Two New York Stallion Series races on turf highlight Monday's Spa card. © Cheryl Quigley | Dreamstime.com
Three-year-old turfers will take center stage on Monday’s card at Saratoga with a pair of New York Stallion Series races going a mile on the turf.
The third race on the card is the Cab Calloway division for three-year-old colts and geldings, drawing a field of eight led by the Linda Rice trained Mark My Way, the 8-5 morning line favorite. The gelding won a New York Stallion Series race in his last outing going seven furlongs over a couple of foes he runs into again today.
The ladies go the same distance in the Stature of Liberty Division, the sixth race and the first leg of the late Pick 4 on the nine-race card. The race drew a wide-open field of 10 fillies including a pair sent out by trainer David Donk.
Donk will saddle Lady Kreesa (4-1) who ran third last out in a New York Stallion Series race in her first start against winners. In just her fourth career start, she gets an extra furlong to try to turn the tables.
Funky Munky Fever (10-1) is also sent out by Donk and this filly looks like a live longshot. She ran second in a New York Stallion Series race two back and last out ran a decent second behind a repeat winner in a $50,000 starter allowance.
Here are my selections for the two stakes:
Saratoga Race 3 The NY Stallion Series Cab Calloway (2:04 ET)
4 Mental Iceberg 4-1
7 Mark My Way 8-5
5 Free Mugata 3-1
6 Forever Utopia 10-1
Analysis: Mental Iceberg returns off a 2 1/2 month break here after weakening to finish fifth last out trying to get nine furlongs against state bred Alw-1 foes over ground labeled as good. The winner was Storm who beat state bred Alw-1 foes in his next start while third place finisher Barnard’s Galaxy beat state bred Alw-1 company in his next outing. The cut back to a mile should suit and this does have a win on turf, breaking his maiden over the lawn at Belmont Park going 1 1/6 miles in his debut last September.
Mark My Way beat several of these last out in a NY Stallion race at seven furlongs on the grass. He makes his third start off the bench and the extra furlong will not pose a problem for this guy. The only real knock is going to be the likely short price. The Rice barn is 20% winners moving runners from sprint to route.
Wagering
WIN: #4 to win at 3-1 or better.
EX: 4,7 / 4,5,6,7
TRI: 4,7 / 4,5,6,7 / 2,4,5,6,7
Saratoga Race 6 The NY Stallion Series (3:48 ET)
3 Funky Munky Fever 10-1
5 Lady Kreesa 4-1
6 Old Harbor 3-1
10 Miss Narcissist 12-1
Analysis: Funky Munky Fever finished second behind Old Harbor two back in a New York Stallion race at seven furlongs, coming with a good late run. Last out she stepped outside of the state bred ranks and ran decent in a fourth place finish against $50,000 starter allowance foes. The winner Lucky Now exited that race to beat state bred Alw-1 foes by nine lengths in her next outing on July 27 here. It looks as if she is going to get some pace to run at and is going to be a decent price in this spot.
Lady Kreesa tracked the early pace and weakened in the stretch to finish third last out, beaten a half-length by our top pick while five lengths behind Old Harbor. She comes back with blinkers added here and the extra ground should suit. She broke her maiden two back going long on the turf at Belmont Park. With just three races under her belt, she appears to have more upside than any of these. She is out of a stakes placed Storm Creek mare that has dropped two other turf winners including turf stakes winner King Kreesa ($657,370). It could be an all Donk exacta.
Wagering
WIN: #3 to win at 6-1 or better.
EX: 3,5 / 3,5,6,10
TRI: 3,5 / 3,5,6,10 / 3,5,6,8,10
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