The second week of the 2018 Saratoga Race Course meeting comes to a close Monday with the rescheduled Grade 1 A.P. Smithwick steeplechase, $100,000 Coronation Cup and eight other races for horseplayers to decipher.
The day starts with the Smithwick, bumped from Thursday after rains softened the inner turf too much, at 1 p.m. The same field of seven re-entered for the 2 1/16-mile hurdle stakes, with Modem again the 9-5 favorite, All The Way Jose the 5-2 second choice and Iranistan the 3-1 third pick.
The Coronation Cup goes as the seventh race on the card at 4:23 and features a field of 10 3-year-old fillies. Mominou is the 7-2 favorite with a record of two wins and two seconds in four starts this season for trainer Jimmy Toner. Others entered in the 5 1/2-furlong turf stakes are Brattata, Lady Suebee, Originator and Broadway Run.
The Saratoga Special handicappers fared well over the course of Week 2, especially defending champ John Shapazian. He leads our quartet of regulars with 34 winners from 90 races – a strike rate of 38 percent, more than 5 points better than the meet average. The others are far back with two days remaining in Week 2, with Tom Law second at 24 wins (26.7 percent), Charles Bedard third with 17 and Donald Phillips fourth with 16.
Here are the handicappers picks for Sunday, July 30. Enjoy and good luck.
JOHN SHAPAZIAN (34/90):
1-Iranistan, Modem, Personal Start.
2-Sal The Turtle, Nominal Dollars, Crafty Concorde.
3-Hangman, Battle Station, Rubus.
4-Benefactor, Magnifier, Zap Zap Zap.
5-Backtohisroots, Johnny Tickets, Gump.
6-Dark N Cloudy, Course Correction, Prompt.
7-Mominou, Brattata, Originator.
8-Haynesfest, Maho Bay, Special Relativity.
9-Soglio, Focus Group, Classic Covey.
10-Lady Camille, Merlins Muse, Unparalleled.
CHARLES BEDARD (17/90):
1-Iranistan, Modem, All The Way Jose.
2-Nominal Dollars, Sal The Turtle, Crafty Concorde.
3-Battle Station, New York Song, Pagliacci.
4-Lightning Buzz, Zap Zap Zap, Benefactor.
5-Backtohisroots, Johnny Tickets, Cadillac Frankie .
6-Dark N Cloudy, Midnight Tea Time, Course Correction.
7-Mominou, Lady Suebee, Broadway Run.
8-Haynesfest, Special Relativity, Maho Bay.
9-Focus Group, Snap Decision, Classic Covey.
10-Unparalleled, Caitriona, Magical Romance
TOM LAW (24/90):
1-Iranistan, Modem, Show Court.
2-Nominal Dollars, Crafty Concorde, Etruscan.
3-New York Song, Pagliacci, Yummy Bear.
4-Zap Zap Zap, Divine Interventio, Lightning Buzz.
5-Backtohisroots, Catch Me If You Can, Johnny Tickets.
6-Midnight Tea Time, Course Correction, My Dream.
7-Originator, Brattata, Mominou.
8-Specialty Relativity, Haynesfest, Maho Bay.
9-Classic Covey, Focus Group, Soglio.
10-Merlins Muse, Lady Camille, Caitriona.
DONALD PHILLIPS (16/90):
1-Personal Start, Modem, Iranistan.
2-Sal The Turtle, Nominal Dollars, Etruscan.
3-New York Song, Yummy Bear, Hangman.
4-Lightning Buzz, Zap Zap Zap, Benefactor.
5-Backtohisroots, Catch Me If U Can, The Sicarii.
6-Midnight Tea Time, High Promise, Prompt.
7-Factorofwon, Classy Dancer, Originator.
8-Haynesfest, Special Relativity, Maho Bay.
9-Snap Decision, Focus Group, Channel Cat.
10-Lady Camille, Unparallered, Magical Romance.
