Dicey card today. Another non-graded New York Stallion Series Stakes on the grass is the highlight.
Dove into podcasting last week. Just posted a new episode going over today’s Late Pick 5 at Saratoga, then pivots to tomorrow’s card at Del Mar. It will only waste 24 minutes of your time. (That includes dead air!) I promise it will get better. You can listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
First post today is at 1:05 EST.
Race 1 My pre-scratch pick was 6 Olympic Dreams. Post-scratches I like the 4 Uncle Bruce to wire the field.
Picks: 4-3-1-2
Race 2 If you’ve been reading my write-ups, you know that Javier Castellano is on fire with the mounts he’s getting. Here he is up on the 4 Caragate, who is 4-2-1-1 lifetime going 8 furlongs on dirt.
Picks: 4-6-2-3
Race 3 Giving H. James Bond another shot here. The 5 Fontanafredda was a winner last time out over this same track.
Picks: 5-1/1A-6-4
Race 4 The 2 Mexican Wonder Boy projects to be on the lead early and has won over a third of his lifetime races.
Picks: 2-5-1-4
Race 5 The 5 Clear the Deck tries for a fourth time at breaking his maiden. Last time out just missed and beat the other horse with experience here, the 6 Forbidden Secret.
Picks: 5-2-6-4
Race 6 The Late Pick 5 starts here. I’m going to play against the morning line favorite with a trio of fillies I am interested in. The 2 April First for David Donk and Jose Ortiz should like the dirt more, but I’m taking a flyer on her anyway. The 3 Dream On Cara retains jockey Javier Castellano, so I’ve got to believe he sees something there. Lastly, I’ll use the 4 Recognize, as she drops slightly in class and may just be the one to beat come post time.
Picks: 4-3-8-2
Race 7 Another one of the horses I had penciled in on my Pick 5 ticket scratched here. Top choice is the 3 Charles Chrome out of California Chrome. Lifetime record of 8-2-2-2 and adds blinkers today for the first time. If the 2 Veterans Beach can get into position and stalk the pacesetter, he could get to the winner’s circle with a late bid. The 7 Immortalization is a threat to wire the field and has a “win one, lose one” pattern going in 2022. Today, the “win one” spot is up.
Picks: 3-7-2-6
Race 8 Pedigree, pace, connections–it all fits for the 3 Nabokov.
Picks: 3-5-1-2
Race 9 Major spread race in this New York Stallion Series Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. I have the 2,3,4,5,6,7 written down with a note “use as many as you can afford.” I will give you my reasons for leaving out the 1 and 8: 1 Golden Rocket has never won off Lasix, and 8 Eros’s Girl is a dirt horse in every sense. Don’t see why they’re trying grass today.
Picks: 5-2-3-6
Race 10 Trainer Kelly Breen drops the 1 Uragano in class today in hopes of getting to the winner’s circle. Should be more forwardly placed than in his previous races.
Picks: 1-7-6-5
Best of luck!