellano is a notable one, and he ran a good second at this route last year against allowance foes; #9 ATHENRY (6-1): Hasn’t won in a while but could break through in what hits me as a wide-open event. He’s a stone closer in a turf sprint with plenty of speed, and the last-out dud is excusable because seven furlongs may be just a touch further than he wants; #11 IGNITED (6-1): Comes in off of two solid efforts at Laurel, which has a similar configuration to Saratoga (if slightly weaker competition). John Velazquez sees fit to ride, and he should be able to work out his preferred trip from that outside post.

R11

South Street (MTO)
Unleash the Power
Jarreau

#9 UNLEASH THE POWER (3-1): Ran well earlier in the meet when second behind a pretty nice horse. He stretches out to a marathon distance he’s bred to handle, and his early speed means he should be prominent right from the jump; #10 JARREAU (4-1): Hasn’t won in quite a while but has plenty of marathon experience and has been competitive in those races. Irad Ortiz, Jr., sees fit to ride when he likely had several options; #6 SHINSUN (9/2): Has shown a powerful closing kick going shorter and boasts a stamina-heavy pedigree that indicates this 11-furlong journey might not be a problem. The question is, will he get enough pace to run at in a race that might favor grinding-types versus one-run closers?