Saratoga Horse Racing Picks for Wednesday 9/2/20
It's a great time to dive into horse racing, and FanDuel Racing gives you the chance to do just that.
Starting at 12:45 p.m. EST, we have 10 Thoroughbred 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.)
Twelfth Labour, Race 4
FanDuel Racing Odds: 7/2
Race 4 is a 1-mile Claiming race on the Inner Turf. Daily Horse Picks projects Bad Beat Brian (4/1) to win for EPO trainer Todd Pletcher, followed by Twelfth Labour (7/2) with jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., and Pepper Pike (12/1) with Jose Ortiz riding. The Ortiz brothers are the leading jockeys at the Saratoga meet with just six racing days remaining through Labor Day.
Bad Beat Brian missed by a nose last race against weaker competition while pressing the pace. Twelfth Labour has not won in his last nine starts and switches from dirt to turf. However, he’s bred for the grass. EPO trainer Mike Maker claimed him last race, and he makes the switch to grass with confidence.
Daily Horse Picks actually rates Malthael (9/2) with the top speed in the race. Malthael is switching from dirt to turf with top jockey Joel Rosario aboard. He’s won his last two races after failing in his first nine and will try to win wire-to-wire again.
Tide of the Sea and Cowtown, Race 7
FanDuel Racing Odds: 2/1 and 10/1
Race 7 is an Allowance race at 1 3/8 miles on the Turf. We immediately notice all the EPO trainers as the distance gets longer, and especially on the turf, where the trainers step up the ‘conditioning’ of their horses. Check the weather with potential rain, as races taken off the turf are not wagered with selections. Also, if the race moves off the turf, main-track-only runner Unrighteous (3/5) would run and be the heavy favorite.
The top selection, according to Daily Horse Picks data, is Junkanoo (3/1), followed by Cowtown (10/1) and Succeedandsurpass (9/2).
Junkanoo closed well to finish third last race off a long layoff of more than a year. Trainer Chad Brown was encouraged and he now stretches out in distance.
Tide of the Sea (2/1) has also improved since moving to the Mike Maker barn, and he has Irad Ortiz, Jr. riding again after a runner-up finish and 95 ESF a month ago at the same distance. Tide of the Sea has had three morning works since with improving health and is stringing races together.
Cowtown didn’t show the speed of others in this group until finishing fourth from off the pace in his last race in May at much shorter odds. However, he galloped out well, and any improvement means he can outrun his odds for trainer Todd Pletcher, who has waited this deep into the meet to find the right spot to cash in.
Winfromwithin, Race 9
FanDuel Racing Odds: 4/1
Race 9 is the Grade 3 With Anticipation Stakes with six two-year-olds racing 1 1/16 miles on the Turf. The favorite American Monarch (7/5) is one of three runners in this field that has won on turf. He did that in his only start a month ago and was four-lengths better than Fire at Will (7/2), who raced wide and gets a jockey change to Irad Ortiz, Jr. for trainer Mike Maker.
Blame the Booze (9/2) switches from a muddy main course to grass in his second start and likely sets the pace of the race. Winfromwithin (4/1) should improve switching to turf in his third start, as breeding suggests he’ll take to the turf. He’s trained will since for Todd Pletcher. He just missed in his debut two months ago as heavy favorite with a strong closing kick.
