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Horse Racing

At the Gate – Friday

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read
We have a big day at Saratoga coming up tomorrow with four stakes including the $750,000 Woodward (G1) which drew a full field of 14 runners.

The $350,000 Spinaway (G1) drew a dozen and is a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Churchill Downs in November.

The other stakes on the 12-race card are the $250,000 Glen Falls (G2) for fillies and mares going 1 3/8 miles on turf and the $300,000 Saranac (G3) for three-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles on grass.

The Spinaway and Woodward will be televised live on NBCSN during a 90-minute telecast that gets underway at 5:30 ET.

Gunnevera is the 4-1 morning line favorite for the Woodward. The Antonio Sano trainee was third in the Pegasus World Cup (G1) to start his ’18 campaign, went to Dubai where he was eighth in the Dubai World Cup (G1) and most recently beat optional claimers at Gulfstream Park off a 4 ½ month break.

Trainer Todd Pletcher will send out 2017 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Tapwrit (6-1). The colt was fourth in the Whitney (G1) at the Spa in his last outing.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will try Yoshida (5-1) on dirt for the first time. The colt was fifth in the Fourstardave Handicap (G1) in his last start over good ground. Mott said the colt suffered a minor eye injury when hit by flying sod in the race.

The Spinaway is a wide-open race and Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert ships in Chasing Yesterday, who was a smart looking maiden winner in her debut. She is a half-sister to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.

Friday’s feature at the Spa is the $100,000 Lucky Coin at 5 ½ furlongs on turf that drew a field of eight. The Jason Servis trained Pocket Change is the 7-5 morning line favorite.

Pocket Change is cutting back from a mile where he was seventh in the Forbidden Apple at Belmont Park. Selections and analysis for the race are below.

Now is the perfect time to purchase my Monthly Package for just $99.95. It gives you a month of Saratoga (and then Belmont Park) and my Best Plays Report each Saturday and Sunday.

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Here is the opener from Saratoga to get the day off to a good start:

SAR Race 1 Md Sp Wt (1:00 ET)
#3 That's Smart 8-1
#1 Chiclet's Dream 1-1
#2 Barrel of Destiny 4-1
#5 Dreamers and Me 7-2

Analysis: That's Smart adds blinkers here for her third career start. She showed some promise with a third in her debut over yielding ground at Belmont Park for the Bush barn that does not win first out often. She was bumped coming out of the gate last out and was not much of a threat in a sixth place finish second out, catching good ground. She has a decent pedigree, by Smart Strike out of the stakes winner Final Escrow ($193,184), her first foal to race. Hoping she gets off to a cleaner start here and she may get some firmer ground. Worth a look if she goes off near her 8-1 morning line.

Chiclet's Dream tracked the early pace, grabbed a clear lead heading for home and got run down, settling for the runner up spot over good ground here. She makes her third start off the bench here for the Brown barn. She is out of the stakes winner Karakorum Elektra ($485,461), her first foal to race. Looks tough but will be a light price.

Wagering
WIN: #3 to win at 9-2 or better.
EX: 1,3 / 1,2,3,5
TRI: 1,3 / 1,2,3,5 / 1,2,3,5,6

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Saratoga:

SAR Race 9 The Lucky Coin (5:40 ET)
#7 Extravagant Kid 3-1
#8 Pocket Change 7-5
#3 Rocket Heat 5-1
#4 Axtell 12-1

Analysis: Extravagant Kid dueled for the early lead and finished gamely in a runner up finish in the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Sprint at Ellis Park, beaten a half-length for the top spot. The gelding was on the fake stuff in his two previous starts including a runner up finish at Woodbine where he earned a 104 Beyer. he won back to back turf sprint stakes at Gulfstream Park last fall. He owns solid early and mid pace numbers and he looks like a good fit in this spot.

Pocket Change cuts back from a mile in the Forbidden Apple where the colt was not a threat in a seventh-place finish. He won his first three career starts, two on turf and then was fifth beaten 1 1/4 lengths to Disco partner in the Jaipur (G2). The cut back to 5 1/2 furlongs should suit him. The Servis barn is 27% winners moving runners from route to sprint.

Wagering
WIN: #7 to win at 5-2 or better.
EX: 7,8 / 3,4,7,8
TRI: 7,8 / 3,4,7,8 / 3,4,5,7,8

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
R1: #3 That’s Smart 8-1
R2: #3 Banker’s Island 15-1
R4: 32 Dynatail 8-1
R4: #3 Candy Store 10-1
R5: #1 Malibu Mischief 8-1
R6: #7 Major League 12-1
R7: #8 Mo Moxie 8-1
R7: #2 Tipazar 10-1
R8: #8 Treasure in Heaven 10-1
R8: #2 Wisconsin Night 10-1
R9: #4 Axtell 12-1

Good luck today!

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