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Horse Racing

At the Gate – Wednesday

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read
We were off the turf on Monday but still managed to hit three winners on top on the nine-race card and that is with my top pick scratched in four of the races.

Handle and field size was down during the opening four days of the Spa meeting, with all-sources handle down 8.3% and field size down from 8.98 last year to 7.93 according to David Grenig of The Daily Racing Form.

Things may not improve much today, as there is a 90% chance of thundershowers throughout the afternoon and we have five races carded for the turf which could end up being shifted to the main track. The opener is a steeplechase race on turf which would be rescheduled if too much rain comes our way.

There are a few main track only entrants so we could still have a decent betting card and I handicapped the races to be off the grass this afternoon.

The feature today is the $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap (G2) which drew six that will go six furlongs on the main track.

Finley’sluckycharm is the 8-5 morning line favorite and looking to bounce back off a fourth-place finish in the Humana Distaff (G1) last out at Churchill Downs over a wet fast surface.

The mare has won 10 of her 16 career starts and has a win and a second in three trips on wet tracks in her career.

There is a $249,528 Pick 6 carryover today. The NYRA originally reported it was $179,947. They claim they got that figure from the tote company. Is it just me or is it kind of alarming the tote company and NYRA are not that good in math?

Now is the perfect time to purchase my Monthly Package for just $99.95. It gives you a month of Saratoga which is running six days a week and my Best Plays Report each Saturday and Sunday.

To purchase my Saratoga Report for Wednesday click here .

Here is the second race from Saratoga (the opener is a jump race) to get the day off to a good start:

SAR Race 2 Clm $40,000N2L (1:33 ET)
#4 Raging Town 2-1
#5 Tayler's the Boss 5-1
#1 Hexameter 8-5
#6 North End 3-1

Analysis: Raging Town cuts back to a sprint after dueling for the early lead and tiring to finish a well beaten fifth going two turns at Keeneland versus Alw-1 foes. The blinkers go on for the Tagg barn and this gal graduated three back at seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park back in January off the layoff. She returns off a three month break here with decent works. Tagg is 17% winners (with a +ROI) with runners coming back off a 61-180 day layoff. She has a strong off track pedigree.

Tayler's the Boss was not a threat in an eighth-place finish last out against state bred Alw-1 foes. Two back in the slop off the bench she ran decent, prompting the early pace and weakening to finish fourth. The Asmussen trainee drops into a weaker spot here as she makes her third start off the bench.

Wagering
WIN: #4 to win at 9-5 or better.
EX: 4,5 / 1,4,5
TRI: no play

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Saratoga:

SAR Race 9 The Honorable Miss Hcp G2 (5:40 ET)
#6 Finley'sluckycharm 8-5
#1 Vertical Oak 8-1
#2 Chalon 3-1
#3 Kirby's Penny 5-2

Analysis: Finley'sluckycharm dueled for the early lead and weakened to finish fourth in the Humana Distaff (G1) last out at Churchill Downs going seven furlongs over a wet fast surface. The third-place finisher Lewis Bay came back to win the Bed of Roses (G2) in her next outing on June 8 at Belmont Park. Two back our top pick won the Madison (G1) at Keeneland by a hard fought nose. She was beaten just a neck in this race last year over a wet track in her lone trip on the Spa main track. She owns solid early and mid pace numbers and has shown she can handle a wet track which she might catch again today. She is better than her last outing.

Vertical Oak dueled for the early lead while in between foes and weakened to finish third in the Roxelana at Churchill Downs. She won the Skipat in the slop two back at Pimlico and has won three of her four trips on wet tracks with a third. She looks capable of bouncing back off her last effort and the 8-1 morning line looks generous.

Wagering
WIN: #6 to win at 8-5 or better.
EX: 1,6 / 1,2,6
TRI: no play

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
R5: #1 Ruvies in Time / 1a Mary’s Girl 10-1
R9: #1 Vertical Oak 8-1
R10: #4 Rucksack 8-1

Good luck today!

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