And we’re back. Hopefully you enjoyed our four-day run of print editions of The Saratoga Special for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.
The Saturday Special returns just in time for the summer solstice and will run every week until the start of the proper Saratoga meeting Thursday, July 11. Then we’re back to our regular print schedule – Wednesdays and Saturdays with some exceptions including Opening Day and a run of six papers in a row around the Hall of Fame ceremony and Fasig-Tipton sales.
Meanwhile, here’s The Saturday Special for June 15. Enjoy.
By the Numbers
3,000: Wins for jockey Jose Ortiz after he guided Save The Trees to victory in Sunday’s third race at Churchill Downs.
ROI and The Power Grid
We’ve been asked quite a bit over the years.
“How come you don’t publish your handicappers’ return on investment?”
We never really had a great answer, mostly deflecting to the workload, time constraints or some other excuse. Typically, we’ll promise to try. Hopefully we’ll do just that for Saratoga 2024, adding some valuable information to horseplayers looking to our experts for advice.
The four-day Belmont Festival proved easy to tabulate an ROI for the handicappers, who made picks on the 47 races over four days (it would have been 48 if the Grade 1 Beverly R. Steinman Hurdle wasn’t canceled because of the wet conditions).
John Shapazian led the handicappers – per usual – with 21 winners. Tom Law finished second with 17, but took home top honors in the ROI race thanks to winning picks of Didia ($20.60) in the Grade 1 New York Stakes Friday and Downtown Channel ($44.40) in the turf maiden that immediately followed Saturday’s Belmont Stakes.
Here are the final tallies based on a $2 wager on the handicapper’s top picks, taking into account scratches (wins/races).
Tom Law +$51.70 (17/47)
Charles Bedard +$42.70 (11/47)
John Shapazian +$23.60 (21/47)
Jessica Paquette +$11.90 (9/47)
Rob Whitlock -$54.30 (11/47)
Worth Repeating
“I’d say the top wins that come to mind throughout my career have been in the Triple Crown races – those have been pretty special. It’s hard to narrow it down. I’ve ridden so many talented horses for so many great people. It is such a great accomplishment to win this many races.”
Jockey Jose Ortiz after his milestone victory
“Thanks for always being for the little guys. How about the little guys, us and Derek Ryan winning a Grade 1 yesterday?”
Scott Everett, assistant to trainer Danny Gargan, to The Special’s editorial team Sunday at Saratoga
“There are so many people in this game that are unable to retire on their own terms and I’m very fortunate to say I’m able to do so. This sport is so special to me and I’m so proud to have built a life in it. I’ve had a great career and was around so many dedicated owners throughout my time as a trainer. I just can’t say enough how lucky I was.”
Kentucky-based trainer Rob O’Connor II, who retired this week after nearly four decades and 477 wins
Jockey of the Week
Undaunted after suffering a painful foot injury last Thursday, which required a trip to Saratoga Hospital, reigning Eclipse Award winner Irad Ortiz Jr. returned to ride Friday. He went on to win a total of five stakes races including four graded during the first Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga. The panel of racing experts voted Ortiz Jockey of the Week for June 3-9.
The weekly honor recognizes jockeys for riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys’ Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.
Ortiz had 11 mounts Friday, including Chili Flag for trainer Chad Brown in the Grade 1 Just A Game. Off as third choice in the field of seven fillies and mares, Chili Flag closed from last to catch stablemate Whitebeam and Flavien Prat in the final strides to win by a half-length.. The victory was one of four wins on the day for Ortiz, Jr.
Saturday’s graded stakes wins for Ortiz began with the Grade 2 Suburban aboard Crupi for trainer Todd Pletcher.
Trainer Derek Ryan gave a leg up to Ortiz on Book’em Danno in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens. Book’em Danno raced in sixth in the field of 11 until the top of the stretch when the 3-year-old New Jersey-bred took charge. Leading by 4 lengths at the eighth pole, Book’em Danno was chased by race favorite Prince of Monaco but was on the winning end of a photo at the wire.
Ortiz closed out his graded stakes wins aboard Cogburn for trainer Steve Asmussen in the Grade 1 Jaipur. Cogburn posted a 3 1/2-length win as the favorite in a field of 12 setting a new North American record of :59.80 for 5 1/2 furlongss on the turf. The win was the third of the day for Ortiz.
Sunday’s card featured stakes races for New York-breds with Ortiz winning the Critical Eye Stakes for fillies and mares aboard Venti Valentine for trainer Jorge Abreu.
Other contenders for Jockey of the Week were Brian Hernandez Jr., who won the Grade 1 Acorn; Jose Ortiz with two graded stakes at Saratoga and his 3,000th career winner; Flavien Prat, who won the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile; and Luis Saez, who won the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes with Dornach.
Handicapper’s Corner
The Saratoga Special handicappers are back after some spotty but mostly profitable results at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival. Check out their tallies above. That’s some serious work, to turn a profit over four days.
They’re back for Saturday’s Haskell Day Preview at Monmouth Park. Here are the picks. Good luck.
John Shapazian (39/162):
1-Always Audacious, Butterfly Queen, Highland Holiday.
2-Vegas Weekend, Our Little Tiger, Matoula.
3-Sadie The Goat, Wish List, What’s Good.
4-Catching Heat, Run Devil, Miles Of Smiles.
5-Eastern Empress, Gilded Edge, Lady Meis.
6-Vine Jet, Golden Juan, Denying.
7-Winning Factor, Klickitat, Gliding Afleet.
8-Bucchanera, Castellana, Army Of Thought.
9-Sacred Wish, Damaso, Tax Implications.
10-Hades, Domestic Product, Sea Steak.
11-Grand Sonata, Tawny Port, Running Bee.
12-Bright Future, Artorius, Oscar Eclipse.
Tom Law (35/162):
1-Always Audacious, First Reign, Captivating Sound.
2-Vegas Weekend, Our Little Tiger, Mo Town Annie.
3-Girly The Butcher, Sadie The Goat, Dame Catherine.
4-Catching Heat, Evidencias, Miles Of Smiles.
5-Eastern Empress, Growth Rate, Hot Route.
6-Rerally, Porch Swing, Denying.
7-Fatima’s Blessing, Get Back Goldie, Graded On A Curve.
8-Tavin, Castellana, Army Of Thoughts.
9-Tax Implications, Sacred Wish, Spirit And Glory.
10-Domestic Product, Hades, Sea Streak.
11-Tawny Port, Running Bee, Adhamo.
12-Bright Future, Artorius, Oscar Eclipse.
Charles Bedard (35/162):
1-Always Audacious, Captivating Sound, Butterfly Queen.
2-Mystic Dreams, Vegas Weekend, Our Little Tiger.
3-Girly The Butcher, Wish List, Sadie The Goat.
4-Catching Heat, Run Devil, Whistler’s Style.
5-Eastern Empress, Lady Meis, Gasparilla.
6-Golden Juan, Lookin At Roses, Vine Jet.
7-Fatima’s Blessing, Barleewon, Graded On A Curve.
8-Army Of Thoughts, Gavin, Bucchanera.
9-Tax Implications, Ocean Club, Spirit And Glory.
10-Sea Streak, Tuscan Sky, Willy D’s.
11-Siege Of Boston, Tawny Port, Adhamo.
12-Bright Future, Shirl’s Speight, Artorious.
Rob Whitlock (23/150):
1-Symphonies Overture, Always Audacious, Butterfly Queen.
2-Vegas Weekend, Sweet Blindness, Our Little Tiger.
3-What’s Good, Wish List, Accelerina.
4-Evidencias, Catching Heat, My Two Sophia’s.
5-Eastern Empress, Wudhooh, Gasparilla.
6-Golden Juan, Vine Jet, Denying.
7-Colpo d’Oro, Fatima’s Blessing, Graded On A Curve.
8-Softster, Capture This, Army Of Thoughts.
9-Tax Implications, No Show Sammy Jo, Spirit And Glory.
10-Domestic Product, Tuscan Sky, Uncle Heavy.
11-Fort Washington, Grand Sonata, Adhamo.
12-Bright Future, Shirl’s Speight, Artorius.
Jessica Paquette (39/162):
1-Captivating Sound, Always Audacious, First Reign.
2-Vegas Weekend, Matoula, Elevenmonthslater.
3-Tabor Time, Sister Nell, What’s Good.
4-Evidencias, Catching Heat, My Two Sophia’s.
5-Gilded Edge, Eastern Empress, Lady Meis.
6-Olympic Romp, Lookin At Roses, Vine Jet.
7-Gliding Afleet, Winning Factor, Eddie The Great.
8-Castellana, Army Of Thoughts, Derby Gift.
9-Ocean Club, No Show Sammy Jo, Maman Joon.
10-Hades, Tuscan Sky, Uncle Heavy.
11-Running Bee, Grand Sonata, Grand Sonata.
12-Shirl’s Speight, Artorius, Sherlock’s Jewel.
As for the races …
York. Race 1. 8:50 a.m. A star-studded group of women amateurs kick off the card in the Queen Mother’s Cup.
Sandown. Race 3. 9:40. The calm before the storm. Sandown offers the Scurry Stakes on a quiet Saturday in Great Britain. Next week, it gets loud with Royal Ascot. No Half Measures tries to make it four in a row in the listed stakes.
York. Race 3. 10:00. Six stayers clash in the Grand Cup Stakes at 1 ¾ miles.
York. Race 4. 10:35. The Macmillan Sprint highlights a card which has raised millions of pounds for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Monmouth Park. Race 1. 12:50 p.m. Haskell Preview Day kicks off with 1 1/16-mile turf maiden claiming event.
Belmont at the Big A. 3:40. Todd Pletcher sends out Repole first-timer starters Nudge and Mentee in 5-furlong maiden for 2-year-olds.
Monmouth Park. Race 9. 4:55. The Grade 3 Eatontown leads off four-pack of stakes. Sacred Wish, back in action for George Weaver, takes on the likes of Spirit And Glory, Now Tax Implications, Show Sammy Jo, Ocean Club and Maman Joon.
Belmont. Race 10. 5:13. Leave No Trace looks to make it three straight in the Grade 2 Bed o’ Roses for fillies and mares going 7 furlongs.
Monmouth. Race 10. 5:24. The featured $150,000 NYRA Bets Pegasus Stakes. All roads lead to the Grade 1 Haskell next month, maybe, for any sophomore who fares well here. One-time classic hopefuls Tuscan Sky, Otello, Hades and Sea Streak take on Domestic Product, regular workmate of Sierra Leone who finished 13th in the Kentucky Derby.
Monmouth. Race 11. 5:54. Take to the grass for Grade 3 Monmouth Stakes, featuring Grand Sonata, Siege Of Boston, Adhamo, Running Bee and Tawny Port.
Churchill Downs. Race 1. 6:00. Downs After Dark card gets rolling with 9-furlong maiden on the main track.
Santa Anita Park. Race 5. 6:02. Fillies and mares go 10 furlongs on the grass in the $100,000 Possibly Perfect.
Monmouth. Race 12. 6:22. The Grade 3 Salvator Mile closes the card. Bright Future, winner of last year’s Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, returns from length freshening after finishing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and takes on the likes of Artorius, Oscar Eclipse and Shirl’s Speight.
Santa Anita. Race 6. 6:35. Rev up the 2-year-olds here for a 5-furlong maiden with a field of 10.
Churchill. Race 5. 7:57. Our Pretty Woman, 11th in the Kentucky Oaks last time, should be tough in the $175,000 Monomoy Girl Overnight Stakes. Daughter of Medaglia d’Oro finished close second in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks two back, the same race where Intricate finished well-beaten fifth.
Charles Town Races. Race 7. 10:02. Late night for the die hards. Here’s the $75,000 It’s Only Money Stakes for West Virginia-bred 3-year-olds.
