Saratoga carryover hits $656K

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - There is a pick-six carryover of $656,442 heading into Friday's card at Saratoga after the wager went unhit for a third consecutive day. Friday began with a $209,378 carryover and an additional $805,539 was wagered into the pool.

First post Friday is 2:30 p.m. Eastern and the pick six starts with race 4, which goes off at 4:09 p.m. With beautiful weather forecast, conditions should be fast and firm for Friday. The final five races of the day are on the turf.

The carryover was assured well before the end of Thursday's card after longshots Datt Echo ($45.60), Kristi With a K ($11.60), Crossfirehurricane ($86), and Silver Reunion ($30.20) won the first four legs. A favorite finally won when West Ocean ($4.80) won the ninth, but there was already a carryover before then. West Ocean's victory gave Todd Pletcher a 17-16 lead over Linda Rice in the race for the trainer's title.

Friday's sequence is extremely challenging. It begins with a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race for New York-bred maidens on dirt and ends with a 1 3/8-miles New York-bred allowance/optional claimer on turf.

Trainer Christophe Clement figures to have a major say in the pick six with the first-time starter Pearl River (a half-sister to Incurable Optimist) in the sixth; Belle Allure in the Voodoo Dancer Stakes, which is the seventh (Clement also trained Voodoo Dancer); and Quiet on the Tee in the ninth.

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