The summer at Saratoga has come and gone with just one more shot in 2025 to tackle past performances at the historic upstate New York racetrack. This means not only a mandatory payout in the Pick 6 with a carryover of $165,580, but also a second crack at $2,500 in 1/ST BET and Xpressbet’s closing weekend Late Pick 4 Hit & Split. Just connect on the sequence over the final four races of the meet and collect your share of the $2500 big ones. As always, remember to register for the promotion.
Grade Descriptions: Grade A=Highest degree of confidence; Grade B=Solid Play. Grade C=Least preferred or pass; Grade X=probable winner but likely at odds too short to play.
Race 8:
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 3 Celtic Charm; 8 Louise Charm
Backups: 9 Parkland Angel
Forecast: The pace should be honest in this first-level allowance for fillies and mares over the inner turf. This bodes well for 5-2-ML favorite #9 Parkland Angel and 4-1-second choice #8 Louise Charm. Both have the right running style to take advantage of the likely race shape and are in with significant chances, but so is #3 Celtic Charm. The Justify filly came back off a 19-month break on July 19 and shook off the rust going 1 3/16-miles for new trainer Bill Mott. The Resolute Racing runner then cut back to this distance on August 3 and finished off the board again, but the race was not kind to those that seeking to come from off the pace. She draws favorably in her third start off the lengthy layoff and should be a big price to kick things off.
Race 9:
Grade: C
Main Ticket: 3 Romeo; 5 Buetane
Backups: None
Forecast: Trainer Bob Baffert has won a lot of Grade 1’s and a lot of 2YO races throughout his Hall of Fame career, but never the Hopeful (G1). Baffert hopes to do so this afternoon with $1.15M OBS April 2025 purchase #5 Buetane. The Tiz the Law colt won for fun at 1 to 5 in his debut at Del Mar on August 3. I am not sure what he beat that day, but he did enough to deserve a chance to take on tougher cross-country. He is an obvious major threat as is #3 Romeo. The Maryland-bred made three starts for former trainer Jerry Robb, including a dominant win when we saw him race last in the Bashford Manor in late June. Since then, the son of Honor Code sold for a massive $1.7M at the FTK Horses of Racing Age sale and now appears in the Steve Asmussen barn. I expect him to run huge.
Race 10:
Grade: B+
Main Ticket: 4 Cairo Caper; 11 Thirteen Colonies
Backups: 10 Versus
Forecast: Hopefully, I can separate from the public some in this restricted $135k stake for 3YOs which have not won a stake in 2025 where in a vaccum I like #11 Thirteen Colonies most. The Lindy Farms colt ran huge last out in a first-level allowance to finish second to Simulate. The outside draw is not ideal, nor is the amount of speed signed on to his inside, but he has talent and is capable of overcoming the tricky outside draw. That said, this afternoon I prefer #4 Cairo Caper. The Cairo Prince gelding makes his third start of the form cycle for trainer Phil Schonethal after being caught wide in the Secretariat (G2) at Colonial Downs on a day where the rail was the place to be. Prior to that, he ran as well as the winner in the Penn Mile (G3), but again was caught wide while the winner was able to work out a much more favorable voyage. He has to prove it to an extent still, but he gets a rider upgrade to Luis Saez and is listed at 15-1 on David Aragona’s morning line. If he gets the pace to run at that I expect, he should be finishing well at a big price.
Race 11:
Grade: B-
Main Ticket: 3 Twolatebabydoll; 1 Loveontheleftbank
Backups: None
Forecast: One could argue that #3 Twolatebabydoll should have won her last start, but I am for the most part willing to forgive the fact she was run down late since she was up much closer to the pace than the two fillies that rolled by her in the final strides. Plus, the winner of that race Peak Hype is a pretty serious filly despite being just 1 for 3 thus far. The Al Stall Jr. trainee looms the one to beat in the meet finale, but I will also include North American invader #1 Loveontheleftbank. It has been a memorable summer for trainer Miguel Clement and he legs up Irad Ortiz Jr. on this daughter of Invicible Spirit. It seems fitting that Irad and Miguel would win one together here to close out the summer.
Thanks for following my work all summer in New York and best of luck on closing day!!
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