Saratoga Vulnerable Favorites, Live Longshots, and Spot Plays: July 21
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SPOT PLAYS AND LIVE LONGSHOTS
FIRST BEACH (#1, 5-1) appears to have needed some time to figure things out, but also appears to have some talent; didn't get the cleanest trip in turf debut, maybe things work better for him this time. - Mike Beer
In a sprint top-heavy with early speed, either NUBIN RIDGE (#3, 20-1) & BEMATA (#8, 15-1)or both of these stretch-running geldings could rally into the picture with some racing luck. Nubin Ridge, a debut winner at Saratoga last summer, has been freshened since chasing subsequent stakes winner Our Double Play in early May. Bemata has won twice previously when turned back from routes to sprints along with a drop in class, and those two factors are in play once again.- Dave Litfin
Two-back score at CD for 5-time winner TATER DOWNS (#3, 7-2) was something to behold, although subsequent raise into the legit 1x ranks didn’t elicit quite the same kind of mega-effort. Conditions suit him to a tee, as do the inside draw and the presence of Javier; looking for his bounce-back toward the top to yield a nice stalking trip and another very strong showing. – Marty McGee
TATER DOWNS (#3, 7-2) ships in from Kentucky and seems to fit well with the locals, judging by his best figures; latest was a sub-par Beyer for him but he was stuck behind a very slow opening quarter, which hampered his ability to close. –Kenny Peck
AGILION (#3, 6-1) unseen since poor effort going two turns on the Inner Dirt; likely to return running and needs to improve a only couple lengths here.-Chuck Kuehhas
VULNERABLE FAVORITES
SCHOOL SPIRIT (#4 3-1) might be a classic case of an outlier Beyer resulting in a recent maiden-breaker being unreasonably overbet when trying winners for the first time. Yes, he got a 91 fig, but that was vs. much softer in the CD mdn.-claiming ranks, so healthy skepticism is warranted as to whether that’ll happen again. – Marty McGee
