Alabama Stakes day. Let’s get to some winners. Racing starts today at 12:30 EST.
Race 1 The 2, 4, and 6 are all contenders here. We know Saez is capable with a horse that can get to the lead. He sits aboard the Rudy Rodriguez-trained 4 Floki's Flight.
Picks: 4-6-2-3
Race 2 Smaller field after scratches that I’m not too interested in. The 6 U Can’t Handle This is a threat to wire the field here; 1 Holiday Jazz won’t be too far out to make a run, and 4 Spooky Road will be looking to come from way off it.
Picks: 4-1-6-5
Race 3 Jockey Luis Saez is a legitimate threat to take the first three races. He’s on the 3 Peaceful Waters here, another threat to take ‘em gate to wire.
Picks: 3-4-6-1
Race 4 Can make a case for and against all six entries here. My dollars will be on the 8 Pomme Sauvage who is 2-0-1-1 lifetime. Jockey upgrade to Trevor McCarthy, a rider who has a knack for getting his mounts into the right spot to make their run.
Picks: 8-7-5-3
Race 5 Most interested in the 5 Rarified Flair out of Kenny McPeek’s barn. Julien Leparoux gets in the saddle. Third lifetime start, having come up from Churchill Downs and finished a game third on this same track last month.
Picks: 5-1-6-4
Race 6 The coupled entry looks especially tough with Saez and John Velazquez up. Trainer Barclay Tagg brings the 2 Blitz to Win off a long layoff for his first start of his four-year-old campaign. Interesting underneath.
Picks: 1/1A-2-8-4
Race 7 Todd Pletcher has a couple in here that have experience. However, I’m most interested in the first timers. Notably, 5 Echo Again for Steve Asmussen. Chad Brown’s 1 Expected Value for Klaravich Stables also in my thoughts.
Picks: 5-1-3-4
Race 8 My advice here: bet on the Chad Brown entry with the highest odds at post time.
Picks: 3-1-4-5
Race 9 The 3 Robin Sparkles has been on my radar for a long time, and we should get a fair price today.
Picks: 3-7-9-6
Race 10 The Alabama is, quite frankly, 4 Nest’s to lose. She’ll get first run at the leaders, and I’m not convinced there’s enough pace for 7 Secret Oath to catch them down the stretch.
Picks: 4-1-7-2
Race 11 Gahhh! These finales at the Spa have been brutally tough. The 1 American Pure is interesting; switches to Mike Maker’s barn and tries turf for the first time. Luis Saez hops aboard. Maker’s other entry, the 14 Chess’s Dream had a nice bullet work on August 5th and just missed last time out, finishing third.
Picks: 14-8-4-1
Best of luck!