Every horseplayer knows what it’s like to come across a card where horses seem to jump off the page at you. Friday’s card at Saratoga is like that for me. I think this card has a nice mix of price horses worth taking a shot with and logical horses that look downright solid. I might wind up pitching a shutout, but if I do, at least I’ll go down with horses I like.
Trainer Danny Gargan saddles Native Gold (#2, ML 4-1) in Wednesday's 10th race at Saratoga, a seven-furlong claiming race. Since Jan., 1, 2014, Gargan is winning at a 33 percent clip in sprints, for a return on investment of $4.62. Check out the Positive ROI report as part of DRF Plus. Sign up for DRF Plus here.
Today’s featured Grade 2 Honorable Miss at Saratoga looks like a showdown between the two obvious favorites: Judy the Beauty, last year’s Eclipse Award winner as champion female sprinter, and La Verdad, a six-furlong specialist with a career record of 13 for 19. They’re even-money and 8-5 on the morning line in a five-horse field without a plausible upsetter.
Worldwide (#3, ML 2-1) returns in Wednesday's second race at Del Mar, a six-furlong maiden special weight race. It will be his first start since finishing third by 9 1/4 lengths in a maiden special weight race June 7 at Santa Anita. The second-, fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-place finishers from that race came back to win their next starts. Get the Key Race report as part of DRF Plus. Sign up for DRF Plus here.
McGee: Del Mar pick three play for Thursday, July 30
Litfin: Saratoga Horses to Watch for week of July 27
After a fun four-day appetizer, the meal that is Saratoga continues Wednesday – which in the old days would have been opening day. There’s plenty of interesting racing on the card, but I’m not the type of player to try to play – or even handicap – every race on a single card. It’s simply too much of a bandwidth drain, especially during a long meet like this one.
King: How I'd play Del Mar for Wednesday, July 29
The middle part of the Wednesday’s Saratoga card offers an interesting pick three.
Free: Del Mar Horses to Watch for the week of July 27
