BANKROLL

BANKROLL: $915.20

The Grand Slam is a wager that’s very, very useful in certain situations. If you like a horse in the payoff leg, it’s a way to extract value out of that runner. Additionally, it’s a cheap way for beginning or novice horseplayers to get some fun out of a longer wager, since one only needs to have a horse run third or better in the first three races to stay alive.

There are some days where it’s not as attractive of a bet. However, the Thursday program, headlined by what looks like a two-horse race in the Rick Violette, caters to it. My advice: Single one of those horses there, take some stances in earlier legs, and fire away.

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS: I was counting my money at the three-eighths pole of the eighth race, as Mischievous Diane looked set to swoop by the early pace-setters. However, she flattened out, and I dropped $19.

THURSDAY’S PLAY: My $3 Grand Slam ticket starting in the sixth reads as follows: 2 with 3,6 with 2,6 with 4. Additionally, because I like two prices in the Thursday finale, I’ll play $2 doubles starting with #3 COINAGE and #4 DAKOTA GOLD in the ninth and ending with #1 TELL ME WHEN and #7 STRUT in the nightcap.

TOTAL WAGERED: $20.

ANALYSIS/SELECTIONS

Best Bet: Perceived, Race 2
Longshot: Tell Me When, Race 10

R1

Up to the Mark
Drink the Wind
Frat Pack

#6 UP TO THE MARK: Has been training forwardly for Todd Pletcher ahead of his debut. He sold for $450,000 back in 2020, there’s plenty of class on both sides of his pedigree, and the cushy outside draw is a plus; #1 DRINK THE WIND: Cuts back in distance after running third going seven furlongs at Churchill Downs. Both of his races this year have been fine, and the local four-furlong move last week is encouraging; #2 FRAT PACK: Will get plenty of betting money as a first-time starter from Chad Brown’s barn, but I have some doubts. The long tenure at Monmouth with Brown’s second string is often a red flag, and while the works time out OK, I’ll need more value than I’m likely to get.

R2

Perceived
Grumps Little Tots
Kumar

#5 PERCEIVED: Has won three of his last five starts, including a similar handicap race late in the Belmont meet. His late-running style should fit this race like a glove given an abundance of early speed elsewhere in the field, and when Rudy Rodriguez gets horses on the right track, they tend to stay there; #1 GRUMPS LITTLE TOTS: Was protected from the claim in his first start off the bench, and for good reason, as he rallied to win his 2022 debut. He’s run well up here in the past, and Joel Rosario sees fit to ride back for Charlton Baker; #2 KUMAR: Is another coming in off of a win, having won a photo finish against $20,000 claimers in early-June. Two turns has been a bit of a problem, but I like that he doesn’t need the lead to run well, and he could sit an ideal stalking trip.

R3

Hometown (MTO)
Icarus
Cash in a Flash

#5 ICARUS: Takes a massive drop in class after being beaten three lengths against far tougher competition. That day’s runner-up came right back to win last week, and these connections aren’t shy about dropping way down in order to win; #3 CASH IN A FLASH: Ran too poorly to be true last time out over Gulfstream Park’s synthetic surface. This is actually his first start on the grass, and he may benefit from being the lone speed horse in this inner turf event; #6 ST. JOE LOUIS: Has been favored in every one of his nine career starts and has burned money in eight of them. He’s been odds-on in four starts this season with no luck and ships in from Monmouth for Chad Brown, which isn’t often a profitable move.

R4

Run Poppy
Smart Prize
Clear the Deck

#1 RUN POPPY: Debuted running second at Churchill Downs and has a right to improve at second asking. Both of this dam’s foals to race are winners, and offspring of this sire tend to be precocious, too; #2 SMART PRIZE: Rallied to be third in his debut, where he didn’t break well. Flavien Prat will be in the saddle, and if there’s hesitation here, it’s only because I think he really wants to go longer given his stamina-heavy pedigree; #6 CLEAR THE DECK: Has an experience edge over most of this field and has run third in both of those outings. The most recent work over the Oklahoma track was solid, and Ken McPeek trainees tend to move forward as they get older.

R5

Aidanike
Domineer
Greatest Love

#2 AIDANIKE: Has won three of her last four and goes first off the claim in this event. The early pace should be solid, and she’s shown she’s very tough with the stalking trip she’s likely to get in her local debut; #5 DOMINEER: Represents the most likely pace presence and drops in class for a high-percentage barn. Stamina is definitely a question mark, but there’s also a chance she’s fast enough to clear out of the gate and get comfortable; #4 GREATEST LOVE: Drops in half after a $25,000 claim, and while that should help, this isn’t an easy race for the level and she hasn’t won since last September at Monmouth. She fits on speed figures, but her likely price hits me as an underlay.

R6

Ee Yah
Jeremy’s Jet
Three Zero

#2 EE YAH: Picked a tough spot to debut last month at Monmouth, when he ran into Great Navigator. That one ran second in the Grade 3 Sanford, the third-place finisher has come back to win, and this one seems to be facing a lesser group here; #8 JEREMY’S JET: Ships in from Churchill Downs, where he’s already run four times in two months. That experience could prove valuable, and he’s shown some early zip in Kentucky against some decent groups; #7 THREE ZERO: Has improved with every start, including a third-place finish in a rich race at Churchill late last month. His lone local drill was a strong one, and another step forward would give him a shot at a bit of a price.

R7

Big Package
Maxwell Esquire
Artemus Citylimits

#6 BIG PACKAGE: Is a stone closer in a turf sprint that seems full of early speed. He’s 2-for-3 with a second over this turf course, has every right to fire a big shot third off the bench, and retains Jose Ortiz when he probably had several options; #3 MAXWELL ESQUIRE: Is another closer to watch, and while he needs a lot to go right, that scenario could easily materialize. His lone poor run here came against a very strong field in a stakes race late in the meet, and Mike Maker excels with high-priced claiming horses like this one; #5 ARTEMUS CITYLIMITS: Is a hard-knocking, hard-trying gelding with 18 top-three finishes in 19 lifetime starts. He’s shown an ability to be effective sitting just off the pace, and that could prove helpful given some of the speedballs set to go postward.

R8

Captainsdaughter
Reigning Chick
U Guys Are No Fun

#2 CAPTAINSDAUGHTER: Gets a tepid nod in what hit me as a puzzling race to handicap. She hasn’t won in a while, but her stretch of minor awards includes several stakes placings, and perhaps she’ll appreciate what looks like class relief; #6 REIGNING CHICK: Got some black type at this distance when third in the Busanda back in January. Her two efforts since then were clunkers, but a return to that form off a three-month break would give her a big chance; #1 U GUYS ARE NO FUN: Was a close-up second last time out at Finger Lakes and runs for a barn that has enjoyed great success both here and there. However, she has a history of slow starts, and while the distance gives her time to get settled, the rail draw is a legitimate concern.

R9

Dakota Gold
Coinage
Timbuktu

#4 DAKOTA GOLD: Made his return a winning one downstate, when he captured a similar stakes race in his first try since November’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. He’s looked like a good horse since breaking his maiden here last summer, and I’m expecting a step forward second off the bench for Danny Gargan in the Rick Violette; #3 COINAGE: Was third in the Rick Violette last year when it was a sprint for 2-year-olds. Since then, he’s won a pair of stakes races going long on the turf, and this is a far cry from chasing Annapolis home on Independence Day; #5 TIMBUKTU: Has improved on figures with each start and broke his maiden in his lone prior try at this route. The return to two turns could clear the way for future improvement, and it’s not often we see a Brad Cox trainee at 8-1 in a stakes race.

R10

Tell Me When
Strut
American Rockette

#1 TELL ME WHEN: Is one of two prices I feel have big chances in the Thursday finale. She was a decent second in her debut and has a pedigree that screams turf. Her dam is kin to a stakes-winning turf sprinter, and the lofty 346 turf Tomlinson figure hints she’ll love the lawn; #7 STRUT: Debuts for a barn whose horses tend to need a race or two to get going. However, she comes in off of three straight bullets, and the dam’s three prior foals to run are all winners (including Grade 3-placed sprinter Chasing Time); #6 AMERICAN ROCKETTE: Is another bred in the purple debuting for a barn whose horses are known more for patience than precocity. She’s a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner Frank’s Rockette, and the works hint she’s got some talent.

BANKROLL

BANKROLL: $916

My motivations for putting out as much content as I do are pretty wide-ranging. Obviously, I want to do well, but I also want to make sure I’m providing something of value to horseplayers of all skill levels. Whether you’re at Saratoga for one afternoon or firing every day, I want to put stuff together that you find worthwhile.

I got an absolutely phenomenal text message from a friend Saturday morning saying he finally understood the Pick Five after reading my article previewing the sequence. As nice as it is to pick winners and give out successful tickets, texts like that are just as big a rush.

I said it yesterday and meant it: It’s the duty of every person with a platform to use it in ways that welcome others into horse racing and help them learn more. If you’re out there, you have that platform, and you’re not using it for that purpose, it’s a wasted opportunity.

SATURDAY’S RESULTS: We got to my Pick Five single, who unfortunately didn’t kick on after looking ready to pounce going around the far turn. I dropped $30.

SUNDAY’S PLAY: I’ll focus on the fifth, which sure looks like a pace meltdown waiting to happen. I’ll box #5 YARROW, #8 NEURO, and #10 ATHENRY in $2 exactas, and I’ll use them to finish off $2 doubles that start in the fourth with #4 TRUCULENT and #6 TWO THIRTY FIVE.

TOTAL WAGERED: $24

ANALYSIS/SELECTIONS

Best Bet: Big Invasion, Race 8
Longshot: Neuro, Race 5

R1

Miracle Mike
Conman
Curly Larry and Mo

#8 MIRACLE MIKE: Lost nothing in his debut, when he ran second behind one of the better 2-year-olds we saw at the Belmont meet. This doesn’t seem like a bad group, either, but any sort of step forward from this Todd Pletcher trainee would likely make him tough to beat; #7 CONMAN: Debuts for Mark Casse and has posted a string of strong drills ahead of his unveiling. Most recently, the $300,000 auction purchase earned a five-furlong bullet earlier this month downstate; #5 CURLY LARRY AND MO: Has put forth a series of solid drills at Keeneland for a small barn that’s hit at a 26% clip to date in 2022. You have to dig a little to find it, but there’s some class in his bottom-side pedigree and it wouldn’t be stunning if he turned out to be a runner.

R2

Mommasgottarun
Waters of Merom
Gris Tormenta

#6 MOMMASGOTTARUN: Runs for a tag for the first time after a failed try in stakes company north of the border last month. She ran into a pair of tough fields here last summer, but there are no monsters here and the cushy outside draw should be a big plus; #5 WATERS OF MEROM: Gets her claiming tag cut in half after running third for $50,000 at Belmont. This is a significant cutback in distance for the Linda Rice trainee, and it’s fair to wonder what effect that will have, but she’s got tons of back class and fits on figures; #1 GRIS TORMENTA: Merits a look underneath at a price as the lone closer in a race full of early speed. Her best is probably a cut below what’s necessary to win this, but the faster they go early, the better her chances figure to be.

R3

To the Tune
Escapewithfriends
Crosstalk

#9 TO THE TUNE: Almost certainly needed her first start in nearly 11 months, and her connections protected her from being claimed in that spot. She ran well several times against similar-level foes last summer, and a return to that form gives her a big chance in this wide-open event; #7 ESCAPEWITHFRIENDS: Hasn’t been seen since November but has been working steadily at Monmouth Park ahead of her return. She was second against maiden special weight foes here on turf last summer, and if that form goes to dirt, she’s got a shot; #10 CROSSTALK: Adds blinkers and should show speed from the outside. Her lone dirt start saw her run fifth at Tampa Bay Downs, and this is probably the weakest group she’s run against to date.

R4

Two Thirty Five
Truculent
Crafty Daddy

#6 TWO THIRTY FIVE: Has won back-to-back races downstate, including his last-out effort where he posted a 99 Beyer Speed Figure. He’s capable of running big races, seems to have found a home at this level, and has attracted Joel Rosario for this two-turn event; #4 TRUCULENT: Hasn’t won since December but has been running against non-claimers for most of that stretch. Mike Maker claimed him out of his last race at Churchill Downs, and he has a history of excelling with highly-priced new acquisitions; #7 CRAFTY DADDY: Had every right to need his first race in more than a year, but instead ran a credible second at this level. He was claimed that day, blinkers go back on, and a logical step forward would put him right there.

R5

Rice entry (MTO)
Neuro
Yarrow

#8 NEURO: Makes his first start since November but gets an ideal setup for his 2022 debut. There seems to be a metric ton of early speed in this field, and he’s shown a big late kick. If he’s ready and gets a clean trip beneath Javier Castellano, he may be the one they have to hold off late; #5 YARROW: Graduated out of the maiden ranks with a big late run to prevail by a head downstate. He faces winners for the first time, and I’m not quite sure what sort of horses he beat that day, but he’s another with the right running style in this speed-heavy field; #10 ATHENRY: Draws a terrible post in this event but comes in off of a nice seven-furlong win downstate. That day’s runner-up came back to run reasonably well on opening day, and he could get first run behind tiring pacesetters turning for home.

R6

Road to Success
Brunate
Victory Built

#4 ROAD TO SUCCESS: Was very wide last time out at Belmont, but re-rallied to finish second beaten less than a length. He was claimed that day by a barn that’s very strong with new acquisitions, and Irad Ortiz, Jr., lands here when he likely had several options; #10 BRUNATE: Has stepped forward in each of his last several starts and has hit the board in two starts at this level. While he’s 0-for-3 here, he’s also never been worse than third in that trio of outings, and Dylan Davis seems to fit him like a glove; #9 VICTORY BUILT: Comes back to the right level after misfiring against starter allowance company last month. His win two back in the mud at Belmont was sharp, and that day’s runner-up came right back to score at next asking.

R7

Gallina (MTO)
New Ginya
Classic Lynne

#5 NEW GINYA: Didn’t get the best setup last time, but closed anyway and was beaten just a neck. She’s still a fairly-inexperienced horse, with just three career starts. She should get a better setup here and may be improving for a barn whose horses have been firing all year long; #11 CLASSIC LYNNE: Returns to the races for the first time since October, and trainer Joe Sharp’s numbers off of long layoffs are excellent. She gets Lasix for the first time, and while the post hurts, she hinted at some talent before heading to the sidelines late last year; #9 RUSSIARUSSIARUSSIA: Will get plenty of support solely because of trainer Chad Brown, and she did break her maiden in a decent race last time out. However, Monmouth works are a big red flag for me, and she lost to a few of these runners late last year. She’s not without a chance, but she’ll likely be too short a price for me to stomach.

R8

Big Invasion
Asymmetric
Nobals

#8 BIG INVASION: Makes sense in a lot of different ways. He’s the lone true closer in a race with a lot of early speed, he’s won four in a row, he’s beaten several of these rivals in the past, and anything close to his usual effort would make him a very formidable favorite; #7 ASYMMETRIC: Was second to my top pick in the Paradise Creek but may be eligible to improve. He was a run-off in that race, which doubled as his first outing since September. If Wesley Ward can settle him down a bit, perhaps this colt can trim that 3 1/4-length margin a bit; #4 NOBALS: Comes in on a four-race win streak for Larry Rivelli, whose turf sprinters always merit respect. This gelding (make up your own jokes about the name, because I sure am) has also shown he doesn’t necessarily need the lead in order to run well, which could prove very helpful.

R9

Sound Money
Night Time
Three Two Zone

#4 SOUND MONEY: Exits a pair of seconds in graded stakes races behind some very, very nice horses. His back class is evident, this seven-furlong trip hits him right between the eyes, and he should sit an ideal trip just off the speed; #2 NIGHT TIME: Ran too badly to be true in the Grade 2 True North, when he may have bounced off a nice win in his 2022 debut. He likes this surface, has enough speed to be prominent early, and may be an overlay given the last-out clunker; #6 THREE TWO ZONE: Disappointed when second at 4/5 last time out following a smashing score two back in his first start for Ray Handal. That two-back effort netted him a 101 Beyer Speed Figure, and a return to that form would put him right there in a very classy race for the level.

R10

Our Jessica
Lola Lola
Jannie Mae

#5 OUR JESSICA: Is probably in “now or never” territory as the favorite in the Sunday finale. She ran second in her initial start for a $40,000 tag and was second in her lone two-turn turf start back in April at Aqueduct. If she doesn’t win, it’s anyone’s guess who does; #8 LOLA LOLA: Hasn’t shown a lot despite being bet in a pair of maiden special weight races. However, this daughter of Tiznow tries two turns for the first time and she’s bred to love such a route. The presence of top-tier turf rider Jose Lezcano doesn’t hurt, either; #1 JANNIE MAE: Goes second off the bench and may be a big price after not showing much in her 2022 debut. However, she ran into better horses all of last year and has experience going two turns on the lawn. That’s enough to merit an underneath look in a puzzling conclusion to the first weekend of the meet.