Yonkers: Saturday 7/11 Analysis
Matt Rose's analysis of the Saturday 7/11 card at Yonkers Raceway.
Matt RoseJul 09, 2015
Matt Rose's analysis of the Saturday 7/11 card at Yonkers Raceway.
Garnet Barnsdale's analysis of the Saturday 7/11 card at Mohawk Racetrack.
Bob Pandolfo's Sharp Horses and Track Trends for July 2 to July 5, 2015.
Jeremey Day's analysis of the Saturday 7/11 card at Balmoral Park.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Across much of the country on Saturday, the stakes emphasis is on grass racing – with six of day’s eight graded stakes scheduled for turf. Included among those six are four from Arlington Park, which is having its Arlington Million Preview Day, and two of the Warrior’s plays this week will be in those, plus another in the Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial at Delaware.
Jockeys Joe Patin Jr. and Billy Patin, two brothers who are among the leading riders at Evangeline Downs in Lafayette, La., have been suspended indefinitely by the Louisiana Racing Commission as the state police and commission personnel conduct an investigation into incidents involving the brothers, according to commission personnel.
The American Derby starts an all-stakes pick four on the Saturday card at Arlington, and multi-race bettors might find a single here to start what could prove to be a tricky sequence.
Trainer Shug McGaughey admitted to being “pleasantly surprised” the way Reload returned from a 15-month layoff to easily defeat a strong field of high-priced optional-claiming horses here this spring. But McGaughey doesn’t sound like he’d be the least bit surprised if Reload were to come back to win Saturday’s $150,000 Forbidden Apple.
Texas Air has taken his game to a new level this year at the age of 7. He became a Grade 3 winner two races ago in the Texas Mile, and on Saturday night he will be returning to both the site and the distance of his greatest victory for the $50,000 Assault Stakes at Lone Star Park.
For all the travel required to get the field to Arlington, one would think the Modesty Handicap were a $500,000 race, not a Grade 3 with a $100,000 purse.