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SARATOGA SELECTIONS AND ANALYSIS

Best Bet: Damon’s Mound, Race 9
Longshot: Tuthilltown, Race 11

R1

Badittude
Elevated
Intraosseous

#9 BADITTUDE (9/2): Draws well in her debut, which comes in what looks like a loaded lid-lifter. This daughter of Uncle Mo sold for $425,000 at Keeneland last year, boasts several eye-catching works for trainer Todd Pletcher, and attracts Irad Ortiz, Jr., when that rider likely had several appealing options; #7 ELEVATED (2-1): Will take money for several reasons. She’s a daughter of Flightline who sold for $600,000 across the street last summer, and she’s owned by Myracehorse, whose microshare holders will likely be out in force. However, while her works are strong and she could eventually be a very good one, this isn’t a barn known for first-out success; #5 INTRAOSSEOUS (8-1): Has an experience edge over most of these and rallied to be third in her debut last month at Churchill. This seems like a tougher spot, but she’s got potential to improve at second asking and likely learned a lot first time out.

R2

A. P. Slingshot
Power of Women
Lady Wisdom

#2 A. P. SLINGSHOT (7/2): Looks like one of the few closers in a race full of early speed. She’s been consistent this year, with seven top-three finishes in as many starts and a pair of victories. The faster they go early on, the better this one’s chances figure to be; #3 POWER OF WOMEN (5/2): Romped by 10 lengths downstate before being claimed by a barn that’s enjoyed plenty of success so far this summer. This feels like a tougher spot, and she’s unlikely to sit such a perfect trip twice in a row, but of the potential speed horses, this is the one I like most; #1 LADY WISDOM (5-1): Has won two of three starts while showing some early speed, and that running style could make the inside draw an asset. She goes up the class ladder, but it’s encouraging that this barn doesn’t want to lose her first off the claim.

R3

Ferrum
Grand Yaupon
Backlash

#3 FERRUM (9/2): Is a tepid top pick in another loaded 2-year-old maiden race that could go a number of different directions. However, he sold for $550,000 last year and is bred to be a very good sprinter. This son of Uncle Mo is out of a stakes-winning sprinter whose three prior foals to race are all winners, and his works are very, very fast; #9 GRAND YAUPON (3-1): May improve second time out for Steve Asmussen, whose debuting runners sometimes need a race to get going. The sharp two-back drill, followed by a maintenance move, is a pattern I love to see from this outfit, and it helps that the third-place finisher from his initial outing has come back to win; #7 BACKLASH (8-1): Hammered for $900,000 at Keeneland and is one of two high-priced Todd Pletcher trainees debuting here. His three-back work looks exceptional, and this son of Gun Runner is out of a mare who was stakes-placed as a 2-year-old.

R4

Who’s Your Zaddy (MTO)
Honoree
Naguile

#3 HONOREE (5/2): Was probably just left with too much to do last time out in his first try against winners. Irad rides back, having gotten to know him a bit last time, and there once again appears to be some speed to set up for his ability to run on late; #9 NAGUILE (6-1): Exits the same race as my top pick and set a solid pace before fading. He’s still pretty inexperienced and may carry some room to improve, and the jockey switch to Prat is a pretty big one; #5 INSPEIGHTOFCHARLIE (7/2): Wound up wide last time out and was a one-paced fifth, but his efforts two and three back were quite good. Jose Ortiz hops aboard for a barn that he doesn’t usually ride for, which is intriguing, and he’s got back races that would absolutely make him a player in here.

R5

Minorinconvenience (MTO)
Go Grey
King’s Remark

#5 GO GREY (8-1): Gets a mild nod in a wide-open turf race where I’d advise you to go as deep as you can. He pressed a hot pace against better horses in the Saranac last time out. Prior to that, he won two in a row running with Lasix, which he didn’t run with a few weeks ago and gets again here; #6 KING’S REMARK (9/2): Was an impressive first-out winner and took an aggressive jump in class to face stakes foes. He didn’t run badly when third in the Jersey Derby at Monmouth, and he didn’t have the best of trips that day. He’s another carrying several logical reasons to expect improvement; #7 CHICKEN DANCE (15-1): Is worth a look at a pretty big price coming back to what hits me as his preferred surface. He got pretty good in Florida this past spring, and while the last-out clunker isn’t ideal, I can’t hold an off-the-turf race against him. This is a strong spot for the level, and this barn hasn’t heated up yet here, but 15-1 hits me as too big a price.

R6

Emerging Market
Dreamlike
Wynstock

#8 EMERGING MARKET (8/5): Runs against older company after contesting two Triple Crown races where he finished in the middle of the pack. The winner of this year’s Grade 2 Louisiana Derby may still have a very bright future, and this seems like an ideal spot for a confidence-builder; #1 DREAMLIKE (7/2): Always seems to run the same race every time out, and that’s been good for quite a few big checks. He’s made almost $700,000 despite just three wins in 23 starts, and while he certainly seems camera-shy, his usual effort likely gets him a piece of this; #2 WYNSTOCK (5-1): Comes back to the optional claiming ranks after two failed tries against stakes foes. This means he gets to run with Lasix, and he’s shown he’s a faster horse with it. The question is, can he bring his best form to Saratoga, where he’s 0-for-4 with zero top-three finishes?

R7

Egyptian (MTO)
Jack’s World
Oat Coutour

#4 JACK’S WORLD (3-1): Was last of 12 early on in his most recent start but rallied to finish within three lengths of a good-looking winner. There’s quite a bit of early speed signed on, which should help him, and the rider switch to Prat is a positive one; #9 OAT COUTOUR (7/2): Was second last time out in a similar spot downstate and didn’t run poorly two back here during Belmont week, when he was fourth despite being very wide turning for home. He’s another that will do his best running late, and while he hasn’t won in a while, he’s run pretty well a few times of late; #11 NEWLYN (8-1): Is cross-entered in a stakes race Friday and would need to both bypass that event and get a scratch from the main body of the field to run here. However, if she does, she’d go second off the bench for George Weaver and get Lasix for the first time, so there would be some reason for enthusiasm.

R8

Pashmina (MTO)
Bella Knows
Bourbon Betty

#9 BELLA KNOWS  (4-1): Goes second off the bench for powerhouse connections and looks logical based on both her ability and the likely race shape. There’s speed signed on, and she ran on well to be second last time out in her first try since November. Irad taking the call is another big plus; #1 BOURBON BETTY (8-1): Merits a look at a bit of a price and looks like the speed of the speed. Maybe she’ll need to work to get to the front, but the inside draw is definitely an advantage and she held on well to be third after setting a very legitimate pace on the Fourth of July; #12 KOKOMOTION (3-1): Showed ability earlier this year in Florida and fits on speed figures, but the far-outside draw is an absolute killer. On talent, she fits in this spot, and I’d like her quite a bit with a better post, but she may get hung out very, very wide going into the first turn, and that usually isn’t a winning trip.

R9

Damon’s Mound
Built
T Kraft

#1 DAMON’S MOUND (4-1): Has gotten very good of late, winning four of his last five starts. For a high-level sprint, the Grade 2 A.G. Vanderbilt didn’t come up with a lot of early speed. That means this one may be the one they have to catch, and given his recent form, that could prove very difficult to do; #8 BUILT (8/5): May be a pretty heavy favorite, and he wouldn’t be overly shocking, but I have some doubts. It sure seems like he’s faster on Lasix, which he doesn’t get here. He ran well to be second in the Grade 3 Bango last time, but he may need to improve off of that effort to win this, and that’s no cinch; #7 T KRAFT (8-1): Is fascinating, because he comes in off of a total dud against a weaker group for a barn that usually doesn’t take shots like this. His two-back win was very good, Flavien Prat hops aboard, and at a minimum, we’ll get a price on connections that don’t usually offer this much value.

R10

Always a Runner
Zany
Counting Stars

#6 ALWAYS A RUNNER (9/5): Won the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks in just her third career start and may have moved a bit too soon when second in the Grade 1 Acorn. There’s some speed in here, which helps her, and if she’s ridden a bit more patiently in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, her move could be the winning one; #8 ZANY (9/2): Didn’t run well in the Oaks and comes back with blinkers, which is an interesting move. She’s shown some speed in a few of her prior outings, and her two-back work here was very fast. If she’s back to her winter form, she could run a big one here; #1 COUNTING STARS (2-1): Is logical if you think she still has more room to improve off of her smashing score in the Acorn. However, I don’t think she had much of an excuse two back in the Oaks, and while she ran some nice races at Oaklawn, the Acorn hits me as an outlier. She could still be improving, but she could also be a candidate to bounce.

R11

Daniella Marie (MTO)
Tuthilltown
Dancingwithdestiny

#3 TUTHILLTOWN (12-1): Is worth a look at a price. Her two turf races are probably the best ones on her sheet, and the last-out win looks better now that the runner-up came back to win the Thursday finale. This barn doesn’t have many horses, but hits at a high percentage and can move new acquisitions forward, so I’ll gladly take a swing at or near the morning line price; #7 DANCINGWITHDESTINY (4-1): Was second behind a next-out winner on closing day at Aqueduct and has shown plenty of early speed. She should be forwardly-placed again here, and if she’s the one they have to catch turning for home, she could get brave; #4 MOONLIGHT READY (9/2): Lit up the tote board as a 37-1 winner in her first try since February of 2025. This is a significant class jump, but John Velazquez sees fit to ride for a barn that’s proven to be very capable over the years. It’s possible she’s sitting on a move forward in her second try off the layoff.

R12

Lobbyist
Beau Cheval (AE)
Followill

#5 LOBBYIST (3-1): Comes back to the maiden claiming ranks, and that’s probably the right level. He didn’t have it easy against straight maidens last time, where he rated behind a pretty slow pace and never made up ground. Many in here have stamina questions, so I want a closer on top, and this one makes sense; #12 BEAU CHEVAL (6-1): Needs two scratches to draw in but merits respect if he does. He goes first off the claim for Joe Sharp, and he may not need to move forward too much from a decent second last time out in order to factor in this one; #3 FOLLOWILL (15-1): Ran OK in his debut last year before going to the sidelines for almost 10 months, and he showed speed in his comeback race against higher-level foes. If he gets back to the first-out form, which seems possible given the recent bullet drill over the training track, I think he can factor here at a price.