We turned in a modest profit with my top picks on Monday to start the week at Saratoga, three on top in seven races (two races were washed off the turf).
Wednesday’s feature is the $150,000 Albany Stakes for three-year-old New York breds at nine furlongs on the main track.
It is a competitive group of seven runners, with Fiddlers Afleet the likely favorite off a very impressive 13 ¾ length win against state first level allowance company.
The colt was floundering in Southern California over synthetic surfaces, and appreciated the move back to the Big Apple.
The son of Northern Afleet is stepping back into stakes company off his career top effort and could regress off that big effort.
I wanted to take a stand against him, but I am sticking with him despite a price of less than 2/1. I am hoping we catch 9/5 and can pick up a decent exacta payoff with either Pocket Cowboys or Slevin.
To purchase my full card report for Saratoga that includes analysis, selections, fair odds, and wagering recommendations for today click here.
Here is today's opener from Saratoga to get our day off to a good start:
SAR Race 1 Clm $35,000N2L (1:00 ET)
#6 Senor Fuego 6/5
#5 Web Gem 6/1
#8 Prince Teton 6/1
#2 Galan Fete 5/1
Analysis: #6 Senor Fuego is going to be a short price but is going to be tough to beat here in the opener. Last out he had to check in the early going, was far back and made a mild late run to finish fourth, catching an inside speed favoring racing strip that day. Two and three back in his first two trips against winners he ran into repeaters. Two back he was sixth behind the winner Blame, who won the restricted Curlin Stakes in his next outing on August 2. His last pair of speed figs are tops in here and in just his fifth career start appears to have more upside potential than most of these.
#5 Web Gem just missed last out as the heavy chalk at Suffolk against Alw-1 company. The winner of the race was Ready's Clyde, who came back to beat $35K non-winners of three in his next start here on August 24 at 24/1. Two back he was fifth in a race that produced a couple of next out winners. His recent numbers have been on the light side but he earned a triple digit Beyer last October in a runner up finish versus stakes company.
Wagering
WIN: #6 to win at 7/5 or better.
EX: 5,6 / 2,5,6,8
TRI: 5,6 / 2,5,6,8 / 1,2,5,6,8
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Saratoga:
SAR Race 9 Albany S. (5:30 ET)
#4 Fiddlers Afleet 2/1
#6 Pocket Cowboys 9/2
#5 Slevin 4/1
#3 Legal Consent 7/2
Analysis: #4 Fiddlers Afleet shipped back from the left coast and rolled over state bred first level allowance company by nearly 14 lengths last out going seven furlongs. She failed to fire her best in three trips over the fake stuff while in SoCal. She can handle the stretch out, as she is by Northern Afleet out of a Quiet American mare and she ran a good second on the inner going two turns last December in the Damon Runyon. behind Haynesfield. The Hushion barn is 17% winners moving runners from sprint to route.
#6 Pocket Cowboys went gate to wire to win the NY Derby last out at Finger Lakes over a sloppy main track. The third place finisher in that race was Uncle T Seven, who came back to win a NY Stallion series race on August 12 here. There is not much early pace signed up to go here unless our top pick decides to engage early.
Wagering
WIN: #4 to win at 9/5 or better.
EX: 4,6 / 3,4,5,6
TRI: 4,6 / 3,4,5,6 / 3,4,5,6,7
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
R3: #2 Big Flirt 8/1
R8: #3 Classic Fashion 10/1
R8: #8 Mindbender 8/1
R10: #7 Apple Grove 8/1
R10: #2 Why Then 12/1
Good luck today!
