Saratoga guide: Odds, PPs, analysis for Jim Dandy Stakes
The Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes anchors Saturday’s 12-race program at Saratoga.
The annual appetizer for the Travers Stakes (G1) at the Spa drew a salty field of six led by Sierra Leone, Seize the Grey and Fierceness.
The Jim Dandy goes as race no. 10 at 5:43 p.m. EDT, and it will air live on Fox.
Check out Horse Racing Nation’s free past performances page for downloadable PPs for the Jim Dandy and more, courtesy of our partners at Brisnet.
We also have Super Screener picks and analysis for the Jim Dandy as well as recent top speed figures for each contender.
Jim Dandy best speed figures
| Post | Horse | ML | Beyer | TimeformUS | HRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Leone | 1-1 | 99 | 121 | 104 |
| 2 | Seize the Grey | 6-1 | 100 | 123 | 101 |
| 3 | Batten Down | 5-1 | 93 | 117 | 105 |
| 4 | Pony Express | 20-1 | 84 | 117 | 94 |
| 5 | Gould’s Gold | 15-1 | 90 | 113 | 103 |
| 6 | Fierceness | 9-5 | 110 | 126 | 107 |
Looking at the pace
The projector is calling for a fast pace in the Jim Dandy with Pony Express and Seize the Grey in front and Sierra Leone a clear-cut back marker.
Pace projector appears courtesy of TimeformUS.
HRN picks for the Jim Dandy
Buy the special Saratoga through Breeders’ Cup Super Screener package for just $97, a savings of nearly $400, and get analysis for the Jim Dandy and much more this weekend.
Ed DeRosa’s Jim Dandy fair odds believe Batten Down is the key to the exotics wagers in this event.
DeRosa also has fair odds for the Bing Crosby (G1) at Del Mar, where he is fading The Chosen Vron in favor of Happy Jack.
Del Mar isn’t the only track with a Grade 1 sprint Saturday. Saratoga also hosts the Alfred G. Vanderbilt, where Baby Yoda looks for a breakthrough win.
J. Keeler Johnson’s latest Horses to Watch column features both Fierceness and Sierra Leone. While those two will be tough to beat, trainer Ken McPeek is taking a shot at both of them with Gould’s Gold.
For notes on all six contenders plus a win prediction, check out Matt Shifman’s Jim Dandy analysis.
Jockey Jamie Torres joined the Ron Flatter Racing Pod to discuss the chances of Seize the Grey in the Jim Dandy.
Here is the field for the Jim Dandy: