Week 2 rolls along – it’s already Day 5 can you believe it? – with a 10-race card Friday topped by a strong renewal of the Grade 3 Victory Ride Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 6 furlongs on the main track.
A field of 10 entered the $225,000 Victory Ride including Grade 1 winners Tommy Jo and Iron Orchard, Grade 2 winner A Fine Chardonnay, Grade 3 winners Peach Tie and Mythical and stakes winners Sneaky Good, Tessellate and Goodall. The Victory Ride goes as the ninth race on the card at 5:40 p.m.
Curious how The Saratoga Special handicappers are holding up so far at the meet? Check out their picks below and don’t forget to come back through the weekend. We’ll start our run of 20 print editions Thursday, July 16. Until then, good luck.
Thursday, Charles Bedard and Rob Whitlock led the way with four winners apiece. Rob led the way with $18.72 winner After Taxes in the eighth and $11.20 winner Queen Of Hawaii in the sixth, plus the chalkier Cold Spell in the thrid and Soaring High in the fifth. Charles came up with Gatsby ($11.64) in the seventh plus Cold Spell, Soaring High and Bow Strada in the opener. If you’re looking for longshots, Rob and Jessica each had Iron Palace (who paid $57.14 to win) as their second choice.
TOM LAW (9/40, -$24.24):
1-Hadrian’s Wall, Commerce, Presidential Power.
2-Pros And Cons, Mary’s Gunna Run, Fire Angel.
3-B Thedonald, Kenny B, New York Scrappy.
4-Favorable Scenario, Elnajd, Thirteen Colonies.
5-Contrary Thinking, Dapper Moon, Whatchatalkinabout.
6-Resort, Felixyn, Gum.
7-Something Stronger, Abientot, Sadie Earp.
8-Jackie The Joker, Play Good Pay Good, Ah Ca Ira.
9-Tommy Jo, Goodall, Iron Orchard.
10-Twenty Two Black, Two Ducks, Funky See Funky Do.
JOHN SHAPAZIAN (10/40, -$32.40):
1-Hadrian’s Wall, Commence, Sorrentino.
2-Mary’s Gunna Run, Bittersweet Memory, Golden Siren.
3-B Thedonald, New York Scrappy, Trust Fund.
4-Playa Del Mar, Elnajd, Golden Channel.
5-Contrary Thinking, Vibrant Express, Commuted.
6-Felixyn, Loveontheleftbank, Epic Selloff.
7-Sadie Earp, Sing A Little Song, Abientot.
8-Jackie The Joker, Play Good Pay Good, Ah Ca Ira.
9-Goodall, Iron Orchard, Tommy Jo.
10-Ink Lies, Two Ducks, Twenty Two Black.
CHARLES BEDARD (11/40, -$18.56):
1-Hadrian’s Wall, Asked And Answered, Commerce.
2-Mary’s Gunna Run, Pros And Cons, Inside Edge.
3-Kenny B, B Thedonald, New York Scrappy.
4-Favorable Scenario, Golden Channel, Playa Del Mar.
5-Contrary Thinking, Dapper Moon, Vibrant Express.
6-Loveontheleftbank, Resort, Jordan’s Love.
7-Sing A Little Song, Sadie Earp, City Blocks.
8-Baby Sassicaia, Jackie The Joker, Ah Ca Ira.
9-Goodall, Mythical, Carmel Coast.
10-Two Ducks, Ink Lies, Relative Risk.
ROB WHITLOCK (8/40, -$14.18):
1-Commerce, Pauillac, Hadrian’s Wall.
2-Pros And Cons, Mary’s Gunna Run, Fire Angel.
3-B Thedonald, Kenny Be, Share The Ludt.
4-Golden Channel, Elnajd, Favorable Scenario.
5-Dapper Moon, Contrary Thinking, Vibrant Express.
6-Felixyn, Epic Selloff, Resort.
7-Something Stronger, Quiet Confidence, Capturing.
8-Jackie The Joker, Ah Ca Ira, Play Good Pay Good.
9-Goodall, Mythical, Sneaky Good.
10-Ink Lies, Twenty Two Black, Relative Risk.
JESSICA PAQUETTE (3/40, -$60.36):
1-Hadrian’s Wall, Commerce, Sorrentino.
2-Bittersweet Memory, Pros And Cons, Mary’s Gunna Run.
3-New York Scrappy, Kenny B, Share The Ludt.
4-Golden Channel, Debt Limit, Elnajd.
5-Tiger Twenty Four, Vibrant Express, Commuted.
6-Resort, Gum, Felixyn.
7-Abientot, Capturing, Vekomancer.
8-Miss Lao, Play Good Pay Good, Whistler’s Style.
9-Peach Tie, Tommy Jo, Iron Orchard.
10-Rare Eclipse, Twenty Two Black, Two Ducks.
