Litfin: Saratoga pick four play for Sunday, Aug. 24

The inaugural Saratoga Showcase Day card is filled with competitive races. We’ll take a healthy swing at the late pick four on races 8-11, which offers bettors a lot of ways to go in each leg.

Race 8: No one would be a total surprise in the Fleet Indian, a race in which Flipcup, Alwaysinstilettos, and Storied Lady were separated by a neck in the New York Oaks.

I’ve got Lucky Nancy E., Star Grazing, and Desert Valentine ranked next.

After that come Canal Six, Easy Living, and Jcs American Dream. I don’t really think the latter has a chance, but you know what happens when you use “all but …”

A’s: 1, 3, 4
B’s: 2, 5, 7
C’s: 6, 8, 9

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Race 9: Managed to whittle away half the field in this turf sprint, which still leaves six fillies and mares to jumble around.

The main contenders for me are All Mine Tonight, second back from a layoff after chasing the speedy Hot Squeeze; Court Dancer, a first-out winner at the Spa last year making her seasonal debut; and Given Fire off her smashing if hard to figure maiden win 17 days ago.

Missy Bay, Nonnie Connie, and the stretch-running Rumble Doll are the backups.

A’s: 3, 6, 7
B’s: 1, 10, 11

Race 10: Mike Lee winner Captain Serious and New York Derby winner Empire Dreams look like the main contenders in the Albany, although 1 1/8 miles is a question for the former, and the latter totes a hefty 124 pounds.

The fallbacks are Little Daddy, who ran against the Amsterdam runner-up C. Zee twice at Gulfstream Park; and Effinex, solely because he goes first time for Jimmy Jerkens, who had a pretty good day yesterday.

A’s: 4, 6
B’s: 2, 5

Race 11: Lotza Heat gets a rider switch of epic proportions to Javier Castellano after a difficult debut trip beneath a seven-pound apprentice. He may improve a few lengths, and that would be enough.

Cody’s Notes, Invasion Point, and Dreamboat look logical enough, but if everything has gone right up to this point, it would be comforting to have Born in Brooklyn and Leatherhead Lurie still in the mix too.

A: 8
B’s: 2, 11, 12
C’s: 5, 7