Daily Racing Form expert handicapper and analyst Mike Beer handicaps the Monday, September 7 racing card at Saratoga, including his projected 1-2-3 finishers. His best bet of the day comes from Race 12.
Also, view FREE DRF Past Performances for today’s Race of the Day.
BEST BET: Daylight Dreamer (12th race)
Twelfth Race
1. Daylight Dreamer
2. Ticket to Ride
3. Avery’s Wonderland
DAYLIGHT DREAMER took a tough beat in her turf debut when forced to contest the pace all the way before getting nailed by a closer on the wire; didn’t run as well last time when dropped back early from an outside post, though she did get into some trouble in the stretch; can have another chance as she drops in class for this. TICKET TO RIDE had a bit of a trip in her turf debut here last summer; she failed to improve off that effort in subsequent turf starts as a 2yo, then tried stretching out earlier this year to no avail; back to sprinting, and this is a level where she can be competitive. AVERY’S WONDERLAND earned a slight new Beyer top when running to a stretch lead and then just failing to last at this level back at the end of July; back to try again for a barn that has had a solid meet here.
Here are Mike’s thoughts on the other eleven races on Monday’s Saratoga card.
First Race
1. Miss Nightfall
2. Majaz
3. Accent
MISS NIGHTFALL got in a lot of racing in England as a 2-and-3-year-old; she didn’t do a lot of winning over there, but she held her own right along, and likely ran the best race of her life when just missing in the 24-horse Kensington Palace right before shipping over. MAJAZ has used a handy running style while hitting the board on all three starts since arriving stateside, and she earned the top figure in this field when only second-best two back at Woodbine – though she was a heavy favorite that day; turning back to a mile figures to help after she failed to see out that longer distance last time. ACCENT steadily improved while winning the first three starts of her career for Chad Brown; hasn’t quite classed up in stakes company since then; nice fit here.
Second Race
1. Jetsetter
2. Ready Set Roll
3. Eight Rose’s
JETSETTER is by a 15% juvenile debut sire; the dam is a sister to Lady Ivanka, who only started twice as a 2yo, but won both times (both at Saratoga), including the Grade 1 Spinaway; win early pedigree and some nice works showing. READY SET ROLL is by overall underrated sire Upstart (17% with 2yo firsters), and is a half-sister to the versatile multiple stakes winner Twirling Queen (best on turf, but a debut winner as a juvenile on dirt, and also a stakes winner on synthetic); Brown won with a 2yo first-time starter by Upstart last Thursday. EIGHT ROSE’S is a $550k yearling by top sire Into Mischief; the dam went 10 for 15 in her career, and among her seven winning foals to date there are six stakes winners, including Saudi Cup winner Senor Buscador; might want to go longer than this.
Third Race
1. Sharp Swinger
2. Show Time
3. Gate to Wire
Thought SHARP SWINGER downed a solid field for the level when first-back from a layoff last November at Churchill; he moved up in class to win twice more at Oaklawn in the spring, and was ultimately claimed by Linda Rice for $80k two starts back; out of jail and fresh shipping to NY. SHOW TIME has run well for several different trainers; was claimed out of a win at the end of June, and he is a nose away from being 3 for 3 for Jacobson; going good now. GATE TO WIRE impressed, winning his dirt debut in a stakes race with a 93 Beyer, and he was kept with tougher company for all four remaining starts as a 3yo; made his return from the layoff in a fast race at Keeneland, and has missed another five months since; might need one on the way back but he has room to get better.
Fourth Race
1. Tampa Storm
2. Bakuto
3. Always Honest
TAMPA STORM was last seen making a premature, outside run to the lead and ultimately weakening to finish third on a sloppy track back in March; thought he had an unlucky trip in his dirt debut, then was against the bias in each of his next two starts; one more chance starting back fresh. BAKUTO ran fine in his debut while only second-best, then was no match for MSW rivals in his next two starts going a bit longer; bumped into a razor-sharp, put-over winner when dropped last time and had no chance; switches to a hot rider for this. ALWAYS HONEST has been competitive right along when entered in maiden claiming races; tried racing from well back off the pace last time, but he has more speed than that, and gets an outside post for this.
Fifth Race
1. Noble Glow
2. Just a Girl
3. Miss Watermelon
NOBLE GLOW made one start late last year as a juvenile, where she got involved on a competitive pace from the start and was the lone survivor to midstretch, before the closers came along to fill that race out; bumped into a well-meant firster when returned as a 3yo to go a mile, and was only second-best; turns back a bit to make her second start back with forward to go. JUST A GIRL is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner and Grade 1-placed RestlessRider (also a debut winner), and a full-sister to Life and Times, who won his career debut late last year going a mile with a 104 Beyer; took a while to get going but has been breezing right along since mid-July for Pletcher. MISS WATERMELON was nowhere in her career debut on turf last October; bumped into a favored Baffert winner when switched to dirt for her second start, and she was well clear of the rest of that field in second; turns back to make her first start off the layoff, and first for an underrated trainer.
Sixth Race
1. Bernin Hot
2. Secured Landing
3. Peek
BERNIN HOT ran a series of races that would make him tough in here through the second half of 2025 while using his speed; he failed to move up in class successfully early this year; caught a very sloppy track when dropped and stretched out last time; right back in for $30k off the claim again, this time for Morley: past five years, first after claimed by: 22%, $3.35 ROI. SECURED LANDING ran well two back on a strong pace going longer; improved to a new Beyer top when lasting over new stablemate Glen Airy when turned back to this distance last time; right back in as Linda battles for the training title. PEEK got back on track when turned back to a mile for two starts in the spring at Aqueduct; defeated weaker two back at Finger Lakes, then faded over a sloppy track when in as an MTO last time; threat if he can rebound.
Seventh Race
1. Damavand
2. Roughkin
3. Bellissimo d’Oro
DAMAVAND is a $1 million son of Not This Time and a half-brother to the talented Owen Almighty (Grade 3 winner; won the first two starts of his career as a 2yo sprinting, including a stakes race); has been moved to Saratoga after beginning his training at Monmouth for Pletcher. ROUGHKIN is by the underrated debut sire Girvin (18% with juvenile first-time starters), from an unraced dam who is a daughter of the great Serena’s Song; has to break from the rail. BELLISSIMO D’ORO debuted in the faster division of 2yo MSW heats going 6.5 furlongs last month, where he showed speed before proving to be no match for some promising runners; might be a better fit here, and experience counts in these races.
Eighth Race
1. Hammerhead
2. Debt Limit
3. Outsource
HAMMERHEAD seemed to find himself when given more ground to work with late last year, though thought some of his prior efforts were underrated while having some trips work against him; prefer him on turf, and he switches back after getting wired in each of his last two starts over synthetic. DEBT LIMIT finished well from off the pace to win his first two turf starts early last year; lightly raced 5yo drops for his second start off the layoff, looking for some pace to come after. OUTSOURCE has been facing tough competition since upsetting allowance horses with a big late run in his turf debut here last summer; good effort behind the undefeated Carc Brothers when dropped to this level two back, then ran well while only second-best to the in-form The Paddock Pastor last time; tries again.
Ninth Race
1. Escapades
2. Utopian
3. Light Fantastic
ESCAPADES gained some experience with two starts on synthetic over the winter. He debuted in a very tough spot behind front-running Thought Control (90 Beyer for that effort; has since won a turf sprint with a 100); wound up wide chasing in another race that was dominated on the lead when going shorter in his second start; switched to turf with class relief off the layoff, and he dominated that race on the lead with a strong figure; protected off the claim. UTOPIAN’s first turf sprint start came again tougher at Keeneland in April, and he looked overmatched by those horses after winding up last early; was much more competitive last time when finishing gamely in a $30k claimer last time; can go with these for an underrated trainer. LIGHT FANTASTIC looked like she wanted to hang, before ultimately getting the job done when brought back from the layoff with class relief; he was claimed out of that race and had no trouble putting his rivals away when turned back last time; threat right back.
Tenth Race
1. Fullcup
2. Mindfield
3. D I Wire
FULLCUP’s pedigree suggests that longer might eventually be better, but he still impressed in that debut win while attending the pace from the start; forward to go. MINDFIELD was scratched at the gate early in the meet; re-entered a couple of weeks later and ran well while only second-best to today’s rival Scramjet. MINDFIELD was bumped at the start of that race and then chased, and he did make a bold run through on the rail at the top of the stretch to make the lead, only to weaken late; might benefit greatly from that experience. D I WIRE’s debut win earned an unimpressive figure, though that was early in the meet, and he still won convincingly with a show of speed; backed up by pedigree; can easily be this good.
Eleventh Race
1. Third Coast
2. Black Hornet
3. Lyneham
THIRD COAST progressed nicely up to the Grade 1 try two back, where he got stuck behind horses all through the stretch as that field sprinted home; added blinkers and ran off to a clear lead on a quick first fraction in another tough spot last time; steps back and the blinkers come right off. BLACK HORNET overcame some trouble to win his turf debut early in the year, then was impressive when gunning down the talented Touch of Fire to become a stakes winner just 23 days later; only turf start since came in a Grade 1; has room to improve, and he might be well-spotted for his first start since Derby Day. LYNEHAM went 2 for 2 as a juvenile in France; has found stakes company to be a bit too tough as a 3yo while mostly going off at big prices; wildcard shipping over and getting Franco.
Daily Racing Form is the most trusted source for horse racing news and information. Get an edge when you play the races with DRF.com.
Get more Daily Racing Form horse racing picks on a daily basis on our VSiN Horse Racing page.
Playing Saratoga this week? Get DRF All Access Past Performances for every race day with a Saratoga Weekly Package (up to 64% off retail price)
