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Horse Racing

At the Gate – Sunday

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
6 minute read
As expected, trainer Chad Brown won yesterday’s Diana (G1) at Saratoga, saddling four of the six runners in the field.
 
I went with Homerique, who ended up a fair price at 3-1 but she was no match for her stablemates Sistercharlie and Rushing Fall.
 
The all Brown trifecta returned $11.30.
 
Sistercharlie was making her first start since winning the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) last fall at Churchill Downs. It was her eighth win in a dozen career starts.
 
Rushing Fall was sent off as the favorite but had to settle for the runner up spot. She came into the race having won eight of her first nine career starts including the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1).
 
Homerique is certainly no slouch. She was perfect in her two starts since landing in the U.S., winning the Beaugay (G3) and New York (G2).
 
It will be interesting to see how Brown plans out the campaigns for all of his filly and mare turf stars this year.
 
The feature on Sunday is the $100,00 Coronation Cup with nine entered but it looks as if seven will start. Break Even is the 5-2 morning line favorite.
 
The Brad Cox trainee took the field gate to wire to win the Jersey Girl at Belmont Park in her last outing. She is perfect in five career starts but will be trying grass for the fist time in her career.
 
My Best Plays for Sunday includes my eight strongest plays from Saratoga and Laurel Park.
 
Now is the perfect time to purchase my Monthly Package. It gives you a month of Saratoga Reports daily and my Best Plays Report each Saturday and Sunday.
 
To purchase my Saratoga and Best Plays Reports for Sunday click here.
 
Here is the opening race from Saratoga to get the day off to a good start:
 
SAR Race 1 Md Sp Wt (1:00 ET)
#7 Miss Marissa   4-1
#5 Days of Spring   5-1
#9 Sweet Melania   2-1
#4 Pearlescent   6-1
 
Analysis: Miss Marissa caught a muddy track in a race taken off the turf in her debut, only having to face three foes. She chased the pacesetter and was unable to get by in the stretch in a runner up finish. The $11,000 Ocala purchase is out of an Arch mare that ash dropped two other foals to race and they have both won on turf. She figures to move forward with a race under her belt and Saez sticks for the Ryerson barn.
 
Days of Spring has two turf sprints under her belt, checking in fourth in each outing over good ground She has enough pedigree to handle more ground, by Uncle Mo out of an Empire Maker mare that has dropped one other foal to race, a winner on dirt. Pletcher is 24% winners moving runners form sprint to route. The barn got off a to a slow start at the meeting and don't forget Pletcher struggled with his juvies here last summer, winning at just a 12% clip.
 
Wagering
WIN: #7 to win at 3-1 or better.
EX: 5,7 / 4,5,7,9
TRI: 5,7 / 4,5,7,9 / 3,4,5,7,9
 
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Saratoga:
 
SAR Race 9 The Coronation Cup (5:51 ET)
#4 Break Even   2-1
#8 My Galina   6-1
#6 Eyeinthesky   10-1
#2 Lyrical   8-1
 
Analysis: Break Even gets the call and it looks like A Bit of Both will go tomorrow at Monmouth park according to Servis and I doubt Ward brings back Abyssinian wheels so quick and I'llhandalltehcash went yesterday, so it appears we will be down to a field of six. Our top pick took the field gate to wire to win the Jersey Girl last out at Belmont Park on the main track and is now perfect in five career starts. He is out of a Saint Ballado mare that has dropped four other winners and two have won on turf. The Cox barn is 27% winners (with a +ROI) moving runners from dirt to turf.
 
My Galina set the early fractions and headed for home with a clear lead but got run down inside the final furlong in a third-place finish in the Soaring Softly (G3) at seven furlongs. She broke her maiden in a sharp effort two back in her debut at six furlongs on the turf at the Big A. She owns solid early and mid pace numbers and the cut back to 5 1/2 furlongs should suit her.
 
Wagering
WIN: #4 to win at 8-5 or better.
EX: 4,8 / 2,4,6,8
TRI: 4,8 / 2,4,6,8 / 2,3,4,6,8
 
Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Laurel Park:
 
LRL Race 8 The Stormy Blues (4:40 ET)
#13 Change of Control   7-2
#2 Ying Yue   8-1
#1 Karama   5-1
#3 Introduced   9-2
 
Analysis: Change of Control pressed the early pace and weakened to finish fourth last out against non-conditioned allowance foes at Churchill Downs in a race washed off the turf. Two back in her lone go on turf she won the Mamzelle at 35-1, earning a career top speed fig. She does not have the strongest turf pedigree but certainly took to the green two back and returns to the turf here while picking up McCarthy.
 
Ying Yue made a good late rally to get up late and beat Alw-1 foes last out at Pimlico going five furlongs at 9-1. She made her turf debut here two back where she set the early fractions and weakened late to finish third, beaten two lengths. She looks headed in the right direction and goes from the bug to Hamilton. She appears likely to be more forwardly placed in this spot and her 8-1 morning line looks more than fair.
 
Wagering
WIN: #13 to win at 7-2 or better.
EX: 2,13 / 1,2,3,13
TRI: 2,13 / 1,2,3,13 / 1,2,3,8,13
 
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: #3 Retro Street   8-1
R5 #7 Zandora   12-1
R6: #3 Singular Sensation   8-1
R6: #2 Cheatham Hill   12-1
R8: #5 Ebullient   10-1
R8: #4 Belle Laura   8-1
R9: #6 Eyeinthesky   10-1
R9: #2 Lyrical   8-1
R10: #2 Dr. Devera’s Way   20-1
R10: #11 Star of the West   8-1
R10: #4 Pickle Rick   8-1
 
Good luck today!

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