Mr. Ed’s Saratoga Picks:
TRACKING JOCKEYS & TRAINERS: With the thrilling Travers, stakes-rich weekend behind us, it’s hard to believe that the Labor Day conclusion to the highly successful, 40-day meet is in the homestretch. With six racing days remaining, Chad Brown’s stable leads the trainers’ race with 31 wins, followed surprisingly by Michael Maker with 21 and HOFer Todd Pletcher with 20. Irad Ortiz Jr. leads the jockey standings with 42 victories, followed by Flavien Prat with 37 and Tyler Gaffalione with 36. Speaking of riders, Jose Lezcano and Johnny Velazquez are serving suspensions through Friday. Irad Ortiz has been suspended from riding today. Jockey Brian Hernandez has been fined and suspended one day for excessive use of the crop while riding filly Thorpedo Anna to a Place finish in the Travers. And finally, beginning today several top jockeys and trainers will be shuffling between the Spa and Kentucky Downs, which begins its abbreviated, super-rich meet on Thursday. Let’s look at Wednesday’s Saratoga picks.
WEDNESDAY AT THE SPA: Highlighting a below-average, nine-race card is the $150K P.G. Johnson Stakes (Race 8 at 5:10 p.m. ET/2:10 p.m. PT). Post time for the first race is 1:10 p.m. ET/10:10 a.m. PT. Inclement weather always a possibility.
Mr. Ed’s Best Bets at Saratoga Mr. Ed for Wednesday, August 28
Race 2 (1:44 p.m. ET/10:44 a.m. PT) — $110K ALLOWANCE for 3YOs & up going a mile
Mr. Ed likes #4 SUN THUNDER (2-1 morning line). This expensive son of Into Mischief ships up from Kentucky and drops in class for a low-profile Jose Jimenez outfit. Blinkers come off as Javier Castellano climbs aboard.
SARATOGA PICK: $20 to Win. ($20)
Race 3 (2:18 p.m. ET/11:18 a.m. PT) — $90K MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT for NY-bred 3YOs & up going a mile
I like three for the money: #3 BIG EGO (7-2 morning line) with sizzling hot local rider Dylan Davis for Linda Rice; #5 GET A JOB (9-5) for HOFer Steve Asmussen with Jose Ortiz, and CONCORDE SPIRIT (9-2) for Bill Mott with go-to rider Junior Alvarado. Come fly with me.
SARATOGA PICK: $5 Exacta Box. ($30)
Race 4 (2:52 p.m. ET/11:52 a.m. PT) — $65K CLAIMING for 4YOs & up going 6 furlongs
Mr. Ed likes #9 POPPY’S PRIDE (4-1 morning line), dropping in class for local Orlando Noda stable. Hot rider Dylan Davis gets a leg up on the speedy son of Khozan. If he breaks cleanly, the colt could wire field.
SARATOGA PICK: $10 Win & Place. ($20)
Races 7-9 (4:34 p.m. ET/1:34 p.m. PT)
I like a $1 Pick 3
Race 7: 1,4,5
Race 8: 2,3,4,5,9,10
Race 9: 6,7,10 ($54)
TOTAL WAGERS: $124
MR. ED ON THURSDAY: I plan to split my picks between Saratoga and opening day at Kentucky Downs (KD). Located 20 miles east of Nashville, TN,
KD will offer a rich, seven-day meet on staggered dates beginning Thursday and concluding on September 11. Several of the nation’s top horses, jockeys and trainers will be on hand to compete for some of the game’s richest purses over a challenging, rolling-hills, farm-like turf course. I’ll provide more information on KD racing on Thursday.
