The new racing week at Saratoga Race Course begins in style since no horseplayers were able to piece together the $1 Pick 6 on Sunday afternoon. This leaves us with $192,498 in the traditional Pick 6 heading into a nine-race Wednesday card that begins with a steeplechase stakes event. The big money sequence kicks off shortly before 3PM eastern with Race 4. Here are a few horses I consider must uses over the final six races.
Race 6:
This full-field auction-restricted MSW event for 2YO fillies sprinting over the grass is likely to test Pick 6 players quite a bit that make it through the first two legs. A number of first-time starters have good chances, but I like a filly with experience most. #8 Sweet Grace was scratched off the also-eligible list in a similar spot on Sunday afternoon, but lands squarely in the body of this group. The Candy Ride filly was beaten out of the gate on debut on July 16, but showed professionalism from there relaxing kindly along the inside with a mid-pack position in the early stages. She put in a run trying to get to the easy winner that day, but tired mid-stretch and ended up finishing fifth. Trainer James Ryerson is 3 for 11 at the Spa dating back to the start of July with a massive $10.27 ROI and sends out a gal that holds the experience edge against the majority of her rivals. If she can find a better position early on, I expect jockey Christopher Elliott to make a strong run late at a fair ML price.
Play: #8 Sweet Grace (6-1 ML)
Picks: 8-4-5
Race 7:
This full-field state-bred MSW event for 2YOs over the main track is not much easier for horizontal players given the fact the 12 runners entered in the main body have three total races under their belt. Once again, I will endorse one of those with experience #4 In the Queue. The daughter of Honest Mischief drew in off the AE list for her debut last month, so she was drawn to the far outside with Dylan Davis in the saddle. In the Queue broke well and was right off the pace early on, but while being caught wide throughout. She battled with two rivals to her inside before understandably tiring badly late. Now, she returns to the races with a favorable start under her belt where she flashed good early speed, moves to an inside post, and attracts a better front-end rider for her second try in Luis Saez. Saez should have her involved early and hopefully tough to catch late at a square 8-1-ML offering.
Play: #4 In the Queue (8-1 ML)
Picks: 4-5-10
Race 8:
The Wednesday feature is this first-level allowance at 1 1/8-miles over the main track where I do not expect the pace to be too fast in the early stages. #3 Higher Force might be the aggressor, but #2 Hidden Rose should find a favorable prominent position on the backstretch like she did out of the Wilson chute on July 9. The Connect filly has yet to compete at nine-furlongs over the dirt, but finished strong two-back in a true two-turn race at Finger Lakes before a solid runner-up effort to heavy favorite Soaring High on July 9. The probable trip plus her ability to show tactical speed and still get the distance make her my top choice in the penultimate leg of sequence.
Play: #2 Hidden Rose (3-1 ML)
Picks: 2-1-7
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