Grade 1 sprint events will be decided on both coasts Saturday, with the $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga and the $300,000 Bing Crosby at Del Mar. Saratoga also has three other graded races on its Saturday card – the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy, the traditional local prep for the Travers; the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green; and the Grade 3, $200,000 Amsterdam.
Bowling Green Stakes
Race 6:
Land Mine (#1)
Handled this distance when she broke her maiden at Saratoga last summer.
Has run well over wet tracks herself, and is a half-sister to the slop-loving mare Bar of Gold.
Has logged a steady, stamina-building series of workouts for her return.
6-1 on ML
Lyrical Lady
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Last race: July 20, 5th
Finish: 1st by 5 ¾
Beyer: 75
Expensive two-year-old purchase did not disappoint on debut, showing good speed right from the start before powering away in the stretch to a convincing score.
Race 2
Raging Town (#4)
Gets some needed class relief after failing twice against allowance company.
Turns back to sprint distances on the dirt, where she has done her best work.
The TimeformUS Pace Projector is predicting she will be in front early in a situation favoring horses on or near the lead.
2-1 on ML
Race 5
Aquariva (#8)
Sold for a hefty price tag after an impressive 10-flat workout at the OBS March Sale.
NOT SO QUIET
Trainer: Bill Tharrenos
Last race: July 18, 8th
Finish: 1st by 6 1/2
Beyer: 85
The 3-year-old gelded son of Silent Name ran to his powerful works with an explosive debut victory going five-eighths. He figures to beat non-winners-of-two Ontario-sired allowance company next time out.
Race 5:
Ekhtibaar (#9)
Actually ran pretty well in his turf debut nearly 3 years ago.
Is bred to excel on grass, since his dam was a Group 2-placed turfer and hails from an all-turf female family.
DRF Formulator Fact: Over the past 5 years, Chad Brown is 6 for 9 (67 percent, $5.70 ROI) with horses switching from dirt to turf when entered for a tag at Saratoga.
5-2 on ML
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Less than a full racing week into the Del Mar summer meet, one thing is clear: It pays to be forwardly placed on the turf course. I like a pick-three sequence that is bookended by stakes races Sunday – the Wickerr and the Eddie Read. Seeing how the turf has played over the first few days, I’ve had to alter my handicapping slightly and take race shape into consideration even more; horses who are forwardly placed will get a legitimate upgrade, and horses I was very interested in playing who are deep closers must be downgraded slightly. Here’s a look at the pick-three sequence.
Race 5:
Point to Remember (#8)
Have been waiting for this horse to stretch out given his pedigree, as a son of Point of Entry out of a stakes-winning router.
The Pace Projector is predicting that he’s fast enough to make the lead here, which may be an advantage.
DRF Formulator Fact: Over the past five years, Jimmy Jerkens is 10 for 39 (26 percent, $2.27) with horses stretching out for the first time on dirt.
7-2 on ML
Race 3:
Behavioral Bias (#5)
Has earned competitive TimeformUS Speed Figures in recent starts despite racing over distances that are likely too far for him.
The Pace Projector is predicting a situation favoring horses on or near the lead, and he figures to be forwardly placed with the addition of blinkers.
Ran one of the best races of his career over this surface last year.
5-1 on ML
