Player Quick Pick: Saratoga late Pick 4 for 8/11/2014
by Andrew Champagne
We close another week of racing at Saratoga with Monday's nine-race card. Even so, while the pool size might be a bit smaller, the late Pick Four sequence is no easier to hit. Here's my $48 stab.
RACE #6: This is a maiden claimer, and I'm taking a stand against the favorite. I'm going four-deep, using #1 Alexneed (4-1), #2 Byron's Pop (6-1), #4 Gentrify (10-1), and #5 Bird Now (3-1). Bird Now is probably the most likely winner, as he adds blinkers and drops down in class off a pretty fast race earlier this meet.
#6 Forest Boy (2-1) is favored, and I'm not sure why. The gelding is
0-for-12 lifetime and has all the makings of a horse that just doesn't win. I'm more than happy to take a stand against him, and if he beats me, he beats me.
RACE #7: Here we have a turf sprint for older fillies and mares, and this one is also pretty wide-open. I went four-deep here, using #2 Thisdanseistaken (7/2), #3 Chelsea Road (4-1), #4 Be My Love (3-1), and #8 Persnickity (8-1).
I went with Thisdanseistaken on top, though not by much. She's a consistent mare with six wins and 12 top-three finishes in 17 lifetime starts. That includes five wins in 13 tries at today's 5 1/2-furlong distance, and I like that she doesn't need the lead to win, which is always a plus at this route.
RACE #8: Our feature is the inaugural Tenski Stakes for fillies going a mile on grass. This wound up being a pretty cool race, and I'm going three-deep, using #2 Sweet Acclaim (3-1), #3 Walk Close (5/2), and #9 Hillhouse High (4-1).
Chad Brown is loaded here, as he's got Sweet Acclaim and Hillhouse High. I went with the former on top. She ran a good race in the Grade
2 Lake George and was beaten just two lengths. Joel Rosario hops on, there figures to be some pace here, and she should be moving in the right direction late.
RACE #9: We close the card with a maiden claimer for older horses going short on the grass. I'm using both #5 Spa City Treasure (8-1) and #7 Eternal Bull (5/2).
Eternal Bull has shown a ton of early speed in his two turf starts against better horses. He drops in for a tag for the first time here, and I don't think any of these horses can run with him early.
Meanwhile, Spa City Treasure has demonstrated a solid late kick, and while he's lightly-raced, trainer Rick Violette can get them ready off the bench, and he's a solid price at 8-1.
We close another week of racing at Saratoga with Monday's nine-race card. Even so, while the pool size might be a bit smaller, the late Pick Four sequence is no easier to hit. Here's my $48 stab.
RACE #6: This is a maiden claimer, and I'm taking a stand against the favorite. I'm going four-deep, using #1 Alexneed (4-1), #2 Byron's Pop (6-1), #4 Gentrify (10-1), and #5 Bird Now (3-1). Bird Now is probably the most likely winner, as he adds blinkers and drops down in class off a pretty fast race earlier this meet.
#6 Forest Boy (2-1) is favored, and I'm not sure why. The gelding is
0-for-12 lifetime and has all the makings of a horse that just doesn't win. I'm more than happy to take a stand against him, and if he beats me, he beats me.
RACE #7: Here we have a turf sprint for older fillies and mares, and this one is also pretty wide-open. I went four-deep here, using #2 Thisdanseistaken (7/2), #3 Chelsea Road (4-1), #4 Be My Love (3-1), and #8 Persnickity (8-1).
I went with Thisdanseistaken on top, though not by much. She's a consistent mare with six wins and 12 top-three finishes in 17 lifetime starts. That includes five wins in 13 tries at today's 5 1/2-furlong distance, and I like that she doesn't need the lead to win, which is always a plus at this route.
RACE #8: Our feature is the inaugural Tenski Stakes for fillies going a mile on grass. This wound up being a pretty cool race, and I'm going three-deep, using #2 Sweet Acclaim (3-1), #3 Walk Close (5/2), and #9 Hillhouse High (4-1).
Chad Brown is loaded here, as he's got Sweet Acclaim and Hillhouse High. I went with the former on top. She ran a good race in the Grade
2 Lake George and was beaten just two lengths. Joel Rosario hops on, there figures to be some pace here, and she should be moving in the right direction late.
RACE #9: We close the card with a maiden claimer for older horses going short on the grass. I'm using both #5 Spa City Treasure (8-1) and #7 Eternal Bull (5/2).
Eternal Bull has shown a ton of early speed in his two turf starts against better horses. He drops in for a tag for the first time here, and I don't think any of these horses can run with him early.
Meanwhile, Spa City Treasure has demonstrated a solid late kick, and while he's lightly-raced, trainer Rick Violette can get them ready off the bench, and he's a solid price at 8-1.
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