BANKROLL

BANKROLL: $814.50

NYRA has done a great job minimizing the use of the Wilson chute…right up until this week. We’ll see nine races carded for the chute between now and Saturday, with three each day on Friday and Saturday.

Maybe I’m turning into a grumpy old man, but I want as much two-turn dirt racing as possible. There’s something special about starting and finishing in front of a huge crowd on the apron at one of the country’s premier racing venues, and showing off horses with stamina is never a bad thing. As I’ve said in past years, I worry that some cards rely on the chute too much, especially since most off-the-turf races carded at a mile or longer wind up there, too.

SUNDAY’S RESULTS: My Grand Slam was alive for $10 going into the Quick Call, but heavy favorite Governor Sam was run down. I dropped $45.

WEDNESDAY’S PLAY: On a day where my betting opinions just won’t be that strong, let’s head to the eighth race, the Statue of Liberty Division of the New York Stallion Series. I’m of the opinion the Suzie O’Cain wasn’t a great race, so I’ll have a $20 win ticket on #8 NONNA LYNNE. Unlike others, she doesn’t exit that race, and I thought her maiden-breaking score was sharp.

TOTAL WAGERED: $20.

SARATOGA SELECTIONS AND ANALYSIS

Best Bet: Melle Mel, Race 7
Longshot: Zelena, Race 3

R1

Walk the Warrior
Evie’s Prince
Quick Master

#2 WALK THE WARRIOR (9/2): Has never been out of the money in seven U.S. tries and didn’t run badly when third in a similar stakes last time out. That day’s runner-up came right back to win, and I like that he has some tactical speed but doesn’t need the lead; #4 EVIE’S PRINCE (6-1): Hasn’t won in a while, but to be fair, some of those starts have been against much better horses. He won the Michael Walsh last year, and a return to his two-back form (when he was a sharp second in a Grade 1) would give him a big chance; #9 QUICK MASTER (8-1): Led briefly here last month before fading to finish third at this route of ground. Regular rider Graham Watters is one of the best jump jockeys around, and he hops back aboard for top steeplechase trainer Jack Fisher.

R2

My Noble Knight
Unlimitedpotential
Pineapple Man

#6 MY NOBLE KNIGHT (9/5): Was a good second behind a solid horse in Gilmore and cuts back to the Wilson chute. He’s shown he can pass others late, and it feels like he may be the lone closer in this spot; #5 UNLIMITEDPOTENTIAL (8/5): Is a six-time winner that hasn’t run a truly bad race this season. His best race would make him the one to catch, but his local record isn’t the greatest (that win last summer was against a putrid field), and if he’s so well-meant, why does this barn also enter #4 MARGIN OF AIR?; #3 PINEAPPLE MAN (6-1): Capitalized on a perfect front-running trip to find the winner’s circle last time out, and he’s shown he’s tough when that circumstance arises. I tend to prefer horses cutting back to the one-mile trip, and Kendrick Carmouche sees fit to ride back.

R3

My Devine One
Zelena
She’s Country

#5 MY DEVINE ONE (9/2): Didn’t do much running as a heavy favorite last time out, but I’m banking on an improved performance here. That race was initially carded for turf, and she gets that surface here. Add in that Bill Mott’s horses usually move forward second time out, and I’m not getting off the train yet; #2 ZELENA (12-1): Comes from another patient barn, but she’s bred up and down to be a very good turf horse. She’s by Kitten’s Joy and out of an English Channel mare that’s kin to several very classy routers, and if she’s ready first time out, I think she could get a big piece of this; #4 SHE’S COUNTRY (5/2): May go favored for George Weaver, but I have some doubts. There isn’t a ton of pedigree here, and I don’t see a workout longer than four furlongs on her sheet. Perhaps she’s well-meant, but at her likely price, I can’t back her.

R4

Gun Party
Drake’s Passage
Eliminate

#5 GUN PARTY (4/5): Looks tough to go against after a sharp last-out score in Kentucky. He moves up in class on paper, but it sure doesn’t seem like this race came up very tough for the level, and the tactical speed he showed last time out is a big plus; #1 DRAKE’S PASSAGE (3-1): Hasn’t run well of late, but he hits me as the lone true “speed horse” in this event. That’s sometimes very dangerous coming out of the chute, and such a setup could mean a return to his best form, which might be enough to win this; #3 ELIMINATE (5-1): Takes a big jump up the class ladder, but does so after two wins in his last three starts. If there’s any pace in here, this deep closer is the one that figures to benefit the most.

R5

Flying P entry
Fromanothamutha
Big Gain

FLYING P ENTRY (7/5): Both #2 STOLEN BASE and #2B BRESLAU are major players in here. The former has come to hand in his last two starts downstate, while the latter looks a lot better if you draw a line through the last-out clunker over a sloppy track he almost certainly hated; #3 FROMANOTHAMUTHA (9/2): Hasn’t won in a while but goes back to the Ray Handal barn, where he did some good work back in 2024. His last win, in fact, was in his last start for that outfit. They know him well, blinkers go back on, and Irad Ortiz Jr. sees fit to ride; #4 BIG GAIN (15-1): Will be a big price and needs to improve on speed figures, but he looks like one of only a few closers in this spot. He was claimed last time out by Rudy Rodriguez, whose record is a bit deceiving. He’s only won twice this season to date, but his runners have finished second or third 14 times.

R6

Eighty Gold (MTO)
Pazz the Soy Sauce
Pandemic Hero

#3 PAZZ THE SOY SAUCE (8/5): May be a hair overbet at or near the morning line price, but he does hit me as a likely candidate to improve second off the bench. He didn’t miss by much last time out, and any sort of a step forward would make him tough, but do demand value; #5 PANDEMIC HERO (9/2): Didn’t fire against stakes company last time out and returns to both the right level and the right surface. His two and three-back efforts were both solid, and the switch to Jose Ortiz is a big one; #7 ORIE (2-1): Came flying late to be beaten a head last time out. It’s worth noting, however, that that race fell apart pace-wise, and the forced move away from Flavien Prat (who’s serving a suspension after the Zulu Kingdom situation) doesn’t help him.

R7

Melle Mel
She’s Complicated
Our Lady Peace

#7 MELLE MEL (6/5): Takes a massive class drop to run here after a decent fourth in the slop last month. It wasn’t too long ago that she was fourth in a stakes race at Gulfstream, and anything close to her last-out or two-back efforts probably crushes this bunch; #6 SHE’S COMPLICATED (6-1): Is another dropping in class, though she does so for aggressive connections. She may have needed the last-out effort, which was her first race since April, and Jose Ortiz sticking with her inspires some confidence; #2 OUR LADY PEACE (9/2): Ran second in her dirt debut last time out at Gulfstream, and she dueled for most of that effort before settling for second money. She may not be alone on the lead, but the filly that may have been named for the rock band bearing the same moniker has also shown an ability to rate, which could come in handy.

R8

Stone Smuggler (MTO)
Nonna Lynne
Disco Star

#8 NONNA LYNNE (4-1): Steps up into stakes company for the Statue of Liberty, but she rated behind a pretty moderate pace last time and got the job done. Given her relative inexperience, she may have room to move forward, and she might not have to improve much to beat these; #1 DISCO STAR (5/2): Ran well to be second in the Suzie O’Cain and might be favored here because of that. Two things scare me, though. Closers drawing the rail often need to get lucky trip-wise, and I just think she’s better sprinting than routing; #3 TRAIL OF GOLD (4-1): May have lost the Suzie O’Cain in the opening strides, so I won’t hold that clunker against her too much. The win two back was a very good race, and she could contend if she gets back to that form.

R9

Celebrity Quest (MTO)
Keto Drink (AE)
Bint Mischief

#12 KETO DRINK (2-1): Needs two scratches to run but would be a force if she draws into the Wednesday finale. She made up a lot of ground in her debut, and this barn isn’t known for having first-time starters ready to roll. Expect improvement if she goes postward; #4 BINT MISCHIEF (4-1): Debuts for Will Walden and is bred to be a very good one. This daughter of Into Mischief boasts a world-class female family, with a dam that’s a half-sister to Australian Group 1 winner Pride Of Dubai and a third dam that threw Group 1 winner Rafha (the dam of Group 1 winner Invincible Spirit); #6 DELIGHTFUL DARLING (3-1): Has suffered a pair of pretty tough beats and has an experience edge over most of her rivals. She gets back to the turf here, and her debut saw her do lots of dirty work up front going short on the lawn at Churchill.