BANKROLL

BANKROLL: $1,141.50

I never thought the 2013 Saratoga meet would be approached in terms of weirdness. I was going through a time of great stress personally and professionally while watching Saratoga awkwardly celebrate its 150th anniversary. Chris Kay had just taken the reins at NYRA, and it was clear from the start that the emperor had no clothes. A press box colleague, Paul Moran, was fading away. My own job situation would change not long after that (but not before receiving some of the most tone-deaf emails I’ve ever gotten from a co-worker).

However, 10 years later, the 2023 meet has made that one look positively tame by comparison. The less said about what happened this past weekend (on any number of fronts), the better. NYRA’s job is to fix the plethora of issues that have sprung up, and I sincerely hope they do that.

SUNDAY’S RESULTS: Best bet Gypsy Tales ran a clunker. We dropped $50 after scratches.

WEDNESDAY’S PLAY: Before moving forward, one note: I’m assuming everything’s off the turf, both in this section and in my analysis/selections. We’ll focus on the early Pick Five, and my 50-cent ticket starting in the second (technically the first…) goes as follows: 9 with 2,3,5,7,9 with 8 with 6,8,9,10 with 4,7,13,14,16.

TOTAL WAGERED: $50.

ANALYSIS/SELECTIONS

Sunday: 3-for-9
Meet: 22-for-86

Best Bet: Betsy Blue, Race 9
Longshot: Fancy Azteca, Race 8

R1: CANCELLED.

R2

Pillbox
Kantarmaci entry
Harlan’s Bond

#9 PILLBOX (6/5): Takes a gigantic class drop for extremely aggressive connections and looms large from a cushy outside post in the Wednesday quasi-opener. He has a series of dirt works at Gulfstream that jump off the page, and this barn is off to a hot start at this stand; KANTARMACI ENTRY (7/2): I prefer #1A CARBON, who takes a significant drop and has run well over off tracks in the past. She hasn’t won since March of 2022, but she’s also been going against starter allowance types that would crush most of these; #6 HARLAN’S BOND (5-1): Goes out for a barn that’s yet to get going here, but she’s bred to like a wet track and goes down the class ladder. Her record also looks better if you toss the two turf clunkers.

R3

Tricky Temper
Miss d’Or Cherie (MTO)
Play Free Bird

#3 TRICKY TEMPER (2-1): Isn’t an MTO, but I think she’s shown far too much precocity in the mornings to ignore if they keep her in the field. This daughter of Into Mischief is working very fast for a barn that doesn’t often have young horses fully cranked, and I think there’s a lot to like; #9 MISS D’OR CHERIE (3-1): Debuts for Christophe Clement and has been working steadily downstate. She may want a bit longer, but if this field gets ravaged by scratches, it might not matter too much; #2 PLAY FREE BIRD (6-1): Has an experience edge over most of this field and runs for a barn that tends to race its horses into shape. Luis Saez sees fit to ride back when he probably had some options, and damsire Stormy Atlantic is an excellent off-track influence.

R4

Ouster (MTO)
Costa Terra (MTO)
Classic Catch

#8 OUSTER (7/5): Ran very well in the slop earlier this season going a distance of ground and figures to get a very similar setup here should this race be moved to the main track. Two of his better races have come over wet going, and we now know that the 10-furlong trip shouldn’t be an issue; #9 COSTA TERRA (3-1): Ran in some big races earlier in his career and found the winner’s circle again in an off-the-turf race earlier this season. He’s bred to want to run all day, and he’d benefit from some speed in front of him; #4 CLASSIC CATCH (4-1): Ran in a pair of graded stakes races earlier this season and didn’t do terribly. Recent works hint these connections want the turf, but he also stands a chance if they choose to run him on the main track, too.

R5

Crazy Cami
Echo Lake
Althena

#9 CRAZY CAMI (7/2): Was one-paced in her debut for a barn that doesn’t do great with first-time starters. The recent bullet drill shows she may be moving forward, and the presence of damsire Pulpit is a big, big plus given the likely going; #8 ECHO LAKE (5-1): Debuts for Chad Brown, and those last two works are good enough to make me think she’s ready to fire. There’s some class and precocity in the bottom side of her pedigree, and the 5-1 price hits me as an overlay; #6 ALTHENA (20-1): Has a very strong two-back gate drill and is bred to handle the slop. I’m not sure she’s quite as fast as a few others in here, but the skies opening up would align with her pedigree and what she wants to do.

R6

Jody’s Pride
Honey Dijon
Solve the Puzzle (MTO)

#7 JODY’S PRIDE (5/2): Is another bred to love the lawn, but one I can’t ignore if she runs on the main track given her workouts. Specifically, that July 22nd gate drill looks excellent and signifies she may have talent on both turf and dirt; #13 HONEY DIJON (8-1): Showed some speed in her debut on Opening Day and seems to have bounced out of that effort in fine form. Improvement is logical at second asking, and she’s bred to get better with experience, too; #16 SOLVE THE PUZZLE (2-1): Will likely go off favored solely because of the connections provided this race gets moved to the dirt. It’s not like she doesn’t fit, but she’s bred to want much more distance, and if either of the top two stay in the field, I think it’s worth playing against her in the win pool.

R7

Asymmetric
Morning Cup
Clubhouse

#4 ASYMMETRIC (2-1): Scratched out of an allowance he would’ve likely been competitive in and instead runs in a non-winners of two claimer. That’s a bit curious, but these are aggressive connections that may be gearing up for runs at owner and trainer titles, so I don’t think it’s too big a red flag; #8 MORNING CUP (6-1): Comes back to dirt after a failed turf experiment against better horses first off the claim. He boasts a recent bullet drill over a sloppy track, along with a pedigree that hints he likes that type of surface; #10 CLUBHOUSE (3-1): Ran well enough to be second in a minor stakes race earlier this year at Aqueduct and takes a massive class drop. However, they tried him on turf last time to no avail, and there’s only one workout since that clunker, which provokes some pause.

R8

Fancy Azteca
Coppa Girl
Raging Sea

#4 FANCY AZTECA (12-1): Was claimed by Rick Dutrow last time out, when she drew off impressively downstate. Her prior connections thought enough of her to run her in the Cicada this past March, she’s won going a mile before, and I think there’s a fair bit to like at a big price; #7 COPPA GIRL (9/2): Woke up in a big way last time out, when she romped by nearly eight lengths in the slop at Ellis Park. Ellis form sometimes doesn’t come to Saratoga, but the off-track form sure might, and she’s got enough speed to be prominent from the jump; #3 RAGING SEA (8/5): Hasn’t run since November, when she was third in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. It’s entirely possible she’s moved forward since then, but in hindsight, that wasn’t the best group, and her workouts are just-OK. Her likely price seems like an underlay.

R9

Betsy Blue
Timeless Journey
Venti Valentine

#5 BETSY BLUE (3-1): Stretches out to a mile and has enough back form to indicate she can do that without too much of a problem. She likes wet tracks and should also get plenty of pace to chase, so her best effort would make her tough; #6 TIMELESS JOURNEY (9/2): Does her best running over wet going, having won three times in four such starts. She won a similar-level stakes race earlier this year at Aqueduct at this distance over good going and attracts Joel Rosario; #1 VENTI VALENTINE (3-1): Has danced plenty of big dances, including last year’s Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, and is another that relishes rainy days. Her three-back win in the mud at Aqueduct was very sharp, and she’s a contender provided she can negotiate a trip from her inside post.

R10

Chulligan
Morethanafeeling
Squid Gamer (MTO)

#12 CHULLIGAN (6-1): Ran the best race of his career first time out in the slop, when he rallied from way back and ran out of racetrack. This sure looks like a similar type of scenario, and unlike many of his rivals, he’s at least shown he can pass others late; #1 MORETHANAFEELING (8-1): Has improved in his last several outings and has plenty of back form on both turf and dirt. A return to NY-bred competition could bring out the best in him, and he’s a contender regardless of the surface at a bit of a price; #15 SQUID GAMER (3-1): Has been one-paced in most of his prior dirt efforts but is bred to like the mud and could catch a weak field marred by defections if it comes off the turf. That could move him up and make him a contender in the Wednesday nightcap.