Saturday horse racing Best Bets
We’re in the dog days of summer (we’re looking at a high of 114 degrees on Saturday), but Team Tuley continues to look for value at tracks from coast to coast, highlighted by the Saratoga meet already under way and Del Mar starting next week.
Don’t forget that regular Team Tuley contributor Ed Sehon has his “Mr. Ed’s Saratoga Best Bets on Saturday” column at VSiN.com/horse-racing/, plus he joins us here with non-Saratoga plays. We also have plays from John Lauro and yours truly, Dave Tuley, and we’re expecting to add more plays from Rampart race and sportsbook manager Duane Colucci after early scratches on Saturday morning.
Good luck today (and every day!).
Delaware Race No. 4 (2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT)
Ed Sehon likes #6 Hang the Moon (2-1 morning line) in the $150,000 Christiana Stakes. “Underachieving sophomore daughter of super-sire Uncle Mo, based on her previous efforts, looks best of these. Ridden by top jock Daniel Centeno and trained by excellent conditioner Michael Stidham, my bet is she’ll be coming from the clouds to capture this ungraded stakes race. Wager: Win.”
Delaware Races Nos. 5-8 (2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT)
Ed Sehon likes a .50 Pick 4 (cost $72)
Race 5: ALL (1-6)
Race 6: 6,11
Race 7: 2,3,5
Race 8: 1,2,3,6
Saratoga Races Nos. 4-8 (2:46 p.m. ET/11:46 a.m. PT)
Duane Colucci likes a .50 Pick 5 (cost $64)
Race 4: 2,5
Race 5: 1,2,7,8
Race 6: 2,3,6,10
Race 7: 1,5
Race 8: 1,10
Delaware Race No. 8 (4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT)
Ed Sehon likes #6 Ocean City (4-1 morning line) in the $150,000 Kent Stakes. “The dynamite combo of trainer Brittany and husband-rider Shelton Russell seek a winning hat trick with expensive sophomore son of American Pharoah. This guy is speedy and may never look back in 1 3/8-mile turf test. Wager: Win and bet 6 over and under 1,2,3 in Exacta boxes.”
Gulfstream Race No. 8 (4:05 p.m. ET/1:05 p.m. PT)
Dave Tuley likes #2 Chick’s Shadow (12-1 morning line) in the $75,000 Powder Break Stakes. “This ungraded stakes looks wide-open to me and Chick’s Shadow could pick up the pieces, especially if a speed duel develops up front. Trainer Angel Rodriguez hits 11% in ungraded stakes and this 6-year-old mare ran at this level a month ago over this track and finished fourth, but was beaten just 2.5 lengths, so a similar effort puts her right there at a price. From the No. 2 post, she should get a ground-saving trip and get first run on the other closers. Wager: Win and Place.”
Saratoga Race No. 9 (5:45 p.m./2:45 p.m. PT)
Dave Tuley likes #3 Mid Day Image (30-1 morning line) in the Grade 3, $175,000 Kelso Stakes. “With all due respect to my friend, John Lauro (below), I’m trying to beat the chalk in the Kelso and believe this longshot has a shot to steal this on the front end at 1 mile on the turf. This 7-year-old is being overlooked (shhh!) as he’s stepping up in class. #5 Big Everest certainly has a lot of 1’s in his running line and could spoil things for us, but I’m hoping that Mid Day Image’s sprinter speed lets him control the pace and play ‘catch me if you can.’ Wager: Win and Place.”
Saratoga Races No. 9-10 (5:45 p.m. ET/2:45 p.m. PT)
John Lauro likes #2 Annapolis (8-5 morning line) in Race 9, the Grade 3 Kelso Stakes, and #9 Gold Sweep (3-5 morning line) in Race 10, the Grade 3 Sanford Stakes. “We have two beautiful stakes at Saratoga on Saturday with the Kelso and Sanford. I wish I had more imagination here, but I think Annapolis is the class of the field in the Kelso, and Gold Sweep won by nine lengths last time and looks to be a colt with a big-time future. I highly recommend a strong Win bet on both and a strong Daily Double with 2-9.”
