Saratoga: Track, how it's playing

[JustRalph]

I show that this week the track made a huge swing from one side of the coin, to the other in sprints only.......... I won't reveal what I think it's doing until later. Just wondered if anybody else saw a change........ ?

[Ocala Mike]

Just got back from a short trip to the Spa. Looks like the shift is to "speed from the rail, and you will not fail" in races less than 7f on the dirt.

Could easily change if the weather gets cold and rainy, as it often does up there after mid-August.


Ocala Mike

[ten2oneormore]

Baffert said "Saratoga main track was so deep today horse fell and injured my gallop boy.Might have to rethink travers" on Saturday




Works don't seem slow

Saturday 5 Furlong bullet was Sassy Image in 59.97 (1/32)
Sunday 5 furlong bullet was Uncle Mo in 1:00.34 (1/37)

[Rapid Grey]

Saratoga can change race to race depending on how they maintain it. They sealed it the day of the Whitney, in expectation of rain, and then back dragged it resulting in slow times for the stake races.

[turninforhome10]

I posted this on Monday
"Speed is holding today and the rail seems golden. Horse makin the move on the turn have not enjoyed good footing Coastin through the turns seems the way to go "

[Tom]

Well, Ralph, you called that one right.
I just love when they pop the field at the top of the stretch, just as it looks like they are done~! WOOL HOO!

[classhandicapper]

I thought speed was golden on Monday, but IMO the inside paths were not the best place to be (not death though). Several horses saved ground and ran well (the last two winners for example), but several jockeys avoided the rail with speed horses and stayed in the 2-3 path, a few horses that looked like they were making very serious moves hung badly or backed up through the stretch while on the inside, and the rider of Union Rags said that one reason the horse came out was because he trying to get him off the rail into the stretch.

IMO that was a tricky day other than speed was very good. There may have been some paths that were better or worse than others, but not uniformly around the whole track.