Wide-open field for Jack Betta Be Rite Stakes

There are only six entrants in the $50,000 Jack Betta Be Rite Stakes at Finger Lakes on Monday, but good luck sorting them out. Four of the fillies and mares in the 1 1/16-mile race for New York-breds seem to have a shot at the win.

Favoritism may come down to the Belmont Park-based Daisy Cutter and the sharp local runner Pride of Saratoga.

Daisy Cutter, trained by Linda Rice, will make her first start since May 29, when she finished seventh against much tougher rivals in the Critical Eye Stakes at Belmont. Prior to that, she won a second-level optional claimer at Laurel Park. Rice is 4 for 19 at Finger Lakes this year.

Pride of Saratoga is in the best form of her career for trainer Jeremiah Englehart and is coming off two blowout wins over first- and second-level allowance rivals. As of Friday morning, Englehart held a one-win lead in the trainer standings over his father, Chris.

The form of Maryland shipper Mecke’s Madalyn is not as obvious as the top two, but she has raced very well in two starts at Finger Lakes. Mecke’s Madalyn won the Shesastonecoldfox Stakes at Finger Lakes as a 2-year-old in 2015 and then just missed by a head in the New York Oaks a year ago.

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Based with trainer Corby Caiazzo at Berkely Farm in Darlington, Md., Mecke’s Madalyn will get first-time Lasix on Monday.

Five Star Rampage also is a player for trainer Jimmy Jerkens, but she flattened out in the stretch of an open, first-level allowance at 4-5 at Finger Lakes on July 22 and finished third, beaten 6 1/2 lengths. The four-length winner, however, was Literata, who would be favored over this field if she had been entered. Literata had finished second in the Critical Eye in her prior start.

Because of her nose victory in a first-level statebred allowance at Belmont in May – the race had a $64,000 purse – Five Star Rampage will carry the high weight of 124 pounds in the Jack Betta Be Rite and concede six pounds to the rest of the field.

The lineup is completed by Live Like Jay, who is coming off two local allowance wins, and Taramislew.

Jack Betta Be Rite, Race 9

Key Contenders

Pride of Saratoga, by Proud Citizen
Last 3 Beyers: 78-66-40

◗ Her Beyer Speed Figures have been on the climb since she returned from a four-month layoff in May. The 78 she earned last out puts her on a par with Daisy Cutter’s best recent figures.

Daisy Cutter, by Bellamy Road
Last 3 Beyers: 53-78-79

◗ A repeat of her April allowance win at Laurel would make her tough to beat here. The question is, can she duplicate that effort off an 11-week layoff?

Mecke’s Madalyn, by Desert Party
Last 3 Beyers: 59-49-61

◗ She is 2 for 14 in her career and finished second last time out at Delaware Park in a three-horse, first-level allowance race to 1-5 favorite Shes Trickey.