SARATOGA – 8/13/2021
RACE 1: 7-1-3-2
#7 BIG LITTLE RISK looks like a deserving heavy favorite in the opener on the class drop for Jimmy Bond. He’s a new gelding and is reportedly training forwardly for this engagement. His lone prior dirt try was just fine and he’s yet to try a fast strip.
RACE 2: 2-5-8-10
#2 PRICE TALK is dropping in class for an owner that’s bidding for another title at this meet. This son of Kitten’s Joy has not really panned out after a promising start to his career and now faces the weakest competition he has to date. Look for improvement on the drop.
RACE 3: 1/1A-2-7-3
One of the things you have to do in order to win a training title at Saratoga is drop horses in class aggressively, and that’s what Chad Brown is doing with #1 COALITION BUILDING and #1A INFINITE POTENTIAL. They are each capable of winning this race and probably could be competitive against MSW foes, but they are likely to run 1-2 in a MCL at the 75k level.
RACE 4: 5-4-3-1
#5 LIKEABLE earned his way into the BC Juvenile last year after wiring a MSW event at Belmont in impressive fashion. He has gone backwards as a 3YO and is now in for a tag as a new gelding. He’s 100% to be claimed and fits nicely from a class perspective.
RACE 5: 8-1-7-9
The Pick 6 starts off with a carryover here where #8 LADY DANAE is a tad interesting for Joe Sharp. She worked :10 at the OBS April sale and had the look of a turf horse in doing so. This barn is good with turf sprinters and the pedigree is fair for the weeds.
RACE 6: 2-7-9-10
#2 HOWYOUMAKEYOURMONEY is a firster by Freud who went for a pretty penny at the OBS April sale after working a furlong in :10 and 1/5. She is out of a dam who was a winner and she has produced one winner from two to make it to the races. The workouts here are encouraging.
RACE 7: 11-5-4-2
Understanding how races are run is key to success at the windows and #11 MY LIPS ARE SEALED took the worst of it last time out when bet down to even money. She now gets an upgrade at pilot, but will have to negotiate a trip from the outside with the rails down on the turf course. Expect her to try to take control of this affair at once.
RACE 8: 6-9-1-3
#6 JOKER ON JACK is training well and switches surfaces for Wesley Ward this afternoon. This gelding ran a bang-up race two back at Keeneland with no setup behind runaway winner Maven and now figures to get a solid pace to run at here. He’ll be a square price to boot.
RACE 9: 3-6-4-5
When Lexitonian won the Vanderbilt, you knew #3 BON RAISON would be favored in his next start regardless of the class level at which it came. He trained with that newly minted Grade I winner and went heads-up. He loves this surface and bids to win this race for the second time in three years today.
RACE 10: 9-4-7-6
#9 WELL DONE WEST was a voided claim for 40k last time out and now returns from a respite in for 16k. He draws favorably on the outside and should be on the engine from the start in a race devoid of speed. His recent workouts show that he’s none the worse for wear.
