Friday's Best Bet: Delaware grabs the green in Forbidden Apple
Friday’s 9th race from Saratoga is the Grade 3 Forbidden Apple for four-year-olds and up traveling one mile on the inner turf course (Post Time 5:39 p.m. ET).
#7 DELAWARE (6-1) ran down Rinaldi in the Danger’s Hour Stakes April 10, and got no pace help in the Seek Again May 22. Jose Ortiz takes the call and Chad Brown’s underrated runner can beat a field like this on his best day.
#3 Value Proposition (5-2) is in good form for Chad Brown and he figures to sit a comfortable stalking trip. He reconnects with his winning rider Irad Ortiz Jr. and might get first run.
#9 Sacred Life (3-1) gets class relief and that might make all the difference. He is usually in a bit too deep in the Grade 1 and Grade 2 ranks, but his form is very good in races like this. Joel Rosario rides and he could easily run past this group.
#1 Rinaldi (9-2) is sharp and fresh, and the New York-bred gelding might get brave if able to shake loose early. He wired the field the last two times he raced over the local inner turf course.
#2 Corelli (10-1) is a late runner exiting back-to-back decent efforts in turf stakes routes. He can get a piece of this if the pace heats up.
#4 Therapist (8-1) likes this distance and has won at Saratoga before. Friday’s rider Javier Castellano was aboard for his last victory in the Artie Schiller Stakes at Aqueduct last fall.
#10 Logical Myth (15-1) exits an okay runner-up finish in a listed stakes at Pimlico. The stalking type will need to work out a trip from the outside post under John Velazquez.
#8 Sanctuary City (15-1) had his three-race win streak snapped in a 4th place finish in the Poker (G3) June 20. He will try to get involved late.
#5 Made You Look (20-1) has not won in quite some time and landed in a difficult spot in his first start in more than eight months. He was 4th in this race in 2019.
#6 Flying Scotsman (20-1) appears to be off his game and would be a surprise on the win end. He has speed and might help set things up for the patient runners if he tangles with Rinaldi early.
Wagers:
#7 to win
Exacta 7/1-3-9
Exacta 1-3-9/7
Trifecta 1-3-7-9/1-3-7-9/2-4
Recent Best Bet Winners
July 1 - MIGHTY HEART ($5.80), Exacta ($18.20), Trifecta ($59.30)
July 3 - Miles Ahead/Chance It Exacta ($39.60)
July 4 - SHE'SONTHEWARPATH ($6.80), Exacta ($10.80)
July 9 - Uyuni/Amiche/Tayet Trifecta ($976.80)
July 10 - OUR FLASH DRIVE ($4.70)
July 11 - Easy Time/Keep Grinding/Haddassah Trifecta ($432.50)