BANKROLL

BANKROLL: $958

Rebel’s Romance was retired Friday, and I hope you enjoyed him while he was around, because we may not see another horse like him for a long, long time.

Consider this: Rebel’s Romance won 22 of 32 starts in an era where most top horses don’t go to the gate more than 10 times before being sent to the breeding shed. As a gelding, though, he spent the last several years criss-crossing the globe and winning graded stakes races in Dubai, England, Germany, America, Qatar, and Hong Kong.

Most humans don’t log that many air miles. Rebel’s Romance, however, had his running shoes on wherever he went. He won two renewals of the Breeders’ Cup Turf and ran well enough to take down a third when second in the 2025 renewal. A victory there would’ve made him the first male horse to win three Breeders’ Cup races (Goldikova won three Mile races, while Beholder won the Juvenile Fillies once and the Distaff twice). Rebel’s Romance should be celebrated, and he should also be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when his time comes in a few years.

FRIDAY’S RESULTS: Best bet Ice Chocolat scratched, cancelling all my action.

SATURDAY’S PLAY: I’ll focus on the seventh and hope the signs I’m seeing with #5 FIFTH AND CHESTNUT mean she’s ready to go at a price. I’ll have a $10 win bet on her, as well as $5 exactas keying her above and below #1 EFFUSIVE and #2 ENERGY FLOWS. Finally, I’ll single her to start a cold $5 double that also singles #2 CY FAIR in the eighth.

TOTAL WAGERED: $35.

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SARATOGA SELECTIONS AND ANALYSIS

Best Bet: Whittington Park, Race 10
Longshot: Fifth and Chestnut, Race 7

R1

Greenwell
The Good Life
Powerline

#7 GREENWELL (2-1): Ran a green second in his debut, coincidentally the first US race by an offspring of Flightline. That day’s third-place finisher came back to win, which helps, and it sure seems like he’s a candidate to improve in his second lifetime outing; #2 THE GOOD LIFE (3-1): Makes his debut for Brad Cox, is bred to be a good one, and boasts some head-turning workouts. This son of Life is Good is out of a mare who’s kin to Justwhistledixie, the dam of graded stakes winners New Year’s Day and Mohaymen, among others; #4 POWERLINE (8/5): Hammered for an eye-popping $1.8 million last year across the street, and for good reason. Another Flightline baby, this one is out of a stakes-winning dam, although that mare did her best work going longer than today’s distance.

R2

Spoiler
My Noble Knight
Indy Rags

#4 SPOILER (3-1): Took a big shot in a stakes race on turf last time out and returns to the right surface and level here. Prior to that event, he won two in a row at Oaklawn, and he gets to run with Lasix (which he didn’t get chasing Burnham Square on the lawn); #3 MY NOBLE KNIGHT (9/2): Hasn’t won in a long time, but he returns to his favorite track, and it’s not like he hasn’t been competitive lately. Jose Ortiz has ridden him quite a bit, and he could sit an ideal trip behind the two runners to his inside that are likely to go very fast early on; #9 INDY RAGS (10-1): Drops back into the claiming ranks after finishing fourth in a starter allowance downstate. His efforts two and three back against similar were both very good, and his lone prior start over this track was a victory.

R3

The Toy Cannon
Apollo Code
Constant Chaos

#6 THE TOY CANNON (3-1): Had an excuse last time out, when he didn’t break well and was carried out going into the far turn. He certainly seems like the lone serious speed in this event, and with top gate rider Kendrick Carmouche in the irons, he’s a genuine wire-to-wire threat if he can get back to his usual self; #8 APOLLO CODE (5-1): Was a close-up third in the mud back in April, and that day’s runner-up came back to win next time out. He’s a consistent, honest gelding that hasn’t missed the board in over a year, and his versatility should give Christopher Elliott some options; #5 CONSTANT CHAOS (10-1): Is worth a look underneath at a price. He goes from a claimer to a starter allowance, but he also goes from an open race to one for New York-breds and he was a competitive fourth in a fast race for the level last time out.

R4

Vettriano (MTO)
Spiced Up
Attfield

#5 SPICED UP (3-1): Returns to the route where he won the Grade 3 Mahony last year. He hasn’t won since then, but he was a very good second last time out behind a runner that came back to repeat. This isn’t an easy race for the level, but he’ll be running well late and may be the one they have to hold off; #7 ATTFIELD (6-1): Cuts back to a sprint, and while he won a stakes race going long late last year, this might be his best game. He came from out of the clouds to win at first asking at this route last year, and this’ll be the first time he runs with Lasix; #4 SHAPE NOTE (7/2): Was a runaway winner two back before disappointing as a 3/5 favorite last month. A 12-time winner, he’s clearly got some class to him, but I didn’t think he had much of an excuse last time, and he’ll need to be at his best in this stakes-quality optional claimer.

R5

Kathynmarissa
Segesta
Cathedral

#3 KATHYNMARISSA (2-1): Is one of four Chad Brown trainees in the Grade 1 Diana and has emerged as a divisional leader. She didn’t get her desired trip in the Grade 1 New York, when she was close to the pace rather than sitting back. She should get some speed in front of her here, and that makes her dangerous; #6 SEGESTA (3-1): Won the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley two back before finishing third here in the Grade 1 Just a Game. The winner finished very, very fast that day, and adding a furlong in distance should help her; #2 CATHEDRAL (6-1): Comes back to the US in search of just her second lifetime victory. However, she was a very good fourth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf against a world-class field, so we know there’s talent here.

R6

Tab At Zanzibar
Dr. Kapur
Caldo Candy

#1 TAB AT ZANZIBAR (4-1): Hasn’t done much wrong in two starts to date, running second on debut before graduating here last month. That was over a very fast track, to be sure, but he’s a lightly-raced runner with room to improve ahead of his first try against winners; #5 DR. KAPUR (5/2): Hasn’t raced since February, but he kept very strong company and tried a few races on the road to the Kentucky Derby. That didn’t pan out, but he cuts back to a sprint in his comeback race, and that may be what he wants; #4 CALDO CANDY (6-1): Almost certainly needed his race in June and should be sharper second off the bench. Two of his three wins have come at the Spa, and the last-out bullet drill may mean he’s ready to go here.

R7

Fifth and Chestnut
Effusive
Energy Flows

#5 FIFTH AND CHESTNUT (10-1): Is worth a long look in her unveiling for a few reasons. Her dam won multiple stakes as a 2-year-old, she’s been working up a storm at Parx, and trainer John Servis (of Smarty Jones fame) traditionally doesn’t leave his home base unless he’s got a very good reason; #1 EFFUSIVE (5/2): Is bred in the purple, being by Into Mischief and out of champion mare Monomoy Girl. Her works at Keeneland look reasonably sharp, although I have to wonder if she wants much, much longer than this six-furlong distance; #2 ENERGY FLOWS (6-1): Was a good second in her debut at Churchill and has every right to improve at second asking. The experience edge she has over many of these could be an asset, and that was a reasonably-fast race she exits, too.

R8

Hot Currency (MTO)
Cy Fair
Sapphire Beach

#2 CY FAIR (3/5): Missed a planned trip to Royal Ascot but looms very, very large in the Grade 3 Coronation Cup. She won last year’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and she exits a sharp score in the Grade 3 Mamzelle, a race whose runner-up came back to win next time out; #3 SAPPHIRE BEACH (5/2): Was an easy winner last time out at Churchill and goes back into the stakes ranks. Cross out the three-back dud going two turns, which is probably too far for her, and you’re left with a filly that hasn’t done much wrong on the grass; #4 CADENZA (8-1): Won a stakes race two back at Aqueduct and may have been too close to a hot pace in the Grade 3 Soaring Softly. If they go a little slower early, it could bode well for her, and the morning line price is a juicy one for a horse that’s shown plenty of talent.

R9

Gadget Play
Criteria
Stimulate

#9 GADGET PLAY (7/2): Put forth a rally to be third in his debut at Churchill, and he may have been compromised by a bump at the start and a wide trip. He likely got quite a bit out of that initial effort, and when Al Stall ships in from Kentucky, it’s usually not for frequent flyer miles; #1 CRITERIA (5-1): Didn’t break well here last month, but regained enough composure to run a good second behind my top pick in the sixth. He’s shown enough speed previously to indicate he wasn’t given his ideal trip, and the rail draw could be an asset if he’s able to start better here; #3 STIMULATE (4-1): Was fifth in his debut here last summer before going to the bench. This isn’t a barn known for first-out success, and he’s been training consistently ahead of his return (for which he’s getting Lasix).

R10

Whittington Park
Three B’s
Annexperience

#5 WHITTINGTON PARK (3-1): Was second in a weirdly-run race last time out at Aqueduct and has run well here in the past. Ilkay Katarmaci’s barn has been hot to start the meet, and this veteran’s running style could be an asset coming out of the Wilson chute; #8 THREE B’S (4-1): Tried turf last time out against stakes foes and wanted no part of it. This is closer to the spot he wants, he gets Lasix back, and while this post position isn’t ideal, he’s shown he loves this distance and the rider switch to Jose Ortiz is a big one; #3 ANNEXPERIENCE (8/5): Is favored on the morning line, likely off of a runaway score in an off-the-turf race two back. However, I have some doubts. I think he’s a turf horse, and while this is the right distance, it doesn’t hit me as the right surface.

R11

Iron Max
Leon Blue
Jack and Jim

#7 IRON MAX (3-1): Got very good last year, when he reeled off three wins in a row before going to the bench. He’s had some trouble in his last two starts, but he’s also shown some tactical speed, which could come in handy here; #5 LEON BLUE (10-1): Has run some big races here and gets back on Lasix after a failed try against stakes company last time. This is certainly a lesser field, and while it may look like he’s tailed off, Kendrick Carmouche gets aboard a horse with some early speed, and that makes me sit up and take notice; #8 JACK AND JIM (3-1): Won two in a row back in 2024 and was bet in his return last month, but he unseated Manny Franco turning for home. Franco gets back aboard, which I see as a good sign, and while he likely needs to move forward from his 2024 figures to win here, there’s nothing saying he can’t do that if he gets a clean trip.

R12

Aperitif
Combat Move
My Lil Army Girl

#2 APERITIF (7/2): Feels like “now or never” time with this filly in the Saturday nightcap. She’s run well in each of her last two outings to pick up minor awards, also ran OK here twice last summer, and doesn’t exactly line up against any monsters here; #9 COMBAT MOVE (7/2): Debuts for Linda Rice, whose horses often need a race to get going. However, she draws well, she sold for an impressive $135,000 at auction last year, has some turf pedigree, and attracts Jose Ortiz; #8 MY LIL ARMY GIRL (6-1): Was claimed last time out by an astute outfit that’s won quite a bit to this point in the season. Her last two efforts indicate that she’s starting to come around, and a further move forward may give her a shot (even given a slight jump in class out of the maiden claiming ranks).