Wednesday’s feature at Saratoga is the $100,000 Bolton Landing on turf.(photo credit: © Cheryl Quigley | Dreamstime.com)
Wednesday’s feature at Saratoga is the $100,000 Bolton Landing featuring a field of nine juvenile fillies that will go 5 ½ furlongs on the turf course.
The meet’s leading trainer Chad Brown will send out the 2-1 morning line favorite Big City Dreamin, who lands in the barn after previously being trained by Wesley Ward.
Brown has won 17 turf races at the meeting, but only one of those was in a turf sprint, and that came with first time starter Beat the Benchmark in Monday’s fifth race.
Big City Dreamin made three starts under the care of Ward, a maiden breaker on the main track at Keeneland, a 16th place finish at Royal Ascot on turf in the Windsor Castle Stakes, and a gate to wire win against non-winners of two optional claimers at Presque Isle on July 14 over their synthetic surface.
We head into the second half of the 40-day Spa meeting and Brown has won 23 races, six more than Todd Pletcher, who is seeking his 13th training title at Saratoga. Brown has finished second in each of the last four years, but may finally turn the tables this summer.
Kiaran McLaughlin is third in the trainer standings with nine winners. He won seven with his first 10 starters and has won with just two of his last 18 starters.
Still on the duck are Gary Sciacca (0 for 30), Tom Albertrani (0 for 26) and John Toscano (0 for 23).
Irad Ortiz Jr. leads all jockeys with 31 wins and he is seeking his second jockey title here at the Spa. His brother Jose is cutting into the margin and is now second in the jockey standings with 27 winners.
John Velazquez and Javier Castellano are tied for third with 25 winners each.
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Let’s head out to the Spa for Wednesday’s featured race of the day:
Saratoga Race 9 The Bolton Landing (Post time 5:40 ET)
#7 Lull 5-2
#2 Con Te Partiro 8-1
#1 Big City Dreamin 2-1
#5 Truthful 8-1
Analysis: Lull was a good looking gate to wire winner in her debut at Belmont park going six furlongs on turf, drawing away to win by three lengths. The runner up and sixth place finishers came out of that race to graduate in their next starts. Clement is 25% winners overall in turf sprints and this gal has a nice pedigree, by War Front out of a Tiznow mare. She looks capable of winning right back and may have a better future later on with more ground.
Con Te Partiro was bet down the chalk in her debut at Keeneland on the main track and she did not disappointing, winning by 5 1/2 lengths. Last out in the Kentucky Juvenile the filly prompted the early pace, took over the lead but weakened in the stretch to finish fourth. The third place finisher Thirstforlife returned to break her maiden in her next start at Churchill Downs and then run third in the Best Pal (G2) in her last outing at Santa Anita. She tires turf for the first time here for the Ward barn that is 16% winners moving runners form dirt to turf. She has a solid turf pedigree, by Scat Daddy out of a stakes placed Street Cry mare that has dropped one other foal to race, dirt stakes winner Donworth ($281,345).
Big City Dreamin is coming off a sharp win last out on the fake stuff at Presque Isle where she went gate to wire to win by eight lengths. She was outrun in her lone go on turf when Ward shipped her to Royal Ascot and she caught soft footing in the Windsor Castle Stakes. She makes her first start here for the Brown barn that is 25% winners with newcomers to the barn. The last couple of years Brown has won a ton of turf races at the Spa but most have been routes. He won one Monday with a first timer but was previously 2 for 25 dating back three years at the Spa.
Wagering
WIN: #7 to win at 2-1 or better.
EX: 2,7 / 1,2,5,7
TRI: 2,7 / 1,2,5,7 / 1,2,5,7,9
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