The highlight of the final weekend of the six-week Saratoga meet is the first Grade 1 race of the season for juveniles, the $200,000 Hopeful Stakes. The nine-horse field for this year's running is loaded with talent which should make for an exciting race.

The most intriguing runner in Saturday's Hopeful looks like Birdstone, a horse who lacks experience but is loaded with talent based on his eye-popping 12 1/2-length debut win at Saratoga on Aug. 2. Birdstone is a half-brother to this year's Kentucky Oaks heroine, Birdtown, and seems poised to follow in his sister's footsteps for trainer Nick Zito. Birdstone posted a 99 Beyer speed figure in his maiden win, and improvement is likely Saturday in his second career start.

Another impressive maiden winner at the Saratoga meet who might also have a bright future is Silver Wagon, trained by Ralph Ziadie. Silver Wagon came to Saratoga off a loss at Calder and promptly blew the doors off a seven furlong maiden race after getting bumped to the back of the pack at the start. His Beyer wasn't that high (79), but that figure surely would have been better without the trouble at the break. Jerry Bailey keeps the mount and Silver Wagon is the only horse in the field ever to race (and win) at the Hopeful's seven furlong distance.

The likely favorite in the Hopeful will be the undefeated Chapel Royal, who has won his three career starts by a combined 20 lengths including stakes wins in the Sanford-G2 and the Flash-G3. Trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez have ruled this meet, especially with 2-year-olds, but this will be Chapel Royal's toughest test yet.

SELECTIONS:

Hopeful Stakes-G1
Saratoga, Saturday 8/30 - Race 8
Purse: $200,000, Distance: 7 furlongs
1) Birdstone
2) Silver Wagon
3) Chapel Royal