Saratoga Horse Racing Picks for Saturday 8/22/20

It's a great time to dive into horse racing, and FanDuel Racing gives you the chance to do just that.

Starting at 1:10 p.m. EST, we have 10 races at Saratoga. Using numberFire's projections as a guide, here are some of the best bets.

As always, check the program for scratches and changes, and check the weather and track conditions.

(I will reference Equibase's Speed Figure in selected races, which tells you how fast a horse has been running in each of its races -- adjusted for track, distances, and conditions.)

American Diamond and Winfromwithin, Race 5

FanDuel Racing Odds: 12/1 and 4/1

Race 5 is a Maiden Special Weight for 2-year-olds running 1 1/16 miles on the Inner Turf. The favorite, Sifting Sands (5/2), debuts for trainer Chad Brown and top jock Jose Ortiz rides.

We’ll try a price horse with American Diamond (12/1), debuting for trainer Mark Casse. A son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah with solid drills. Don’t expect to get double-digit odds.

Thorn (15/1) should outrun his odds for trainer Bill Mott and improve his speed in his second start after finishing fourth last month.

Two other EPO trainers to study workouts and regimen more closely when running a route on turf are Brad Cox, who has Nautilus (9/2) making his fourth start and improving speed and runner-up finish here last month. Todd Pletcher-trained Winfromwithin (4/1) makes his third start since July and stretches out from a pair of dirt sprints to a turf route.

Plot the Dots and Turn of Events (entry), Race 7

FanDuel Racing Odds: 8/1 and 4/1

Race 7 is a 1-mile Allowance race on the Inner Turf. There will be seven runners, as Cusina (5/2) and Case Tracker (7/2) will run only if it’s on the main track.

Daily Horse Picks has Plot the Dots (8/1) on top and the top speed and pace projected edge. The EPO trainer Mike Maker has an entry running with Turn of Events (4/1) and Doubly Blessed (4/1). Turn of Events broke his maiden last month with a career-best speed figure (99) in his ninth start.

Favorite Lonesome Fugitive (8/5) will take money and be tough with leading jockey Jose Ortiz and top EPO trainer Chad Brown. Many short prices on the card of winners Saturday for Brown. We’ll try to beat.

Uni, Race 9

FanDuel Racing Odds: 3/1

Race 9 is the $400,000 Grade 1 Fourstardave, a 1-mile race in the Inner Turf that drew nine runners. The winner is awarded a fees-paid entry into the $2 million FanDuel Mile at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships in early November at Keeneland.

The top pick of numberFire is Uni followed by Got Stormy (8/1). Horse Racing Nation’s Super Screener rates the top contenders Uni (3/1), Raging Bull (5/2), and Without Parole (4/1) with Uni the most reliable board hitter and Got Stormy the top value. Got Stormy won this race last year, and the 5-year-old mare will try to beat the boys again. Halladay (4/1) is the most vulnerable of the favorites.

Guaranteed Tip Sheet notes that Uni has won seven-of-nine at the distance with a pair of thirds. Raging Bull has two wins and a second in three starts at the SPA. Halladay is making his second start following a layoff for EPO trainer Todd Pletcher. Without Parole appears on the edge of getting one for EPO trainer Chad Brown.

Daily Horse Picks rates Without Parole top class with the speed edge to Raging Bull and Uni and the pace projector towards Got Stormy and Halladay.