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Mid-Atlantic madness! Delaware and Monmouth form the backbone of this Saturday’s continental body of stakes races. It’s gonna be a hot one at both places – and let’s hope the same from Weekend GamePlan, which is back from a freshening.
Salvator Mile
I will confess to not knowing the intimate details regarding the career of the 6-year-old gelding Offaly Cool. Come to find, this horse has some real spark to him – perhaps enough to upset the Salvator Mile.
Saratoga | Race 8 | Post Time 4:38 p.m. (ET)
Sculco's Folly (#1) is likely to attract support in this excellent renewal of the Mike Lee as he exits three consecutive blowout victories. He's won stakes races in each of his last two starts, but the waters get deeper here. He also should encounter a more taxing pace scenario here than he has faced in those recent races. The TimeformUS Pace Projector is predicting a fast pace scenario, which might work against a horse who figures to be under the gun from his rail draw.
Sweet Laura (#1) is obviously the horse to beat as a 14-time winner in the best form of her career right now. She's based on Parx, but she easily won her lone prior race at Aqueduct three back. She has since carried that form forward, chasing home graded stakes winner Irish Maxima before easily beating a weaker field last time. If she runs as well here, she's going to be a handful, but the price figures to be short.
Belmont at the Big A | Race 3 | Post Time 2:06 p.m. (ET)
My primary opinion in this conditioned claimer is that I don't trust likely favorite Salming (#1). This horse has run against better company and owns a set of superior speed figures, but his replays don't inspire confidence. He has trouble getting out of the gate, he usually lacks much response when called upon, and his form has been steadily declining. I also don't think he really wants to go a mile.
Belmont at the Big A | Race 7 | Post Time 4:09 p.m. (ET)
I had a tough time setting a morning line for this race because all of the main contenders have significant flaws. Tuscan Sky (#8) might be the most naturally talented horse in this field on his best day, but his connections have struggled to coax that top form out of him in recent starts. He does appear to working well here and he picks up Flavien Prat, which should attract some support. I just find him difficult to trust at a distance this short.
The Belmont Stakes Festival in a couple weeks should be awesome. The $2 million (!) Stephen Foster is coming up gangbusters. This Saturday in May? Not much more than the sound of crickets coast to coast. We’ll look at three grass races, two of which could be affected by rain.
Crystal Water
