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Saratoga 1st Race – Post: 1:10 ET. Degree of confidence: B+
Top Selection: 2-Lady Pink
Other Contenders: 4-Two Sharp.
Forecast: Lady Pink has done some very good work in the morning leading up to her racing debut and this $700,000 Saratoga yearling purchase should be plenty fit for a top performance first crack out of the box. She’s a 2-year-old with plenty of zip, so if she leaves cleanly it wouldn’t be surprising to see her on or near the lead throughout. The C. Brown barn has solid stats with debut runners, so with “go-to” jockey F. Prat taking the call there is much in her favor at 3-1 on the morning line.
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Saratoga 8th race – Post: 5:10 ET. Degree of confidence: B+
Top Selection: 3-Zverev.
Other Contenders: none.
Forecast: By all rights, Zverev should have (or at least could have) won his last three starts and in fact did capture two of those, a stylish maiden race three runs back and then last time a loaded allowance affair with a pace pressing trip that produced a career top speed figure. He was off the board two runs back, beaten less than five lengths, but suffered a brutal trip that cost him all chance. This step up to the Grade-2 level surely will test him, but this sophomore son of Oscar Performance is a highly progressive colt and could easily be this good. Regular rider J. Ortiz stays aboard for C. DeVaux and in a race without too much projected pace he should be able to draft into a cozy stalking spot and have every chance from the quarter pole home. We’ll make him an excellent gamble at 4-1 on the morning line.
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