BANKROLL

BANKROLL: $819.50

Kudos to the trainers who took part in Saturday’s fundraiser for the Lustgarten Foundation. It featured horsepeople taking time out of their insanely-busy schedules to sign autographs for fans, with proceeds going to a foundation that aims to advance research pertaining to pancreatic cancer.

The fundraiser was in honor of longtime trainer Dominic Galluscio, who passed away in 2014. However, it could’ve easily been for any number of people whose battles with the disease are all too familiar to so many folks out there.

(We all miss you, Jarboe.)

SATURDAY’S RESULTS: On a lighter note, Victory Hall defied a phenomenon called the Pink Sheet Curse (copyright Nick Kling, all rights reserved), which occurs when all five handicappers in the pick box land on the same horse. The DQ in the third meant a small double win got wiped out (and I found yet another way to run second…), but in total, $55 in post-scratch bets returned $84.

SUNDAY’S PLAY: #11 MIZTERTONIC is an also-eligible in the ninth, but if he runs, I need to play him. I’ll have a $30 win bet on that one, and I’ll also play a cold $10 double starting in the ninth that singles #10 SECURED LENDER in the finale.

TOTAL WAGERED: $40.

SARATOGA SELECTIONS AND ANALYSIS

Best Bet: Miztertonic, Race 9
Longshot: Woodster, Race 6

R1

Endorse (MTO)
Inesperee
Abundant Love

#2 INESPEREE (6-1): Was eased out of his last race, so you can just draw a line through it. Her two and three-back efforts were both fine, and I think she’ll relish the cutback to a shorter distance in the Sunday opener, where she may be a bit more of a price than she should be; #4 ABUNDANT LOVE (3-1): Also cuts back from a few marathon races and was most recently second here last month. She’s one of several in here that’s had plenty of chances, though, so I probably need more of a price than I’m likely to get; #7 READY FOR CANDY (7/5): Comes in off a long layoff after trying some tough company at Woodbine most of last season. Her back class is considerable, but I do have some doubts. I think her best races came on synthetic, not turf, and it’s not like her speed figures tower over this bunch. She could win, but she could also very much need a race.

R2

Daisy Duke
Moon Cache
Fortuna Mia

#5 DAISY DUKE (8/5): Has had some truly nightmarish trips of late, including last time out, when she nearly overcame a lot of traffic and was beaten just a neck by a next-out winner. In fact, she’s run into next-out winners in each of her last four outings, and I think this field may be a bit weaker; #4 MOON CACHE (5/2): Has proven to be an astute claim for this outfit, as she’s won one listed stakes race and placed in two others. It feels like she may be the main speed in here, and while I think she wants longer than this six-furlong trip, her best is certainly good enough; #1 FORTUNA MIA (7/2): Relished a big drop in class and got her first win in a while last time out. She was claimed out of that race and goes back up the class ladder here, but it’s also possible she got some confidence from that last-out score.

R3

Proud Foot (MTO)
Kairyu
Obstreperous

#3 KAIRYU (2/5): Hasn’t won in more than two years, but she’s been facing stakes foes exclusively since coming to America and gets massive class relief. She was beaten less than a length by Future Is Now last time, and there are no such monsters in this optional claimer; #5 OBSTREPEROUS (4-1): Didn’t run well when last of nine in the Grade 3 Caress, but she was wide that day and raced without Lasix. She gets Lasix back here, and a return to her two-back form would likely get her at least a piece of this one; #6 SOL HOPE (6-1): Didn’t sit her desired trip last time out, when she was 10th of 11 early. She wants to be closer to the pace, and my guess is she shows more tactical speed here first off the claim for Mike Maker.

R4

Valentinian
New Magic
Trident Hit

#1 VALENTINIAN (7/5): Just missed in a stakes-caliber optional claimer at Monmouth last month and ships north for Todd Pletcher. His Monmouth operation is usually his second string, but the grandson of Rachel Alexandra has shown enough talent to be an imposing favorite; #4 NEW MAGIC (3-1): Showed maturity in his debut, when he overcame a terrible start and rallied from last to first. I don’t know what he beat that day in New Jersey, but he certainly has a right to improve with experience and a cleaner trip; #6 TRIDENT HIT (6-1): Exits some salty races for the level at Churchill, ones that featured several horses coming back to win at next asking. Ron Moquett doesn’t ship in much, and this is an astute outfit that merits respect when it shows up.

R5

Three B’s
Trust Issues
Holleman entry

#5 THREE B’S (4-1): Goes back to Linda Rice after a win against weaker foes last time out. He’s 2-for-2 at this 6 1/2-furlong trip, and his only clunker for Rice earlier this year came in a failed turf experiment. He’s doing what he wants to do for a high-percentage outfit, and he likely won’t be favored; #2 TRUST ISSUES (2-1): Ran second at this level a few weeks ago, and he likely wants to be closer to the pace than he was that day. Irad sees fit to ride back when he likely had several options, which inspires some confidence; HOLLEMAN ENTRY (5/2): Both #1 PLAUSIBLE DENILE and #1A ZIPPY MARK could factor in here. The former would benefit from a pace meltdown, while the latter goes second off a layoff for Ken McPeek and sports a recent bullet drill over the Oklahoma track.

R6

Stimulate (MTO)
Teleport
Woodster

#4 TELEPORT (2-1): Is bred up and down to be a very good turf horse and sold for more than $400,000 across the pond last fall. He’s a full brother to a European stakes winner, and his dam is kin to French Group 1 winner Intello, among others; #7 WOODSTER (8-1): Is a half-brother to Andrew Champagne Gambling Hall of Famer Lord Miles, who won the 2023 Wood Memorial at 59-1 (you may have heard me mention this horse before). Half-kidding aside, his bottom-side pedigree also includes a dam that’s a half-sister to champion Caledonia Road and graded stakes winner Officiating, so he could have potential; #3 GUITARIST (8/5): Hammered for $900,000 at Keeneland last year and debuts for Chad Brown, who’s been winning lots of 2-year-old races at this stand. This son of Quality Road boasts a strong pedigree, but if there’s hesitation here, it’s because that pedigree hints he may want dirt, not turf.

R7

Irish Jackson
Spiritual Lady
Jackson’s Dixie

#1 IRISH JACKSON (3-1): Gets a massive jockey switch to Flavien Prat and is a closer in a race with lots of early speed signed on. She was second beaten a neck by the likely favorite two back at Aqueduct, but given the race shape, I think she’s got a big chance to turn the tables; #6 SPIRITUAL LADY (2-1): Pulled off an 11-1 upset last time out in her first start off the claim and will look for her third straight score here. She could win, but she could face more opposition up front, and this barn’s 1-for-20 year to date doesn’t inspire enough confidence to back her at a short price; #7 JACKSON’S DIXIE (5/2): Is already making her 11th start of the calendar year and goes first off the claim for Mike Miceli, a talented horseman with a smaller barn. The rider switch to Dylan Davis is certainly notable, and she’s another that figures to benefit from a fast early pace.

R8

Cy Fair
Snow Face Princess
My Sweetheart

#4 CY FAIR (8/5): Couldn’t have been much more impressive in her debut, when she won by more than three lengths in professional fashion. John Velazquez rides back for George Weaver, and any sort of a step forward would make her strictly the one to beat in the Bolton Landing; #3 SNOW FACE PRINCESS (6-1): Took to the turf with aplomb last time out, when she won by two lengths earlier in the meet. I’m not sure what she beat that day, but it sure seems like the grass moved her up, and these connections merit plenty of respect; #2 MY SWEETHEART (7/2): Won first time out on the turf and didn’t run badly when second in the Schuylerville on Independence Day. Jose Ortiz rides for Mark Casse, and she figures to be prominent early in her return to the lawn.

R9

Miztertonic (AE)
Hey Toby (MTO)
Zapruder

#11 MIZTERTONIC (5-1): Needs a scratch to draw in off the AE list but merits plenty of respect if he gets to run. He had no pace to run at last time, when he was second behind a perfect-trip winner, and there are a lot of speed horses signed on that could set things up for him to come rolling late; #1 ZAPRUDER (8-1): Makes his first start since December, but he’s another that figures to do his best running late. Todd Pletcher knows how to get horses ready to run off of long breaks, and it’s interesting that Irad lands here when he almost certainly had several options; #2 ANNEXPERIENCE (5/2): Capitalized on an ideal trip last time out, when he ran off the screen after being left alone on an uncontested lead. He gets Lasix for the first time here, but he also faces several others that will want to go early, and if form on paper translates to the racetrack, we’ll see how he handles adversity.

R10

Secured Lender
Araucano
Senor Poncho

#10 SECURED LENDER (7/5): Takes a colossal class drop in the Sunday finale and looks very, very imposing. He cuts back to seven furlongs, a distance where he’s done some of his best running, and the cushy outside post should give Flavien Prat plenty of options; #1 ARAUCANO (15-1): Was a good second at this level last time out and is a candidate to move forward in just his third lifetime start. He adds blinkers for this one and should show some tactical speed from the inside draw; #4 SENOR PONCHO (15-1): Was third in the race my second choice exits, and like that rival, he also adds blinkers in this spot. His two-back effort wasn’t bad, either, and his sheet looks far better if you cross out the two failed turf experiments at Gulfstream from earlier this season.