Buy TicketsBy Matt Shifman and Bob Ehalt
Hot List Key:
A: A preferred horse to watch B: Secondary horse to watch
*C: Went down 2 or more betting notches and finished 1st through 3rd
*D: Went down 2 or more betting notches and finished 4th or worst
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.
1st race [NY, Md Sp Wt, 7F] – (5) Paulas Star Sister pressed the pace and finished third in her debut at Aqueduct in June. (8) Geopolitics was second in all five of her races after setting the pace including two at Saratoga. (1) Calling an Audible has six top three finishes in a row and comes back from an April layoff. (6) Empire Magic had the lead and ended up second at the Big A last month.
2nd race [OC 80k/N1X, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (4) Spirit Prince hit the board in all seven starts including five stakes races with two of then graded. (5) Green Light was third in a pair of stakes races in Kentucky this year following a 10 length maiden score. (1) Crystal Quest won 3 in a row earlier in the year and was second in the Boston at Colonial Downs last month. (2) Wine Collector finished just behind the horse mentioned above on the soft turf in Virginia.
3rd race [OC 35k/SAL, 1 3/8 mi TURF] – (4) Addicted to You (A) pressed a fast pace, got the lead, and battled gamely while the other horses out front faded badly. (8) Debate (C) was bet down from 23-1 to 18-1 and finished third rallying from last. (1) Lord Flintshire was third when last seen in a tougher starter allowance at the June Saratoga meeting. (3) Topic Changer drops out of two NY-bred allowances this year for Mike Maker.
4th race [OC 62k/N2X, 1 mi] – (5) Jace’s Road was last seen running in the 2023 Kentucky Derby and will get first-time Lasix. (6) Can’t Hush This was second in his most recent races, got claimed for $50,000 by Mike Maker, and then ran in an Ellis Park allowance. (4) Costa Terra finished in the top three in 8 out of his last 10 starts. (1) Strava has been off since May but won a $75,000 claimer earlier in the year.
5th race [OC 62k/N2X, 5 ½ F TURF] – (1) Biz Biz Buzz and (1A) Bring Theband Home make a Live Oak entry where both are win contenders. (7) Mischievous Angel had two strong starts this year since moving to the barn of Jorge Abreu. (4) Mid Day Image is a 15-time winner with speed figures that top this field. (2) Charging had two wins at Fair Grounds in the winter that would give him a serious chance to win.
6th race [Md Sp Wt, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (8) Thunder Roll pressed the pace in his debut on the main track and changes to the turf going long which is a good move for Bill Mott. (7) Chanticleer was a $725,000 yearling purchase making his first start for Todd Pletcher. (4) Hands of Time was sent off at 7-2 in his first race and finished fourth for the Clement barn. (1) Insubordination was second in his first try at 5-1 in a race that was meant for the turf.
7th race [Md Sp Wt, 6F] – (2) Rookie Card is training sharply for his debut for a barn that needs to wake up. (1) Freaky was an $850,000 yearling purchase for Eclipse Thoroughbreds and Pletcher. (8) C K Wonder set the pace in his first start and finished fourth at 5-1 for Dale Romans. (10) Sovereignty is another regally bred Godolphin runner and this one goes out for Bill Mott.
8th race [NY, Alw 95000 N1X, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (5) Rhetorical was a debut winner as the 2-1 favorite by five lengths at Saratoga last month. (4) Clear Conscience was second in his last two starts which were back on the turf as he changes to the barn of Mark Casse. (7) Miracle Mike was third in his last two races with a starter allowance victory at Aqueduct in May. (8) Slapintheface was second in his second start of the year missing the win by less than a length.
9th race [Sword Dancer (G1), 1 ½ mi TURF] – (4) Silver Knott won three Grade 2 stakes in a row this year including the Bowling Green last month at Saratoga. (2) Measured Time is the stablemate of the top choice and won the Manhattan (G1) in his first American start. (6) Grand Sonata was second in the United Nations (G2) by a nose in July. (1) Soldier Rising has four second-place finishes all of them in Grade 1 or 2 stakes.
10th race [Ballerina (G1),7F] – (3) Vahva is the winner of her last two starts in the Chicago (G3) and the Derby City Distaff (G1) and of 4 out of her 6 most recent graded stakes. She has 5 career wins at seven furlongs. (7) Accede won 3 out of her 4 last starts for Chad Brown including the Bed O Roses (G2). (1) Positano Sunset was second to the top choice in June. (4) Society was third in that Chicago Stakes in her first start of the year following a fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1).
11th race [Forego (G1), 7F] – (7) Andkor is in the best form of his life for a trainer that is 5 for 10 at Saratoga. (6) Mullikin won his last three starts in the Nerud (G2) last month at Aqueduct following a pair of allowances in Kentucky. (8) Cagliostro won a stakes race at Churchill going a one-turn mile and should be helped by the cutback in distance. (1) Gun Pilot was last seen running third in the True North (G2) and won the Churchill Downs (G1) before that at the seven-furlong distance.
12th race [H. Allen Jerkens (G1), 7F] – (8) Book‘em Danno has never run worse than second which happened only twice in the Saudi Derby and the Nashua both times going long. He won the Woody Stephens (G1) in June at Saratoga. (3) Domestic Product continues to cut back in distance after time spend on the Kentucky Derby trail. Last time he went a one-turn mile in the Dwyer (G3) and won by more than seven lengths. (5) Prince of Monaco won his first three starts in California and was second in his only start of this year in the Stephens after a poor start. (11) Little Ni makes his first start for Mark Casse after losing for the first time behind the race favorite.
13th race [Travers (G1), 1 1/4 mi] – (7) Dornoch was ignored heading into his determined victories in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and the Haskell (G1) but he cannot be overlooked as the horse to beat in the Travers. (1) Thorpedo Anna beat all the other 3-year-old fillies in her last four races with ease using a powerful stride that produced 4 to 5 length margins of victory. (8) Fierceness quieted his doubters when he returned to the winners after his victory in the Jim Dandy (G2). He is one of the horses that prefers to race as part of the early pace. (2) Sierra Leone should not be ignored following his streak of top three finishes in big races like the Kentucky Derby, Belmont, and Jim Dandy.
14th race [Md 50000, 1 mi] – (6) Six Kings moves back to the main track and the blinkers come off for Joe Sharp looking for another win for an owner trying to take the owner’s title. (8) Treaty Obligation drops in for a tag for the first time with six top three finishes. (10) Deputy Mischief takes blinkers off, goes in a claimer for the first time, and moves to the Linda Rice barn. (2) Storm Ready was a $1.05 million yearling purchase that goes into a claimer in his fifth try with a couple of second-place finishes.
Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 on races 11 – 13 is an all-(G1)-Pick 3 ending with the Travers à 1, 6, 7, 8 with 3, 8 with 1, 7, 8 = $24.
| No. | Name | Letter last race | Today's Race | Comments |
| (4) | Addicted to You | A on 7/12 | 3 | Pressed a fast pace and battled to the wire. |
| (8) | Debate | C on 8/1 | 3 | Long shot that took late money and ran third. |
| (12) | Strapped | A on 7/27 | 3 | Entered for Main Track Only. |