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It should be a great week at Saratoga. The weather is finally going to cooperate (I hope), and the racing action peaks on Saturday with four graded stakes including the $1 million Travers Stakes.
The feature on Wednesday is the $150,000 Albany Stakes for New York bred three year olds.
A field of seven will go to the post, led by the undefeated Tin Cup Chalice, who is trying to earn a $250,000 bonus by sweeping the OTB Big Apple Triple.
No New York bred has ever swept the series, which includes the Mike Lee Stakes at Belmont Park, the New York Derby at Finger Lakes, and the Albany at the Spa.
The Michael Lesesse trainee is the 2/1 morning line favorite, but will have his hands full with a couple of runners that were on the Triple Crown Trail.
Icabad Crane, who was third in the Preakness and eighth in the Belmont Stakes, and Big Truck, the Tampa Bay Derby winner who was 18th in the Kentucky Derby, both are looking to rebound as they return to the New York bred ranks.
To purchase my full card reports for Saratoga that includes analysis, selections, fair odds, recommendations for today click here.
Here is the opening race from Saratoga to get our day off to a good start:
SAR Race 1 Clm $20,000N2L (1:00 et)
#6 Normalize 3/1
#2 Flibberjibit 2/1
#8 Soul Violins 6/1
#1 Wild Logic / #1a My Luckey Penney 5/1
Analysis: #6 Normalize faces winners for the first time here after taking a $35K maiden claimer against state breds last out. The filly was coming back off a 13 month layoff and now catches a weak looking field for his first start against winners. Only the morning fav, our second choice earned a higher last out speed fig. Owns a solid pace profile throughout and does not need to move forward much off her last outing to get the job done here in this spot.
#2 Flibberjibit dueled for the early lead and weakened to finish third last out against $30K non winners of two in her first go against winners. She was making her first start off the claim by Maker barn that is 5 for 16 at the meeting and overall hits at a 29% clip second off the claim. She popped a bullet work on 8/14 and she is a logical threat here at a light price.
Wagering
WIN: #6 to win at 2/1 or better.
EX: 2,6 / 1,2,6,8
TRI: 2,6 / 1,2,6,8 / 1,2,3,6,8
Today’s Featured Race From Saratoga:
SAR Race 9 Albany S. (5:30 et)
#5 Icabad Crane 5/2
#6 Tin Cup Chalice 2/1
#2 Writingonthewall 6/1
#7 Big Truck 7/2
Analysis: #5 Icabad Crane was badly outrun in the Belmont last out but that is really his only poor effort so far in his career. The colt made a good late rally to win the Tesio three back at today's nine furlong distance and followed that up with a third in the Preakness behind Big Brown and Macho Again. The colt should get a good pace set up here if our second and third choices hook up early.
#6 Tin Cup Chalice can earn a $250K bonus by taking this race, the third leg of the OTB Big Apple Triple. The gelding is undefeated in six career starts although five of them came at his home track at Finger Lakes. There was nothing wrong with his lone start on the big circuit, a win in the Mike Lee going seven furlongs. Faces tough here and may not have things easy in the early going. The extra ground and the likely short price are the main drawbacks on this guy.
Wagering
WIN: #5 to win at 2/1 or better.
EX: 5,6 / 2,5,6,7
TRI: 5,6 / 2,5,6,7 / 2,3,5,6,7
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
R2: #3 Memorized 8/1
R3: #7 Overandbeauty 8/1
R4: #6 Bet the Diva 12/1
R5: #9 Closing Speed 8/1
R5: #5 Swirly Girl 10/1
R6: #10 Dr Rico 12/1
R7: #10 Fullmoonmongoose 10/1
R7: #11 Tonsina 10/1
R10: #4 Junkanoo Party 12/1
Good luck today!
