At the Gate - Wednesday
By Mike Dempsey
It is going to be a great week at Saratoga, capped off by Travers Day on Saturday where we will have a trio of Grade 1 races including the marquee event of the meeting, the $1.25 million Travers Stakes.
The supporting stakes on Saturday’s card are the $500,000 King’s Bishop, the $500,000 Ballerina and the Grade 2 $250,000 Ballston Spa.
On Friday, we have a great matchup in the Grade 1 $500,000 Personal Ensign between Close Hatches and Princess of Sylmar, who were separated by a head in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont Park. Close Hatches had opened up a lead heading for home as our top pick and just barely held on for the victory.
It was her third win in a row and she has now won eight of her 11 career starts.
Princess of Sylmar came out of that tough beat to run back in the Grade 1 Delaware Handicap and was upset by Belle Gallantey, a former $12,500 claimer who was able to set slow early fractions and take the field gate to wire.
The three will meet on Friday afternoon going 1 1/8 miles and there are several other very tough fillies and mares in the field including Grade 3 Shuvee Handicap winner Antipathy, Grade 2 Molly Pitcher victor Majestic River and Grade 2 Ruffian winner Fiftyshadesofhay.
More on those stakes later this week.
Today’s feature is the $100,000 Better Talk Now, which is named after the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner, who was trained by Graham Motion. The gelding competed in the Turf four consecutive years and had career earnings of $4,356,664.
Motion sends out my top pick Craftsman, who is coming off a sharp win at Delaware Park in his last outing. Full analysis is below.
Here is today’s second race (the opener is a steeplechase race) from Saratoga to get the day off to a good start:
SAR Race 2 Md $35,000 (1:00 ET)
1 Di Lissa 10-1
2 Ridingwiththedevil 6-5
7 Good Catholic Girl 4-1
6 Status 5-1
Analysis: Di Lissa drops back in for a tag for her second start off the claim by the Nevin barn that has been sending out live runners at the meeting. The former Dutrow assistant claimed this gal for $40,000 two back where she checked in third in the slop behind a repeat winner. In her first go for the barn she tried turf but she is bred better for the main track. The barn is 33% winners (with a +ROI) moving runners from turf to dirt. She looks as if she has the best shot of beating the chalk in here.
Ridingwiththedevil came off a year layoff and was beaten just a neck two back and then she regressed last out, pressing the early pace and weakening to finish fourth as the beaten favorite. Now she drops in for a $35,000 tag for her first go off the layoff. Her last pair of speed figs are good enough to handle this group, but the price is going to be on the light side and the drop here in for a tag does not look very encouraging to me.
Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 6-1 or better.
EX: 1,2 / 1,2,6,7
TRI: 1,2 / 1,2,6,7 / 1,2,5,6,7
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Saratoga:
SAR Race 9 The Better Talk Now (4:49 ET)
5 Craftsman 4-1
6 Storming Inti 8-5
7 Pure Sensation 5-2
2 Heart to Heart 10-1
Analysis: Craftsman looks primed for a top effort here in his second start off a two-month break for the Motion barn. The colt won the Nick Shuk Memorial last out at Delaware Park, stalking the early pace and making a strong late run. It was not a real tough group but he was making his first start for the barn and this guy showed some quality overseas, winning a Group 3 in Ireland as a juvenile going seven furlongs.
The colt faces a tougher group here but looks up to it. Motion has won three grass stakes at the meeting including the Sword Dancer (G1) on Sunday with Main Sequence.
Storming Inti won the American Turf (G2) back in May at Churchill Downs, but came up short in his last two starts, a third in the Penn Mile and last out a third in the restricted Sir Cat here on opening day. The Sir Cat was restricted to non-winners of a graded stake on turf and it was a deep group. The winner Tourist came back to run second in the Secretariat (G1) at Arlington Park on Saturday and the runner up Ring Weekend won the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) back in March.
He was up on the pace in all four of his wins and while he is quick, there is plenty of speed in here to keep him company. He fits with his best and is in good hands with the Chad Brown barn, but his price may end up on the light side.
Pure Sensation won the Quick Call last out at 5 ½ furlongs in his turf debut for the Christophe Clement barn. The colt did not have an easy trip. The colt tracked the early pace from the inside, ran out of racing room entering the stretch and had to alter course to the outside after having to wait for some space.
The colt showed a good burst of speed late and got his nose in front at the wire. This will be his first start around two turns for a barn that is 29% winners (with a +ROI) moving runners from sprint to route. His pedigree leans more toward sprinting, by Zensational, a Grade 1 winner on the fake stuff sprinting, out of the stakes winner Pure Disco ($496,840) who also was best sprinting.
Wagering
WIN: #5 to win at 3-1 or better.
EX: 5,6 / 2,5,6,7
TRI: 5,6 / 2,5,6,7 / 1,2,5,6,7
Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.
Saratoga
R2: #1 Di Lissa 10-1
R3: #7 Mr Rosenthal 8-1
R7: #5 Almurra 12-1
R7: #6 Hardly 8-1
R8: #1 One Eyed Ray 8-1
R9: #2 Heart to Heart 10-1
R10: #2 Mulheb 8-1
Good luck today!
w-thumbs!^
