Race 10 (Saturday, July 21, 2018: 6:18 p.m./ET; 3:18 p.m./PT)
Mile and an eighth on the turf (fillies and mares, three-years-old and up)
Trainer Chad Brown has dominated East Coast turf racing for the past few years and appears to be loaded in the first Grade I of the Saratoga meet, coincidentally a turf race. Let’s analyze each runner and come up with a winner:
#1 SISTERCHARLIE (IRE) has never finished worse than second in all but one start, with that lone off-the-board finish coming in France last year. In three starts for trainer Chad Brown in the United States, this Irish-bred filly has won the Jenny Wiley (G1) and was the runner up (by narrow margins) in both the 2018 New York Stakes (G2) and the 2017 Belmont Oaks (G1). Top rider John Velazquez retains the mount- Major player.
#2 PROCTOR’S LEDGE finished three-quarters of a length behind #6 A RAVING BEAUTY in the Just A Game (G1) on Belmont Stakes Day last time out. She is two-for-two on the Saratoga lawn, having won both the Lake George (G3) and the Lake Placid (G3) last year. High profile rider Jose Ortiz only adds to the appeal.
#3 NEW MONEY HONEY is the second Chad Brown entrant in the race. The daughter of MEDAGLIA D’ORO started off her 2018 campaign with a neck victory against allowance company. She’ll need to run faster than she did last time to be a main contender in here, but look at her prior form: she won the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) as a two-year-old and also won the Belmont Oaks (G1) over stablemate #1 SISTERCHARLIE last year. Second start off a six-month layoff in this Grade 1, you gotta believe she’ll be fully cranked.
#4 WAR CANOE won a New-York bred allowance race by a half-length and comes back about a month later facing a lot tougher company. Her only career stake effort resulted in a third place finish in a New York bred stake race. Will be the longest shot in the field.
#5 ULTRA BRAT was a dominant winner the last time we saw her, winning the Galorette (G3) on Preakness Day by 10 lengths over soft ground. Her best run to date over a firm turf course resulted in a win in the Marsha River (G3) at Gulfstream over the winter. She is an inconsistent mare, so she’ll need to bring her “A” game to win this, and she may simply be a notch below the best signed on here. Siding with others on the win end.
#6 A RAVING BEAUTY (GER) is a perfect two-for-two since joining the Chad Brown stable from Europe. The daughter of MASTERCRAFSTMAN won the Beaugay (G3) at Belmont and one month later scored a nice victory in the Just A Game (G1), finishing ahead of #2 PROCTOR’S LODGE. In with a big shot.
#7 HAWKSMOOR (IRE) freshens up for this after stumbling at the start and losing all chance in the Gamely (G1) at Santa Anita on May 26. Her two most impressive Grade I tries came in the fall, when finishing second in both the First Lady Stakes (G1) at Keeneland and the Matriarch (G1) at Del Mar. If you draw a line through that last run, where there was a legit excuse, you are left with some solid past performances for high percentage trainer Arnaud Delacour. Looking for her to rebound.
SELECTIONS
- #1 SISTERCHARLIE – All racehorse.
- #6 A RAVING BEAUTY – Perfect in the U.S.
- #2 PROCTOR’S LODGE – Game effort behind our second pick last time.
LONGSHOT VALUE PLAY- #7 HAWKSMOOR – Looking for her to rebound.
WAGERING STRATEGY
I’ll box my top two picks and longshot value play in exactas and make a straight win bet on my top choice.
BANKROLL PLAY ($50 Budget)
$20 Win: #1 SISTERCHARLIE
$5 Exacta Box: #1 SISTERCHARLIE and #6 A RAVING BEAUTY and #7 HAWKSMOOR ($30).
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