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 [Md Sp Wt, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (4) Agate Road was a $650,000 yearling purchase who won the Frizette (G1) as a 2-year-old and has produced two winners from two starters. (5) Allied Attack attracted Irad to ride when there are horses in the field from both Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown, his top two clients. (2) Le Gris shows a turf workout a couple of weeks ago, so trainer Al Stall Jr. moves ahead with a grass debut. (6) Drilling for Gold has an extensive work tab in preparation for this first-time runner for Graham Motion.
2nd race [Md Sp Wt, 6F] – (11) Just Steel is first on the Also Eligible list but ran second behind the highly regarded debut winner Parade. D. Wayne Lukas often wins with second time starters so it could be in this guy’s third start. (1) Be You shows a fast workout last week for Todd Pletcher and is a son of Curlin out of a dam that sold for $2 million as a broodmare prospect in 2016. She was a stakes winner as a 2-year-old. (9) Creek is a Clailborne Farm home-bred for Bill Mott who won twice with debuting maidens yesterday and did so several times at the Belmont spring/summer meeting. (4) Locked is another firster for Pletcher. This one is by Gun Runner and sold for $425,000 as a 2-year-old.
3rd race [Clm 20000, 7F] – (6) Glory Road was claimed after a victory for $25,000 in May by Linda Rice and she brings him back after a short layoff in a winning spot. He has nine career wins and three of them were going seven furlongs. (8) Victorious Wave has five top three finishes in a row with two victories including one in a starter allowance at Aqueduct. (5) No More Talk is a past winner at the $25,000 level at Belmont Park and was claimed for $16,000 last time at Saratoga. (3) Beachwalker won twice at Parx Racing in May and then moved way up in class and finished fourth.
4th race [NY, Alw 95000, 1 mi TURF] – (9) Ortus broke his maiden in his second start which was at Belmont in May and then moved up top this first-level allowance condition where he was third and then second. (2) Sonic Speed was a winner in a $35,000 claimer against open company and then was third in a starter allowance at Delaware Park. Irad Ortiz gets the mount. (10) Whistler’s Honor was second in his first start after a year layoff when he rallied from the back of the field. (4) Sell Something had bad trips in his last two starts but before that had a third after setting the pace and a win in a starter allowance.
5th race [NY, Alw 95000, 7F] – (1) Quick to Accuse broke his maiden by almost 10 lengths and then ran second in a NY-bred stakes race before trying the Remsen (G2) in December. (6) Thank You Jon was an open length winner of his third start in a maiden at Belmont in July earning a race high speed figure. (7) Be the Boss won a starter allowance three races back and then tried turf sprints in his last two starts. (5) Safalow’s Mission finished in the top three in 5 out of his last 7 races at this state-bred allowance level.
6th race [Troy (G3), 5 ½ F TURF] – (4) Caravel was always a very good horse, but she has moved to another level since going the barn of Brad Cox. She won her last five starts including twice against the guys in graded stakes, most recently taking the Jaipur (G1) at Belmont in June. (3) Cogburn moved to the turf for Steve Asmussen and won a pair of turf sprint stakes at Lone Star Park. (7) Nobals ships to New York from Chicago for Larry Rivelli after winning two stakes with front-end efforts. (5) Grooms All Bizness won his last two starts including the Get Serious at Monmouth Park with a stalking trip.
7th race [Lure (R), 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (5) Speaking Scout was the winner of the Hollywood Derby (G1) last year along with the Hawthorne Derby and has continued to race only in graded stakes. The restricted condition of the Lure gives him some class relief. (6) Chazzesmee will make his American debut after two wins and a second in stakes races in Ireland. (2) Smokin’ T was second in the Cliffhanger at Monmouth in May and has had a short freshening since then. (1) Portfolio Company won a pair of allowances races for Chad Brown at Belmont this year and is graded stakes placed in the past.
8th race [Test (G1), 7F] – (1) Pretty Mischievous is the 3-year-old filly division leader heading into the Test with a pair of Grade 1 wins in the Kentucky Oaks and the Acorn. She will get a hot pace as she cuts back to seven furlongs and is the best closer in the field. (8) Maple Leaf Mel is undefeated in five starts which includes a pair of Grade 3 victories to go with two NY-bred stakes. This is her first try in a Grade 1 and will find plenty of pressure on the front end going seven furlongs for the first time. (5) Interpolate was second by a neck in the Beaumont (G2) at Keeneland and got too far behind in the Victory Ride (G3) after a slow start. (6) Dorth Vader was second in the Acorn just a head behind the top choice after racing from behind.
9th race [Saratoga Derby (G1), 1 3/16 mi TURF] – (5) Far Bridge won the Belmont Derby (G1) last month with a strong rally from eighth. In five starts he never ran worst than second. (6) Webslinger was my top choice when he had a troubled trip that left him last early on and he closed to fourth. I want to give him another chance. (2) Program Trading will move up to stakes company after convincing wins in his first two starts. (3) Aspen Grove won the Belmont Oaks (G1) last time in her first start in America. In Ireland she was a group 3 winner at the Curragh.
10th race [Whitney (G1), 1 1/8 mi] – (6) Cody’s Wish brings a six-race winning streak to the Whitney for Bill Mott. His pair of Grade 1 victories this year are the best of his career. His powerful move In the Met Mile (G1) makes it look like he will handle the nine-furlongs as he tries to win at that distance for the first time in his career. Although most of his wins were in one-turn races, Cody’s Wish did win the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland around two turns. (1) Zandon has 10 top three finishes in his 11 race career. Although he has not won a race since the Blue Grass (G1) in 2022, he has run well in five Grade 1s which earned him $1.7 million. (2) Charge It is hard to figure out. When he is at his best, he is very good as he was in the Suburban (G2) last time and in the Dwyer (G3) last year. (4) Last Samurai won a pair of Grade 2 races at Oaklawn late in the winter with stalking trips following a fourth in the Pegasus World Cup (G1) with earnings of more than $2.1 million.
11th race [Alw 149500 N1X, 7F] – (9) Capture the Flag (A) won his only career start easily but that was a year ago at Saratoga for Shug McGaughey. (7) Everso Mischievous broke his maiden in his second start for Brad Cox and then moved up to face winners at this allowance level. (2) Signator broke his maiden in his second try by more than four lengths and comes back from an October layoff now. (3) Brew Pub was second in a similar open company allowance after she moved through the NY-bred allowance conditions.
12th race [Alw 149500 N1X, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (1) Shutters (A) moved from the Chad Brown barn to Mark Hennig, lacked room, and had to steady after three months between starts following a pair of NY-bred allowance victories. (4) My Sea Cottage had seven top three finishes including a win in a starter allowance as the race favorite. (7) Drakon ran first or second in his last seven starts with three wins and four seconds. (10) Al’s Rocket was second and then third in her two starts of this year and Irad Ortiz takes over the mount from his brother.
Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 covers races 9 – 11 that includes Saratoga Derby and the Whitney à 2, 3, 5, 6 with 6 with 2, 3, 7, 9 = $16.
| No. | Name | Letter last race | Today's Race | Comments |
| (9) | Capture the Flag | A on 7/30/22 | 11 | Easy debut winner at Saratoga in 2022. |
| (1) | Shutters | A on 6/17 | 12 | Blocked, lacked room and steadied, hopped, finished fourth. |