The Fourstardave Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Saturday is a “Win and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1). (Photo credit: © Cheryl Quigley | Dreamstime.com).
The mares Get Stormy and Uni are no strangers to taking on the boys and do it again on Saturday as two contenders in the $400,000 Fourstardave Handicap (G1) at Saratoga.
Get Stormy (8-1) is the defending champion, beating the boys here last summer and paying $12.00, but comes into this edition of the race 0 for 4 in 2020.
The Fourstardave is a “Win and You’re In” race with the winner stamping a ticket to the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) which will be run at Keeneland on Nov. 7.
The Mark Casse trained Get Stormy ran second in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile, with Uni winning that race. Casse is hoping to get off the duck as he has started off the Spa meeting by going 0 for 27.
“She’s training well and she’s back to Saratoga, which is where she did her best running last year, so we’re hoping for the best,” Casse said. “We know she likes that course, we know that she likes firm turf. She’s got to come with her A game. She’s the same horse, she looks great and trains great. She’s just been a little bit unlucky. She ran over some good turf courses and she wants it to be really firm.”
Uni (3-1) comes into the race off a third-place finish in the Just a Game (G1) at Belmont Park and is one of four that will be sent out by trainer Chad Brown.
2019 Fourstardave Replay
Brown will also send out the 5-2 morning line favorite Racing Bull, who was third in the Makers Mark Mile (G1) at Keeneland on July 10.
Brown’s other two runners are Valid Point (12-1), who won the Secretariat (G1) last summer at Arlington Park and Without Parole (4-1), who was fourth in the Makers Mark Mile.
There are two other Breeders’ Cup Challenge races on Saturday, both at Del Mar.
The $200,000 Del Mar Handicap (G2) winner earns a starting spot in the field for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1). A field of 11 will go the 1 3/8 miles led by Eddie Read (G2) winner United, the 8-5 morning line favorite.
Maximum Security is the even money favorite in the $500,000 Pacific Classic (G1). The winner earns a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
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Let’s head out to Saratoga for Saturday’s featured race of the day:
Saratoga Race 9 The Fourstardave Handicap G1 5:46 ET
4 Get Stormy 8-1
6 Uni 3-1
1 Raging Bull 5-2
8 Without Parole 4-1
Get Stormy
The defending champ in this race, she beat the boys last year and earned a career top speed figure in the outing. She is 0 for 4 this year, her best finish a tough nose loss in the Frank Kilroe (G1) against the boys at Santa Anita back in March. She then was fourth in the Beauguay (G3) behind repeat winner Rushing Fall, who came back to win the Jenny Wiley (G1) at Keeneland in her next outing. Last out she pressed the early pace, took over the lead and then did not have enough left in the stretch in a fourth-place finish in the Poker (G3) against males. She makes her third start of her current form cycle and there is not much pace in here. She should get a good trip sitting just off the pace and it looks as if she is going to be a fair price here if we catch most of her 8-1 morning line. Her trainer Casse is having a really tough meeting at 0 for his first 29, but this gal has the class to get him off the duck.
Uni
This mare was third in this race last year and she went on to be the Champion Turf Female winner as she won the First Lady (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) in her next two starts. She was third in her comeback race where she ran into her stablemate Newspaperofrecord who took the field gate to wire in an impressive display. The mare is now six and just fires ever time out, landing in the money in 17 of her 19 career starts. She should move forward second off the bench but needs some pace and a trip.
Raging Bull
The five-year-old came from far out of it to rally for second in this race last year. He came off an eight-month layoff to win the Shoemaker Mile (G1) two back. Last out he came with a good late rally, was carried outward a bit and then came up just a nose and a neck short in the Makers Mark Mile (G1) at Keeneland. He won two graded stakes here back in 2018 on turf and looks primed for a top effort in his third start off the bench for Brown.
Wagering:
WIN: Get Stormy to win at 5-1 or better.
EXACTA: 4,6 / 1,4,6,8 and 4 / 1,5,6,8
