SARATOGA PICK 4
Friday, July 14
The threat of rain for the opening weekend at Saratoga could affect Friday’s featured $150,000 Coronation Cup and the 50-cent Late Pick 4. But either way, the puzzle could prove hard to solve with 20 entrants in the first two legs with a combined 23-89 ‘wet track’ record and several contentious main-track-only entrants in the two turf races to cap the sequence. Here’s a closer look:
SARATOGA RACE 7 (4:34PM ET)
FIRST DEPUTY is a live longshot in the opening leg off a fast-closing second two starts back at today’s distance. He finished first or second in 9 of 16 starts at 6F, drops below his claim level and gets plenty of pace to rally into. NO MORE TALK ranged up 3-wide to take command in a $25,000 sprint and held off First Deputy for a repeat victory as the favorite. HIGH TONE, no match for the 3-to-5 winner at Finger Lakes, projects an ideal trip and could factor at a big price with a move forward in his second start off the Diodoro claim.
SARATOGA RACE 8 (5:10PM ET)
DOT’S DOLLAR has blossomed for trainer Linda Rice, with a 4/2-1-1 allowance record and an average 91 Beyer. He returns on five-day’s rest but did run second in a double-key allowance sprint behind $318,000 earner Nova Rags on short rest in April. But with five entrants claimed out of their last start and the weather forecast, hit the ‘ALL’ button in here.
SARATOGA RACE 9 (5:10PM ET)
MY SWEET AFFAIR, an impressive debut winner on the turf, rallied to within a length of today’s morning-line favorite, LOVE REIGNS, in her second start, then closed 5-wide after a squeezed start in her most recent 5-1/2F grass stakes to finish second. She turned heads again with a :46.3 workout on the Saratoga lawn. LOVE REIGNS was shuffled on the backstretch, steadied in mid-turn and mid-stretch, and still surged inside to win her seasonal debut in the $208,000 Limestone Stakes at Keeneland. (Use MTO L Street Lady if the race comes off turf)
SARATOGA RACE 10 (6:18PM ET)
PENNER ASH can’t seem to string together two good races, which is a good sign as he returns to a proven distance off a sub-par performance with blinkers. He fits well on best and offers good value to the Pick 4 ticket. MY ROMEO LINA returns to his allowance-winning distance and should be a forward presence throughout on the class drop. He switches riders for the fourth consecutive start and it will be up to Jose Ortiz to get position from the outside post. (If the race comes off turf, use numbers 2, 7, 15 and 16)
MY .50 CENT PICK 4 TICKET
- RACE 7: 3, 4, 6
- RACE 8: ALL
- RACE 9: 1, 4 (Off turf = 1, 2, 4, 9)
- RACE 10: 2, 12 (Off turf = 2, 7, 15, 16)
- COST: $60
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