RIDIN’THESTORMOUT
Trainer: John Sadler
Last race: Aug. 25, race 2
Finish: 3rd by 1/2
Beyer: 57
Debut 2-year-old filly with abbreviated work pattern sped to lead in turf sprint, set pace, worn down. Encouraging debut. Candy Ride filly also has route potential on dam’s side.
STOTLAND
Trainer: Bob Hess, Jr.
Last race: Aug. 25, race 6
The penultimate weekend of the Del Mar racing season includes an odds-on favorite in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on Saturday, and Saratoga ends with the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes for 2-year-olds on Monday. Plenty to cover; time to dive in.
Even the best lose sometime
Saratoga | Race 4 | Post Time 2:49 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs | Not already a TimeformUS member? Sign up
Chad Brown holds a strong hand in this race, sending out two of the likely favorites. Zainalarab (#3) comes in with some of the best turf speed figures, but I didn’t like the way she finished going a mile last time. She had a clear chance to seize control of the race in upper stretch and just seemed to hang.
1:45 CNL 1st Debuting INTO DISCO (#1, 8-1) is the second foal to race (the first, Uncle Ken, won his career debut last summer at CNL) out of Disco Barbie, who was a very good racehorse who wanted just about this 7f trip. No holes in the work pattern since July 4, and trainer D Capuano has two winners during 2022 from three first-time starters in maiden-special-weight races, and over the last five years is a strong 18-6-5-1 in such spots.
Saratoga | Race 1 | Post Time 1:05 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs | Not already a TimeformUS member? Sign up
Saratoga | Race 7 | Post Time 4:29 p.m. (ET) | Go to the TimeformUS PPs | Not already a TimeformUS member? Sign up
Technical Analysis probably wins the Ballston Spa as an odds-on favorite, and Jackie’s Warrior is a universal cinch in the Forego, but the rest of the Saratoga stakes slate doesn’t have to chalk out. Search Results can be included in your Personal Ensign plans, even if she wasn’t quite included in this Weekend GamePlan.
Travers
I don’t think contention runs especially deep in this Travers. Rich Strike will go down as an eternally baffling Derby winner. Ain’t Life Grand has no path to victory. The connections of Gilded Age would heartily celebrate third.
