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Selections For: Saturday, August 26, 2017
Saratoga (Travers Day) Selections
SATURDAY, AUGUST 26
SPOT PLAYS
SARATOGA
Race 11 – Travers Stakes
#10 Irap
Plus play an exacta box w/ #6 Girvin
#10 Irap might not be the flashiest horse in this race against a field that contains the Derby, Preakness, and Belmont winners, but he’s quietly putting together a better season than all of them and is the horse to beat in the Travers Stakes at 8-1 morning-line odds. Blue Grass winner flopped in the Derby but has improved through the 3YO season, reeling off back-to-back wins in the Ohio and Indiana Derbies in efforts that look even better not that Girvin, whom he beat, has already come back to win the Haskell. Good tactical speed running style and let’s face it, a different horse has won every one of the key 3YO races this year. Now it’s Irap’s turn, and he’s ready to score the upset.
Play in exacta box w/ #6 Girvin, who is was apparently underrated all season long but came into his own last time out when winning the $1 million Haskell at Monmouth in impressive fashion. He’s peaking now, so when the pace starts to collapse in the Travers, Girvin will be motoring late, giving him the edge for outlasting the horses exiting Triple Crown victories who already peaked earlier in the season.
Race 13
#6 Mohican
Ran nice efforts in key races in turf routes as a 2-year-old, and now looms a sneaky grow-up play in the third race back as a 3-year-old following a long layoff. Needed the first off the layoff, which was a prep race, and the other recent loss here was on the dirt. Many supporters will bail out based on those defeats despite two excuses, and many more will abandon ship along with Jose Ortiz, who goes to a rival in this race. However, Rosario was this horse’s regular rider and returns today for what figures to be this horse’s “A” effort. Never entered down this low in class on the turf, and any horse that runs a 76 turf Beyer speed figure in October as a 2YO can be good enough to upset this questionable field at bargain morning line odds of 8-1.
FULL CARD SELECTIONS
SATURDAY, AUGUST 26
SARATOGA
RACE 1
1 – #8 Good Magic 5-2
2 – #2 Hazit 3-1
3 – #5 Road to Meath 7-2
RACE 2
1 – #5 Kabang 15-1
2 – #7 Richmond Street 6-1
3 – #9 Focus Group 3-1
RACE 3
1 – #8 Strike Me Down 5-1
2 – #2 Chirping 12-1
3 – #10 Neepawa 5-2
RACE 4
1 – #4 Threefiveindia 5-2
2 – #5 Angry Moon 12-1
3 – #9 Stickstatelydude 3-1
RACE 5
1 – #7 Tathqeef 6-1
2 – #5 Derby Champagne 12-1
3 – #4 Cloontia 3-1
RACE 6 – Personal Ensign
1 – #2 Songbird 2-5
2 – #3 Going For Broke 5-1
3 – #4 Forever Unbridled 7-2
RACE 7 – Ballerina
1 – #3 Paulassilverlining 2-1
2 – #6 Distinta 8-1
3 – #2 Curlin’s Approval 4-1
RACE 8 – Allen Jerkens Memorial (formerly King’s Bishop)
1 – #9 American Anthem 2-1
2 – #1 Practical Joke 5-2
3 – #7 Coal Front 4-1
RACE 9 – The Forego
1 – #6 Mind Your Biscuits 3-1
2 – #10 Drefong 5-2
3 – #4 Dinining Rod 5-1
RACE 10 – Sword Dancer
1 – #5 Money Multiplier 7-2
2 – #6 Erupt 3-1
3 – #7 Idaho 2-1
RACE 11 – Travers
1 – #10 Irap 8-1
2 – #6 Girvin 10-1
3 – #9 McCraken 12-1
4 – #7 Always Dreaming 6-1
RACE 12 – Ballston Spa
1 – #1 Ladi Eli 4-5 BEST BET
2 – #5 Antonoe 3-1
3 – #6 Dickinson 6-1
RACE 13
1 – #6 Mohican 8-1
2 – #4 Prognostication 3-1
3 – #11 Here Comes Your Man 5-1
4 – #12 Wingman 8-1