Kenny Peck's Saratoga Pick 6 Plays for Saturday, August 14
Kenny Peck provides his analysis, selections and suggested ticket structure for Saturday's Pick 6 at Saratoga.
RACE 6: Hard to get cute in a Pick 6 that starts with a field of 2-year-old maidens without seeing the board, especially in a race like this one, where eight of the ten entrants in the body of the race are firsters. While it would be advisable to weight these runners with the benefit of the tote it’s best to use them all equally for the purposes of this advance ticket.
RACE 7: RESTORED ORDER (#4) is the main speed in this field, and he’ll be tough to reel in if he’s able to shake loose and control the tempo in his first start for a tag. PUBLIC INFORMATION (#9) is back in a $40,000 claimer for non-winners of two, a race he won two back before he was disqualified for a bumping incident. HOLY EMPEROR (#11) adds blinkers and may show more speed than he has in recent starts; fast pace up front helps the cause.
RACE 8: MAHAAMEL (#1) not only has some of the best Beyers in this field but he could also hold a pace advantage, as he does seem to be quickest of them all from the gate and there’s not all that much speed in this field. He hit the gate in his latest and that forced him to try to rate but with a clean start he has a big chance to steal this.
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RACE 9: Going to take a stand and try to get GLACIAL (#10) home as a single in the Saratoga Special. He settled for the show when behind Double Thunder in the Bashford Manor last time but he had a much more difficult trip than that rival in that race, pressing the pace from the start in a race that set up for the closers. He now takes the blinkers off and will likely look to sit off the speeds and make one run.
RACE 10: CASA CREED (#4) stretches out for his first start since June but he’s run some enterprising races at a mile and his tactical speed should mean he’s well spotted just off the expected pacesetter, Blowout, and he may get first run at that rival. SET PIECE (#5) is the main danger in deep stretch; he’s won three straight with strong late rallies despite modest fractions up front and those triple-digit Beyers he posted in his last two give him strong credibility.
RACE 11: FRAT (#3) has an inside post and tactical speed, and that should translate to a favorable stalking trip from just off the pace. DR. BLUTE (#4) merits respect on the strength of that Beyer he posted four back in his first try on the turf; figures to be running late. LUNA’S IN CHARGE (#7) has only raced on the grass once but it was a solid effort, last year, over this course and at this distance. DR. DUKE (#9) is back on his best surface after getting rained off the turf in his latest. PHANTOM SMOKE (10), the top pick, gets Lasix for the first time and he had an excuse for the loss in his first start vs. winners; trainer Christophe Clement excels with horses off this type of layoff.
THE PLAY: ALL / 4, 9, 11 / 1 / 10 / 4, 5 / 3, 4, 7, 9, 10 = $300 Ticket