10 go to the post in Monday’s feature at Saratoga, the $100,000 Saratoga Dew. (Photo credit: © Cheryl Quigley | Dreamstime.com)
A field of 10 will line up in Monday’s feature at Saratoga led by defending champion Carameaway, who seeks to win the $100,000 Saratoga Dew in back to back years.
The five-year-old mare is the 5-2 morning line favorite among a field of 10 fillies and mares that will go 1 1/8 miles on the main track.
Trained by Mitchell Friedman, the mare snapped a three race losing streak by taking a non-conditioned state bred allowance race at Belmont Park going a mile in her last outing on June 25.
With jockey, Rajiv Maragh on the sidelines with an injury suffered in a spill, Irad Ortiz. Jr. will reunite with the mare. Ortiz rode her twice last year including a win against state bred allowance company on the inner track at Aqueduct last December.
The Bruce Levine trained Hot Stones is the second choice on the morning line at 3-1. The mare beat $80,000 optional claimers last out on June 24 at Belmont Park going a mile. She has just one trip at nine furlongs, a third place finish over the Spa main track here last summer in the Shuvee Handicap (G3).
Star Gazing (5-1) is worth a look and is a stakes winner over the Spa main track. The Jimmy Jerkens trainee won the state bred Fleet Indian here last summer at nine furlongs. She has a 4-2-1-1 record over the Spa main track.
Let’s head out to the Spa for Monday’s featured race of the day:
Saratoga Race 9 The Saratoga Dew (5:26 ET)
1 Carameaway 5-2
8 Star Grazing 5-1
10 Hot Stones 3-1
4 Smitten by Gold 8-1
Analysis: Carameaway took the field gate to wire last out in a sharp effort beating non-conditioned state bred allowance foes. The mare has had just one trip at nine furlongs in her career, winning this race last year. She draws the rail and there is not a ton of pace in here. She may prove tough to catch if she shakes loose early.
Star Grazing acted up pre race last out breaking through the gate and she did not have enough punch left in the stretch in a third place finish last out against Alw-2 optional claimers. She won the state bred Fleet Indian here last summer at today’s nine furlong distance. The Jerkens trainee has done her best running over the Spa main track and looks capable of moving forward off her last outing as she returns to the state bred ranks.
Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 2-1 or better.
EX: 1,8 / 1,4,8,10
TRI: 1,8 / 1,4,8,10 / 1,3,4,8,10
Michael Dempsey’s Saratoga Special now reduced!
Get Michael’s full card reports for Saratoga includes his selections, analysis, fair odds line, and wagering recommendations. Get reports for the entire meeting between July 24 and Sept. 1. Michael’s Saratoga Report includes his selections, analysis, fair odds line, and wagering recommendations. Mike has been handicapping the New York Racing circuit on a daily basis for nearly three decades. Saratoga runs six days a week, Wednesday through Monday.
