See my above post hopefully it clarifies my thoughts.

Big field does not equal good betting race. This is not a good betting race. The 2 most likely winners will be 9-5 and 3-1. Or close to those odds.

Which is the same thing most everyone will say about most graded races. Races arent run on paper.

Any race where Alpha is the favorite is a good betting race.

Liaison at 8-1 against this field looks fine by me. He's got just as good a shot as some of the 'favs' in this race but should be a nice price.

Can you explain? Not disagreeing, just would like your perspective.

Agreed.

Alpha is rather mediocre. He has flopped in his two biggest spots, which happened to both occur outside of NY, creating a convenient excuse. His Jim Dandy win is terribly dressed up, as he rode a strong speed bias that developed as the day wore on and set very comfortable fractions in doing so. While the pace scenario in here is not altogether different, he is the type of horse that you are supposed to be interested in betting against.

Not disagreeing with any of your points, but while this race might be big in name, it's really only big in name only.

Any strong opinions for the Test?

not a travers historian by any stretch. but, have watched everyone since 1986. this one has gotta be bottom 3.

The last five were dreadful, and the Sea Hero one was awful too.

sea hero may have been 1-9 against these.....

2 chalks and the far outside horse with Cohen.

Sea Hero would qualify as an iron horse these days.

How did the Curlin / Travers double work out for you on Reload?

We really need to rail on these evil Racing Secretaries that are carding all these crap races while there are tons of stake's caliber horses sitting in barns with trainers just chomping at the bit to race them with nowhere to enter.

I'm far from a NYRA shill. I'm an optimist, and think that a bad day at the track beats a good day almost anywhere else, but more so at Saratoga than just about anywhere.

There are 11 horses in a G1 3YO race in a season that has been completely decimated by injuries, retirements, and basically, average horses - and a bunch of that coming in the last two months. It could be a six horse field and an awful betting race. It isn't.

The winners of the following races are either retired or on extended breaks:
BC Juvenile, Delta Jackpot, Remsen, Gulfstream Park Derby, Sham, Lecomte, Holy Bull, Robert Lewis, San Vincente, Southwest (both divisions), Risen Star, Fountain of Youth, Battaglia, Gotham, San Felipe, Rebel, Spiral, Florida Derby, Illinois Derby, Santa Anita Derby, Arkansas Derby, Derby Trial, Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Peter Pan, Belmont...

Sure, some of those races above are repeats.

Paynter, who is completely hyped after the Haskell win and the mysterious illness, has a single graded stakes win to his name.

What exactly was NYRA going to do to get better quality in this field? They almost got Reddam to bring over a foreigner who was 2nd to the Secretariat winner, Bayrir, but he strained a muscle and missed the race.

This is the game we have. I don't have time for the "back in the day" crowd when everything was always better than the present.

I agree, and what is so great about Neck 'n Neck as well?

Your a figure guy. His CD races destroy everyone in this race. Including Alpha.