Stash it under your hat brim while watching youth sports, fold it in your shirt sleeve while eating dinner, email it to yourself and take a gander when you can. Laurel and Parx put on Broadway-worthy cards while there’s action all over the country, the world. Songbird is just part of the show. Here’s this week’s edition of Saturday Special presented by Pin Oak Stud. Good luck and enjoy. Enjoy.
Newmarket. Race 1. 8:50. Smart Together, a daughter of Smart Strike and Forever Together, makes her debut for George Strawbridge and John Gosden.
Market Rasen. Race 1. 9:00. Juveniles continue their new career path in the seven-horse hurdle. Maybe a Far Hills runner to poach?
Newmarket. Race 2. 9:20. Strong contingent of 2-year-olds aim at the Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes.
Market Rasen. Race 2. 9:35. Red Tornado has been a tornado, he aims to continue his win streak in this listed handicap hurdle.
Newmarket. Race 3. 9:55. Lady Aurelia has her sights on her fourth victory in her fourth start. She looks long gone in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes.
Newmarket. Race 4. 10:30. Blue Point has lost just once in his four-race career, he aims to add the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes to his tally. Peace Envoy chased Lady Aurelia in his most recent start.
Newmarket. Race 5. 11:10. The Cambridgeshire is always a great race. This year’s version offers a handicapping puzzle, complete with 35 runners with a 23-pound spread.
Haydock. Race 5. 11:30. Humidor deserves another big one. George Baker’s veteran has come back to life in his last two, finishing second in deep handicaps.
Haydock. Race 7. 12:40. Handicappers stretch a mile and three quarters. There are so many of these opportunities in England and so few here. We have stifled our game, winnowed our breed.
Parx Racing. Race 3. 1:19. If you hear a whoop and a holler between the first and second at Shawan Downs, you’ll know Biedermeier just won the $78,000 allowance on the turf.
Belmont Park. Race 1. 1:30. The opener attracts five 2-year-olds who missed Saratoga and one who tried and failed. Jimmy Jerkens talked about Unforeseeable, a $550,000 yearling purchase for Mary and Chester Broman, in the Fasig-Tipton Stable Tour back in August. “He’s a head case, but he’s coming around. He’s been difficult in the gate, he would probably be ready to run if he didn’t have the gate issues, he’s a lot better.”
Laurel Park. Race 3. 2:10. Oh, Colonial Downs, what might have been. Virginians converge on Maryland for a strong card, led off by the Punch Line for Virginia-bred or Virginia sired runners going 5 ½ furlongs on the turf.
Woodbine. Race 3. 2:10. The Durham attracts just five runners. Veterans Up With The Birds and Are You Kidding Me need to fend off Nipigon.
Belmont Park. Race 3. 2:32. John Velazquez picks up the ride on Mo Town. He’ll win and Velazquez will have a stellar day on the job.
Laurel Park. Race 4. 2:40. The venerable Complete St. aims at another Brookmeade for Harlan Crossman and Lilith Boucher.
Belmont Park. Race 4. 3:04. Nothing like New York-breds on the turf. West Point 1-2-3-4 King Kreesa, Kharafa, Offering Plan and Tapitation clash again in the Ashley T. Cole. Whoa, if Flintshire needs a rabbit, so does Tapitation. Speed-loving Latigo Trail makes his debut for Whisper Hill and Ralph Nicks.
Laurel Park. Race 5. 3:10. The Commonwealth Oaks offers Grade 3 black type and $150,000 for turf fillies and mares. Pricedtoperfection leads a host of New York-based shippers.
Parx Racing. Race 7. 3:12. Tough Pennsylvania-bred turfers tussle in the Alphabet Soup. Edge Of Reality, Raging Market and Granny’s Kitten, 1-2-3 in the Robellino, line up again.
Belmont Park. Race 5. 3:36. Tough allowance race going 7 furlongs. All seven starters have tried stakes, none with more success than Hammers Vision, who goes back to the dirt for Brian Lynch, Terry Hamilton and John Velazquez.
Laurel Park. Race 6. 3:40. Carlos Martin and Matt Schera claimed Farhaan for $40,000 at Saratoga. He came back to get beat a length in the Bernard Baruch at Saratoga, he aims at the Commonwealth Turf Cup. Blacktype has won his last two for Christophe Clement. Grade 2 winner March should benefit from his return race at Saratoga.
Parx Racing. Race 8. 3:41. Tale Of Life loved 9 furlongs at Saratoga, he shortens up a sixteenth of a mile for the PA Derby (Frosted) Championship.
Laurel Park. Race 7. 4:10. Wow, this is some card. The Commonwealth Derby keeps the hits coming. American Patriot exits a third in the Grade 1 Secretariat while Revved Up is developing slowly but surely for Shug McGaughey.
Parx Racing. Race 9. 4:14. The Gallant Bob. Anybody remember the champion sprinter trying the jumps in a sad tale at Saratoga many years ago? The $300,000 stakes is certainly named after him as a flat horse, not a jumper. Threefiveindia has won three races for three different trainers in four starts. He tries to win his second for Chad Brown.
Laurel Park. Race 8. 4:40. The Jamestown offers a stakes chance for Virginia-breds.
Thistledown. Race 7. 4:40. Nothing like state-bred programs. Catlaunch offers $75,000 to Ohio-breds.
Woodbine. Race 8. 4:50. Ancient Secret, 4-for-4 in her career for Alpha Delta Stable, goes on the road for the Ontario Colleen.
Parx Racing. Race 10. 4:55. The race of the day. Songbird puts her undefeated record on the line in the $1 million Cotillion. Carina Mia made her run in the CCA Oaks, she tries again, while going a sixteenth of a mile shorter. Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia has only lost twice in her career, she should be primed for this.
Laurel Park. Race 9. 5:10. Rapid Rhythm was born in Virginia, but she’s been everywhere this year, winning at Fair Grounds and Arlington Park and traveling to Woodbine and Kentucky Downs. She looks home free in the Oakley.
Belmont Park. Race 8. 5:16. Stormy Victoria and Zindaya chased Lady Lara in the De La Rose. Well, Lady Lara’s retired and the 2-3 finishers clash in the Noble Damsel.
Gulfstream Park. Race 10. 5:30. Welcome to Florida, Todd. Stockyard begins Todd Pletcher’s Florida raid in the allowance feature on the turf.
Laurel Park. Race 10. 5:40. The final stakes on the card. Rose Brier has his eyes on win number 14.
Parx Racing. Race 11. 5:45. Star of the show, please step forward. Exaggerator, Nyquist Cupid, Gun Runner and eight others attempt to add clarity to a shadowy 3-year-old picture in the Pennsylvania Derby.
Penn National. Race 1. 6:00. Temescat, a $125,000 yearling purchase, makes his career debut. The son of Scat Daddy looks like a runner.
Los Alamitos. Race 8. 8:28. It took Accelerate four tries to break his maiden and one try to win a stakes, the son of Lookin At Lucky vaults into the Los Alamitos Derby fresh off a win in the Shared Belief.
Penn National. Race 8. 9:10. Sylmar Farm’s Tipsy Moose puts his undefeated mark on the line in a tough allowance feature.
Charles Town. Race 7. 9:49. Boots Malone makes his Charles Town debut. It’s OK to skip watching him here, but do yourself a favor, and watch the movie.
Indiana Grand. Race 9. 9:40. The eight-race Thoroughbred card concludes and the two-race Quarter Horse card begins with the Sterlie Bertram Memorial Stakes, a $112,400 stakes going 400 yards. Fantastic Six Pack, Beach Bum Eddie and Wh Kenny G rumble again.
Churchill Downs. Race 9. 10:11. What could be better than betting Churchill Downs on a Saturday night? The Dogwood anchors the card, attracting Saharan from Jimmy Jerkens’ New York barn.
Hazel Park. Race 8. 10:25. If you’re on a roll, keep it rolling. The stallions with representatives in the $8,500 maiden special? Run Thruthe Sun, Bapistry, Intermediary, Demaloot Demashoot and Comedy Sun. Ever wonder what happened to Swissle Stick? The stakes-placed son of Swiss Yodeler once cost $600,000, then wound up finishing last for a $4,000 tag at Thistledown in 2009. Well, he sired White Russian, the favorite for the New Mexico Stage Fair Quarter Horse Futurity, a $100,000 dash of 400 yards.
