Pick six carryover at $192,498, with Mistborn a potential make or break
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – There is a pick six carryover of $192,498 awaiting horseplayers Wednesday at Saratoga after the wager was not hit on Sunday.
The sequence on Wednesday begins with race 4 (2:56 p.m. Eastern) and includes two maiden special weight races for 2-year-olds, both with full fields. There is no flat stakes on Thursday, with the only stakes being the $75,000 Michael Walsh Novice Steeplechase, which kicks off the nine-race card at 1:10 p.m.
Here’s a look at the pick six sequence:
Race 4: Since Aug. 1, Linda Rice leads all trainers at the meet with nine wins from 29 starters. She has entrants in five of the six legs, starting with Inexorable in this $45,000 claiming race going 6 1/2 furlongs on dirt.
Rice claimed this 7-year-old gelding for $62,500 the day he finished third going 1 1/16 miles. The start before that, Inexorable won a $50,000 claiming race at Keeneland at 6 1/2 furlongs when taken by Joe Sharp.
Inexorable comes out of a fifth-place finish in an allowance. The third-place finisher in that race, Bullard, ran second in the Cornhusker Handicap with a 102 Beyer Speed Figure in his next out.
Ilkay Kantarmaci has two in here, including Mischievous M, who could be the speed, and the class-dropping Paradise Valley, who won for $55,000 at Aqueduct in May.
Race 5: Brillante and Artistic Success were both beaten favorites in their most recent starts, but they figure to take the bulk of the money again in this $35,000 claiming race for females who have never won two races that is scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on turf.
Brillante, trained by Chad Brown, came off a 16-month layoff to finish third, beaten a half-length, in a $55,000 claiming race on June 27 at Aqueduct. She got off last and was wide throughout and just came up short. She is a possible single for many.
Artistic Success, trained by Joe Sharp, won over this course last summer and was fourth at this condition last month. He looms as the controlling speed.
Race 6: An oversubscribed field of 16 juvenile fillies are entered, but only 10 may run, in this maiden auction race ($65,000 purchase or reserve not attained for that price are eligible) scheduled for 5 1/2 furlongs on turf.
Rice sends out Bankthemoneyhoney, who has been training right along since being purchased in May for $65,000. She is a full sister to debut winner Armored Guard.
Tappin Magic, trained by Eddie Barker, is out of a dam who won her turf debut (third career start) and who produced two debut winners, including eventual stakes winner Run Curtis Run.
Yolo Train, trained by Brown, is by Jack Christopher, a debut winner. Yolo Train has been training at Monmouth, but Brown has had several winners ship in from the Jersey Shore.
Bourbon Mojo, by Volatile, goes out for Jamie Begg, who is more than capable of winning with first-time starters.
Southern Kiss is a must-use if able to draw in from the also-eligible list.
Race 7: A full field of 12 2-year-old fillies will go six furlongs on the dirt.
Cyber Baby comes highly regarded by trainer Miguel Clement but must overcome post 11. Baby Beth has a good-looking work tab for Jorge Abreu, who has gone 6 for 33 with debuting 2-year-olds the last five years.
Sweet Lisa, sixth on debut on turf, goes to the dirt and gets blinkers for Linda Rice. Two of three siblings were second-out maiden winners.
She’s Fast Money and Under the Moon are others that are usable if within budget.
Race 8: Answered Prayers could be a single in the card’s flat feature, a first-level allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up at 1 1/8 miles.
A full sister to Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Olympiad, Answered Prayers was second last out to Be the Light, a filly ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. who put Answered Prayers, under Jaime Torres, in tight along the inside.
“My jock tried to come inside of Irad at the eighth pole and that was a mistake,” trainer Bill Mott said. “She was the best in her last race.”
Sailaway has a win and a second to Mursal, a winner here on Aug. 7, in her last two dirt starts. She scored her lone victory at Saratoga when she went turf to dirt like she’s doing today, albeit in a $17,500 claiming race.
Race 9: The hopes and dreams of hitting this for many will rest on Mistborn in this maiden $85,000 claiming race for fillies and mares going a mile on the inner turf.
Mistborn comes out of a runner-up finish to Chad Brown stablemate Crossover Capital on June 21 at Monmouth. She rallied along the rail while Crossover Capital rallied five wide and then came up here to win an allowance on July 26. On April 23, Mistborn was third to another Brown trainee, Marketplaceofideas, who won an allowance at Saratoga in her next start.
Gum finished third at the $100,000 claiming level last out, a race in which she steadied late. Bourbon Milk Punch could be the primary speed under Irad Ortiz Jr. for the white-hot Horacio De Paz barn.