Friday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Mixologist capable of better with more patient ride
Saratoga | Race 10 | Post Time 6:09 p.m. (ET)
This allowance optional claimer for 3-year-old fillies attracted a fascinating field of 10 intended for turf. Perhaps the most intriguing entrant is Goa (#2), who figures to vie for favoritism as she makes her first start in the United States. She won each of her last two starts in France, but competed exclusively on all-weather surfaces. Her allowance win in March is particularly noteworthy since she defeated a pair of fillies, Birthe and Almara, who would go on to finish first and second in the Group 2 Prix Saint-Alary, and the latter subsequently won the Group 3 Prix de Psyche. Goa obviously kept some strong company lines, which probably had a lot to do with her getting privately acquired and transferred to Chad Brown. However, the barn doesn’t have the strongest statistics with this move. Over 5 years, Brown is 16 for 69 (23%) with foreign shippers on turf, but the $1.26 ROI suggests they’re overbet. Drilling down further, he’s 0 for 7 with such runners at Saratoga during that time.
I’m more interested in a few fillies exiting the July 18 race at this same level. That affair featured a fast pace that fell apart, setting it up for winner Proctor Street and runner-up Grayosh, who rallied from last and second-to-last on the far turn to complete the exacta. Dancing Dean (#1) was also with that favorable race flow, but she tried to advance along the rail whereas those fellow closers rallied outside. She lost some momentum navigating traffic, but was finishing well late. The good news for her is that there is plenty of speed signed on in this race as well, so she should get another suitable setup.
My top pick is Mixologist (#10), who finished farther back in the pack on July 18. However, she was against the race flow, contesting honest fractions in a race dominated by closers. This filly had run very well on debut at Churchill, rallying from well off the pace to catch favored Deep Satin on the wire. That rival returned to win next time out with a 109 TimeformUS Speed Figure, validating the form of the race. However, Mixologist never had the opportunity to take the same step forward, as she was allowed to rush up after a slow break last time, getting too keen once she saw daylight into the clubhouse turn. She figures to revert to closing tactics here, and new rider Joel Rosario should help her settle into a closing trip.