FRIDAY,
AUGUST 21
SPOT PLAYS
SARATOGA
Race 6
#1 Lashara
No dice last
time out in a very tough ambitious spot in the Grade 2 Lake Placid, and
actually wasn’t embarrassed in that spot because she was in it most of the way
until tiring in the late stages at 1 1/8 miles. Slight cutback to 1 1/16 miles
today works to this horse’s advantage, and this filly figures to be the horse
to beat based on the turf maiden win at Gulfstream followed by the solid allowance
second two races ago at Belmont. Trainer Mark Casse annually does poorly in the
first half of the Saratoga meet, and then heats up the second half of the
season with horses making their second Spa starts.
Race 9
#3 Micromillion
Plus play exacta box w/#8 Kilkea
#3
Micromillion goes out for trainer Todd Pletcher, who continues to be red-hot at
the Saratoga meet with 18 wins for a 27% win percentage. This horse ran well in
career turn debut last time out for her best-ever speed figure, and she figures
to improve further today in this second race off the five-month layoff.
Finished in the money in all 5 career starts, including 4 seconds, and four of
those finishes were against maiden special weights. Value odds on the morning
line at 9-2.
Play in
exacta box with #8 Kilkea, who ran a good grass debut last time out, switching
from dirt to turf and running her career-best effort to finish second at this
level with a solid speed figure. Switches away from the Bruce Brown barn in a
positive move to Mark Hennig. Should once again be no worse than second.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 21
SARATOGA
RACE 1
1 – #6 Advanced Strategy 9-5
2 – #7 Silver Token 2-1
3 – #4 Striking Causeway 9-2
RACE 2
1 – #2 Ashiham 8-5
2 – #5 The Angry Man 9-5
3 – #6 Lucky Asset 7-2
RACE 3
1 – #5 Fauci 8-5
2 – #6 Golden Pal 3-5
3 – #4 Sky’s Not Falling 5-1
RACE 4
1 – #3 Seven Seven 5-1
2 – #4 Eagle Orb 2-1
3 – #8 Citizen K 5-2
RACE 5
1 – #4 Propensity 4-1
2 – #7 Standup 9-5
3 – #8 Knockout Punch 20-1
RACE 6
1 – #2 Eye of a Solider 7-2
2 – #1 Lashara 6-1
3 – #6 Princess Caroline 6-5
RACE 7
1 – #3 Jump For Joy 9-5 Best bet
2 – #4 I’ll Take the Cake 3-1
3 – #7 Dovey Lovey 15-1
RACE 8
1 – #9 Crack Shot 3-1
2 – #8 Noble Emotion 5-1
3 – #2 Adios Amigos 12-1
RACE 9
1 – #3 Micromillion 9-2
2 – #8 Kilkea 5-1
3 – #6 Gaelic Gold 8-5
4 – #7 Kept Waiting 5-2
