Woodbine is not the only track that has big races today. We also have two stakes races at Saratoga today that I will also take a look at two of their races today. We will take a look at the ninth and tenth races on the card as we will look at the Lake Placid on the turf, and then the Alabama on the dirt.
Saratoga Race 9 – Lake Placid Stakes
We begin with the Lake Placid Stakes which is for three-year-old fillies going a mile and a sixteenth on the inner turf course. This race should be staying on the turf, meaning that the main track only entrants of the 12 Lemon Muffin (5/1 morning line), the 13 Manama Gold (5/2 ML and the 14 Camera (6/1 ML) will all be scratched. This will leave us with the main field of 11 fillies running barring any scratches.
Favored in this race is the 7 She Feels Pretty (2/1 ML) who was caught in deep stretch in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational at Aqueduct. She doesn’t need to be that close to the lead, but she was closer to the pace last time in that mile and three-sixteenths stakes race.
The 11 Beautiful Love (4/1 ML) makes her North American debut here after wintering in Dubai. She impressively drew off in that race, and I’m not as worried with Godolphin horses and horses trained by Charlie Appleby coming off of six month layoffs.
The 9 Proctor Street (8/1 ML) takes the next logical stuff after breaking her maiden at first asking at Horseshoe Indianapolis and then coming back to win an optional claimer at Saratoga last out. She also has a nice kick that could be on display here once they turn for home.
The 10 Dynamic Pricing (6/1 ML) had an awkward start last time out and did not show much after that. She is a Grade 2 winner having won the Edgewood at Churchill Downs, but this is the first time she will be running here at Saratoga.
After watching Beautiful Love’s last race, I think she might be the filly that draws off in the stretch and wins this just like she did in Dubai. I’ll call this 11-7-9-10 and my play is $20 to win on the 1.
Saratoga Race 10 – Alabama Stakes
Then we head to the main track for the Alabama, which is a Grade 1 race going a mile and a quarter on the main track. You will not see Thorpedo Anna in this race as she will run against the boys next weekend in the Travers. But this race will feature some of the top three-year-old filles who will try to win one of Saratoga’s biggest races for the females.
The 7 Candied is the 7/5 morning line favorite and she will enjoy the fact that Thorpedo Anna and Leslie’s Rose will not be running in this race. She chased the best three-year-old filly around the Saratoga oval last time in the CCA Oaks while wide on both turns, and should be tough to beat here today.
The 6 Miss Justify (6/1 ML) is the “other” Todd Pletcher filly here and she won the Wilton Stakes last month here at Saratoga. This is the first time she will technically go two turns, as I call the mile distance at Saratoga “a turn and a half”. She was inside and closed well to win. She will have to get another quarter of a mile, but the breeding of Justify suggests that she should get the distance here today.
The 3 Power Squeeze (9/2 ML) took time away from Thorpedo Anna and Leslie’s Rose to win the Delaware Oaks last month. She did run a nice third in the Acorn and could be the first filly to have a chance to take over the lead in the stretch if she can get the 10 furlongs today at Saratoga.
The 4 Just Basking (5/1 ML) won the Iowa Oaks at Prairie Meadows last time out easily and will be stepping up big time here. She probably won’t win, but I can see her hitting the board.
Once again, I’m going to go with the horse that I think that is bred for the classic distances like today’s Alabama Stakes here at Saratoga. I also like sometimes taking the “other horse” when a trainer has multiple entrants here like Todd Pletcher has here. I’ll take Miss Justify in a bit of a shocker in a race that is much more appealing to the bettors than if Thorpedo Anna ran today.
Let’s call this race 6-3-7-4 and my play is $20 to win on the 6. Hell, let’s even play the double in the 9th and 10th races here as well. I’ll go with an ice cold double 11 and 6 for $20 and if either or both of these fillies are scratched then this double is null and void.
Best of luck everyone! Also check out my King’s Plate article looking at the biggest race of the day at Woodbine!
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