Notes on the Saratoga Opening Day Program
July 22nd, 2010By Jude T. Feld
Welcome to “The Spa!”1st Race) KUGGERAND ran a nice race off the bench for his new trainer Michael Matz. Another step forward could find him in the winners’ circle. SEATTLE MISSION has fired in all three starts. He is the horse to beat. If THUNDER CHIEF draws in, he could pop up at a big price and might be a nice exotics tool.
2nd Race) FLOURISH hails from the powerful Juddmonte Stable. She showed ability at two and should improve with age. Look for a top effort. KATHERN’S KITTEN ran well in the slop at Churchill Downs. She is bred to love the lawn and gets top turf rider Julien Leparoux. Beware! HOME RULER has been close in all three of her starts and cannot be ignored. HOLY PLACE looked good first time out and the team of Pletcher and Velazquez is very potent at the Spa.
3rd Race) MAD FOR SMARTY has earned back-to-back 90+ Brisnet speed figures. He has tactical speed and should love the six and a half furlongs. ASPIRE is a talented colt who needed his last race. He should run well today but must flee the rail. BANK MERGER impressed in his debut and might be good enough to beat this field if he improves off that race.
4th Race) COZY LION drops in for claiming price for the first time. He has shown glimmers of ability throughout his career but obviously has some trouble staying sound. He should win if he gets a patient ride and he’ll probably find himself in a new home Friday afternoon.
5th Race) RODERICK is on a solid pattern and finds little to beat here. His pedigree doesn’t scream, “turf,†but he handled the Belmont sod with aplomb in his last trip to the post.
6th Race) UNACCOUNTABLE runs well fresh and drops into the easiest spot of his career. He’ll be a short price, but deservedly so. Keep an eye on STREAM OF GOLD. He won a $60,000 claimer here last year and is now in for 20 grand. You can bet that owner Ken Ramsey will single him in the Pick Six.
7th Race) PLAYING PIRATES is too well-bred and works too fast to believe her debut effort. With three bullet drills since that debacle, the daughter of Distorted Humor looks like she might have turned the corner mentally. MALIBU COUGAR has a nice pedigree and a win-early trainer in Steve Asmussen. She should be live at first-asking.
8th Race) VINEYARD HAVEN is a very talented colt. He loves seven furlongs and can fire big races off the bench. He is 3/5 on the morning line and certainly not worth a straight wager but he will probably win the James Marvin Stakes.
9th Race) FINAL MESA is undefeated in three starts, at three different racetracks, and has never really been threatened, even in two $150,000 stakes. The Schuylerville (G3) field is solid this year, but she looks like the most likely winner. LET’S GET FISCAL looked sharp debuting at Belmont Park. She posted a bullet work at Saratoga on Sunday indicating she retains her sharpness and fancies the surface. STOPSPENDINGMARIA won by seven and earned a 100 Brisnet speed figure when she broke her maiden at Belmont. She could have a major say in the outcome.
10th Race) HILLSWICK takes a precipitous drop in class. He is a gelding, from the powerful Melnyk Racing Stable, who has only won once in 11 trips to the gate. This looks like a drop for a win and not an effort to dump him. The seven furlongs should be right up his alley. ADAMS CIRCLE never runs a bad race but found $50,000 open claimers too tough. This is a better spot for the Al Stall, Jr. trainee.
