BANKROLL

BANKROLL: $1,901

It’s no secret I’m not a huge fan of the Wilson chute. I acknowledge why it’s there, and as a quirky alternative, it’s fine (although it’s nowhere near as fun as Santa Anita’s downhill turf course as far as “quirky alternatives” go).

However, over the past two summers, we’ve seen far, far, far too much of the chute. Dozens of turf races have been moved to the main track, and the chute is also being used in spots where two-turn dirt races would have been run. At Saratoga, two-turn dirt races start and finish in front of the grandstand, and I’m against any idea or concept that causes those races to be run fewer times.

Friday’s card, unfortunately, has a prime example of this. The early Pick Five has two Wilson chute races, and there are no two-turn dirt races on an 11-race card. This isn’t a positive, and the racing office would be wise to minimize the frequency of this moving forward.

THURSDAY’S RESULTS: My two key horses in the sixth both came up short, hosing both exactas and doubles. After scratches, I dropped $32.

FRIDAY’S PLAY: I have two strong opinions in reasonably close proximity to one another. I’ll have $15 win bets on #5 BROWN EYED CAT (race 3) and #4 SIZZLE (race 5), and I’ll single both of them as bookends in the Pick Three starting in the third. My $3 ticket uses #1 DUNE ROAD/#1A CHALKY CAT, #3 ANDY CANT, and #5 WHISKEY N SODA in the fourth.

TOTAL WAGERED: $39.

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SELECTIONS/ANALYSIS

Best Bet: Sizzle, Race 5
Longshot: April Antics, Race 1

R1

April Antics
Halo City
Pretti Xtreme

#2 APRIL ANTICS (10-1): Merits a long look at a price in the Friday opener. She stretches back out to a mile after a win going seven furlongs downstate, and she sports a win at this route from her time here last summer. This price hits me as too large, even given the wide-open nature of this event; #1 HALO CITY (7/2): Drops in class after running fourth at this route in the mud two weeks ago. That day’s runner-up was a close-up second at a higher level Wednesday, and the inside draw is certainly a plus; #7 PRETTI XTREME (2-1): Is another going down the class ladder, and she has back races that would obliterate this group. However, Linda Rice dropping horses this far is sometimes a red flag, and the far-outside post is a legitimate liability.

R2

Governor Sam
Spiralizer
Jet Sweep Joe

#3 GOVERNOR SAM (7/5): Has already run three times this season and exits a score in the Tyro at Monmouth. His two-back win at this route was an emphatic wire-to-wire victory, and I think he’ll once again be the one to catch here in the Skidmore; #5 SPIRALIZER (8-1): Ships in from Churchill after a clunker in the Bashford Manor on dirt. His pedigree, however, says turf is what he wants, and several strong local turf workouts across the street back that up. Flavien Prat sees fit to ride, and running back to his first-out effort would give him a chance; #1 JET SWEEP JOE (5-1): Put up a heck of a fight in the Tyro, when he was a close-up second behind my top pick at odds of 30-1. That was a career-best effort, and a repeat of it puts him right there, but it’s also possible he bounces after such a huge improvement.

R3

Brown Eyed Cat
Toscano
Broman entry

#5 BROWN EYED CAT (4-1): Overcame a speed-biased track with a sweeping rally that carried him to the winner’s circle in his debut. They did go pretty fast early on that day, but that’s not the sort of rally one sees often in first-out runners, and I think he could be a very, very talented horse; #4 TOSCANO (3-1): Found two turns to be too far last time out and should appreciate the cutback to 6 1/2 furlongs. His two-back effort here going seven furlongs was fine, and that day’s third-place finisher came right back to win; BROMAN ENTRY (2-1): Neither #1 LAND D’ORO nor #1A WINE RESPONSIBLY would be overly shocking, but I have some doubts with both. The former is a closer that drew a tricky inside post after a troubled trip last time out, while the latter makes his first start in nearly nine months and may very well need a race.

R4

Andy Cant
Whiskey N Soda
Rice entry

#3 ANDY CANT (5-1): Ran too poorly to be true last time out, when he trailed throughout against a higher-level group. Some of his best efforts have come at this one-mile distance, and he’s got enough early speed to dictate terms coming out of the chute; #5 WHISKEY N SODA (2-1): Was second going two turns last time out and cuts back a bit in his first start for Orlando Noda. I’m not sold on the quality of the field he ran against last time, but there aren’t any world-beaters in here, either, and with only three starts under his belt, he may have room to improve; RICE ENTRY (7/2): I prefer #1A CHALKY CAT, who found his form downstate before going to the sidelines and is protected in his return off the bench. This is his first start for the Linda Rice outfit, which is one of the best in the game with new acquisitions.

R5

Sizzle
Sacred Image
From Hello

#4 SIZZLE (6-1): Has yet to run a bad race to this point in her career and has proven two turns isn’t a problem. Tyler Gaffalione sees fit to ride for Lisa Lewis, who doesn’t have a big barn but has a long record of spotting horses well at the Spa; #10 SACRED IMAGE (5/2): Takes a big drop for Chad Brown after spinning her wheels a bit against allowance foes. She’s a formidable foe on speed figures, but the post is far from ideal and her one win to date came against a suspect group at Tampa Bay Downs; #7 FROM HELLO (8-1): Hasn’t won in a while but has shown ability against similar-level company and made a big move to be third last time out. Dylan Davis stays aboard, and he’s ridden as well as any jockey at the meet to this point.

R6

Braca
Irie Man
Dunedin Causeway

#6 BRACA (4-1): Didn’t have a great trip in an off-the-turf race last time out, but has shown some back form and may be worth another shot. Blinkers come off for this one, and a return to his two or three-back form would give him a shot in what appears to be a puzzling maiden claimer; #5 IRIE MAN (7/2): Probably lost all chance at the post position draw last time and had to negotiate a trip out of the Wilson chute from a far outside post. This seems like a friendlier trip, and his two-back effort at a similar distance downstate was much, much better; #3 DUNEDIN CAUSEWAY (8-1): Has had plenty of chances, but several of those runs came on turf, and he’s not a turf horse at all whatsoever. His last-out effort saw him run second in an off-the-turf event, and he should be going the right direction late.

R7

Bold Fortune (MTO)
Pay the Juice
Army Proud

#7 PAY THE JUICE (9/5): Debuted with a solid third at this route last month and was flying late. He simply ran out of racetrack that day, and he should be much sharper at second asking for a trainer whose horses often get better with experience; #3 ARMY PROUD (5-1): Was one-paced in that race, where he was fifth after a wide trip. His bottom-side pedigree hints he’ll get better with a start under his belt, and Tyler Gaffalione will ride back for trainer Joe Sharp; #5 SON OF HONOR (8-1): Makes his debut and has a right to love the lawn. This son of More Than Ready is out of a Dominus mare, one that was a stakes-winning turf horse during a very solid career.

R8

Brown entry
Caroline Street
Swoop to Finish

#1 TAX IMPLICATIONS (6/5): Was last seen winning the Grade 3 Eatontown at Monmouth and gets to run in this optional claimer via some creative spotting by trainer Chad Brown. Her price won’t be attractive to those seeking value, but she’s one of the most likely winners on the card and will be bet accordingly; #8 CAROLINE STREET (8-1): Ships in from Churchill Downs, and plenty of horses that didn’t love the turf there have thrived in upstate New York. She made a middle move last time out before settling for fourth, and she’s flashed plenty of talent at several points in her career; #4 SWOOP TO FINISH (12-1): Sat a strange trip last time out, when she found herself dueling for the lead. That’s not her desired trip. She wants to sit back and, well, swoop late, and a return to that positioning would give her a chance at a big piece of this.

R9

Leeloo
Cousin Kristi
Tricky Temper

#7 LEELOO (6/5): Is a closer in a race full of early speed and looms large in the Union Avenue. She was last seen running second in a similar spot at Aqueduct, and she made up lots of ground in the stretch that day. The faster they go early on, the better her chances figure to be; #5 COUSIN KRISTI (6-1): Ships to New York after spending lots of time in Florida, and running against state-breds could do her plenty of good. Her last two efforts at Gulfstream were solid, and jockey Luis Saez has heated up in fine fashion over the last week or two; #4 TRICKY TEMPER (4-1): Topped optional claiming foes last time out, though it took a fantastic trip and a picture-perfect ride to do that. Two of her three wins have come over this main track, and while she’s a 3-year-old going against older, it sure seems like her form is going the right way.

R10

Camera (MTO)
Goa
Mixologist

#2 GOA (7/2): Makes her U.S. debut for trainer Chad Brown after running well several times in France earlier this year. She gets Lasix for the first time here, and this doesn’t seem like the strongest race for the level. I expect the morning line price to come down as a result; #10 MIXOLOGIST (5-1): Was an impressive debut winner two back before sitting a pretty strange trip here last month. Perhaps she bounced, or maybe she just got a less-than-ideal ride. However, I’m expecting a return to form here beneath Joel Rosario; #7 PROGENY (15-1): Was a decent fourth in a stakes race last time out and showed some speed that day. I’m expecting her to be prominent from the jump once again here, and she could have enough talent to hang on for a slice at a big price.

R11

Not Guilty (MTO)
Shakrevenge
Z Train

#9 SHAKREVENGE (6-1): Was clear in the stretch last time out, but got reeled in and settled for third. She has several prior sharp races on her sheet, and Jose Ortiz should be able to get her to relax, which has been an issue. If that happens, I think she’ll be tough in the Friday finale; #12 Z TRAIN (5-1): Draws terribly but responded to the drop in class a few weeks ago, when she was third in a three-horse photo and was beaten just a head. Frankie Dettori rides back for a barn that’s had some rotten luck at this stand; #10 OUR FINEST HOUR (4-1): Takes another drop for high-percentage connections after running third for a $75,000 tag here last month. She’d benefit from a pace meltdown, and her back class could make her a prime contender.