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Weekend Winners Club

Aug 07 2015

Saratoga Saturday August 8 Grid Whitney, Test, Waya, and De La Rose Stakes

Saratoga’s Saturday card includes:
• Saratoga Race Course: Fasig-Tipton De La Rose S, $100,000g, 4&up f/m, 8f.
• Saratoga Race Course: Fasig-Tipton Waya S (gr. III), $200,000g, 3&up f/m, 12f.
• Saratoga Race Course: Longines Test S (gr. I), $500,000g, 3yo f, 7f.
• Saratoga Race Course: Lure S, $100,000a, 4&up, 8.5f.
• Saratoga Race Course: Whitney (gr. I), $1,250,000g, 3&up, 9f.

The Whitney is perhaps the summer’s most underrated race and definitely the most impressive field we’ll see until Breeders Cup.

Looking at the Test G1 at 7f for fillies, we have two legitimate favorites, Take Charge Brandi coming off a subpar race at route, and the closing Cavorting coming off a great sprint race after two subpar routes. The sprint distance looks to be better for both of them.

Wonder Gal at 6-1 morning line, had a subpar route race last out, but 3 solid performances beforehand, and should also improve at that distance. Angela Renee at 6-1 is another presser who didn’t fare so well last time on turf, but had excellent dirt performances. Irish Jasper at 8-1 has the best 2 PF’s at this distance.

The following race will be the Whitney, perhaps the summer’s most underrated race. 10 older horses (open to all horses 3 and up) take to the track to compete at 9f. Honor Code and Tonalist head the field at the 1 and 2 posts, both excellent closers. The complete initial field:
1 Honor Code 3-1 S0
2 Tonalist 4-1 P0
3 Noble Bird 5-1 EP7
4 Liam’s Map 6-1 E8
5 Moreno 12-1 EP5
6 V. E. Day 8-1 S2
7 Lea 9-2 P3
8 Coach Inge 15-1 E8
9 Wicked Strong 20-1 P3
10 Normandy Invasion 30-1 EP5

This is the best field of route runners you’ll see this summer. The Whitney is worth $1.25 million this year and has the accomplished competitors to prove it. There isn’t a lot of early speed in this race so we can’t rule it out.

The only 3 true speedsters are Noble Bird, Liam’s Map, and Coach Inge, who’s coming off 3 excellent races and is 15-1 morning line. If any of them should scratch, it may be a frontrunner’s race.

The other two stakes races are on turf, including the Waya G3 for 3+FM at 12f. At that distance, we normally look for the best late runners, which are 6-1, 12-1 and 12-1 according to the Grid.


Download Saratoga Sat Grid here now

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