Saratoga FULLCARD Hotlist - Travers Day

Today’s NY Hot List races to watch – Saturday, August 8, 2020 at Saratoga - Travers Day full card picks
By 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 4^th or worst
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.

1^st race – (4) Bay Street Money (B) gets Lasix for the first time after an impressive second-place finish at Belmont Park last month for trainer Jimmy Jerkens. He comes back in a similar turf maiden special weight. (3) Doswell had three straight place finishes last summer including one at Saratoga for Chad Brown and now he will make his 2020 debut for a new trainer in Barclay Tagg. He shows a speedy workout in preparation for this comeback. (1) Glynn Country was taken out of a narrow defeat in a maiden claimer for $40,000 earlier in the meeting by Michael Maker. Maker is doing all the right things with 10 wins already at the Spa. Expect an improvement for the new barn. (2) High Tide/(2B) Gunman make an interesting Todd Pletcher entry where both of them had one start last year as 2-year-olds and now make their debuts for the year.

2^nd race – (3) Shalako returned from a pandemic break from racing with an impressive nine-furlong score for Rudy Rodriguez for a $25,000 tag last month at Saratoga. He comes right back at the same distance in a $32,000 claimer. (1) Lil Commissioner/(1A) Musical Heart both go out for trainer Rob Atras after strong efforts in claimers and they make a formidable entry. (6) Creative Style has three very good recent efforts with good speed figures at various distances that make this guy a versatile contender. (4) Hammerin Aamer was claimed out of the same race that the top choice won and he obviously fits well with these.

3^rd race – (9) Light in the Sky shows consecutive second-place finishes in two turf sprint allowances against NY-breds. The Horatio DePaz runner had bad luck in both of those races as Jose Ortiz stays on board. (8) Drynachan ran fourth in her 2020 debut after two years away from the races in a Belmont allowance after having to alter course while making a late run in the stretch. (3) Risky Mischief made her first start of the year in a NY-bred stakes race where she set the early pace and now she switches to the turf for the first time for Jeremiah Englehart. (7) Graetz broke her maiden for a $40,000 tag in June at Belmont and trainer Jimmy Bond may have slipped one by. That barn is off to a great start at Saratoga and she might be able to step-up and run well in this allowance.

4^th race – (5) Hieroglyphics has two wins at Saratoga on the grass in the past and is now running for the Mike Maker barn. He moves to this interesting N1Y condition for non-winners of a race in 2020. His last win came in November at Aqueduct in a $40,000 open claimer on the turf. (8) Golden Spear got his last victory at the Spa for a $25,000 tag. He debuted this year in June with a second-place finish at that same class. (10) Bootlegger finished just a head behind Golden Spear last time out for Rudy Rodriguez upon returning to the grass and he won twice in the past at Saratoga. (2) Siding Spring returned to the grass in a $40,000 claimer for Tom Morley at Belmont and gets some class relief in this field. His last win was at Belmont in the fall for a $25,000 tag.

5^th race – (2) American Gentleman debuted at odds of 5-1 at Saratoga for trainer Ray Handal who already has a pair of 2-year-old winners at the meeting. The son of American Phaoroah goes turf to dirt for start number two. (7) Mutasaabeq was a $425,000 weanling purchase by Shadwell who has a series of fast works for Todd Pletcher. (6) Bottle Rocket Man was a $325,000 yearling purchase who will debut for Chad Brown. He is from a mare that has produced three winners. (1) Shackleford Strong ships up from Ellis Park to make his career debut for Steve Asmussen. He is out of a mare who has produced six winners from seven to start including a full sister who is a stakes winner of more than $235,000 on the track.

6^th race – (2) Pivotal Mission brings racing experience to this 2-year-old maiden special weight going two-turns on the grass. He was sent off at odds of 8-1 in his debut at Saratoga and Jose Ortiz stays on board. (3) American Monarch is a home-bred son of American Pharoah making his first career start for Bill Mott showing a series of fast workouts. Mott has won with turf firsters at Saratoga in recent years. (1) Secret Potion was a $475,000 yearling purchase for Peter Brant and Robert LaPenta who will make his debut for Chad Brown. (8) Incitatus ran at Keeneland in a turf spring on a yielding grass course. Experience will aid this Ian Wilkes runner.

7^th race – $300,000 Ballerina (G1) - (7) Come Dancing was the winner of the Ballerina last year when she used her late run to stalk the speed and then went by to a more than three length victory. It looks she will get the right set-up again with plenty of speed signed on. (6) Pink Sands does her best running around one-turn and at distances less than a mile. She is another late runner, but she comes from far back. The Shug McGaughey runner has a win at Saratoga in the past. (4) Bellafina has not had much luck racing in the East but she did run well last summer in the Test at the Spa. There’s no Covfefe or Mia Mischief in this field. (3) Victim of Love beat the top choice last time in the best performance of her career and maybe she is just now getting really good.

8^th race – $200,000 Troy (G3) – (1) Imprimis makes his 2020 debut but has run well fresh in the past. He recorded a career high speed figure last year after a long layoff. He has all seven of his wins in turf sprints and was last seen in the Breeders’ Cup. (7) Chewing Gum has been in fine form since trainer Bill Mott cut him back in distance to sprinting on the grass. (4) Shekky Shebaz has plenty of back races good enough to win this race but most of them came for Jason Servis. He’s had one start for new trainer Christophe Clement in a tough stakes race at Monmouth Park. (2) American Sailor makes his third start of the year after taking the winter off with both starts producing good results while racing on the lead.

9^th race – $150,000 Waya (G3) – (2) Beau Belle (C) set the pace in the River Memories at Belmont after setting the pace and the rider dropping the whip. She took late money getting bet down from 10-1 to 6-1. (1) Mrs. Sippy has a class edge on the rest of the field with a Grade 1 win at Saratoga last summer and a close second to Sistercharlie. The Graham Motion runner was last seen in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. (4) My Sister Nat made her 2020 debut with a second in the New York (G2) at Belmont at the end of June for Chad Brown. The past European Grade 3 winner should be set up for a top effort. (5) Olympic Games has two place finishes in stakes races since returning from a winter break for Clement. She beat the top choice in her most recent race and Irad Ortiz stays on board.

10^th race – $300,000 Test (G1) – (5) Gamine was a runaway winner of the Acorn (G1) by 18-lengths for trainer Bob Baffert in a performance that earned one of the best speed figures for any horse this year. She is likely to face some pace pressure in this field. (6) Venetian Harbor cuts back in distance to the seven furlongs of the Test after finishing second in two graded stakes going two turns. The west coast invader has lots of early speed and seems better suited to one-turn races. (1) Up in Smoke will get an advantageous pace set-up for her late running style that produced a stakes win at Gulfstream Park back in June for George Weaver who typically does well at the Spa. (3) Mrs. Danvers has two place finishes in a row in allowances at Belmont and will get the right pace scenario for a late rally.

11^th race – $1,000,000 Travers Stakes (G1) – These 3-year-olds will be tackling the mile and a quarter distance for the first time and attempting to do it at Saratoga. Which horses will have any run left for the final furlong? (6) Tiz the Law has done nothing but win impressively by large margins this year. The big powerful colt is versatile and will no doubt thrive going the classic distance. (3) Uncle Chuck comes to Saratoga with as much hype and potential as any Bob Baffert has had. He won both of his races impressively, but now he must make a very big step forward to beat the likes of Tiz the Law going ten furlongs. Baffert has successfully brought others to do this in the past. (4) Max Player came running late to finish third in the Belmont Stakes behind Tiz the Law and should appreciate the added distance and will pass those that do not. (8) South Bend won the first three races of his career but has not found the winner’s circle since racing mostly in stakes company including five runs on the turf. Last time he was back on the dirt and made a big run to miss the win by less than a length in the Ohio Derby (G3) since then he switched to the barn of Bill Mott.

12^th race – (3) Blitchton Lady was second in her 2020 debut on a sloppy track at Belmont last month behind a horse that came back to win her next start. She is back in another NY-bred maiden special weight sprint. (1) Bella Domenica was just a neck behind the top choice in what was the best race for this filly in her career. (9) Bankers Beast made her first start on the turf at Belmont for Michael Stidham and ran fifth in a fast race. She will switch to the dirt for a trainer who does well with his second-time starters. (6) Sweet Sneak ships up to Saratoga to make her first start of the year for Rusty Arnold. She will return to the dirt where she did make her initial start.

Best bets: Light in the Sky (3^rd); Tiz the Law (11^th). Best value: American Gentleman (5^th); Pivotal Mission (6^th).

Saturday @NYHotList Pick 3 Special
This weekend’s Saturday $1 Pick 3 Special covers races 5-7 and ends with the Ballerina (G1):  1, 2, 6, 7 with 1, 2, 3, 8 with 6, 7 = $32.