Saturday's Best Bet: Varenka should move forward in Matchmaker

Saturday’s 9th race from Monmouth Park is the Grade 3 Matchmaker Stakes for fillies and mares traveling a mile and an eighth on the turf course (Post Time 4:06 p.m. ET).

Click here for Monmouth Park Entries, Results

#4 VARENKA (6-1) might be fitter in her second start of the year for Graham Motion. She flattened out in an 11th place finish in her Mint Julep (G3) return, and her stablemate Secret Message won that event. She captured the Lake Placid (G2) at Saratoga last summer and has always been held in high regard.

#1 Valedictorian (8-1) should be able to work out a cozy close-up trip from the rail in a race without much pace. She is 4-for-5 at Monmouth and won the local Eatontown (G3) last summer. She pressed the pace and took over in the latter event, but has not been as sharp recently.

#5 Beautiful Lover (2-1) is probably a grade three type for Chad Brown. She won the non-graded Boiling Springs at Monmouth last year, and was 2nd in the Hillsborough (G2) and 4th in the Just a Game (G1) in her last pair. Her stablemate #6 Nay Lady Nay (5-2) broke her maiden over this turf course last year, and that began a string of solid turf route tries. She was flat in her Mint Julep (G3) return, but is right there with this group on her best day.

#7 Tapit Today (7-2) is the third Chad Brown trainee, and she ran well in her last six starts, winning three of those races. She is 2-for-2 at Monmouth.

Wagers:

#4 to win

Exacta Box 1-4

Trifecta 1-4/5-6-7/1-4

Trifecta 5-6-7/1-4/1-4 

July 2020 Best Bet Winners

July 4 - GUFO ($3.20), Trifecta ($34.30)
July 5 - NIGHT OPS ($4.90), Exacta ($18.40)
July 9 - Dos Vinos/Club Car Exacta ($14.80)
July 13 - MONACO PRINCESS ($5.00), Exacta ($16.40)
July 14 - Blue Buff/Deal Driven Exacta ($7.20), Trifecta ($10.00)

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