Litfin's Saratoga plays for Friday, August 4

FRIDAY, AUGUST 4

The recap of Thursday's plays:

Summer Palace set the pace and came up dead short in the fourth race.

In the fifth, Summer Service settled for second behind the front-running Thatsmorelikeit, who lowered the course record to 1:01.17 for five and a half furlongs on the Mellon turf. That's four straight starts now that Summer Service has run in a race where a course record was set!

We pick up the pieces and move on to Friday.

RACE 4

I liked Hunter's Tale from the rail on Wednesday's cancelled card, and I like him again 48 hours later even though he wound up in post 6 when the allowance/optional claiming route for New York-breds was brought back and redrawn for Friday.

The Beyers for Hunter's Tale's last six one-turn races: 77, 79, 72, 66, 72 and 72.

The Beyers for Hunter;s Tale's last six two-turn races: 90, 82, 84, 82, 83 and 85.

Leah Gyarmati reclaimed Hunter's Tale at the first available opportunity on May 29, and surely has been counting the days until she could get him back to Saratoga, where two starts last summer produced a win and a runner-up finish by a neck.

The bet: $25 to win on Hunter's Tale

RACE 5

Rick Violette Jr.'s 2-year-olds have been running well. He won juvenile maiden races during opening week with Cool the Economy ($14), who was dropping out of a stakes; and Graeme Central ($6.00), a first-time starter. Both were ridden by Garrett Gomez.

Perhaps good things will come in threes, as Violette sends out Wynsome Wesley for her debut at five furlongs. She is a half-sister to Celtic Sky, a New York-bred stakes runner on the turf in recent seasons, and also a half to Our Patty B, a $154,000 earner on dirt.

The bet: $25 to win on Wynsome Wesley.

Total wagers previous day: $50
Total return previous day: $0
Total win/loss previous day: minus $50

Total wagers for meet: $350
Total return for meet: $111
Total win/loss for meet: minus $239