Three winners on Saratoga’s “firm” inner turf course last Saturday rallied from fifth, seventh and eighth going a route of ground. Speed abounds in the featured Grade 2 National Museum Racing Hall of Fame Stakes on Friday, a good sign for a $30 Pick 3 ticket below that hinges on two runners who figure to pounce on the lively pace.
SAR 6th race (4:02 p.m. EST) -- SCHWARZENEGGER’S quest to pay off on a $950,000 sales buy begins in a 5-1/2F turf sprint against mostly first-time starters. The son of Not This Time, the No.3-ranked sire in progeny turf earnings this year, is working fast on the Saratoga turf training track and in the capable hands of trainer Wesley Ward, who is 39-for-132 with debut 2-year-olds the last three years. From 52 first-time grass starters in that same sample size, 30 were dismissed at 2-1 odds or less. Lead off the Pick 3 with a solo play on SCHWARZENEGGER.
SAR 7th race (4:36 p.m. EST) -- The featured Grade 2 $400,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame drew eight entrants on the inner turf course, which has produced seven winners at less than 5-1 odds and one wire-to-wire winner from the first nine grass routes at the meet. LUTHER, a stakes-winning miler in Europe, was urged from the gate in his U.S. debut at 1-1/8 miles but ‘kicked on belatedly’ nonetheless while 6-wide entering the stretch to just miss the place spot. He gets Rosario to ride and gets plenty of pace to rally into at a good price. ZULU KINGDOM arrived in the U.S. in August after a debut victory in France. He kept his busy travel schedule, visiting five tracks in six starts and winning four graded stakes on the lawn, three in photo finishes and the Grade 1 American Turf at Churchill Downs on soft footing. He projects a perfect stalking trip in his bid to become a three-time graded stakes winner at Saratoga and racing’s newest millionaire.
SAR 8th race (5:10 p.m. EST) -- Going 5-deep and upping the Pick 3 ticket cost to $3 in this $30,000 maiden claimer to close the sequence. OMAHA PISTOL, the beaten favorite in his last two starts, seeks a duplicate of the 7F race from which he was claimed three starts back. He set the pace and earned the top speed figure in today’s field, but settled for second best behind Consider It Done, who won a $50,000 claimer next out by 3 lengths. Well-traveled AMERICAN LITIGATOR makes his first start on the main track for Maryland-based trainer Phillip Capuano and his first against New York breds. He advanced 5-wide on the first turn from post 11 going a route of ground two back but back-pedaled in the lane. COME FULL CIRCLE was 6-wide under urging at the 3/8 pole in his only long sprint attempt on dirt in MSW company. That debut race produced New York Derby winner Train The Trainer (3-4, $260k) and two next-out runners-up with 78 and 70 Beyer speed figures, respectively. In a rare opportunity to get a Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained runner at a big price, use once-beaten THE SAINT on the ticket. AETHERIUM gets Lasix and also gets a longshot call in his debut in a field that has combined for 76 starts, with only nine seconds to show for it.
Suggested $3 Pick 3
SAR 7th Race: 4
SAR 8th Race: 2, 7
SAR 9th Race: 1, 2, 4, 5, 9
Cost: $30
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