BANKROLL

BANKROLL: $901

I didn’t vote for Smarty Jones in this year’s Hall of Fame election. I’m a longevity guy, and if a 3-year-old doesn’t race after the Triple Crown after not winning it, I can’t get there. Having said that, there’s no denying the effect his story had in 2004, when he drew a massive crowd to Belmont that included yours truly and was run down by Birdstone in the final strides.

As an aside, there’s a wide-angle photo from that race taken from the rail right at the wire. If you look seven or eight rows up, you can see high school-aged me with a video camera reporting for Kingston High School Television. It used to be on sale in the Hall of Fame’s gift shop, but I can’t find it anywhere. If someone can track it down, that’d be pretty cool.

THURSDAY’S RESULTS: The opposite of “pretty cool” is what happened in the John Morrissey. Best bet The Wine Steward went off at 6-1, opened up at the top of the stretch, and got nailed on the wire. I thought I’d be up $240 on the day. Instead, I lost $40.

FRIDAY’S PLAY: I’m going to focus on the early Pick Four, where I’ve got strong opinions to start and finish. If #5 SIGNATOR pulls off a minor upset in the second and #4 FORTUNA MIA takes the fifth, I want to get paid. My $1 ticket starting in the second goes as follows: 5 with 1,2 with 1,2,4,5,8,9,10 with 4. I’ll also have $15 win bets on both of my singles.

TOTAL WAGERED: $44.

SARATOGA SELECTIONS AND ANALYSIS

Best Bet: Fortuna Mia, Race 5
Longshot: Clever Again, Race 7

R1

Whatarewedoing
One More Freud
Caitlins Threes

#3 WHATAREWEDOING (2-1): Nearly got the job done last time out at Delaware Park, when she finished a close second in the mud. That didn’t seem like the toughest spot, but at least the third-place finisher came back to win, and her experience edge may be a plus; #1 ONE MORE FREUD (9/5): Debuts for Tom Amoss, and he’s been working well ahead of his unveiling. He’s a major player if he runs to those drills, although the rail draw is a major concern; #5 CAITLINS THREES (6-1): Makes her debut for Rob Falcone and is bred to be OK. Her dam was a stakes-winning sprinter, and this barn knows how to pop at a price with first-time starters.

R2

Disarm (MTO)
Signator
Wolfie’s Dynaghost

#5 SIGNATOR (4-1): Is a classy, stakes-winning closer in a race that seems full of early speed, and I think he’ll get a very friendly race shape here. It helps that he gets to run with Lasix, which he hasn’t gotten in his last three outings; #4 WOLFIE’S DYNAGHOST (4/5): Is an easy horse to root for and will go for his 12th win in his 29th lifetime start. He’s shown he’s dangerous if he gets loose on the lead, but the presence of #1 PREVENT, among others, means the morning line price is just too short for me to take; #2 MONEY SUPPLY (9/2): Is another runner with plenty of stakes experience, and he runs for one of the hottest barns on the grounds. Luis Saez hops aboard, and like my top pick, he’s shown he can pass others late and benefit from the likely race shape.

R3

It Takes Heart
Gone and Forgotten
April Antics

#2 IT TAKES HEART (3-1): Feels like the main speed, which is always a plus in races out of the Wilson chute. She’s never been worse than third in four starts at a mile, and two of her seven wins have come at the Spa, too; #1 GONE AND FORGOTTEN (2-1): Goes for her third win this month in this spot, and no, that’s not a typo. She’s clearly in good form for Ilkay Kantarmaci, and if she can navigate this quirky trip, she’ll be a major player; #3 APRIL ANTICS (12-1): Hasn’t won in a long time, but she’s run well consistently over this surface and would benefit from a pace meltdown. Her record includes five top-three finishes in six outings, and she’s hit the board 20 times in 28 starts at a mile.

R4

So Vain (MTO)
Blue Madame
Tax Holiday

#4 BLUE MADAME (5-1): Is part of a strong 1-2 punch for Chad Brown, and if there’s a better turf pedigree on the grounds, I don’t know where it is. This daughter of Dubawi is out of a multiple Group 1 winner, and her second dam is a full sister to two-time Breeders’ Cup Turf hero High Chaparral; #8 TAX HOLIDAY (9/2): Is the other Brown trainee and debuts after fetching roughly $242,000 at auction last year in Europe. Her dam is kin to three stakes winners, including world travelers Mogul and Secret Gesture; PLETCHER ENTRY (8-1): I prefer #1 MISS PICKY, who hails from a line of strong Repole Stable runners and broodmares. Dam Always Shopping won multiple graded stakes, and second dam Stopshoppingmaria placed in a Grade 1 as a 2-year-old.

R5

Fortuna Mia
She’s Complicated
Kadena

#4 FORTUNA MIA (9/5): Hasn’t won since a first-out score in 2024, but she’s been running against much, much better competition and races for a tag for the first time. The switch to Irad Ortiz Jr. is a notable one, and I don’t think this race came up strong for the level; #2 SHE’S COMPLICATED (4-1): Is the second half of a strong 1-2 punch for the Linda Rice barn, and she goes first off the claim here. Her last-out effort was a clunker, but she chased a few next-out winners, and the three-month layoff hints that something may have gone amiss that day, too; #6 KADENA (2-1): Will get plenty of play based on the connections, but she just hasn’t shown much since breaking her maiden. The turf try last time out seemed a bit desperate, and at her likely price, I’ll let her beat me.

R6

Oscar’s Hope (MTO)
Schwarzenegger
Turf Star

#4 SCHWARZENEGGER (6/5): Sold for nearly a million dollars across the street last summer despite a pretty modest bottom-side pedigree, and he’s been working very, very fast ahead of his debut. Wesley Ward’s one of the best with first-time starters, and this one sure seems ready to go; #5 TURF STAR (7/2): Is kin to talented turfer Time for Trouble and has plenty of reason to be a good one. Graham Motion isn’t known for first-out success, but his numbers with debuting horses are solid enough; #2 MOUNT SOPRIS (12-1): Is another Glen Hill Farm homebred with a very strong pedigree. He’s by War Front and out of a stakes-winning mare, one produced by a Grade 1-winning dam. His local works are solid and hint he could be a factor here at a price.

R7

Zulu Kingdom
Clever Again
Luther

#7 ZULU KINGDOM (6/5): Has won six of seven while emerging as one of his crop’s best 3-year-old turfers and looms large in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame. He exits a score in the Grade 3 Manila at this route, and he should once again sit an ideal stalking trip behind a live pace; #5 CLEVER AGAIN (6-1): Tries turf for the first time and is bred to absolutely love it. He’s by strong grass sire American Pharoah and out of the mare Flattering, who’s a full sister to multiple Group 1 winner Love. That two-back turf work jumps off the page, too; #2 LUTHER (3-1): Shipped in from across the pond and ran well to be third in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby. He cuts back to a mile, but he’s run well at that distance in both England and France, and the presence of Joel Rosario seems like a plus given his late-running style.

R8

Army Proud
Aetherium
The Saint

#7 ARMY PROUD (5/2): Gets Irad Ortiz Jr. after running second in a similar spot downstate. To be honest, it’s hard to have a lot of conviction in this state-bred maiden claimer, but a move forward under the circuit’s top rider would make him the one to beat; #5 AETHERIUM (15-1): Gets a look from me at a price due to a solid work tab and a strong pedigree. He’s a half-brother to multiple stakes winner Betsy Blue, and his second dam, Hard Freeze, was stakes-placed; #4 THE SAINT (10-1): Didn’t do any running at all on turf in his debut, but he takes an aggressive drop off of a few solid four-furlong workouts. He could easily improve given experience and the class relief he gets here.

R9

Flying P entry
Vinsanity
Fluid Situation

FLYING P ENTRY (8/5): Both #1 SHEFFLIN and #1A CHESS MASTER could win this. I slightly prefer the latter, who beat several of these last time out and has run well over this turf course several times, but the former cuts back to one turn and has a right to improve; #3 VINSANITY (15-1): Gets reunited with Jose Lezcano, who piloted him to a score back in May. The Grade 1 Jaipur was just too tough, and he had a tough trip two back in his most recent turf try. I think there’s reason to belief he’s in line for a step forward; #6 FLUID SITUATION (6-1): Hasn’t won in a while, but he’s run in some fast races and was third behind my top pick last time out. He’s also had some unlucky trips, too, and he doesn’t have to move forward too much from his last-out effort to stand a chance.

R10

Best Impression (MTO)
Life Advice
Twirly

#4 LIFE ADVICE (4-1): Has done everything but win multiple times, which is usually a red flag. However, she seems like the main speed in the Friday nightcap, which will be contested on the speed-friendly inner turf course. Furthermore, her jockey lost the irons last time out, which may have cost her the race; #1 TWIRLY (6-1): Comes out of a different race than most of the other contenders, which is a point in her favor. She’s improved significantly since running against claimers, and her last-out second at a similar level downstate wasn’t a bad effort; #5 COMPETITIVE THREAT (3-1): Was third behind my top pick last time out and goes out for Chad Brown. My issue is that she’s burned money quite a bit in her career, and I just don’t think she beat much to break her maiden two back. Perhaps she’s got more room to improve, but if she’s the favorite, I think that’s a mistake.