A field of nine lines up on the Saratoga turf course Saturday in the $500,000 Fourstardave © Cheryl Quigley | Dreamstime.com
The Charles Lopresti trained Wise Dan (5-2) leads a nine horse field that will go one mile on the inner turf course in the Saratoga feature on Saturday, the $500,000 Fourstardave (G2).
Wise Dan is coming off a neck loss in the Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) on the main track, and is will be making just his third career start on grass.
Recent hall of fame inductee John Velazquez has the call on the son of Wiseman’s Ferry, who has done his best running over synthetic surfaces, winning five of his seven starts over the fake stuff.
The races were washed off the grass on Friday, and there is more rain in the forecast, which should leave the turf course yielding or soft for the race, which will be nationally televised.
NBC Network’s “Summer at Saratoga” debuts this afternoon, the one hour telecast getting underway at 6:00 ET.
With the prospect of less than firm turf, I am looking for more value than Wise Dan is going to offer.
The red hot Chad Brown saddles Corporate Jungle, who came up short in his trip west for the Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Betfair Hollywood Park on June 30, checking in fifth while beaten two lengths.
He won the Appleton (G3) and Elkwood in his two previous starts and at the 6-1 morning line looks like the value of the race.
Brown is hitting at a 32% clip at the meet and will give a leg up to jockey Javier Castellano.
The 11-race card at the Spa gets underway at 1:00 ET, with post time for the Fourstardave set at 6:45 ET.
Michael Dempsey provides his selections for Saratoga each racing day. Mike’s Best Plays Report is available each weekend, with his strongest plays and selections including the top stakes races.
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Let’s head out to Saratoga for Saturday’s featured race of the day:
Saratoga Race 11 The Fourstardave G2 (Post time 6:45 ET)
7 Corporate Jungle 6-1
1 Data Link 3-1
3 Get Stormy 4-1
2 Wise Dan 5-2
Analysis: Corporate Jungle me up short last out when shipped to the left coast for the Shoemaker Mile (G1), checking in fifth and beaten two lengths for the top spot. The loss snapped a three race win streak and the race has produced a couple of next out stakes winners. The runner up Suggestive Boy came back to win the Wicker at Del Mar and the seventh place finisher Hudson Landing won the Mt. rainier at Emerald Downs in his next start. The colt broke his maiden over the Spa turf here last summer and is 4 for 7 at one mile on the grass including wins in the Appleton (G3) and Elkwood. He fits here with his best and may end up a decent price here in a wide open field.
Data Link made a good late rally to win the Monmouth (G2) last out as the heavy favorite. The colt won the Makers Mark (G1) three back at Keeneland, and then two back had a tough trip in a fifth place finish in the Woodward Reserve Turf Classic (G1). He was squeezed back at the start, came with a good rally but had to steady when blocked in traffic midstretch and then could not make up any ground late on the loose on the lead winner Little Mike. The colt looks as if he is sitting on a good one here for the Shug barn.
Get Stormy tracked the early pace and could not match strides with Data Link in the stretch last out in the Monmouth. He has a Grade 1 win this year, taking the Gulfstream park Handicap back in February and won this race back in ’10. He has done some of his best running over the Spa turf where he has won four of his six starts with one runner up finish.
Wise Dan was a game second to Ron the Greek in the Stephen Foster Handicap (G1), beaten just a head. The winner came back to run second in the Whitney Handicap (G1) in his next start here on Aug. 4. The Charles Lopresti has done his best work on the fake stuff, winning five of seven. He has just two starts on turf in his career, a win in the Firecracker (G2) last summer at Churchill Downs and a fourth in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) last fall at Keeneland. His pedigree does not lean toward turf and his price is going to be on the light side.
Wagering
WIN: Corporate Jungle to win at 4-1 or better.
EX: 1,7 / 1,2,3,7
TRI: 1,7 / 1,2,3,7 / 1,2,3,4,7
