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View Full Version : Saratoga: Wednesday, August 31


Teach
08-31-2016, 09:55 AM
Race One:

“You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din!” :2: Rudyard K gets my tepid, lukewarm nod in this steeplechase allowance. Yes, this well-named Kipling-bred gelding hasn’t completed the last two steeplechase events he’s contested. Yet, if you go back in time – say two to three years – this Gulch-bred was competing quite nicely, thank you, hitting the board with regularity. Which Rudyard K do we get? If he shows flashes of his back-class (this gelding won at Saratoga two years ago)… His trainer, Todd Wyatt, does well with horses making their second start off a layoff. A solid turf reinsman, Jack Doyle, is in the irons. Others: :3: , :1: , :4:

Race Two:

:1a: Musical Comedy now drops in for a tag (suspicious) after his two MSW tries last year at “The Big A”. Have his connections had second thoughts about this Distorted Humor-bred’s potential? This chestnut colt get a huge rider switch to Javier Castellano. Yes, this 3 year-old has been away from the races for more than eight months; his morning work-tab has been nuthin to write home about. Well, this colt does have an ace-in-the-hole in the person of the meet’s leading trainer, “Mechanicsville Chad” Brown (Did you know that Mechanicsville, by area, is smaller than one square mile; it’s the smallest city in the state of New York). What that has to do with racing I don’t know. Others: :5: , :6: , :3:

Race Three:

:3: Stony Brook gets my nod in this maiden-claiming turf sprint. This Smarty Jones-bred gelding ships in from Monmouth where he was last seen finishing 5th in an MSW sprint on the main. His connections now decide to try him on the grass. He does have a reasonable amount of turf pedigree, both on the top and the bottom. This Elusive Quality-bred gelding’s trainer, Jason Servis, is having a solid “Spa” meet; he does particularly well with “shippers”. Yet, quite frankly, Servis’s first-time grass stats are just mediocre. Irad’s in the irons. The gelding’s dam had two winners from five starters; one was a turf winner. Others: :10: , :8: , :9:

Race Four:

:5: Cousin Stephen is my pick in this 9-panels claiming route. This Proud Citizen-bred, Tom Amoss-trained 5 year-old horse has been facing better, yet with little success. This Gone West-bred now drops down a field which he should be able to handle. “El Hombre Agresivo,” (The Aggressive Man), Ricardo Santana, Jr. is in the irons. Finally, Although this horse has been in a slump, this race might just be the wake-up call that puts him and his connections in the winner’s circle. Others: :3: , :1: , :2:

Race Five:

:5: Latigo Trail ships in from Monmouth where, in his last race, he defeated similar company, 25k claimers. Paco Lopez reprises the ride for trainer Bruce Brown, who, quite candidly, is having a mediocre meet. This Freud-bred gelding has hit the tote in 8 out of his eleven turf tries. This Storm Cat-bred may well be “on the engine”. My only concern: Is that added half-panel off his last win “a bridge too far”? Oh, this gelding has been on the shelf for over a month and one-half and, I might add, his morning work-tab has been lackluster. Others: :7: , :10: , :2:

Race Six:

:6: Unchartered Course had gate-trouble in his last; that compromised any chance this Chris Englehart trainee had of winning (he actually finished 10th and last). This Noonmark-bred now takes a class drop and meets a field he’s capable of handling. Manny Franco is in the irons for a trainer who does very with horses making dirt starts. Others: :3: , :5: , :7:

Race Seven:

:6: Late Night Mark is a medium longshot try in this one mile and a ‘teenth claiming grass route. Jockey Manny Franco may well have this Irish-bred out and winging when the gates open; he’ll likely be playing catch me if you can. My only concern is that this 5 year-old gelding has been away from the races for a many a moon. In addition, this George Weaver trainee’s morning work-tab has been nothing to shout about. Yet, if reasonably ready (Weaver’s a solid trainer), this gelding is most capable of gracing the winner’s circle. Others: :10: , :3: , :2:

Race Eight:

My pick in this turf allowance route is :4: Weather Girl. This daughter of Artie Schiller was last seen on the racetrack in mid-July downstate at Belmont finishing second in a similar race. This filly’s trainer, Hall of Famer, Steve Asmussen, does very well with horses that are making their third start off a layoff. This El Prado-bred bay had a solid recent morning work; she perambulated five panels in 1:01.4, handily. Irad Ortiz, Jr. is in the irons. Others: :5: , :7: , :9:

Race Nine:

:3: My Bo Chop ships in from Vichy, France to take part in today’s Grade II With Anticipation Stakes. This 2 year-old has shown that he can handle seven panels. This colt should be able to stretch out slightly more than one furlong here in this turf route. Monsieur Arnaud Delacour is this colt’s conditioner. Delacour does especially well with shippers. The veteran jock, Joe Bravo, is in the irons. Others: :4: , :7: , :2:

Race Ten:
In the finale, :1a: Woundwithhereyes, if she draws in from the AEs, is my pick in this 50k maiden-claiming sprint. This Rudy Rodriguez trainee showed little in her only start, a 50k MSW at Prx. In that one, this Broad Brush-bred, drew the disadvantageous for first-time starters number-one post and immediately spotted the field several lengths; she ended up finishing off the tote. This filly now gets a better post, if she draws in, and the services of Irad Ortiz, Jr. I should mention that this filly received a lot of attention from the betting public in her only start. Others: :10: , :6: , :2:

citygoat
08-31-2016, 12:39 PM
1 5
2 1
3 1
4 3
5 5
6 3
7 9
8 8
9 7
10 8

Teach
08-31-2016, 04:56 PM
In Race 8:

I like the looks of the following horses on the track: :4: , :3: , :7: . :10:

Teach
08-31-2016, 05:34 PM
Race Nine:

On The track, I was most impressed with the carriage of the :7:

Others who caught my eye: :8: , :3: , :2: , :4:

Teach
08-31-2016, 06:11 PM
Race Ten:

:8: made the best impression. Others: :13: , :3: , :1: , :5:

lamboguy
08-31-2016, 06:12 PM
--Saratoga race 10 #3 HEXAMETER

Teach
08-31-2016, 06:16 PM
Michelle Nevin is outstanding with maiden claimers