Joseph F. Graffeo | Horse Racing Free Tips

The Pick 6 on Wednesday will be bolstered by a $187,640 carryover as the multi-race wager went unsolved Sunday at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The $1 Pick 6 returned $1,787 to bettors who selected 5-of-6 winners correctly. Sunday's sequence commenced when Masked Marauder [No. 10] was victorious in Race 5, taking the 5 1/2-furlong maiden claiming contest for New York-breds 3-years-old and up over the Mellon turf course, returning $12.40 on a $2 win wager. River Card Stable's Masked Marauder was ridden by Eric Cancel for trainer Wayne Potts.

In Race 6, 36-1 longshot Dream Lith [No. 8, $75] won the 6 1/2-furlong maiden sprint. David Cohen guided the Medaglia d'Oro filly – owned by Cypress Creek Equine and Arnold Bennewith – to victory for trainer Robertino Diodoro.

Peter Brant's Regal Glory [No. 7, $5.20] kicked off the stakes action at the Spa with a win in the $120,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose in Race 7, besting Hendy Woods to win the one-mile inner turf contest for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up who had not won a graded stakes in 2021. Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Jose Ortiz, Regal Glory won for the third time in four starts.

Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred Wicked Halo [No. 7, $11.40] posted a front-running score in the $200,000 Grade 2 Adirondack for juvenile fillies sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs in Race 8. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Wicked Halo outkicked Interstatedaydream as Ortiz won his second consecutive stakes.

In the ninth race, Con Lima [No. 5, $8.10] won the $700,000 Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational to win the second leg of NYRA's Turf Triple series for owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph F. Graffeo, Eric Nikolaus Del Toro, and Troy Johnson. Ridden by Flavien Prat and trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Con Lima built on her runner-up effort in the first leg of the Turf Triple series in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational to win going 1 3/16 miles over the Mellon turf course.

Michael Imperio's Danzigwiththestars [No. 2, $23.80] triggered the carryover with his win in the 10th-race finale, winning the one-mile inner turf allowance contest under jockey Luis Saez for trainer Domenick Schettino.

Wednesday's Pick 6 kicks off in Race 5 at 3:21 p.m. Eastern and includes the $120,000 Mahony for 3-year-olds in Race 9. First post on the 10-race card is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the 40-day summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Shadwell Stable's Malathaat garnered a career-best 96 Beyer for her game runner-up effort to Maracuja in Saturday's Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and piloted by fellow Hall of Famer John Velazquez, the regally bred Curlin bay was pressured throughout the nine-furlong journey, first by Maracuja and later by Clairiere, after exiting the inside post in a compact field of four.

Malathaat, out of the Grade 1-winning A.P. Indy mare Dreaming of Julia, maintained a precarious advantage at the stretch call but could not repel the rallying Maracuja, who prevailed by a head.

Pletcher said he concurred with the Daily Racing Form running line comment, which read, in part, “hounded.”

“Hounded is an accurate description,” Pletcher said. “We had a difficult time analyzing the race beforehand and how we thought it might unfold. There wasn't a lot of speed on paper and we were in the one post with a target on our backs, so our strategy was to let her run away from the gate and try to establish a position into the first turn, or, if someone was to clear us, hopefully move out into the clear.

“Everyone left there with the same intention and by the time we got to the first quarter we'd gone 23 and 1, which is fine if we could have a little breather along the way,” Pletcher continued. “But as soon as we got on the backside, Irad [Ortiz, Jr. aboard Clairiere] made a move and put pressure on her. She kind of had to fight off the whole field. When you're a heavy favorite in a race like that with a short field, those things can happen. I'm not disappointed with the filly at all. I thought she ran bravely considering everything that was thrown at her off the layoff. If she comes back well, we'll point towards the Alabama.”

The 10-furlong $600,000 Grade 1 Alabama is slated for August 21.

Pletcher said Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph F. Graffeo, Eric Nikolaus Del Toro, and Troy Johnson's multiple graded-stakes winner Con Lima is training well into the 1 3/16-mile $700,000 Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational, the second leg of the Turf Triple series for fillies on August 8.

The Texas-bred daughter of Commissioner, who captured the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Herecomesthebride by disqualification in February at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., and the nine-furlong Grade 3 Wonder Again in June at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., worked a half-mile in :51.66 Saturday on the Saratoga main track.

“She worked fine. She's a high energy filly that seems to take her races well,” Pletcher said. “She'll have one more breeze and it seems like everything is in order.”

Last out, in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational, Con Lima stretched her speed to 10 furlongs over good going, but was collared in the final stride by highly regarded Santa Barbara.

Pletcher was full of praise for the ultra-consistent dark bay, who boasts a record of six wins and five seconds from 12 starts with purse earnings of $509,865.

“She just continues to step up. She's been super consistent and gives a good effort every time,” Pletcher said.

Pletcher said the tighter turns of the Saratoga turf may prove favorable for the handy Con Lima.

“This will be a little more favorable although she did win the Wonder Again at Belmont,” Pletcher said. “She seemed to really like Gulfstream, which is a tighter course, so maybe that will work in her favor here.”

CHC and WinStar Farm's undefeated Life Is Good, recently transferred to Pletcher's care, worked a half-mile in :48.88 Saturday on the Oklahoma dirt training track.

Pletcher said the Into Mischief Bay, who bested Kentucky Derby-winner Medina Spirit in the Grade 3 Sham and Grade 2 San Felipe at Santa Anita, will target either the seven-furlong $500,000 Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial on August 28 at the Spa, or the 1 1/16-mile $300,000 Grade 3 Smarty Jones on August 24 at Parx.

“He breezed in in 48 and change. He's a very impressive horse to watch train. He did that well in hand throughout,” Pletcher said. “We'll play it by ear, but we have a couple of options with the Allen Jerkens here and the Smarty Jones at Parx would be a possibility if we needed more time. He's a super talented horse and we're fortunate to have him.”

Repole Stable's Midnight Worker, a 2-year-old bay colt by Outwork, earned a 59 Beyer for a hard-fought win by a head in a six-furlong maiden special weight Saturday at Saratoga. A $60,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, Midnight Worker was piloted to victory by Luis Saez.

“It was a good effort,” Pletcher said. “He was under pressure from the one hole, but worked out a trip and fought off a couple challenges. I was proud of his effort and he was very solid on debut. “

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