Saturday Stakes Crystal Ball
 

BEL - CCA Oaks:

Vague overtakes a game Teammate and posts the upset over an overrated group of American sophomore fillies...

DEL MAR - Mabee 'Cap:

The old, classy Island Fashion gets first grass victory over that putting green they call a turf course...

DEL MAR - San Diego 'Cap:

Rathor puts away a tough Texcess and then holds off a late surge from Papi Chullo, while Giacomo shows us his mediocrity yet again and runs off the board....

ARL - American Derby:

Golden Arrow validates why Smullen made the trip across the pond to ride in just a Grade 3 race, and wins to prove again that Euros are simply better on the grass.....Stream Cat and Can't Beat It fair best of the American 3YOs...

LS - Bob Johnson Memorial:

Mad Adam returns to the form that won him the USA Stakes at LS as a 3YO last season and upsets this group at a very solid price...

LS - Silver Spur:

Gallant Dreamer scores a narrow decision over Stormin Quality at overlayed odds...

MTH - Serena's Song:

Saratoga Drive shows her class against this listed stakes group...


Good luck on Saturday and may your crystal ball be clearer than mine! :)

I don't think you can call the new sod at Del Mar a putting green. I have not walked on it, but I heard that in this heat it grows 1/2 inch a day.

All West coast turf courses are not legitimate courses IMO....Euro courses that are so deep and boggy that you can't walk through them without caution of tripping...those are the real courses that sepearte the true turf performers IMO....California courses (and Lone Star for that matter) are speed courses that are usually short and they allow MANY dirt horses to take to that surface...Personally, that is the only reason I think Singletary won the BC Mile 2 years ago because he liked short, hard and fast courses....

Island Fashion is CLEARLY not a turf mare, but she can win because that course will allow her to run on it as though she were running on dirt almost...just look at her Mabee effort a year ago....she won't trip through it like she would on most other courses in the world....the old FG and the current ARL courses are my favorites in America...

Actually, I hated Vague when the track came up wet (Euro rule of thumb on wet dirt tracks), but I still lost on Teammate, who is clearly a filly that needs things her own way......Wonder Lady Anne L figured to love the distance as much as any and it is Dutrow in New York at his finest...

My picks reflected my wagering day...OUCH...I got lucky and got out at LaDowns in their feature on High Strike Zone at 7-1, but all-in-all it was a horrible day and I didn't deserve to make money in the end.....OUCH!