First chance to take down Empire 6 mandatory payout

The New York Racing Association introduced the new Empire 6 wager at Saratoga on Aug. 7. The new jackpot-style multi-race wager is due for its first mandatory payout Sunday.

The wager requires a bettor to select the winners of the final six races on the card and begins with Sunday’s fifth race.

Race 5 is a maiden-claiming sprint for 2-year-old fillies carrying $75,000 tags. There is experience to choose from in the form of class-dropping Palace Avenger (3) and first-off-the-claim Wedontbelieveher (2), who just missed as the favorite in her local debut and was subsequently claimed for $50,000. They both make sense in this spot and benefit from having a race over the track. Of the first-time starters, Shanny Go Nanny (1) has some pedigree on her side being a half to a Grade 3 winner from a dam who was a fast sprinter in her career, as does Chaysenbryn (8), debuting for trainer Jeremiah Englehart who has already sent out six 2-year-old winners at the meet. The board may offer some clues heading into this opening leg, but it appears that some coverage may be in order.

Race 6 is a maiden special weight for juvenile fillies, this one over 6 1/2 furlongs. Finite (4) and Mrs. Danvers (6) exit the same race on July 19 and are two to lean on in this sequence. Mrs. Danvers went favored in that six-furlong sprint and raced greenly after a slow start, before coming wide and finishing gamely in a promising effort. She is likely to improve, certainly down the line. Finite held second over Mrs. Danvers and goes out for a trainer who is almost automatic with horses like this at Saratoga – Steve Asmussen is 10 for his last 20 with 2-year-old second-time starters in maiden special weight sprints at Saratoga, according to DRF Formulator (50 percent wins, $3.82 ROI).

Race 7 is a closely matched field of turf sprinters racing under $25,000 claiming tags. New York’s Finest (4) had an excuse last time, when some bumping at the start left him out of position. Despite that, he ran well after that to finish fourth. He has dangerous speed when he breaks and loves Saratoga. Fear (5) exits that same race and appeared to falter over that yielding course after chasing the pace. He is better than that and can rebound.

Race 8 has a field of nine fillies and mares set to go a mile over the inner turf. I’m leaning outside with Elle’s Town (11) and Hit a Provisional (10) while relegating the others to backup status. Elle’s Town gets significant class relief for this after running a very good race against a much tougher field over this course and distance last time, while Hit a Provisional showed speed and improved significantly in her 3-year-old debut last month.

Race 9 is the $100,000 Summer Colony and it goes through Blue Prize (7). She is a Grade 1 winner over this distance and is getting significant class relief for this after facing Elate in her last two starts. Vexatious (4) and Pacific Wind (1) are capable and also are dropping in class, but they will have to improve if Blue Prize shows up with her best race.

Race 10 is a $30,000 claimer on the grass for nonwinners of two races lifetime. Moyne Spun (9) has speed from her outside draw and is back where she belongs after stepping up to try allowance rivals off the claim last time. She didn’t run poorly in that spot but fits much better in races like this for a trainer, Brad Cox, who is 17 for his last 34 (50 percent) with a $3.02 ROI second off the claim on turf, and 7 for 11 in New York in that sample ($5.07 ROI). The main ticket also will include O’ Malley (11), first time for a tag with a trainer change and a prior win on turf, and longshot Fairy Link (10), who is off form but has the back races to be very tough on this kind of field.