Daily Racing Form expert handicapper and analyst Mike Beer handicaps the Friday, August 21 racing card at Saratoga, including his projected 1-2-3 finishers. His best bet of the day comes from Race 10.
Also, view FREE DRF Past Performances for today’s Race of the Day.
BEST BET: Coach of the Year (10th race)
Tenth Race
1. Coach of the Year
2. Felixyn
3. Amazing Gracer
COACH OF THE YEAR seemed to still be learning in her two starts at the end of last year. She showed speed and faded in her return from the layoff, then seemed to finally put everything together when parlaying a perfect trip into a clear-cut win over course and distance two back, only to be disqualified in an extremely questionable call; faced tougher than this last time when in a bit tight in upper stretch going longer; looks well-spotted here. FELIXYN has also lost a maiden win to the stewards already, though hers was a maiden claimer when a huge longshot at Tampa. She endured a difficult trip two back at another good price, then took a tough beat last time when pressed on the lead and fighting on bravely to the wire before missing a head bob; threat right back. AMAZING GRACER was given a nice trip following the favorite around the track when only second-best last time; has been in contention in the stretch in all six starts so far; tries again.
Here are Mike’s thoughts on the other nine races on Friday’s Saratoga card.
First Race
1. Tiz Dashing
2. Right to Vote
3. Cugino
TIZ DASHING has looked overmatched by Grade 1 horses this year, not that he didn’t rate the chance to step up in class. Really had no chance last time, when always on the outside in a Grade 3 Kelso that was slow early and fast late; this is a better spot, and he is perfectly drawn. RIGHT TO VOTE was bothered a bit by his winning stablemate in the late stages when first back from a long layoff this year; has stretched out to win two in a row since, while sitting handily before finishing up strongly both times; in form and can handle the shorter distance of this race. CUGINO might wind up on the lead in this race, and he owns a top effort that makes him tough in here; thought he was disappointing in that last one after sitting a good trip, though maybe he needed one off the bench.
Second Race
1. Concorde Spirit
2. Whittington Park
3. Quick to Accuse
CONCORDE SPIRIT’s uptick in form since the claim has come mostly going longer, though his two efforts over this distance were both rock-solid, including that near-miss three back when much closer to the pace than the eventual winner; had a big excuse last time when unprepared for the start and outrun, then winding up very wide on the final turn; cuts back. WHITTINGTON PARK made an aggressive, early move to the lead when only second-best ahead of the top one going this distance two back; ran fine behind that dominant, front-running winner in a fast race last time, which was contested over the kind of wet track he is not at his best over; off the claim again. QUICK TO ACCUSE ran well in the longer Commentator last time when never getting near the good rail; like him better going shorter; tactical from the rail, and he fits well in this spot.
Third Race
1. Romala
2. Hypnotica
3. Moonlit
ROMALA looked like she needed the debut late last year when off to a troubled start before winding up wide, and eventually getting tired; was rank and headstrong for a long way before finally giving up in the stretch on turf last time; back to dirt with plenty of room to improve. HYPNOTICA made her debut in a very strong MSW race sprinting on a wet track, where she chased to no avail and exchanged a couple of bumps in the stretch; ran a better race when stretched out on turf last time, but she is bred for dirt (her dam is a sister to Rachel Alexandra); switches back with forward to go. MOONLIT’s best effort to date came on a wet track two back when gamely second-best to Directive; tried going longer last time, where she wound up wide over a track that was hard on closers; turns back with blinkers on.
Fourth Race
1. Island Town
2. Tartabull
3. Unauthorized
ISLAND TOWN has flashed good speed in all three starts to date, including the front-running maiden win last time at Churchill; not sure this is a negative drop considering his results so far; gets off the rail and projects to be on the lead once again. TARTABULL has races that make him tough in here, and he is capable of keeping the pace within range; thought he ran fine in his first two dirt starts this year, though he was disappointing in his first start for this trainer last time; threat if he can rebound. UNAUTHORIZED steadily improved earlier this year at Oaklawn; was off a layoff last time when chasing and tiring against a tougher field; drops.
Fifth Race
1. Good Aim
2. Raise the Roof
3. Gnosis
GOOD AIM is a half-brother to stakes-winning synthetic Squad Goals, who also races for this owner/trainer, and who has run well in both of his turf starts to date (both in stakes company); Rice has debuted three horses at Saratoga since 2022, all on the grass, and all three of them won; gets a hot rider for this; plenty to hold on to. RAISE THE ROOF is a Tourist (10% with 2yo first-time starters, 12% with turf sprinters) half-brother to multiple stakes-winning turf sprinter Twenty Six Black (three wins at Saratoga, 101 Beyer top), who also races for these connections; easy to like at first-asking. GNOSIS is by a new sire off to an underrated start, and one with a debut turf sprint winner at this meet already; the dam has already dropped a turf winner, and this colt has been breezing on grass up to his debut.
Sixth Race
1. Energy Flows
2. Have Hope
3. Doves and Hawks
ENERGY FLOWS started twice on dirt to begin her career and ran well both times without winning; has plenty of grass in her pedigree as she looks to put her experience to use while getting some added distance to work with. HAVE HOPE debuted in a strongly run MSW sprinting on wet dirt (ENERGY FLOWS also exits that heat), where she chased and tired; bred for turf and distance; can improve quickly. DOVES AND HAWKS is by a versatile and precocious sire, and her dam is a sister to multiple graded stakes-winning turf router and millionaire United; interesting for top connections.
Seventh Race
1. Yo Daddy
2. Sherlock’s Jewel
3. Render Judgment
YO DADDY failed to fire when shipped out of town to try a stakes race in May, but he has otherwise been in excellent form since starting back as a 5yo, including a stakes win with a triple-digit Beyer downstate; dropped out of a no-chance run in the Grade 2 Suburban here two weeks ago, where he ran a giant race on a contested pace, only to get nailed by a closer on the wire; rates another chance. SHERLOCK’S JEWEL has run well on turf, but might prefer him on this surface, despite his two most recent dirt starts where he was defeated by a combined 63+ lengths – he faced Grade 1 winner Bright Future in one of those, and the other was followed by a long layoff; his first three starts on the dirt were all solid efforts; interesting switching surfaces off the claim. RENDER JUDGMENT broke his maiden immediately upon being stretched out early on, then faced stakes horses for the next six months, culminating in a longshot try in the Kentucky Derby; has improved since starting back as a 4yo; steps back again while exiting a fast running of the Grade 3 Cornhusker.
Eighth Race
1. Lil’ Regard
2. Boston’s Phinest
3. One Last Knock
LIL’ REGARD impressed winning the first two starts of her career on either side of a long layoff; missed more time before starting back this year, where she chased an underrated winner to no avail, before getting tired late; she was claimed from that race, then had her first start for the new connections rained off the grass; back to turf with room to improve, and she showed potential early on. BOSTON’S PHINEST ran a fast one to win last time while overcoming trouble, but her true improvement might have come two back when coming wide off the turn to run over first-level allowance rivals; going good now and looks like the one to beat. ONE LAST KNOCK defeated BOSTON’S PHINEST when second off the layoff in May; tried an open allowance race last time, where she was bumped while in contention in the stretch before settling for third; reliably consistent.
Ninth Race
1. New York Special
2. Hot Currency
3. Venetta
NEW YORK SPECIAL didn’t run poorly when making her career debut on dirt. She does have a lot of turf in her pedigree, so no surprise that she would improve right away when switching surfaces for her second start, where she sat a good trip before finishing gamely up the inside; good try in a stakes race last time, though worth noting that the two favorites were no-shows in that spot; will have to improve again on dirt, though she does seem a likely candidate to get the ditance, which is going to be key in this race. The distance is a major question for HOT CURRENCY, who has been in excellent form recently sprinting on dirt; has earned the top two figures in this field for her two most recent victories, and she has tactical speed. VENETTA is the lone filly in the field with a prior win around two turns on dirt, and she won that NY Oaks with a sustained run after making an early move to take over; two-time stakes winner hasn’t run a bad race yet.
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