In The Money Telegraph
Friday, July 3, 2026 · By ITM Staff
Opening day at the Spa is here — and the best-value way to play it starts right here.
Opening Day Is On — Heat and All
Saratoga launches its 46-day summer meet today as scheduled, the holiday heat wave notwithstanding. First post is 1:10 p.m., squarely in the hottest part of the afternoon — but a Friday heat index once forecast near 105°, the mark at which New York tracks must weigh calling off racing, had eased to around 100° by late Thursday. NYRA says it is leaning on its established heat protocols, in coordination with the state Gaming Commission and equine medical director Scott Palmer; spokesman Pat McKenna said the track is “well prepared for Opening Weekend.” A heat cancellation at the Spa is rare — it has happened just twice in the past 20 years. More at the Daily Gazette →
The card itself is an 11-race opener headlined by the $200,000 Schuylerville for 2-year-old fillies, plus the Wild Applause and Saranac on turf — the overture to a July 4th Racing Festival that runs through Sunday, with the Whitney (Aug. 8) and the 157th Travers (Aug. 29) still to come.
Around the Sport: The Heat Reshapes the Cards
Saratoga is a go, but the heat has rewritten the schedule at plenty of other tracks. Monmouth Park called off live racing Friday, rolling its six races into Sunday’s program. Colonial Downs moved Saturday’s card up to a 10:45 a.m. first post — “Breakfast at Colonial” — and ITM’s Michael Domabyl has the full card covered. Penn National pushed Thursday and Friday first post back to 7:30 p.m., while Ellis Park and Horseshoe Indianapolis shifted cards into next week and Finger Lakes cut a program short after two races on Wednesday.
The takeaway for bettors and contest players: check post times right up until you fire. The full roundup at Horse Racing Nation →
This Weekend’s Majors
Saturday’s card carries two Grade 1 “Win and You’re In” turf features for three-year-olds, and PTF has both covered, horse by horse, for Sky Sports Racing.
The Belmont Oaks. A transatlantic field of fillies chasing an automatic Filly & Mare Turf berth — Godolphin’s Frankel filly Abashiri and Donnacha O’Brien’s Kensington Lane against a domestic contingent led by Chad Brown and Brendan Walsh. Read PTF’s Oaks guide →
The Belmont Derby. The colts take over two races later, with a Turf berth on the line. Graham Motion has won the last two runnings; this year he’s up against Cherie DeVaux’s Remember Mamba, the Charlie Appleby–William Buick raider Pacific Avenue, German Guineas winner Title Role, and a deep supporting cast. Read PTF’s Derby guide →
The whole sequence. And to attack the full betting picture, The Gallop Out has you covered — Ryan Anderson and Jackson Muniz go through Saturday’s July 4th Late Pick 5, headlined by the Belmont Oaks, the Belmont Derby, and the Grade 2 Suburban. ▶ Watch on YouTube →
Today’s Cards: Free Analysis From the ITM Team
Not enough racing at the Spa? Two more Friday cards from the ITM team:
Presque Isle Downs. Chance Rains has Friday’s card, topped by the Karl Boyes Stakes — eight older males going six furlongs over the Erie tapeta in Race 7 (first post 12:30 p.m. ET). Read →
Los Alamitos. Dean Keppler’s Friday selections out West, with One Smokin Dude (Race 5) his best bet. Read →
Start Your NHC Journey: LRF Cares Feeders
Here’s a cheap way to chase a big prize for a good cause. HorsePlayers.com has a slate of $14 Pick & Pray feeders into the LRF Cares Charity Challenge Qualifier — a low-cost on-ramp toward Little Red Feather’s July 18 LRF Cares contest at Del Mar, which benefits Thoroughbred aftercare and puts a path to the 2027 NHC in play. Several are live right now across the Saratoga and Gulfstream cards, with fresh feeders posting regularly, so check the board every day. Find the LRF Cares feeders on HorsePlayers.com →
ITM Plus
Nick’s Notebook Is Here for Saratoga
Churchill Downs morning-line maker Nick Tammaro brings his Saratoga notebook to ITM Plus — detailed written analysis and angles every day of the meet, alongside exclusive podcasts and premium selections right through to the Breeders’ Cup.
More all weekend at inthemoneypodcast.com, with daily previews on the ITM YouTube channel and premium tips on ITM Plus.
