© Cheryl Quigley | Dreamstime.com
We are down to six days left in the 40-day Saratoga meeting, and Wednesday’s action starts the final week off well with a trio of stakes on the ten race card.
There are still eight graded stakes left to be run, including the $750,000 Woodward (G1) and $500,000 Forego (G1) on Saturday, and the $300,000 Spinaway (G1) on Sunday, the final Grade 1 race of the meet.
Wednesday’s stakes action kicks off with the third race, the $100,000 David for New York bred two-year-olds going six furlongs on the main track.
The Phil Serpe trained Weekend Hideaway is coming off a good looking win in the slop to break he maiden in his second career start and is the 8-5 morning line favorite.
The colt looks imposing, but he did catch a racing strip in his maiden win that was playing to inside speed and I am going to try and beat him for the top spot at short odds.
The $100,000 Win drew a competitive field of nine that will go one mile on the turf in a stake for non-winners of an open stake on the turf this year.
The Christophe Clement trained Right One is the 3-1 morning line favorite and the gelding is dropping into a softer spot after facing graded stakes company in his last three starts.
The eighth race is the $100,000 P.G. Johnson where a field of ten will go 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf course.
The Spa’s leading trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle the 3-1 morning line favorite Top Tier Lass, who was an impressive maiden winner going 5 ½ furlongs in her debut, drawing clear to win by seven lengths.
Others to watch are the European invader Watsdachances, who makes her U.S. debut for the Chad Brown barn, and the Wesley Ward trained Almost an Angel is also entered in tomorrow’s With Anticipation (G2) and she looks like a good fit if she goes here and the 8-1 morning line looks generous.
Last out she broke her maiden going six furlong son the turf in her third career start. Two back she took on the boys and ran a solid second in a race that produced two other next out winners including Joha who came back to win the Colin at Woodbine on July 14.
Let’s head out to Saratoga for Wednesday’s featured race of the day:
Saratoga Race 6 The Win (3:47 ET)
2 Scotus 6-1
7 Right One 3-1
1 Swift Warrior 6-1
6 Yield Bogey 5-1
Analysis: Scotus is back on turf here after checking in sixth after a wide trip in the James Marvin (G3) here going seven furlongs. Two back this guy made a good late rally to finish third at Churchill Downs in the Opening Verse. The winner of that race was Guys Reward, who came back to win the Firecracker (G2) in his next outing on July 1. The cot makes just his second career start on turf here for the McPeek barn. He has a couple of sibs that are grass winners and the mare was stakes placed on turf.
Right One drops out of graded stakes and finds a good spot here facing non-winners of an open stake on turf in ’12. Two back this guy was a game second in the Jaipur (G3) going seven furlongs on the grass at Belmont Park. The gelding won 3 of 7 starts in ’11 and missed winning the Woodbine Mile (G1) in a photo.
Wagering
WIN: #2 to win at 4-1 or better.
EX: 2,7 / 1,2,6,7
TRI: 2,7 / 1,2,6,7 / 1,2,6,7,9
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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