7/25: Saratoga (Day 4; Evan Shipman)
 

Intense heat and humidity dissipated upstate, and the Spa grounds saw a rare weekend where a Sunday crowd outpaced Saturday's. Racing continued to be compelling with competitive events and frequently large mutuels. The opener proved again how turf routes are the source of big numbers, when hard to like Bretton Woods stoutly rallied into a moderate pace at 10-1. (Frankly, 10-1 seemed low looking at the Weaver trainees page.) The $35k turf sprint 3rd was another IRS window wonderment as Hysterical Cat (15.40) scored ahead of Luigi P (13.10) and Tennis Racket (14.70) for a $3,300 triple.

The P3's continue to be lucrative, and my best sequence of the day caught another solid pair between the 4th-7th. Happy Bull ($4.10), War Colony ($17.20), Coaltown Legend ($16.00) and Chorus Music ($8.10) tripped $201.00 and $227.25 troikas. I keyed off the remarkable Coaltown to connect with System Restore to produced a sizable exacta ($142.75) as well. It was good to have a handful of good ideas through the middle portion of the card too, as Mott firster Star Torina stopped everything I had going in the 8th when she turned in an eye-popping wire job. Smooth Air brother Overdriven came through professionally in the Sanford at 2-5, and I wasn't close in the nightcap to end the first weekend. Hope everyone did well...

First Monday of the season wraps up the 'prequel' week. Nick Zito joins me at 11a on ATR!


SARATOGA


POST-SCRATCHES


1st: MSW, F&M-3+, 6f (P3, DD, Super)

Fave #3 Itsmyhonor (9-5) a SCR..

Best Value: #7 Avolo 10-1 3rd
Next Best: #2 Joonbi 3-1 WON ($7.90)
Exotics Use: #7 World Harmony 5-2 2nd


2nd: NY-OC/N2X, F&M-3+, 8.5f-IT (P4, P3, DD, Super)

Most Likely: #4 Who Is Lady 5-2 2nd
Best Value: #2 Sounds Familiar 8-1 6th
Exotics Use: #5 Freedom Rings 2-1 3rd
Super Add: #1 Rogue's Jewel 7-2 WON ($8.00)


3rd: MSW, 2yo-F, 5f (P3, DD)

Tough to get clever v. Pletcher and Asmussen in top slots. Respective sires of the selections -- Tale of the Cat, Speightstown and Wildcat Heir -- all get early runners..

Most Likely: #2 Select Cat 8-5 WON ($4.70)
Next Best: #1 Barbados Beauty 2-1 3rd
Exotics Use: #5 Siberian Wildcat 5-1 5th


4th: CLM, 3+, 5.5f-T (P6, P3, DD, Super)

OFF THE TURF


5th: NY-MSW, 3+, 6f (G/S, P3, DD, Super)

Best Value: #8 Beautyinthepulpit 5-1 WON ($5.40)
Exotics Use: #9 Alarmist 7-2 2nd
Next Best: #1 Calgary Enforcer 5-1
Super Add: #7 Tycoon Cat 5-1


<$75 P4 Play:

2: 2-4
3: 1-2-5
4: 4-5-8-9-10-11
5: 8-9

2x3x6x2 = $72 ($36 for .50)


6th: MSW, 2yo, 5.5f-T (P4, P3, DD, Super)

OFF THE TURF


7th: CLM, 3+, 1m-IT (P3, DD, Super)

OFF THE TURF


8th: 30th Evan Shipman-NY, 3+, 9f (DD)

Most Likely: #1a Friend or Foe 1-1 SCR (#1 Mine Over Matter 3rd)
Best Value: #7 Spa City Fever 10-1 5th
Exotics Use: #5 Ichabad Crane 4-1 WON ($6.30)


9th: CLM/N2L, F&M-3+, 8.5f-T (Super)

OFF THE TURF


Good luck!
Steve

Gotta love hitting the troikas....:$:

Was too bad about Monday. One of those lost weather days at Saratoga... We get 1 or 2 a year.