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Saratoga 2nd Race – Post: 1:44 ET. Degree of confidence: B+
Top Selection: 7-Letter Perfect.
Other Contenders: none.
Forecast: Letter Perfect finally makes it to the races in August of his 3-year-old, and if he’s the same colt that we saw breeze so impressively in the OBS 2023 March Sale he’ll be a major player in this turf sprint for older maidens. The son of Audible has local drills that aren’t flashy but hint of ability similar to what he displayed when previewing in :10 flat before bringing $425,000 through the ring. Trainer Christophe Clement has started off slowly at the Spa this year and is due to heat up, especially with a live first timer that’s always been a high percentage play for this stable. We’ll back this good moving, athletic colt in the win pool and in the various despite the late surface switch from turf to dirt.
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Saratoga 9th race – Post: 5:45 ET. Degree of confidence: B+
Top Selection: 5-Eternal Hope (Ire).
Other Contenders: 3-Chop Chop.
Forecast: Eternal Hope (GB) has been away since last October when she registered a solid victory facing sophomore fillies in the Sands Point S.-G2 at nine furlongs at the Big A. She’s proven she can handle a marathon trip as well, having won across the pond last year at this 12 furlong journey in the Oaks Trial S. at Lingfield on synthetic. From the spectacular Charlie Appleby stable, the daughter of Teofilo has been training locally for several weeks to have her fit and ready and has proven quite capable of firing a big shot fresh (she won her debut) while also capturing the Jockey Club Oaks Inv.-G3 in her U.S. debut fresh off the plane from Great Britain. If she returns as well as she left – and her breeze July 26 over the Saratoga turf training track (5f, 1:00.3b TC TT) was spectacular besting European Group-2 stakes winner English Rose (Ire) – the Irish-bred filly should outclass this field under F. Prat.
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