Thursday's Best Bet: Royal Dancer crowns Statue of Liberty
Thursday’s ninth race from Saratoga is the $150,000 New York Stallion Series Statue of Liberty Division for 3-year-old fillies traveling one mile on the inner turf course. Post time is 5:39 p.m. EDT.
Click here for Saratoga entries and results.
No. 3 Royal Dancer (9-2) is still a maiden after four starts but ran well in a similar stakes affair at Belmont June 19. She stretches back out and might be able to control the pace under her new rider Irad Ortiz Jr.
No. 6 Busy Morning (2-1) stalked the pace and landed the show in her flat mile turf bow, and she cut back two furlongs and powered away second time out. She earned an improved speed rating last time and still has upside.
No. 4 Dream Central (5-2) exits back-to-back state-bred stakes scores on turf, and she handled a route of ground at Saratoga July 20. She should be running late under her new rider Javier Castellano.
No. 2 Robyn and Eli (5-1) completed the exacta in her first three starts and regressed as the beaten favorite July 16. Chad Brown’s maiden might bounce back in her third start of the year.
No. 7 Tara Dancer (10-1) set a controlled pace and stayed on for the show in her local turf route debut. She might have more to offer second time out.
Get my expert Del Mar full card picks for Aug. 18 (available now).
Wagers:
No. 3 to win
Trifecta key 3/2-4-6-7
Trifecta 2-4-6-7/3/2-4-6-7
Recent Best Bet winners
Aug. 5 – Ready to Purrform ($9.80), trifecta ($469.00)
Aug. 6 – Nations Pride/Annapolis exacta ($29.20)
Aug. 7 – With the Moonlight ($4.30), exacta ($7.50)
Aug. 8 – Loyalty ($7.00), exacta ($23.80)
Last Wednesday – Running Bee ($6.70)
Friday – Bankit/Sea Foam/Brooklyn Strong trifecta ($378.00)
Sunday – Slew's Tiz Whiz ($8.80)
Wednesday – Legends Can't Die/Mackillop/Mo Rewards trifecta ($480.48)