DRF's Horse Racing Playbook for Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026
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Daily Racing Form has served as the most trusted source of news and information about the sport since 1894, and moving forward we have decided to provide a free daily playbook – something that both hardcore horseplayers and casual observers can reference to get informed of each day’s action.
12:21 SAR 2nd STONE AGED (#7, 12-1) looked very good breezing 21.2 prior to being purchased by Juddmonte for $450k in April, and he has continued to train forwardly since. He is a half to major Group 1 turf winner Air Force Blue, but also has a full-sister that is currently 2 for 2 on dirt, beginning with a debut win and a 74 Beyer going 6.5 furlongs. This is also the female family of the great 2yo Flanders. – Mike Beer | Get Past Performances for this race
12:45 GP 2nd SANTAL (#5, 10-1) stretched out to two turns in his most recent, but he only ran evenly. A slow start had to cost him. We like that connections want a route of ground right back. Let's see if a weight break helps this guy break better with the apprentice up. – Scott Ehlers | Get Past Performances for this race
2:02 CNL 4th MO REWARDS (#8, 6-1) has won three straight races since switching to turf for Ness in May, most recently rallying to win a $10,000 claimer at Colonial last month. He is returning to the same level and cutting back to a mile, which he handled just fine when he won at Penn National on May 2. – Patrick Moquin | Get Past Performances for this race
2:26 GP 5th SCHNITTKER (#8, 8-1) is a DRF Best Bet (Scott Ehlers). | Get Past Performances for this race
2:27 MTH 4th KHETAM (#3, 9-2) was off the board when last on the grass two back, but he not only was against a speed-friendly race flow (note the bold "S" in DRF PPs), he also had a fair amount of trouble in that race, and that was too much for him to overcome. He ran well when last over this course three back, posting a Beyer that's good enough to win this despite facing better. – Kenny Peck | Get Past Performances for this race
2:30 CNL 5th CONTROLLING (#5, 8-1) will make her debut for Motion and seems to have a lot going for her despite some relatively patient works at Fair Hill. Sire Gun Runner wins with 19% of 2-year-old firsters and the dam Will's Secret was a graded stakes winner on dirt who finished third in the 2021 Kentucky Oaks. This will be her first starter to reach the track. Motion is not as well known for his work on the dirt, but this filly is obviously pointing to that surface. – Patrick Moquin | Get Past Performances for this race
2:58 CNL 6th ALAKAN (#4, 5-1) is a DRF Best Bet (Patrick Moquin). | Get Past Performances for this race
3:08 WO 5th EARLY BLOSSOM (#5, 8-1) has worked nicely for a trainer who had a 13% strike rate with first-timers during the past five years ($1.44 ROI). – Ron Gierkink | Get Past Performances for this race
3:34 GP 7th MAJESTIC NOIR (#9, 10-1) only beat a pair home in his return try but didn't get that much play off the short freshening. Now Herrera gets a leg up and he is 27% for this barn. Said barn is 24% second off this type of layoff. Let's give this colt another shot versus these restricted foes. – Scott Ehlers | Get Past Performances for this race
4:00 SAR 8th SURETY (#8, 12-1) finished behind two of these same rivals in the debut last month, though he looked green throughout the running of that race, particularly in the stretch when he appeared to shy away from horses after taking aim on the leaders. Should be more clued in this time, and he was tactical in that first one. – Mike Beer | Get Past Performances for this race
4:09 GP 8th AL ALIYAAH (#7, 12-1) is by a 11% debut sire and a 8% debut turf sire. Her dam went 11-4-3-2 and earned 272K (won 2YO debut and turf debut while going 3-2-0-0 on the sod for 120K). Six of seven sibs won. Two of five sibs won on the grass while another pair hit the board. Both sibs beat winners on the green and earned 63K and 117K (won turf debut). Works are plentiful and this horse should love the grass. – Scott Ehlers | Get Past Performances for this race
4:11 MTH 7th NOBLE HERITAGE (#1, 3-1) is a DRF Best Bet (Kenny Peck). | Get Past Performances for this race
4:16 WO 7th REGAL AFFAIR (#5, 8-1) had no shot while running wide over a track with a golden rail when fifth in her latest. The closer has some speed to chase in this non-two tilt and could be along in time with Civaci taking over. – Ron Gierkink | Get Past Performances for this race
4:50 WO 8th MOUSSELINE (#5, 10-1) is a DRF Best Bet (Ron Gierkink). | Get Past Performances for this race
4:57 CNL 10th KOBE'S HOPE (#7, 10-1) steadily improved in five straight starts at the end of last year before going to the shelf for Shankle. She has had a delayed start to her 2026 campaign and will finally come back at Colonial, having missed her chances at Laurel by some months. She wasn't the same horse when she tried this Colonial course last year, and it's vaguely interesting to see Sanchez in the saddle for the first time off the long break. – Patrick Moquin | Get Past Performances for this race
5:00 DMR 1st Peter Miller-trained first-time starters CHARACTER (#2, 4-1) and ANOTHER WARRIOR (#9, 6-1) both appear ready to fire in this auction race for 2yo maidens (horses sold or RNA for $150k or less/optional $150k claiming). Miller's win rate with debut 2yos is trending up. He won with a firster last week (Off in the Corner) and is 3 for 16 this year with debut 2yos. – Brad Free | Get Past Performances for this race
6:32 WO 11th ONCE UPON A KISS (#3, 8-1) went three-wide on the turn over a rail-biased track when fourth in her debut and has since worked a bullet half-mile. – Ron Gierkink | Get Past Performances for this race
6:33 SAR 12th ANTIQUARIAN (#3, 10-1) has run well over a variety of different distances throughout his career. His defining win came in last year's JCGC (a race where he ran very well, but his main competition had trouble), though he is likely best somewhere between eight and nine furlongs. Think all three of his starts this year might be as good as anything he did previously, as he got the wrong ride (in retrospect) in the Met Mile, then had all kinds of trouble when stretched back out last time. In tough here, but he has talent, and he should be a fair price against this crew. – Mike Beer | Get Past Performances for this race
6:42 DMR 4th Comeback dropper AGENCY (#8, 8-1) can win this $25k claiming turf sprint, his first start since last August. He has run well fresh, his trainer does well with layoff runners, and AGENCY has never raced at a claiming level this low. Five furlongs is a bit short, but AGENCY should fire first start back. – Brad Free | Get Past Performances for this race
6:40 CBY 2nd BYE BYE BLIND (#3, 8-1) is by a 13% debut sire. Her dam was unraced. Both sibs beat winners and earned 58K and 43K. Works are fine. Her distance Tommy of 411 screams short sprint. – Scott Ehlers | Get Past Performances for this race
7:40 CBY 4th WORDS OF WISDOM (#3, 12-1) did work well before his last race. He never got a breather in that race. This guy cuts back to seven panels and loves this distance at 7-2-2-0. Form cycle bodes well as this guy puts three races together all at what might be a good price. – Scott Ehlers | Get Past Performances for this race
8:40 CBY 6th MITOLE PRINCESS (#5, 4-1) is a DRF Best Bet (Scott Ehlers). | Get Past Performances for this race
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