Saturday, August 29.
Best Bet: Race 8 - #6 Complexity (4/1 ML). Last November, Complexity had an eye-opening win in an optional claiming race at Aqueduct. He shipped to Santa Anita after that and was then thoroughly beaten in the Malibu. In his last three Grade 1 races, he has lost by a combined 49 3/4 lengths. So what the heck is so appealing about him in this one? Last month he returned off a long layoff to race 4-wide, close to a respectable pace, and just kept going as he entered the stretch while others close to the pace faded. That signals to me that he's ready to take on graded stakes company once more. With many of the typical dirt sprinters in here like Whitmore, Firenze Fire, and Mind Control, combined with some fresh faces like Fortin Hill and Funny Guy, Complexity should still be a nice price.
Longshot: Race 11 - #8 Miss Jimmy (15/1 ML). Miss Jimmy comes to Saratoga from the Finger Lakes where she has finished in the top 2 in her last 10 races. She's 11-6-4-0 lifetime. This is obviously a step up in class for her but I don't think she's far off from this group. Flashpackinbarbie looks like the early pacesetter here but I'd be surprised if she gets an easy lead, which should allow Miss Jimmy to sit off the pace and make a late run. She seems to be begging for more distance than the 5 and 5.5 furlong races that she's run recently. She'll get her chance here. The question is whether she's good enough.
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