Litfin's Saratoga plays for Sunday, August 6
Saturday's plays were just dreadful, but at least that's a refreshing change from running second with good-priced horses like Harlanquin and Hunter's Tale. We liked Redefined in the opener, and he set the pace and stopped after being overtaken by Neuf de Carreau, the 6-year-old with two wins from 28 previous starts. The fact that the shipper won so decisively really exposes the weakness of the local $35,000 turf routers.
Our chalky late daily double of Flower Alley and Yankee Thunder was over in upper stretch of the Whitney, when Flower Alley gave way and faded to seventh. It didn't matter, because Yankee Thunder blew the break in the nightcap and never got involved.
We need to stop the bleeding, but Sunday's card looks like another minefield waiting to happen.
RACE 4
Smokeyjonessutton looks interesting at 5-1 on the morning line in a competitive allowance route at 1 1/8 miles. He was a maiden winner at the distance at Keeneland in the third start of his initial form cycle, and this will be his third race back from a short layoff, after getting the wrong setup disputing the early pace on turf. His first start back was a close fourth behind a slow pace on Churchill's main track, in which he ran his final furlong in under 12 seconds. Fernando Jara picks up the mount, and if you saw his ride on Whitney winner Invasor, you know he's riding as well as anyone in this exceptionally deep jockey colony.
The bet: $50 to win on Smokeyjonessutton.
Total wagers previous day: $50
Total return previous day: $0
Total win/loss previous day: minus $50
Total wagers for meet: $450
Total return for meet: $111
Total win/loss for meet: minus $339