Saratoga Picks for July 4:
PICNIC WITH THE PONIES: Picture, if you will, 800 free, first-come picnic tables, free outdoor entertainment, your own food and drink, and 11 exciting races on dirt or turf (where the equine fireworks take place). For Saratoga fans and families, it’s July 4th every day between now and Labor Day. Mr. Ed can’t recall the last time he sat in the grandstand. He remembers having lunch in the clubhouse a few times, as an invited guest on someone else’s dime. If you ever have the chance (it doesn’t have to be July 4th), enjoy a day or a week at Saratoga and tailgate all day. And remember, a bad day at the windows beats a good day anywhere else.
HORSING AROUND: Crafty rider Jose Ortiz took full advantage of the absence of top jockeys brother Irad Jr. and Luis Saez by booting home a trio of runners on Opening Day at the Spa. HoF rider Johnny Velazquez had a pair of wins. As for Mr. Ed, he had a pair of chalky scores, prior to blowing the tote board up in R10 SARANAC STAKES when his Value Play of the Day finished second, returning $78.55 on a $15 investment. At the windows, the average $2 win ticket paid a healthy $16.10. Looking ahead to Saturday’s 11-race program, first post is 12:35 p.m. ET/9:35 a.m. PT with a high in the 80s and a 65% chance of rain. Here are Mr. Ed’s exclusive VSiN selections.
Saratoga Selections for Saturday, 4th of July
Race 1 (12:35 p.m. ET/9:35 a.m. PT) — $120K ALLOWANCE OPTIONAL CLAIMING for 3YO fillies, going 6½ furlongs
Mr. Ed’s pick is a two-horse DD, beginning with the powerful #4 MASHALLAH (3-5 morning line) for Brendan Walsh barn with rider Tyler Gaffalione returning. Speed figure of 106 in Keeneland debut towers over the rest of the field. She’s lightning fast.
SARATOGA SELECTION: $10 Daily Double of 4/4. ($10)
Race 2 (1:09 p.m. ET/10:09 a.m. PT) — $120K ALLOWANCE for fillies & mares, 3 YOs going a mile on the turf
Choice to complete DD is #4 EPONINE (5-2 morning line), Irish-bred coed for sharp Canadian trainer Kevin Attard with Jose Ortiz returning to ride. Prepared for race with route here early last month. She’s ready to triumph.
Race 3 (1:44 p.m. ET/10:44 a.m. PT) — $115K MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT for fillies and mares, 3YOs & up going 1 1/16-mile on the grass
Nothing like a quart of #10 BOURBON MILK PUNCH (8-1 morning line) to get the juices flowing on a Saturday morning in an RV on the way to a Pitt football game. But, I will save that story for later. Just trust Mr. Ed when Jose Ortiz is driving the son of Uncle Mo.
SARATOGA SELECTION: $5 to Win & Place. ($10)
Race 5 (2:54 p.m. ET/11:54 a.m. PT) —$225K G3 SANFORD STAKES for 2YOs going 6 furlongs
Mr. Ed likes #4 POCKET LISTING (9-2 morning line) for coast-to-coast combo of CA trainer Doug O’Neill and jockey Manny Franco. CA-bred debut earned colt trip to NY for early first-class Derby prep.
SARATOGA SELECTION: $20 to Win. ($20)
Race 7 (4:06 p.m. ET/1:06 p.m. PT) — $600K G1 BELMONT OAKS for 3YO fillies going 1⅛-mile on the turf
Mr. Ed’s pick is #10 IMAGINATIONTHELADY (4-1 morning line) with Tyler Gaffalione returning to ride the fast filly for top turf trainer Brendan Walsh. A Win would put the coed over the $1 million earnings mark.
SARATOGA SELECTION: $20 to Win. ($20)
Race 8 (4:42 p.m. ET/1:42 p.m. PT) — $500K G2 SUBURBAN STAKES for 4YOs & up going 1¼-miles
Mr. Ed likes three: #2 FORGED STEEL (4-1 morning line), trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr. with leading jockey Flavien Prat returning after impressive score at Santa Anita; #7 ANTIQUARIAN (3-1) for Todd Pletcher barn with HoFer Johnny V. up, and $9M-earner #8 HIT SHOW (5-1) for trainer Brad Cox with popular NY jockey Manny Franco climbing aboard for first time. Any two of three for the money.
SARATOGA SELECTION: $5 Exacta Box. ($30).
Race 9 (5:20 p.m. ET/2:20 p.m. PT) — $750K G1 BELMONT DERBY for 3YOs going 1⅛-mile on the turf
Mr. Ed’s pick in tough-as-nails stakes is improving #3 REMEMBER MAMBA (7-2 morning), trained by Cherie DeVaux with regular rider Jose Ortiz returning. Mr. Ed remembers losing a fat check to Mamba at Spa several years ago.
SARATOGA SELECTION: $10 to Win. ($10)
Race 10 (5:56 p.m. ET/2:56 p.m. PT) — $130K ALLOWANCE OPTIONAL CLAIMING for 4YOs going a mile
In late DD, Mr. Ed likes either longshot #6 TUSCAN SKY (10-1 morning line) for Todd Pletcher and Johnny V., or #8 BRAMITO (5-1), son of Gun Runner, for low-profile trainer Steven Schauer with Ricardo Santana aboard.
SARATOGA SELECTION: $5 Daily Double of 6,8/1,11. ($20)
Race 11 (6:31 p.m. ET/3:31 p.m. PT) — $100K MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT for NY-bred 3YO fillies and mares going 1 1/16-miles
Mr. Ed is betting #1 MORNING PRAYER (7-2 morning line) for trainer Tom Morley with Ricardo Santana aboard, and #11 SILLY SEASON (2-1), second-time starter for Chad Brown, with Flavien Prat returning to saddle, to complete DD.
TOTAL WAGERS: $120
SUNDAY AT SARATOGA: The first Sunday of the meet features a trio of stakes, R1 $150K LEO O’BRIEN HANDICAP (steeplechase), R6 $225K G3 KELSO STAKES (turf), and R8 $200K HARVEY PACK STAKES (turf sprint). The remainder of the 9-race card features an excellent mix of allowance, claiming and maiden contests. Post time for the program is 1:10 p.m. ET/10:10 a.m. PT. Forecast is for cloudy skies with high in the mid-80s. Racing surfaces: FAST & FIRM.
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