Horse Racing - Saturday
DiscreetCat
Moderator
Saratoga - Race 2
#9 Cowboy Cal (4/1 ml)
Pletcher has been ice-cold with 2yo firsters @ Saratoga, not just recently but going back a couple of years now. That being said, this colt worked heads-up with the older stakes winner King of the Roxy on Aug 12. He came back with a bullet move from the gate (59.0) in his most recent drill. Looks like he may be a good one.
#9 Cowboy Cal (4/1 ml)
Pletcher has been ice-cold with 2yo firsters @ Saratoga, not just recently but going back a couple of years now. That being said, this colt worked heads-up with the older stakes winner King of the Roxy on Aug 12. He came back with a bullet move from the gate (59.0) in his most recent drill. Looks like he may be a good one.
Comments
19 for 57 (33%)
$184.20 mutuels ($9.69 avg)
#8 Salzburg (5/1 ml)
Dutrow shipper dueled on a fast pace in his Monmouth debut, a race that compares pretty well with that of :La Traviata, who ran on the same card and figures to go favored in the Victory Ride Stakes today. Bejarano (who hits @ 24% for Dutrow) takes the call here, and Durow adds lasix this time, an angle he hits a whopping 37% with. He also hits 24% with second-time starters. Salzburg should definitely move forawrd here, and looks pretty tough.
Saratoga - Race 8
#1 EZ Warrior (6/1 ml)
This play is pretty dicey, but there should be good value here. EZ Warrior is without question the the most talented young sprinter around. It's just a matter of his current health. That's the only real concern (aside from the rail draw). He hit the shelf early this year and didn't return until just recently, when his was dropped straight into the Grade 1 Bing Crosby vs. some of the top older sprinters in the country. That was a definite sign that he was doing okay (probably better than okay), but i got some mixed signals as he reportedly hadn't been looking so hot in his training. It's possible he just didn't like the polytrack. His flame-job in the Bing Crosby proved nothing, because he nearly fell down coming out of the gate and lost all chance right there. He never made a move thereafter, but it's certainly understandble, and again he may not have liked the polytrack to begin with. Regarding today's race, Baffert again shows confidence by shipping him cross-country for another Grade 1, despite his poor effort last time. And Baffert has already won with two California shippers at the meet (Maimonides and More Happy), one of them in a stakes race. For his part, EZ Warrior recorded a bullet drill over the Saratoga surface on Aug 15, so he may well be okay. It's impossible to determine. Bottom line though, he figures to be largely ignored off his terrible race last time, and if this horse is indeed healthy, he's capable of winning this race very impressively. At today's price, he's worth the risk.
Salzburg went off @ 5/1 and ran out.
EZ Warrior went off @ 9/1 and ran third.
Pretty lousy start to the day. I do have one i like quite a bit @ Del Mar that i'll be posting shortly. Hopefully i'll have better luck there...
Do you think only one pick at Del Mar today? Thanks in advance.
Del Mar - Race 7
#8 Premium Quality (8/1 ml)
Sahadi firster has shown a lot of talent in the mornings (over the poly), the last two drills with today's jockey Migliore abaord. Note the Mig's nice 29% win percentage for a trainer who has only won 4 races all year (but is very capable with good stock). His last workout (a 3-furlong blowout on Aug 22) was unreported, which should always be construed as a positive with first-time starters. Looking for a big run out of this one...