A field of nine line up in the $100,000 John Morrissey Handicap on Thursday at Saratoga. (Photo credit: ID 42646005 © Dennis Donohue | Dreamstime.com).
A solid group of nine state breds will line up in the Thursday feature at Saratoga, the $100,000 John Morrissey Handicap going 6 ½ furlongs on the main track.
Trainer Michelle Nevin sends out a good duo in My Boy Tate and Our Last Buck who are the co-second choices on the morning line at 7-2.
My Boy Tate is looking to rebound off a disappointing fourth place finish at Parx Racing against non-conditioned allowance company in the slop on May 5.
“He’s doing good. He had a little bit of a freshening and he’s right on track,” Nevin said. “I would say Aqueduct is his favorite track, but Saratoga is a track he’s shown an affinity for, too.”
The gelding has landed in the money in all four trips over the Spa main track in his career including a third-place finish in this race last year.
My Boy Tate Wins 2021 Haynesfield
Stablemate Our Last Buck makes his first start since January where he won the state bred Say Florida Sandy by 3 ¾ lengths at Aqueduct going seven furlongs.
“He had plenty of races last year and we were looking to give him a little break,” Nevin said. “After his big win, we decided to give him some time and he’s been back on the track getting ready and we finally feel like we’re ready to go.”
The Rudy Rodriguez trained Wudda U Think Now is the 3-1 morning line favorite. The gelding checked in fourth against open Alw-1 company here on a wet track on July 17.
Jemography, trained by Mark Hennig, is worth a look if he goes off near his 6-1 morning line. He ran second against second level optional claimers in his last outing, earning a career top speed figure.
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Let’s head out to Saratoga for Thursday’s featured race of the day:
Saratoga Race 9 The John Morrissey Hcp 5:39 ET
#8 Jemography 6-1
#3 My Boy Tate 7-2
#2 Captain Bombastic 12-1
#5 Wuddu U Think Now 3-1
Jemography
The gelding is back with state breds after a solid second against a good group of Alw-2 optional claimers at Belmont Park going seven furlongs. The gelding tracked the early pace after bobbling coming out of the gate and finished gamely, beaten a length while winning the place spot by a nose. The winner Jalen Journey came back to run a good second versus Alw-3 optional claimers while the third-place finisher Town Classic came back to beat $50,000 claimers his next outing. This guy has landed in the exacta in 18 of his 27 career starts and is now back in with state breds. He is going to need to run back to at last his career top he earned last out to win here but is going to be a fair price. The gelding should get an honest pace to run and will be sitting in a good spot just off the pace. Davis was aboard this guy for his last three wins.
My Boy Tate
He is one of two in here sent out by the Nevin barn. The gelding returns off a 2 1/2 month break her after not firing last out in the slop at Philly in a non-conditioned allowance race going seven furlongs. He had always run well on wet tracks in the past but just did not seem to be taking to the slop. He won the state bred Haynesfield two back at Aqueduct going a mile in the slop. He won the state bred Hollie Hughes three back at six furlongs and 6 1/2 here suits him. He was third in this race here last year at 13-1 and then ran second in the restricted Tale of the Cat over the Spa main track in his following start. He owns a solid pace profile throughout with the edge in late pace numbers. He figures to bounce back with a much better effort here.
Captain Bombastic
This guy is cutting back from a mile in the mud where he was a well beaten fourth in the state bred Commentator. He was beaten double digit lengths two back as well in the state bred Affirmed Success ff a six-month layoff in his first go after going from Englehart to Brown. Now he goes to Asmussen who is off to a good start at the meeting. The cut back suits and he won a NY Stallion Series race over the main track here last summer. He has put in a couple of sharp works since his last outing and looking for him to bounce back with a better effort here third off the bench.
