Saratoga Saturday Quick Picks
My summer of firsts continues this weekend, as I make the long awaited maiden trip to Saratoga! To say I am excited would be like saying Songbird is mediocre. Saratoga connects the past, present and future of our sport. I simply cannot wait to see it, feel it and experience it.
Tomorrow’s card offers 4 highly competitive stakes races. Before I enter a state of awe upon arrival in the morning, I figured it would be a good idea to make my selections. Here is a quick look at who I like in each event.
G2 Amsterdam Stakes
Counterforce flopped last time out in the Woody Stephens, but his performance was not as bad as it looked on paper. He was simply too far back on a day when the pace was hot. I look for him to rebound here with graded stakes giant Florent Geroux back aboard.
Don’t count out Mind Your Biscuits to get in on the action. I will be playing this colt out of Posse in my exacta box. He seems to get better with every start and his recent works suggest the trend will continue.
G2 Bowling Green Stakes
Flintshire and the period!
G1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap
There is a ton of speed in this race, I mean a ton!! These guys will be flying; therefore, I am going to go a colt who has shown the ability to pounce from just off the pace. Enter Catalina Red!
While you could pair this red with a horse like A.P. Indian or Holy Boss, I am going to look for a meaty value. Enter Chublicious, who comes into this race winning at a 50% clip. Sure, he is making a huge class jump, but a hot pace meltdown may lead to him squeeze his way onto the tote board.
G2 Jim Dandy Stakes
Are you kidding me? They should rename this race the Sexy Six, because all of these runners are easy on the eye. I guess it is true, the best things really do come in small packages.
What this field lacks in size, it makes up for in talent. All the talk is around the rematch of Creator and Destin, but I am sticking with the horse who finished a valiant fourth in the Belmont Stakes. Governor Malibu (pictured above) was my pick heading into that monster mile and a half affair, but was trapped along the rail. He checked up mid-stretch, yet still held on to hit the superfecta.
Trainer Christophe Clement has won just about every graded stakes race in New York, but the Jim Dandy has eluded him. With a clean trip and stalking post position, I look for this talented colt to finally check another race off Clement’s wish list.