Sunday TimeformUS Highlight Horse: Added ground should suit Complete Agenda
Saratoga | Race 7 | Post Time 4:40 p.m. (ET)
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Morning-line favorite Film Star (#6) hasn’t won since getting claimed by Linda Rice, but he’s run well in each of those runner-up efforts for this barn. He showed talent when registering a 113 TimeformUS Speed Figure for Brad Cox at Keeneland and has since proven that number is no fluke. He narrowly lost an off-the-turf race in May that came up pretty fast, and then earned a solid 110 Timeform Figure at this level last time. This time he figures to get things his own way up front without much other speed in this field. He’s been successful using front-running tactics before, and he has to be considered the horse to beat in his current form. Yet all of that is pretty obvious, and he’s going be a pretty short price going out for the Linda Rice and Jose Ortiz juggernaut.
A few of these exit a June 10 race at Ellis Park at this level. Prove Worthy (#1) finished behind a couple of other runners who return in this spot, but I think he’s the one you want out of that race. Stamina is no concern for this Curlin colt, considering that he won his maiden going 10 furlongs at Churchill two back. He really put it all together that day in a race that featured a couple of next-out winners. While the result was disappointing last time at Ellis, that race was dominated up front over a course that was really playing to speed. He never gave up that day and should fare better here over this demanding Saratoga surface.
My top pick is another late-running son of Curlin. Complete Agenda (#4) picked up minor awards in some similar spots here last summer when he was in the barn of Todd Pletcher. He went off form after that, but seemed to get back on track at Aqueduct this winter and has continued to move forward since being claimed by Tom Morley. He faced unfavorable pace setups in his first two starts off the claim for this barn and reportedly bled in that April 23 event. He fared better last time when closing for third in an off-the-turf race behind Film Star. He gets the distance, and notably receives the LP flag (highest Late Pace Rating) on the Pace Projector, which could be significant over this demanding Saratoga surface.