Litfin's preview: $27,469 pick six carryover

Wednesday, July 23, preview

JUMPERS IN 12:25 P.M. OPENER

The first race every Wednesday and Thursday is a steeplechase at 12:25 p.m., which serves to get the card done at a reasonable hour. The steeplechases are not part of the pick five, which normally cover races 1-5 but instead cover races 2-5 on the jump-up programs.

Rudyard K has a potential class edge dropping out of a restricted stakes race into a preliminary allowance steeplechase and makes his first start off a trainer change to Todd Wyatt, who has won with 8 of 21 starters this year. The gelding comes off a fast-closing second in a restricted stakes race against Pleasant Woodman, who set a course record for 2 1/4 miles at Percy Warner; a few weeks earlier, Pleasant Woodman had captured the Grade 3 Imperial Cup.

If you believe that final times mean anything in these affairs, and even if you don’t, it will be interesting to see what happens between Leather Gloves and Wantan, who each ran 2 1/4 miles at Fair Hill on May 24. Leather Gloves was a maiden winner in 4:31.40, while Wantan was beaten a half-length in a much quicker 4:13.80 three races later; quite a difference.

$27,469 PICK SIX CARRYOVER

There is a $27,469 pick six carryover from Monday. As this is a 10-race card, the pick six begins with race 5 at 2:34 p.m.

A lot of budget-minded tickets might opt to single Girlaboutown in the opening leg, as she comes off a good effort while finishing second to stablemate Star Grazing when unveiled in the mud July 4. One thing to note, however, is that she is by A.P. Indy, and if there has ever been one of those to win a maiden race at 5 1/2 or six furlongs at Saratoga, its name escapes me.

Mike Hushion trains Girlaboutown, and he also sends out Moonlight Fantasy, a homebred filly by Malibu Moon who has turned in some promising workouts.

Verismilitude, a first-time starter from Steve Asmussen, rates a look as well. She is a full sister to Midnight Visit, a filly who won the first three six-furlong races of her career at Aqueduct, including a small stakes race.

SOFTER SPOT FOR ARTEMIS AGROTERA

The universal single for multirace bettors likely will be Artemis Agrotera, who drops to an available second-level allowance and returns to New York-bred competition for the first time since a Saratoga maiden win by nearly a dozen lengths last August.

Artemis Agrotera subsequently won the Frizette, and this spot looks like a confidence builder following defeats by double-digit lengths in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and the Acorn.

An intriguing alternative for contrarians is Irish Sweepstakes, who is third off a freshening after being legged up in a couple of turf routes, the latest on yielding ground.

SEVEN FILLIES CLASH IN LAKE GEORGE

Daring Dancer and Sweet Acclaim, the first two finishers in the Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland, meet again in the Grade 2, $200,000 Lake George for 3-year-old fillies on the inner turf.

Both are looking to rebound after defeats at odds-on downstate. Daring Dancer failed to lift a hoof in the Wonder Again, perhaps disliking the footing on a turf course that was listed as “good” but probably was closer to yielding. Since the Appalachian, Sweet Acclaim has been outfinished in the Wait a While at 1-2 and in the Wild Applause at 3-5.

A Little Bit Sassy, who was disqualified and placed fourth in the Regret Stakes last out, looms a strong part of the early pace with Daring Kathy. The latter will try to stay perfect on grass after three straight wins at Gulfstream Park.