SATURDAY,
AUGUST 8
SARATOGA
SPOT PLAYS
Race 7 – The Ballerina
#1 Serengeti Empress
Multiple
graded stakes winner of the Kentucky Oaks also ran a big second here at
Saratoga last year in the Grade 1 Test Stakes at today’s distance of 7F. This
horse generally runs further, but clearly has the speed and ability to be
effective at 7F based on her effort here last year in the Test. Tired in defeat
last time out at Churchill in the G2 Fleur de Lis behind champion Midnight
Bisou, but used that as a prep and will be ready to roll today.
Race 11 – The Travers
#11 Tiz the Law
Plus
play exacta box w/#3 Uncle Chuck
#11 Tiz the Law is the Kentucky Derby favorite who
will be getting his final Derby prep and an important test at the 1 ¼-mile
distance. Belmont winner Tiz the Law continues to dominate good fields and
faces more up-and-coming 3yos today, but looks better and faster than these and
would need to throw in a total clunker in order to lose. The connections are
Saratoga-based and value the Travers, so there’s no chance they would gear the
horse down and use the race as a prep.
Play in exacta box with #3 Uncle Chuck, who invades for
trainer Bob Baffert, and is the logical choice to round out a chalky Travers
exacta this year. Baffert has had some hard times this year but has rebounded
in a big way the last week or two with repeated high-profile victories. He won’t
ship a horse from the west coast to Saratoga for no reason, he’s here because
he thinks he’s at least good enough to run second to the favorite. Uncle Chuck
won big last time at 1 1/8 miles in the Los Alamitos Derby in an effort that
looks even better now that the runner-up horse that day, Thousand Words,
returned to win the Shared Belief Stakes at Del Mar in his next start.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 8
SARATOGA
RACE 1
1 –
#1 Glynn County 8-1
2 –
#4 Bay Street Money 3-1
3 –
#3 Doswell 9-5
RACE 2
1 –
#1 Lil Commissioner 7-5
2 – #3
Shalako 2-1
3 –
#4 Hammerin Aamer 9-2
RACE 3
1 –
#9 Light in the Sky 6-5
2 –
#7 Graetz 12-1
3 –
#3 Risky Mischief 4-1
4 –
#4 Ava K’s Girl 5-1
RACE 4
1 –
#8 Golden Spear 5-2
2 –
#3 Field of Courage 8-1
3 –
#5 Hieroglyphics 7-5
RACE 5
1 –
#7 Mutasaabeq 1-1
2 –
#5 Guana Cay 6-1
3 –
#6 Bottle Rocket Man 2-1
RACE 6
1 –
#1 Secret Potion 5-2
2 –
#3 American Monarch 5-1
3 –
#10 Fire at Will 10-1
RACE 7
1 –
#1 Serengeti Empress 5-2
2 –
#4 Bellafina 9-5
3 –
#7 Come Dancing 3-1
RACE 8
1 –
#4 Shecky Shebaz 5-2
2 –
#5 Pure Sensation 3-1
3 –
#7 Chewing Gum 9-2
RACE 9
1 –
#1 Mrs. Sippy 6-5
2 –
#4 My Sister Nat 2-1
3 –
#7 Fool’s Gold 5-1
RACE 10
1 –
#5 Gamine 3-5 Best
Bet
2 –
#3 Mrs. Danvers 8-1
3 –
#6 Venetian Harbor 8-5
RACE 11
1 –
#6 Tiz the Law 1-1
2 –
#3 Uncle Chuck 5-2
3 –
#4 Max Player 6-1
4 –
#7 Caracaro 10-1
RACE 12
1 – #7
Tiny Magoo 8-1
2 –
#3 Blitchton Lady 4-2
3 –
#1 Bella Domenica 8-1
4 –
#9 Bankers Beast 9-2
