BANKROLL

BANKROLL: $1,111.50

Friday’s day at the races is going to be a highlight. My sister and brother-in-law are bringing two of their kids up. Last year’s trip included them getting introduced to the Big Red Spring, the younger one falling flat on her face running around the backyard (she was fine, because kids almost always are), and the older one briefly inspiring 90 seconds of sheer panic before we realized she’d found a spot near the paddock she liked and beat everyone else to it (Uncle Andrew was very proud).

I live 3,000 miles away from a lot of people I love and care about, ones I don’t get to see as much as I’d like. When I tweeted I was going east, a few horse racing Twitter/X users tried to tell me to cancel my trip because of stuff going on at Saratoga. No, no, a thousand times no, and if you’re reading this, never say that again, okay?

THURSDAY’S RESULTS: One of my exacta horses won the sixth, but I had nothing behind it and dropped $30.

FRIDAY’S PLAY: I’ll once again focus on 2-year-olds for most of my action, as we’ll head to the seventh. I’ll try to extract some value from #10 VETTRIANO by keying him on top of $10 exactas that use #3 CANIGETALOAN, #4 PERLIANO, and #6 TRUST FUND underneath. I’ll also single him to finish off $5 doubles that start with #3 NIGHT TIME and #6 MARSALIS in the sixth.

TOTAL WAGERED: $40.

ANALYSIS/SELECTIONS

Thursday: 2-for-10
Meet: 29-for-104

Best Bet: Americanrevolution, Race 9
Longshot: Night Time, Race 6

R1

Hero’s Medal
Moore’s Law
Mount Craig

#3 HERO’S MEDAL (3-1): Sure looks like the lone early speed in the Friday lid-lifter. He set a legitimate pace at this level and route last time out, and between the likelihood of a slower tempo and a recent bullet drill, I think improvement is in the cards; #4 MOORE’S LAW (8/5): Rallied from last to be second in the same race my top pick exits. That was his first try since March, and the two-back effort shows he can be a bit closer if the situation calls for it; #1 MOUNT CRAIG (5/2): Has the talent to be a major player here, but sure seems to go out of his way to find trouble. For that reason, the rail draw makes me a bit nervous.

R2

Timely Conquest
Missing Fortune
Chasing Daylight

#2 TIMELY CONQUEST (7/2): Won first time out for a barn that wasn’t going well at that time (and one that doesn’t usually have its firsters fully cranked). She should get some speed to chase here, and Velazquez opts to ride back for an outfit that’s since heated up a bit; #8 MISSING FORTUNE (4-1): Romped by seven at Finger Lakes last month, and the rider sees fit to make the trip in from central New York. That’s often a tell that a shipper is well-meant, and the outside draw is a plus; #1 CHASING DAYLIGHT (8-1): Was a distant second behind a runner that’s since won two more races in a row, including one on Wednesday. She’s got some early speed and should be a pace factor at a bit of a price.

R3

Favor (MTO)
Rocky Sky
Canisy

#1 ROCKY SKY (5/2): Makes her 2023 debut in this spot after dancing some big dances a season ago. She won the Grade 3 Waya here and was second in two other graded stakes races, and the last several works hint that she’s ready to go here; #6 CANISY (3-1): Seems like the main speed in this field and is another with some back class. She gets Lasix again after dropping it in the Grade 3 Matchmaker last time, and that could move her forward; #3 POCA MUCHA (4-1): Has run well in two tries here, including a second last time out where she had too much to do late. That day’s winner is a runner, and she’d benefit if a horse goes with Canisy out of the gate.

R4

Grannys Connection
Kant Hurry Love
Vallelujah

#2 GRANNYS CONNECTION (6/5): Got nailed at the wire last time out, but reeled off four straight wins prior to that and gets this barn’s first-call rider in the Union Avenue. She once again looks like the fastest horse early on, and I think she’ll prove tough to catch; #5 KANT HURRY LOVE (5/2): Has won four of six starts this season, including the last-out win over my top pick. That was a career-best effort, and when this barn gets horses on the right track, they tend to stay there; #4 VALLELUJAH (15-1): It’s quite a gulf between the top two in the rest of the field. That being said, she likes Saratoga, comes in off of a last-out victory downstate, and could clunk up for a piece of it.

R5

Unsung Melody (MTO)
Gal in a Rush
Breeze Easy

#3 GAL IN A RUSH (3-1): Cuts back after a score at seven furlongs at Belmont and attracts Flavien Prat, who likely had some options in this turf sprint. That was her first win in quite a while, but she’s been running against solid horses and could be coming into her own at four; #6 BREEZE EASY (5/2): Completes a powerful 1-2 punch for this barn and can win on her best day. Having said that, she runs into trouble a lot, and that’s not a great trait to have in turf sprints where there isn’t much time to recover; #2 BOWL OF CHERRIES (3-1): Ran second when switched to the turf earlier this meet and earned a career-high 85 Beyer Speed Figure. A repeat of that effort would make her competitive in what hit me as a pretty puzzling race.

R6

Marsalis
Night Time
Today’s Flavor

#6 MARSALIS (5/2): Looked like a winner turning for home in the Kelly’s Landing (I know, I needed him that day), but he ran second behind a very fast horse in Bango. Lasix comes back on the drop out of stakes company, and anything close to that performance would make him a formidable foe; #3 NIGHT TIME (15-1): Hasn’t run since March, but put forth some big numbers at Turfway Park and seems to be working well ahead of his return. This race has a lot of speed signed on, and he should be going the right way late at a big price; #4 TODAY’S FLAVOR (4-1): Was fourth behind Elite Power in the Grade 2 True North and fourth behind Doppelganger in the Grade 1 Carter. This spot represents class relief, and George Weaver’s horses have run big so far at this stand.

R7

Vettriano
Canigetaloan
Trust Fund

#10 VETTRIANO (9/5): Has been working lights-out ahead of his debut and has every right to be a good one. This son of Liam’s Map hammered for $350,000 earlier this year, and Chad Brown seems to have him tuned up; #3 CANIGETALOAN (8-1): Has some very fast drills in his tab ahead of his unveiling for a barn that won with a first-time starter on Wednesday. In particular, the four-furlong gate drill two works back was excellent, and it looks like he could be a runner; #6 TRUST FUND (7/2): Has been working steadily for Todd Pletcher and sold for $150,000 across the street as a yearling. This son of Practical Joke is another well-meant first-time starter in an intriguing field that seems to include several of them.

R8

General Jim
More Than Looks
Carl Spackler

#8 GENERAL JIM (9/2): Comes back to the turf in the rescheduled Grade 2 Hall of Fame after running several big races on dirt earlier this year. I think he bounced in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens off of a big two-back effort in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile, and his best effort gives him a big shot at a fair price; #1 MORE THAN LOOKS (5/2): Capitalized on an ideal race shape in the Grade 3 Manila, where he rallied from last to first in an event with fast fractions. I don’t know how fast they’ll go here, but he’s improved with every start and could conceivably take another step forward; #2 CARL SPACKLER (3-1): Ran a clunker in the Grade 2 American Turf, where he was a 2-1 favorite. He’s been rested since, but shows a strong recent work tab for connections that must be respected.

R9

Americanrevolution
Bankit
Sundaeswithsandy

#1 AMERICANREVOLUTION (1-1): Makes his 2022 debut here and is strictly the one to beat if he’s ready to run. He won the Grade 1 Cigar Mile in 2021, ran second to Olympiad in two big spots a season ago, and seems to have the Evan Shipman field over a barrel; #5 BANKIT (4-1): Is an easy horse to root for and notched his ninth win last time out in the Commentator downstate. That race has produced a couple of next-out winners, and Rosario rides back for Asmussen; #4 SUNDAESWITHSANDY (15-1): Was claimed earlier this year by Michelle Nevin and has since seemingly found career-best form. He’s run two 92 Beyer Speed Figures in a row, and while this is certainly a class test, he seems to be going the right way and may provide value in the exotics.

R10

Three Unions
Saratoga Gaze
Michele M.

#7 THREE UNIONS (5-1): Has run just once since November and had every right to need that April effort at Aqueduct. It’s not inspiring to see another layoff line, but she drops in class, ran well in two turf sprints a season ago, and has every chance to win this if she’s ready to go; #10 SARATOGA GAZE (4-1): Hasn’t won in more than a year but showed speed in each of her last two starts. She does her best running with Prat aboard, and he’ll get a leg up again here; #5 MICHELE M. (7/2): Adds blinkers on the drop in class and returns to a sprint distance after tiring going longer at Delaware last time out. Her two-back race going shorter wasn’t bad, and she makes as much sense as any in a race where I honestly don’t have much in the way of strong opinions.

R11

Sweetest Princess
Red Hot Chick
Ghostly Girl

#8 SWEETEST PRINCESS (7/2): Has found trouble in each of her last two outings, but drops in for a tag for the first time and that could wake her up. She was third in a stakes race not too long ago, and I think she could find herself in an ideal stalking spot in the Friday nightcap; #7 RED HOT CHICK (6-1): Broke her maiden two starts back and found first-level allowance company a bit too tough. The rider switch to Prat is a big one, and this field certainly doesn’t have any world-beaters in it; #3 GHOSTLY GIRL (4-1): Has been running in starter allowance company most of this year and has been consistently picking up checks against those fields. I’m not convinced turf is her best game, but her last-out effort on the lawn at Ellis Park was decent enough.