We head to Saratoga for the penultimate day of their 2024 season and we will take a look at the 12th race of a 13-race card at The Spa. Seven horses will go a mile and a quarter on the main track. Post time for this race is for approximately 6:15 pm Eastern time.
Saratoga Race 12 – Jockey Club Gold Cup (Grade 1)
Favored in today’s featured race is the 7 Arthur’s Ride (4/5 morning line). He comes into this race winning the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes four weeks ago going gate to wire. He is three for four this year, including a win at this distance in July. He is going to be very tough to beat, especially if he runs like he did in the last two races.
The 3 Bright Future (10/1 ML) won this race last year and is looking to bounce back from a horrible performance in the Whitney. It is possible that he did not like the mud at all, so I am willing to give him another chance here. He should be near the pace today, if he can keep up early on with the odds-on favorite.
Pyrenees (#5, 8/1 ML) comes into this race after a two-month break after finishing second in the Stephen Foster at Churchill. He won the Pimlico going 110 yards less than today’s distance closing on slow fractions.
The 1 Tapit Trice (4/1 ML) draws the rail for his second race back after a layoff of almost a year. He won the Monmouth Cup going away. If he did not hit the ceiling in his return, he is the biggest threat to the favorite Arthur’s Ride.
Arthur’s Ride will be tough to beat here, but the one thing I will tell everyone is that the races are not run on paper. They are run on the track, or in this case, on the Saratoga main track. If there is a horse than beat the favorite today it is Tapit Trice.
Tapit Trice is a Grade 1 winner winning the Blue Grass last year, and lived up to the breeding of his sire Tapit finishing third by a length and a half in last year’s Belmont. I will take my chance here on the horse on the rail here. I’ll call this race 1-7-3-5 and my play is $20 to win on the 1. Best of luck everyone!
QPW Update Desk
- Mixto stalked Full Sorrento and passed him in the stretch to win the Pacific Classic in a 22/1 upset.
- Conclude ($12.20) held off a hard charging Almendares to win the Del Mar Mile.
- Motorious defending his title in the Green Flash at Del Mar holding off Johnny Podres at the wire.
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