By Joe Quillen
Sunday 6/9 – Saratoga Race 6 – Commentator Stakes
We stay at Saratoga for the final day of the Belmont Stakes Festival and we will look at the Commentator Stakes which is a race for New York breds going a mile and an eighth on the main track. This race goes off at 3:33 pm ET.
Favored is the 2 Drake’s Passage (7/5 morning line). He is second race off of a layoff and just missed going the one-turn mile at Aqueduct in May. He won at this distance back in August winning by almost 8 lengths. He has shown versatility in his races so if the speed bias is still there on Sunday like it was for Belmont Day, he can win on the front end.
Drake’s Passage could have some company on the front end from the outside gate in the 7 Olympic Dreams(9/2 ML). He’s going turf to dirt here and gets some class relief here and he goes back to New York breds here. If he’s not right next to the favorite, he shouldn’t be far off.
Also, not far off should be the 1 Sheriff Bianco (6/1 ML) who is second race off of a layoff. He almost won this race last May at Belmont, which was run at a mile and a sixteenth. Note that they are running this at 110 yards longer because of the track configuration. This may be too far for him, but he does have a second in his only race at this distance. He won’t be far off the pace, but the question is what to expect after the speed bias on Saturday.
The 4 Whittington Park (6/1 ML) threw in a clunker facing Grade 3 foes in the Westchester on May 3, but he’s won at a mile at Aqueduct as well as today’s distance of a mile and an eighth. He will be the closer in this race and will be hoping for a track that is not speed favoring.
Unless something happens between the end of racing on Saturday and when this race goes off today, I am thinking the winner will have to be on the front end, or at least not too far off the lead. I am hoping it’s not all on the front end here. If the speed duel develops, then Whittingham Park wins. I’ll call this 4-2-7-1 and my play is $20 to win on the 4. Good luck everyone!
Check out my show “Also Eligible” on Saturday mornings at 10 am Eastern/7 am Pacific as AJ Johnson and I discuss the big races, the latest news in horse racing and much more!