BANKROLL

BANKROLL: $1,138

Thursday is New York Thoroughbred Aftercare Day, where we celebrate organizations that do tireless work helping thoroughbreds after their racing days are over. The day’s events include showcases of horses that have gone from the racetrack to second careers in English and western disciplines.

Thoroughbred horses race for very short parts of their lives. They can live deep into their twenties (sometimes their thirties), and we only see them for a few years. A select few in each crop go off to stud, but thousands don’t, and the work done by organizations such as TAKE2, TAKE THE LEAD, New Vocations, and the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation is immensely valuable.

Enjoy the Thursday program, and if you do well, consider a donation to an aftercare organization.

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS: We got off to a pretty good start with the exacta in the eighth race. Gilmore won, My Noble Knight ran second, and my $30 investment returned $168.

THURSDAY’S PLAY: I’ll take a swing in the second race. As “best bets of the day” go, #9 ANNEXPERIENCE is a tepid one, but I’ve seen lone speed do well on the inner turf too much to ignore it when I see it. I’ll have a $20 win bet on her.

TOTAL WAGERED: $20.

SARATOGA RACE COURSE ANALYSIS AND SELECTIONS: JULY 17TH, 2025

Best Bet: Annexperience, Race 2
Longshot: Blame It On K J, Race 10

R1

Glint
Indy Magic
Az U Chase Me

#3 GLINT (2-1): Looks like the main speed, which is always dangerous in races run out of the Wilson chute. He was second in a fast race for the level downstate last time out, and a repeat of that effort gives him a big shot in the Thursday lid-lifter; #6 INDY MAGIC (9/2): Comes back to the dirt after a failed turf experiment at Churchill and adds both blinkers and Luis Saez. This seems like what he wants to do, and his two-back win for this tag was a good one; #4 AZ U CHASE ME (6-1): Was very, very wide last time when fourth in the race my top pick also exits. His record includes a win at the Spa, and while he’s no burner out of the gate, I think he’s got more early speed than he showed last time out.

R2

Annexperience
Before the Wind
Spirit of the Law

#9 ANNEXPERIENCE (7/2): Sure looks like the lone speed, and that’s always dangerous in two-turn races on the inner turf. I’m not quite sure if this distance is truly what he wants given his pedigree, but if he’s left alone up top through soft fractions, that might not matter; #2 BEFORE THE WIND (6-1): Adds blinkers and Irad Ortiz Jr. here after a wide trip downstate probably compromised him. He should save more ground here, and he did show a little tactical speed two back when second behind a much-the-best winner; #4 SPIRIT OF THE LAW (3-1): Ran on well late to be third in his turf debut last time and may be favored because of that. However, I simply don’t think the race shape works in his favor, and while I respect this barn a great deal, the stats show a 1-for-28 year as of this writing. At his likely price, I’ll take a stand against.

R3

Outsource
Smooth Breeze
Leon Blue

#4 OUTSOURCE (4-1): Came from way, way back to get the money in his turf debut last time out, which doubled as his first start for this outfit. There seems to be some pace signed on in the Rick Violette, and while there’s some “bounce” potential here, a repeat effort would make him a major player; #6 SMOOTH BREEZE (7/5): Was a runaway winner two back before settling for second in an off-the-turf event last month. His first-out win at this route last summer was solid, and he wouldn’t be shocking, but I don’t think he towers over this group as much as his likely price suggests; #5 LEON BLUE (5/2): Was run down by my top pick last time, but has never truly run a bad race in five tries to this point. He’s not the only horse in here with early zip, but if he’s able to get comfortable, he could lead them a long way.

R4

Macaw
Schlomo
Ride Up

#2 MACAW (9/2): Has won two of three since coming off the bench and may offer some value stepping up in class. He probably didn’t beat a ton last time out, but he stacks up well on speed figures and has shown an ability to pass others late (which most of his opponents haven’t done yet); #7 SCHLOMO (6/5): Is another short price I’m a bit skeptical of early on. His two and three-back wins were sharp, but he’s far from the only speed horse in this field, and the class drop is an alarming one for this barn. Perhaps he makes me look silly, but there are some red flags here; #6 RIDE UP (7/2): Didn’t break that well when fourth last time out and was a solid wire-to-wire winner two back. He sports a flashy recent work and has won here before, so it’s possible he’s sitting on a bounce-back performance.

R5

Fiddling Felix
Aerate
Motel Patel

#8 FIDDLING FELIX (5/2): Takes a monster class drop here and may have needed his last start, which was his first try since October. He showed a bit of potential last season, including a fourth-place finish behind Grade 1 winner Chancer McPatrick, and there’s reason to think he wakes up here; #2 AERATE (5-1): Ran up against some OK fields for the level three and four back and returns to dirt after an unlucky trip on the grass last time. He probably wasn’t winning, but the wide trip certainly cost him some ground, and the Ortiz/Rice combo merits respect; #9 MOTEL PATEL (8-1): Looks like the main speed in here, and that’s not a bad thing to be in bottom-level maiden claimers. He’s got some stamina issues, to be sure, but if he’s able to make an easy lead, he could be the one to catch turning for home.

R6

Big Heleonora (MTO)
Trading Trouble
Charlottesuniverse

#4 TRADING TROUBLE (8-1): Boasts some strong works for a barn that doesn’t usually push young horses too hard. She’s out of a mare by Exchange Rate, a fantastic turf influence, and her second dam, Considerate, was stakes-placed on the lawn; #7 CHARLOTTESUNIVERSE (3-1): Fetched $400,000 at auction last summer and is bred to be a good one. She’s by Into Mischief and comes from a classy female family with plenty of black-type horses attached. If there’s hesitation here, it’s because the pedigree doesn’t necessarily say she wants to go short or run on turf; #3 TICKET TO RIDE (20-1): Had a ton of trouble in the Astoria, which was an ambitious spot in which to debut anyway. In a race with plenty of first-time starters, she’s got a significant experience edge, and that may be enough for her to crash the exotics at a big price.

R7

Great Richie M
Divine Leader
Skylander

#2 GREAT RICHIE M (5/2): Takes a big drop in class for aggressive connections that aren’t afraid to make these kinds of moves. He could get an ideal “stalk and pounce” trip beneath Irad Ortiz Jr., and if he does, he’s probably the one they’ll have to hold off when the real running starts; #10 DIVINE LEADER (5-1): Has won twice at this tricky distance this season, albeit against what seem like easier groups than what he lines up against here. However, he’s probably the main speed, and he’s shown he can be tough to pass if he’s given his desired trip; #6 SKYLANDER (6-1): Cuts back to one turn after a failed route experiment against higher-level competition, and this seems like a better spot for him. It’s possible he’s tailed off a bit after the barn switch, but he’s a contender if he can channel his form from this past winter at Aqueduct.

R8

Stars and Stripes
Dr. Kraft
Lordship

#3 STARS AND STRIPES (6/5): Couldn’t have been much more impressive last time out, when he splashed home to win by double-digits at Aqueduct. This is a much better group, to be sure, but he has every right to move forward further in just his third career start. If he does, look out; #6 DR. KRAFT (4-1): Has enjoyed a strong 2025 campaign, with his lone off-the-board finish coming in a race where he couldn’t run on Lasix. His last-out win was a good one, and his usual race almost certainly gets him a piece of this one; #7 LORDSHIP (8-1): Tried stakes company at Monmouth last time, and those waters proved just a bit too deep. However, it’s not like he ran terribly that day, and while he probably needs to move forward on speed figures, that’s not impossible given these powerhouse connections and his relative inexperience.

R9

House United (MTO)
Enlighten
America’s Pastime entry

#7 ENLIGHTEN (8/5): Ran pretty well against better groups in each of his last two outings at Gulfstream Park, which were both won by horses that repeated at next asking. The drop in class here is notable, but at least it’s an optional claimer and not a straight claimer, so there are some signs this isn’t an attempt to dump the horse; #1 BRIT’S WIT (6-1): Cuts back to a mile, which hits me as his preferred trip. Toss the two and three-back efforts on non-turf surfaces, and his sheet looks much more impressive; #9 GEM MINT TEN (9/2): Comes back to what’s probably the right level after trailing in the Kingston here last month. It’s interesting that he’s reunited with Luis Saez, who rode him to a wire-to-wire score here last summer, and early speed is an asset on the inner.

R10

Mozambique (MTO)
Blame It On K J
Orie

#8 BLAME IT ON K J (15-1): Runs for a smaller outfit, but boasts a pedigree that can’t be ignored. He’s by Kitten’s Joy and out of a mare who won first time out, one that’s also a full sister to Daisy, who won a Grade 3 at two and threw multiple stakes-winning synthetic horse Botanical; #1 ORIE (5/2): Came running late to be second last time out and merits respect for Mike Maker and Flavien Prat. A repeat of that effort would give him a big shot, but I’m skeptical as to if there’s enough speed signed on to create another meltdown, which he may need; #6 VIKING WARRIOR (12-1): Adds Lasix and cuts back to one turn, both of which figure to be positive moves. His one-turn dirt races last year weren’t awful, he’s at least shown an ability to pass others, and Saez sees fit to hop aboard in a wide-open nightcap.