8/23: Saratoga (Day 30; NY Turf Writers Cup)
 

Enjoyed a highly productive Wednesday to start Travers Week as several price players blended smoothly with mundane types to produce nice returns. In the opener for instance, 8-1 Sandy'z Slew split 2nd and 3rd betting choices Meet the Mets and Saint Arthur to generate an incredibly generous $72 (per $1) 6-horse field triple. Similarly, 7-1 Ziptronic ran a big race in the 2nd just missing behind favored Jess Not Jesse and ahead of 2nd choice Evacuation Route for a $57.25 trio.

With a good day well under way, the Pletcher-Wertheimer Smart Strike colt Colony Strike -- a Best Value play at 8-1 on the ML -- inexplicably floated to an outlandish 14-1 and held sway for a $30.60 tote that keyed a $313.50 tri with the 2nd and 3rd choices. Though the $400+ P4 didn't fall into place when Ralph Nicks' Krissy Kat and Jonathon Sheppard's Warm Hugs got by Race Palace in the nightcap, it was still a rather strong afternoon of play.

As a sidebar, Krissy Kat should certainly have been the subject of a steward's examination for drifting out several paths on the runner up in the finale. As Andy Serling has delineated for an extended period during ATR visits, the refusal of the judges to concern themselves with this type of equine bullying has gone well beyond frustrating overlooked infraction and into the realm of major issue. Although we've discussed it before, I'll again take up the 'herding' issue with Rich Migliore and Tony Black on the show.

Hope everybody did well Wednesday! A very welcome 9 race slate Thursday ahead of the big Ballerina-Travers-Personal Ensign Weekend. $90k P6 C/O at Del Mar today too...


SARATOGA RACE COURSE


POST-SCRATCHES


1st: 71st NY Turf Writers Cup H. (NSA G1), 4+, 19f-Nat'l Fences (P3, DD)

Tom Voss had Left Unsaid 'that close' to ready off the 14 month break in the Smithwick. It has been an unlucky meet overall for the great horseman, but betting he wins this important 'Chase event to quash the season's bad fortune..

Most Likely: #7 Left Unsaid 5-2 DNF (Spill)
Next Best: #2 (POE) Divine Fortune 3-1 DNF (Spill)
Best Value: #4 Spy in the Sky 5-1 3rd
Exotics Use: #1e Delozier-Naylor entry 4-1 2nd/4th


2nd: S/H'Cap, 3+, 7f (P4, P3, DD)

Most Likely: #6 Saginaw 4-5 WON ($2.40)
Best Value: #5 Indy Scent 8-1 3rd
Next Best: #3 Itsagoodtendollars 6-1 4th


3rd: MDN CLM, 3+, 6f (P3, DD)

Race torn up by SCR's of 1-2-3..

Most Likely: #4 Original Art WON ($2.60)
Next Best: #7 Crooked as Can Be 2nd


4th: MDN CLM, 3+, 5.5f-T (P6, P3, DD)

Most Likely: #4 D'tiger 6-5 3rd
Best Value: #6 Quick to Strike 6-1 7th
Next Best: #8 Torment 5-1 2nd
Exotics Use: #7 Spring Warrior 4-1 4th


5th: MDN CLM, 3+, 9f-IT (G/S, P3, DD)

Deep, well matched group..

Best Value: #7 Southern Joy 10-1 5th
Next Best: #8 Wandering Kitten 8-5 WON ($4.20)
Exotics Use: #5 Great Karoo 12-1 10th
Super Add: #2 Smart Power 8-1 6th


<$50 P4 Play:

2: 6 (5)
3: 4
4: 4-6-7-8
5: 2-3-5-7-8-10

Main: 1x1x4x6 = 24 x $1.50 = $36
Backup: 1x1x4x6 = 24 x .50 = $12


6th: MSW, 2yo, 5.5f-T (P4, P3, DD)

Some pedigree power here with #6 Star Street (Street Sense) a half to the great Gygistar (Prospector's Music); #2 Central Banker (Speightstown) a half to Gantry (Pulpit); Aidenandabettin (Smart Strike) a full to Square Eddie and Redwood Kitten a full to Artemus Kitten and Lisa's Kitten..

Best Value: #4 Kamchatka 5-1 4th
Next Best: #2 Central Banker 4-1 WON ($7.80)
Exotics Use: #5 Redwood Kitten 7-2 5th
Super Add: #3 Hightail 5-2 2nd


7th: OC/N3X, 3+, 9f (P3, DD)

Most Likely: #4 Lunar Victory 2-1 WON ($3.80)
Best Value: #1 Joan's Choice 8-1 6th
Next Best: #6 Arthur's Tale 5-1 5th
Exotics Use: #3 Golden Gulch 7-2 2nd


8th: ALW/N1X, F&M-3+, 1m-IT (DD)

Most Likely: #8 Pianist 2-1 WON ($4.70)
Best Value: #6 Town Flirt 15-1 7th
Next Best: #1 Kitty Wine 4-1 2nd
Exotics Use: #2 Star Torina 5-1 4th


9th: CLM, F&M-3+, 8.5f-T

This has a bit of chaos potentrial to it..

Most Likely: #2 Belle Gallatney 3-1 5th
Best Value: #6 Miss Ruud 8-1 4th
Next Best: #3 Villanella 5-1 7th
Exotics Use: #8 Nandira 12-1 6th


<$75 P4 Play:

6: 2-3-4-5-7-8
7: 1-4
8: 6-8
9: 2-3-4-5-6-8

6x2x2x6 = 144 x .50 = $72

$0.50 Pick 4 (2-4-8-5) Paid $47.75


Good luck!
Steve

I'm glad you also noticed that about the finale yesterday, I thought for sure there would have been an inquiry, and I am also shocked that there was not even a jockey's objection. I had no action in the race.

For such a tough meet you have really done a super job with exactas and tri's.. Although your pik 4's and 6's have run on hard luck its amazing how nicely your picks have been inter race..

Who says you can't make money with chalk. Check out the P6 price -$16,000 for ($23.90, 4.20 ,7.80,3.80, 4.70, 6.50). A few people who got $60 for 5/6 are talking to themselves.

That's what Mig said about Rosario not objecting. This race really seems to have gotten under a lot of people's skin.

Thanks Freddy! Nice of you to say. Have really had to scramble to stay afloat. Has been OK, but need a few juicy hits here the last 10 days.

I hope so. It's long past due something is done about this. The head-on replay of that race is comical.

$18k.. If you had Parisella's Black Ace in the 4th, you had a huge chance with Lunar Victory and Pianist involved in the sequence. Wandering Kitten, Central Banker and Yes She Rules came through, but you had to use a few in each of those legs. Looks like 3 winning tix...

Meanwhile at DMR, one ticket for $482k out of the Oregon hub. $32 & $20 horses the necessary toughies with $12, $10, $5 and $4 winners. There too, some deep and contentious races made it supremely challenging.