A field of eleven line up in Wednesday’s Shine Again Stakes at Saratoga. (photo credit:Bigstock.com)
Wednesday’s $100,000 Shine Again at Saratoga drew a field of 11 fillies and mares that will go seven furlongs on the main track, and despite its ungraded status still drew a pair of runners that participated in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup.
Stonetastic is the 5-2 morning line favorite for the Kelly Breen barn. She ran fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Santa Anita. She set the early fractions before weakening to finish 4 ½ lengths back of the winner Judy the Beauty.
The filly makes her first start since a disappointing seventh in the La Brea (G1) last December. Her regular rider Paco Lopez has the return call on the daughter of Mizzen Mast and will carry 123 pounds.
Unbridled Forever (5-1) is making her first start since running fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1). She only managed to win one of eight starts last year, the Silverbulletday at Fair Grounds, but was in the mix in most of her starts, landing in the money in five graded races including a second in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) over the Spa main track.
Both will need to have their running shoes on coming off the bench. Stonetastic has worked quickly with a trio of bullet works on the morning tab. She is the lone runner in the field with a win over the surface. She won the Prioress (G2) last summer.
Let’s head out to the Spa for Wednesday’s featured race of the day:
Saratoga Race 9 The Shine Again (Post time 5:26 ET)
3 Stonetastic 5-2
9 You Bought Her 8-1
6 Wavell Avenue 4-1
5 Unbridled Forever 5-1
Analysis: Stonetastic makes her first start since fading to finish seventh in the La Brea (G1) at Santa Anita last December. The filly won two of six starts last year and her career best effort came over the Spa main track here last summer where she won the Prioress (G2) in gate to wire fashion, drawing away to win by 8 1/2 lengths. Four fillies she beat that day came back to win their next starts.
She has run well fresh, beating Alw-1 optional claimers last July off a 6 1/2 month layoff. The Breen barn is 12% winners with runners coming back off a +180-day layoff. She popped three bullet works last month and looks ready to go off the bench.
You Bought Her came with a five wide bid and finished up well for the runner up spot last out at Prairie Meadows in a runner up finish in the Saylorville. The mare did not enjoy her time in Louisville, not a threat in a seventh place finish in the Humana Distaff (G1) and a sixth in the Winning Colors (G3).
Her two previous starts to that were solid, a win in the Minaret at Tampa Bay Downs and a neck loss in the Inside Information (G2) at Gulfstream Park. Only our fourth choice in here earned a higher last out speed fig and her 8-1 morning line looks more than fair.
Wavell Avenue is back on dirt after a rough trip at Woodbine in the Canadian bred Zadradcarta over yielding turf. The filly was off a slow and outrun in the early going, was blocked in traffic turning for home and finished up with some interest when clear for third.
She was a sharp winner two back at Belmont Park on the main track against Alw-2 optional claimers, winning by six lengths. The Chad Brown barn is 22% winners moving runners from turf to dirt.
Wagering
WIN: #3 to win at 5-2 or better.
EX: 3,9 / 3,5,6,9
TRI: 3,9 / 3,5,6,9 / 2,3,5,6,9
Michael Dempsey’s Saratoga Special:
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.
