Sign In $
Horse Racing

At the Gate – Friday

VegasInsider Staff
VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert
4 minute read
We have four days left of the Saratoga meeting and we head into the holiday weekend with an outstanding 11-race card on Friday with the feature being the $100,000 Lucky Coin.

The 5 ½ furlong turf test for four-year-olds and upward drew a field of nine led by multiple graded stakes winner Disco Partner, the 8-5 morning line favorite. The Christophe Clement trainee has earned $1.4 million in his career and has won 10 of his 28 starts on turf.

On Saturday we have four graded stakes highlight by the $750,000 Woodward (G1). The race drew nine and while it is not an official “Win and You’re In” race, the race serves as a major prep for the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).

Yoshida is the defending champ and the 5-2 morning line favorite for this year’s edition. The Bill Mott trainee was the runner up in the Whitney (G1) in his last start.




Among his main foes is Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1) winner Vino Rosso (7-2) and Whitney fourth place finisher Preservationist (7-2).

I will have selections and analysis for the Woodward in tomorrow’s column.

The Woodward is one of four graded stakes on the card at Saratoga. The co-features are the $250,000 Prioress (G2), the $200,000 Saranac (G3) and $250,000 Glens Falls (G2).

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 Report for Friday 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)
#5 Luna's in Charge 7-2
#8 Freaky Styley 9-5
#7 Financialstability 2-1
#1 Moonlight Now 12-1

Analysis: Luna's in Charge tracked the early pace and finished gamely in a runner up finish last out in his second start off the bench here for the Bauer barn. The trainer has won with 3 of his 13 starters at the meeting with a second and a third. Two back off the bench the colt set the early fractions and tired to finish sixth. The $140,000 purchase is out of the stakes winner Ciao Bella Luna ($284,360) who has dropped one other runner, no winners to date. Third off the bench here should do the trick.Freaky Styley was not off cleanly in his debut and after trailing early came with a good late rally to finish in the runner up spot. The colt is by Scat Daddy out of a stakes placed El Corredor mare that has dropped one winner. The colt owns the top last out speed fig and should be more forwardly placed with a better break here. Wagering
WIN: #5 to win at 5-2 or better.
EX: 5,8 / 1,5,7,8
TRI: 5,8 / 1,5,7,8 / 1,4,5,7,8

Today’s Featured Race of the Day from Saratoga:

SAR Race 10 The Lucky Coin (5:50 ET)
#3 Disco Partner 8-5
#9 Strike Power 4-1
#5 Final Frontier 9-2
#6 Shekky Shebaz 5-1

Analysis: Disco Partner stalked the early pace and may have moved too son, getting to the lead but was unable to hold off Leinster late in a runner up finish in the Troy (G3). The seven-year-old has not lost five in a row and it looked as if he may have lost a step or two this year but his Beyer last out says otherwise. He is well spotted her dropping into a restricted stake. The 5 1/2 furlongs is not his best distance but he should be able to handle this group.

Strike Power tries grass for just the second time in his career. Last out he dueled for the early lead and weakened to finish fifth in the Vanderbilt 'Cap (G1). Two back he set the early fractions and was a game second behind Catalina Cruiser in the True North (G2). The winner came back to win the San Diego (G2) and Pat O'Brien in his next two starts. His one go on turf was at a mile in the Better Talk Now and he was not a threat in a ninth-place finish. Pedigree wise he should handle it, by Speightstown out of a stakes placed Medaglia d'Oro mare that has dropped one other winner but no turf winners. Willing to give him another look on grass.

Wagering
WIN: #3 to win at 8-5 or better.
EX: 3,9 / 3,5,6,9
TRI: 3,9 / 3,5,6,9 / 3,4,5,6,9

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: #1 Moonlihgt Now 12-1
R3: #12 Capt. Courageous 8-1
R5: #5 Cantabrigian 10-1
R6: #6 Boom Boom Kaboom 10-1
R7: #9 Share Your Spirit 8-1
R8: #8 Citizen Matzo 15-1
R11: #4 Awesome Alana 8-1

Good luck today!

Horse Racing News

VegasInsider Staff

VegasInsider Staff

More from VegasInsider Staff
•