It’s Whitney day! Here are my picks for today’s card. I’ll chop up the ample stakes races. First post is a half-hour earlier than usual–12:35 EST.
Race 1 MSW 2YO The 2 Alexis Zorba stretches out today and should take just fine to the distance.
Picks: 2-5-4
Race 2 $30K Maiden Claiming Fillies & Mares 3YO+ No speed signed on here. Toss the 4 She Caught My Eye’s debut last December, and she looks like a contender.
Picks: 4-8-5
Race 3 $45K AOC NW2 NY-Bred Fillies & Mares 3YO+ This race is just begging for a nuke to hit. Will reevaluate after scratches.
Picks: 4-5-6
Race 4 $62.5K AOC NW2 3YO+ Another race without speed! The 2 Good Governance is the class of this field.
Picks: 2-8-1
Race 5 Fasig-Tipton Lure Stakes (Non-graded) 4YO+ Is anybody gonna upset Chad Brown in these turf routes? I give Wesley Ward and Jose Ortiz the best shot at it.
Picks: 4-7-1
Race 6 MSW 2YO A pair out of Gun Runner here.
Picks: 2-1A-6
Race 7 Glen Falls Stakes (G2) Mares 4YO+ The theme of today’s card through the first seven races may as well be the lack of speed. On paper it looks like a duel between 2 Virginia Joy and 6 War Like Goddess, and both warrant being played equally in horizontals. If we want to zig when everyone else zags, we’ll be taking a hard look at the 4 Flanigan’s Cove. Ahh, who am I kidding? War Like Goddess for the win.
Picks: 6-4-2
Race 8 Allowance NW1 3YO+ Irad on the 9 Osbourne for Ron Moquett. Morning line is 6-1. Hope we get it.
Picks: 9-7-3
Race 9 Longines Test Stakes 3YO Fillies Okay, now we have the speed signed on. The 6 Hot Peppers is got to send, as is her style. She’ll be pressed on the front end by as much as half the field. That leaves the 1 Matareya, the 2 Sterling Silver, and the 7 Chi Town Lady. Matareya is the easy choice. I’ve got Sterling Silver right there with Trevor McCarthy in the saddle.
Picks: 1-2-4
Race 10 Whitney Stakes (G1) 4YO+ This is the 6 Life Is Good’s race to lose. This horse is a BEAST. I know some will back the 4 Olympiad, and I don’t fault that view. But Life Is Good is the speed of the speed. What, you think the 2 Hot Rod Charlie is gonna send? Good luck with that. If you really believe that there will be a speed duel early, then please do not leave the 1 Americanrevolution off your horizontal tickets.
Picks: 6-4-1
Race 11 Caesars Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes (G1) 3YO This is a race where I think you can get creative underneath, and there are three in the field that stick out to us in this spot. First, the 4 Nations Pride. Charles Appleby and Bill Buick aren’t making the trip across the pond to get their ass kicked. Next, the 9 Classic Causeway. Lifetime record of 9-4-1-2 and this a distance that pedigree says he’ll thrive. My favorite price play is the 2 Grand Sonata, also for pedigree. To round out the super I’ll grab one of the Graham Motion entries, the 7 Royal Patronage. Finished fifth in the Belmont Derby last month, and I think he’s sitting on a big effort.
Picks: 4-9-2-7
Race 12 MSW NY-Bred 3YO+ Gwhahahah they didn’t make the late pick 5 closing race easy, did they? We’ve got a first time gelding in the 5 Sir John, a first time starter for Chad Brown in the 7 Walk Em Down, and the 8 Dreampoint whose lifetime record is 17-0-4-2! I’ll take the bait on none of the above and go with the morning line favorite, the 2 Your Mission for Todd Pletcher and Irad Ortiz, Jr. Horse has just missed twice in three career starts.
Picks: 2-9-3-10
Best of luck!