Welcome to Stabile’s Saratoga Special. Throughout the 36 day meet at America’s most revered racetrack, VegasInsider.com writer and handicapper Anthony Stabile, dubbed “King of the Spa” after his record setting ROI for a public handicapper at the 1999 Saratoga meet, will take a look at the stakes action for the day as well as give you a free play in one of the stakes that day. For all of Stabile’s daily Saratoga selections and plays, CLICK HERE!!!
Quality Road continues the parade of top three-year-olds to see action the past few days when he heads a field of six in $150,000 G2 Amsterdam going 6 ½ furlongs at Saratoga today.
When last seen, Quality Road was holding off a game Dunkirk in the G1 Florida Derby in late March before being sidelined with quarter cracks and being declared from the G1 Kentucky Derby less than a week before the race. After tinkering with the idea of running in the Belmont, owner Edward P Evans decided to pass on the third jewel of the Triple Crown and turned Quality Road over to trainer Todd Pletcher.
In recent weeks, Quality Road has trained extremely well and sports a series of solid morning moves, capped by a bullet :59 1/5 over this course last Wednesday in preparation for the Amsterdam. John Velazquez rides from post 4.
Though not as long as Quality Roads’, Capt. Candyman Can is also coming into the Amsterdam off a bit of a respite. Three for four this year, including wins in the G2 Hutcheson and G3 Bay Shore, Capt. Candyman Can has run since winning the Matt Winn at Churchill on May 16.
While that may appear to be a negative, if past performances are any indication, a layoff line is a good thing when it comes to this gelding as he’s won twice against graded stakes competition off similar layoffs and also won at first asking, by 7 ¼ lengths to be exact over this course. Javier Castellano rides for trainer Ian Wilkes from post 6.
Like Quality Road, Everyday Heroes will be making first start for a new trainer when Kiaran McLaughlin saddles him for the first time today. After winning the first four starts of his career including the G3 Hirsch Jacobs on the Preakness undercard, Everyday Heroes ran a solid second to Munnings (third in yesterday’s Haskell) in the G2 Woody Stephens on the Belmont Stakes undercard. He’ll get a rider change as well, as Alan Garcia will be aboard for the first time from post 1.
Custom for Carlos is seeking a hat trick with an Amsterdam victory having won a Churchill allowance contest and the G3 Jersey Shore at Monmouth by over 6 lengths in his last pair. Julien Leparoux rides for trainer Eddie Kenneally from post 2.
Cabaret Cowboy is another looking for three in a row in what will be his stakes debut. Trained by Seth Benzel, Cabaret Cowboy closed out his three race juvenile campaign with a second place finish behind multiple graded stakes winner Musket Man before winning both of his starts this year. Rajiv Maragh, who was aboard for both of those victories, rides from post 5.
Finally, what would a three-year-old stakes be without a runner from the white-hot Steve Asmussen barn? Just this weekend, Asmussen won the G2 West Virginia Derby with longshot Soul Warrior, the G2 Jim Dandy with Kensei and the G1 Haskell with superfilly Rachel Alexandra. In the Amsterdam, he’ll send out longshot Captain Cherokee who will be making his first start since a dismal effort in the G2 Arkansas Derby in mid-April. Robby Albarado rides from post 5.
THE PLAY I finally got on the board when Justenuffhumor won his fifth straight in the G2 Fourstardave yesterday. Let’s keep it going,
I think Capt. Candyman Can will upset Quality Road. Bet $40 to win on Capt. Candyman Can, make a $1 trifecta part-wheel using Capt. Candyman Can with Everyday Heroes, Custom for Carlos and Quality Road with All which costs $12 and a $1 trifecta key using Capt. Candyman Can over Everyday Heroes, Custom for Carlos and Quality Road which costs $6. Total plays cost $58. Good luck!!!!
BANKROLL: minus $13
