Pick 3 of the Week: Saratoga Saturday, July 11

The Pick 3 of the Week will come from Saratoga on Saturday, where a pair of Grade 2 tilts will highlight the card. 

Race 5 Wager

$1 Pick 3: 3,4,6 with 3,5,6,7 with 1,2 ($24)

Race 5 – Caress (G2)

A cast of six fillies and mares will jaunt 5 1/2 panels on the lawn to commence the sequence. #3 Italian Soiree (7-2) is a Grade 3 winner on the course and finished a strong second behind a loose-on-the-lead winner in the Intercontinental (G2) in her latest showing. The Graham Motion pupil runs her best on this surface and could surely be the one beneath Dylan Davis. 

The Kent Sweezey-trained #4 Sunna (2-1) is unbeaten in four career runs on the grass and has to be included as the likely pacesetter in the heat under Joel Rosario. #6 In Our Time (5-2), winner of the Giant’s Causeway (G2) at Keeneland two prior, will track the pace from second early on and will be tough to deny if she performs at her best. 

Race 6 – Maiden Special Weight

A full field of New York-bred two-year-old fillies will vie in the middle leg, contested at 5 1/2 furlongs on the dirt. Trainer George Weaver always has his juveniles ready to roll at this meeting, and he will send out #3 Luck Penny (8-1). The McKinzie homebred is kin to a juvenile graduate and looks to be training well ahead of her unveiling. Jose Lezcano will be up. 

#5 Early and Often (8-1) is by sharp freshman sire Early Voting and appears to be working well for Mark Hennig. The bay will have John Velazquez in the stirrups. Joe Sharp’s #6 Uptown Rosie (6-1) brought $300,000 in May and will be a tough beat if she runs to her price tag. The lone sibling to the Epicenter filly that has run has graduated as a two-year-old. Trainer Brad Cox will saddle #7 D’muehl (5-1) for her first offering. The daughter of 18% debut sire Army Mule will have Jaime Rodriguez aboard. 

Race 7 – Optional Claiming

The one-mile inner turf test attracted nine to run on the green in the closing piece. #2 Unit Economics (5-2) will make his first appearance since February of 2025 for trainer Chad Brown. The Showcasing gelding has flashed a lot of potential in his lightly raced career, including a solid allowance second in his lone try at The Spa. Flavien Prat will take the reins. 

The lightly raced #1 Starship Titan (10-1) comes off the layoff and gets the rail for Michelle Nevin. The five-year-old son of Not This Time beat a pair of nice ones to close out 2025 at a big price, and I don’t think that it was a fluke. The gelding showed marked improvement moving to the grass second time out and still has a lot of room for growth. Reylu Gutierrez has the assignment.