BANKROLL
BANKROLL: $1,250.83
On Saturday, Saratoga honors newly-enshrined Hall of Fame trainer Christophe Clement with a stakes race renamed for him. The 12-furlong Grade 1 turf marathon was previously the Sword Dancer, and to be honest, the new name makes more sense. Clement won this event five times, including twice in a row with Gufo back in 2021 and 2022.
Sword Dancer, meanwhile, ran on turf three times, but never won on it. The Man o’War presents a similar conundrum, as the original Big Red never ran on the lawn. Other notable curiosities of this ilk include the Forego being run at a Saratoga track the legendary gelding seemed to despise, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance’s namesake race shifting from the former Breeders’ Cup Marathon to a race for 2-year-olds, and, unfortunately, the Arlington Million now being run several hundred miles from its one-time home.
Horse racing isn’t alone with little historical oddities, and it’s times like these where we’re reminded that the monologue of the 1998 film “BASEketball” is one of the most prescient, forward-thinking pieces of cinema in history. As it points out, the Minneapolis Lakers moved to Los Angeles, where there are no lakes. The Houston Oilers moved to Tennessee, where there is no oil, and the New Orleans Jazz moved to Salt Lake City, where they don’t allow music.
FRIDAY’S RESULTS: Betting chalk isn’t always a bad thing if you know how to extract value from it. Baliage won the sixth, Glen Airy won the seventh, and the $30 cold double returned $176.40.
SATURDAY’S PLAY: There’s a Pick Four encompassing races six through nine, and I like the sequence quite a bit. There are very few heavy favorites, which means this could overpay relative to how logical horses on my ticket may be. My 50-cent ticket goes as follows: 3,6 with 1,2,3,8 with 1,2,3,10 with 1,7.
TOTAL WAGERED: $32.
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SARATOGA SELECTIONS AND ANALYSIS
Best Bet: Mindfield, Race 2
Longshot: Epitaph, Race 1
R1
Epitaph
Salming
Math Tutor
#1 EPITAPH (8-1): Merits a look at a price in the Saturday opener. He hasn’t won in a while, but his last two efforts have been solid, and the last-out try came in a pretty fast race for the level won by a horse taking a very aggressive class drop. He’s got enough early speed to make the most of the rail draw; #6 SALMING (2-1): Ran very well to stomp non-winners of two last time out and was claimed by Linda Rice. There are some positives, but he’s also going up in class off of what was, by far, the best race he’s ever run. He may need to repeat that effort, and that’s no cinch; #7 MATH TUTOR (4-1): Has some fast races on his sheet, including a wire-to-wire score last time out. He hasn’t run in four months, but he’s got some solid recent works on his sheet and figures to be prominent early.
R2
Mindfield
Saratoga Tea
Upper Echelon
#4 MINDFIELD (7/2): Hammered for $700,000 at the OBS sale in April and comes in off of a five-furlong bullet drill. His dam’s lone prior foal to race was a winner, and his second and third dams were both stakes winners. There’s quite a bit to like, and I’ll be pretty happy if we get the morning line price; #3 SARATOGA TEA (9/2): Ran OK in his lone prior outing, when he hit the front in the stretch before fading to fourth. This barn’s runners tend to improve with experience, and his works since that effort have been very solid; #8 UPPER ECHELON (5-1): Will likely get plenty of attention because of sire Flightline, but his Grade 3-winning dam was no slouch. There are some strong drills on his sheet, and Brad Cox knows how to get 2-year-olds ready to run.
R3
Road Show
Nystateofmind
Cut Down the Nets
#4 ROAD SHOW (7/5): Nearly rallied from last to first in his debut last month and likely gained quite a bit from that experience. I’m expecting a significant step forward, and he’ll likely be one of the heavier favorites on the early part of the program; #5 NYSTATEOFMIND (5-1): Sold for $120,000 in April and sports a few strong gate works for George Weaver. His bottom-side pedigree is solid, as he’s out of a stakes-placed mare, and the presence of Manny Franco is a plus; #7 CUT DOWN THE NETS (3-1): Took a step forward at second asking, when he was a competitive second here last month. That didn’t seem like an overly strong race, but this barn is starting to heat up and he’ll likely be forwardly-placed.
R4
Lady Rose
Last Glory
Top of the Table
#2 LADY ROSE (9/5): Won two back before finishing fourth in what hit me as a strong race for this level. Jose Lezcano has been ice-cold this summer, but he looks live here aboard a runner with inside speed coming out of the Wilson chute; #3 LAST GLORY (8-1): Hasn’t won in a while, but she comes back to her preferred surface and has run some solid races at this one-mile distance. She has enough speed to sit a stalking trip, and that could give her every chance at a bit of a price; #5 TOP OF THE TABLE (3-1): Is the other half of Linda Rice’s 1-2 punch alongside my top pick. She may have needed her last-out clunker at Finger Lakes off of a bit of a layoff, and she has four top-three finishes in five starts at this distance.
R5
Tongue Twister
Considerate City
Bertrille
#2 TONGUE TWISTER (3-1): Is one of several that hasn’t won in a long, long time, but at least there are some reasons to be optimistic. She’s got some tactical speed, and I’m expecting her to be on or near the lead and not going very fast. That could give her a chance at her first win since early-2025; #8 CONSIDERATE CITY (9/5): Has actually never crossed the wire first, with her lone win to date coming by DQ in her debut. She was second in a stakes race last time out, and her usual effort makes her a major player, but given her propensity for not quite getting the job done, I can’t back her at her likely short price; #1 BERTRILLE (5-1): Has had a few strange trips of late where she’s rated while wide in two-turn turf races, which isn’t usually a desirable trip. The inside draw should help her, and it wasn’t long ago she showed some tactical speed at Gulfstream Park.
R6
Belle N Brooke
Libby Lloyd
Tumoohaat
#6 BELLE N BROOKE (7/2): Sold for $240,000 at auction last year and has a few bullet works ahead of her debut in what looks like a loaded 2-year-old maiden race. This daughter of Life Is Good is out of a mare that placed in a Grade 2 event, and that one’s dam, Foxy Danseur, was also a runner; #3 LIBBY LLOYD (9/2): Attracts Flavien Prat in her debut for Chad Brown and is one of several with a massive pedigree. She’s by Into Mischief and out of a stakes-winning mare that’s already produced stakes winner Publisher, and her female family includes the dams of several other graded stakes winners, too; #8 TUMOOHAAT (5/2): Makes a debut that’s highly-anticipated given her pedigree. She’s out of champion Malathaat, and her second dam is Grade 1-winning 2-year-old Dreaming of Julia. That pedigree, though, may mean she gets overbet in here, so watch the board carefully.
R7
Vettriano (MTO)
Spiced Up
No Evidence
#1 SPICED UP (4-1): Nearly got his first win in a long time last time out when beaten a head by a next-out stakes winner. His best races have come at this 5 1/2-furlong Saratoga route, and if he channels that form, he’ll be a major player; #3 NO EVIDENCE (4-1): Prevailed in a first-level allowance last time out, and that day’s runner-up came back to win here last weekend. Flavien Prat rides back for Miguel Clement, and he’s never been worse than third in four career tries over this turf course; #8 ATTFIELD (8-1): Has a few changes in his favor here, as he’ll run against non-stakes foes for the first time since he broke his maiden last summer. He’s been gelded, and he’ll run with Lasix for the first time. A return to the route he won at 12 months ago could also move him forward.
R8
Q B Rocket
Card Man
Vukota
#3 Q B ROCKET (4-1): Debuts for Brad Cox after a series of excellent workouts at Churchill Downs. This son of Gun Runner sold for $1.9 million as a yearling, and while I’m inclined to think he’ll get better with more distance, it also looks like he may be ready to win at first asking; #2 CARD MAN (7/2): Makes his first start for Chad Brown, and like my top pick, there are a couple of strong drills on his tab. His dam, a daughter of Arrogate, is a half-sister to Wavell Avenue, who won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in her heyday; #10 VUKOTA (12-1): Is worth a look at a price given some of her local drills, including a last-out bullet drill. Kinnon LaRose has seen plenty of success in his young career, and while his numbers with first-time starters aren’t great, this one draws favorably and looks like he could have some talent.
R9
Ancient Egypt
Survie
Ole Crazy Bone
#1 ANCIENT EGYPT (5-1): Comes over from Europe after just missing in a Group 1 at Longchamp. European turf runners often have an advantage over their American counterparts, and a similar type of effort in the Grade 1 Christophe Clement (formerly the Sword Dancer) would put him right there; #7 SURVIE (6-1): Goes up against the boys after a very impressive score in the Grade 2 Glens Falls. There wasn’t much pace that day, but she closed well and won going away. This is a stiff class test, but she’s another that’s run well in Group 1 company overseas in the past; #3 OLE CRAZY BONE (4-1): Took advantage of an ideal trip to win the Grade 2 Bowling Green and may be dictating terms from the jump once again here. I’m not crazy about the rider switch (especially given the injury to Irad Ortiz, Jr.), and I doubt he’ll have such smooth sailing twice in a row, but speed is a powerful thing in these marathons.
R10
Triskelion
Oscar’s Encore
Cadenza
#7 TRISKELION (5-1): Took down a stakes race at Ellis Park last time out and goes third off the bench in the Galway. She’s never missed the board in six prior outings, first-call rider Luis Saez hops aboard, and when this barn comes in from Kentucky, it usually means business; #3 OSCAR’S ENCORE (6-1): Goes up in class but has two wins in as many local starts and ran well off the bench last time out. She’ll have to perform without Lasix, and this isn’t a weak spot, but it sure seems like she’s doing well and she maintains jockey Jose Ortiz, which is a big positive; #5 CADENZA (7/2): Chased much better last time when third behind Cy Fair in the Grade 3 Coronation Cup over yielding going. She’ll likely get her desired footing here, and her “stalk and pounce” style could put her in an ideal spot when the real running starts. The question is, has she plateaued after an impressive start to her 3-year-old season?
R11
Come Full Circle
Dinner Royale
Calling Card
#7 COME FULL CIRCLE (3-1): Isn’t usually the type of horse I like, breaking from the outside out of the Wilson chute in search of his first win since last summer. However, he’s run up against some tough horses in his last several starts and hasn’t performed badly. I also like that he should have plenty of pace to chase beneath Flavien Prat; #1 DINNER ROYALE (7/2): Has speed and draws a cushy inside post, which makes him a major player despite being a 3-year-old going against older horses. The stretch-out in distance is a question mark, but a strong break could make him one of the ones to catch; #2 CALLING CARD (5/2): Won big last time out but hits me as a vulnerable favorite. He didn’t beat much that day, and he goes from that claimer for non-winners of two to a starter allowance. Perhaps he’ll make me look silly, but I can’t take a short price on him.
R12
Gilbane
Fivedollarsforsox
Before the Wind
#8 GILBANE (5/2): Came back running off the bench, when he was run down in the final strides in his first try since November. I’m expecting a step forward second off the bench in the Saturday nightcap, and if that happens, I think he’ll be tough to deny; #10 FIVEDOLLARSFORSOX (5-1): Is perplexing in his debut for a strong barn. He doesn’t draw well, and he’s a $220,000 auction purchase debuting for a $50,000 tag in August of his 3-year-old season. However, Flavien Prat has been enticed to ride, and it’s not like he’s going up against any world-beaters; #1 BEFORE THE WIND (3-1): Has had plenty of chances as an 0-for-10 maiden, but he does take a drop into the maiden claiming ranks while attracting Jose Ortiz. His last two races aren’t much to brag about, but he does have a few efforts earlier in his career that may make him a player if he can find that form.