We have a mixed back of stakes races today: older horses sprinting in Maryland; 3-year-old fillies and 3-year-old colts at the Jersey Shore and in upstate New York, respectively; and a pair of good stakes races out West. Add them up and we have plays in five races for this fine Summer Saturday. It’s an all-dirt lineup, and we expect a fast main track for all of them. Let’s go.
Laurel Park, Race 9, 4:16 pm ET
$150,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash, 6 furlongs, Dirt, 3 & Up
Seven line up for the De Francis. Six of them last started at tracks in the Mid-Atlantic, but we like the one who ships to Maryland: it’s 2-Synthesis, who is based in New York, where he has been facing much tougher company in graded stakes like the John A. Nerud and the True North, both Grade 2 races at Belmont Park. He did well in those races, and as a result, he simply looks better than the rest of this group. We will bet him to win at 2-1. The bet: Laurel Park, Race 9, $40 to win on 2-Synthesis.
Monmouth Park, Race 9, 4:20 pm ET
Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks, 1 1/16 miles, Dirt, 3-Year-Old Fillies
A deep and interesting group of ten 3-year-old fillies lines up for the Monmouth Oaks. We’re all in on 9-Occult, who was last seen coming from far back to finish third in the Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont Park on June 9. There are two ways a handicapper can look at that race: the first is that her late run was aided by a fast pace, and a race shape that favored her closing running style; the second is that she showed a lot of ability overcoming a bad start, and did well to get up for a minor placing. We think the latter is the case, that she’s an improving 3-year-old, and that she is strictly the one to beat here. We will bet her to win at 3-1. The bet: Monmouth Park, Race 9, $40 to win on 9-Occult.
Saratoga Race Course, Race 10, 5:45 pm ET
Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes, 1 ⅛ miles, Dirt, 3-Year-Olds
The Jim Dandy drew a field of five. We’re against favored 2-Forte, who does not seem to be any better this year than he was last year, and who is going to be a very short price. He can win, but if he does, it will be without our money.
We like a straight-down-the-line speed play, in the form of 4-Saudi Crown. He is lightly raced, with two wins and a second in three starts, and he seems to have the potential to be a late bloomer, the kind of 3-year-old who can be a major factor in stakes races in the second half of the racing year, but what makes us like his chances here is early speed: He has it in abundance, and the rest of the field does not. We see him getting the early lead so easily that we think he is going to be hard to catch. We see Saudi Crown taking the Jim Dandy in gate-to-wire fashion, and will bet him to win at 5/2 odds. The bet: Saratoga, Race 10, $50 to win on 4-Saudi Crown.
Del Mar, Race 8, 8:39 pm ET
Grade 2 San Diego Handicap, 1 1/16 miles, Dirt, 3 & Up
Nine go in the San Diego. The pick is 1-Slow Down Andy, whose last two starts were in the Met Mile at Belmont and the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland; he did not take the prize in either of those races, but that is entirely understandable, as both were won by Cody’s Wish, who is probably the best horse in training in North America right now, and the best dirt miler we’ve seen in some time. Slow Down Andy faces some pretty stiff competition in this field – it’s a salty group – but there isn’t another horse anywhere near that level. We would be inclined to think that he would deliver a top performance under any circumstances, but that he should get a perfect trip, sitting just behind likely pacesetter 10-Brickyard Ride, makes us even more confident that he’ll run big today. We will bet him to win at 5-1. The bet: Del Mar, Race 8, $40 to win on 1-Slow Down Andy.
Del Mar, Race 10, 9:39 pm ET
Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes, 6 furlongs, Dirt, 3 & Up
The Crosby is one of the premier races at Del Mar’s summer meet, so it’s good to see that it drew a very good and very deep field of twelve. We’re taking a shot at a runner at a huge price: it’s 5-Kid Corleone, a 4-year-old who was pretty good as a 3-year-old last year, but who was injured in the fall, and was away from the races for eight months. He returned from the layoff in June, when he won an allowance race in fast time; we think that we’ve not yet seen quite how good he is, but we suspect that it’s good enough to compete with this group. At 20-1, that makes him a good play. We will bet him to win. The bet: Del Mar, Race 10, $40 to win on 5-Kid Corleone.
That’s all for today. Until tomorrow, enjoy the races, be safe, and, as always, good luck at the windows.