Saratoga Racecourse | Horse Racing Free Tips

Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 Features Graded Stakes From Saratoga, Del Mar

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will host a Cross Country Pick 5 featuring four graded stakes overall and three Grade 1s between historic Saratoga Race Course and Del Mar on Saturday.

Live coverage will be available with Saratoga Live on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence are now available for download at https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/cross-country-wagers.

Saratoga will start the wager with a full field of juveniles going 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf in Race 5 at 3:28 p.m. Eastern. The maiden contest will feature a pair of entrants for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott in Lease and Thorn, while fellow Hall of Fame conditioner Mark Casse will send out American Diamond from the outermost post 10. Winfromwithin, trained by Todd Pletcher, will break from post 8.

The day's feature race at the Spa will comprise the second leg, as the Casse-trained Got Stormy will look to repeat in the Grade 1, $400,000 Fourstardave in Race 9 at 5:46 p.m. Last year, Got Stormy became the first female to win the Fourstardave, setting a track record for the one-mile inner turf course test by completing the course in 1:32 flat. This year, she drew post 4 with Tyler Gaffalione aboard as she competes against a talented field that includes Eclipse Award-winner Uni, who is one of four runners for trainer Chad Brown along with Raging Bull, Valid Point and Without Parole. Mott will send out a pair in Chewing Gum and Casa Creed. The Fourstardave is a “Win and You're In” qualifier to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile in November at Keeneland.

Del Mar will feature the wager's final three races with three graded stakes, starting with the Grade 2, $200,000 Del Mar Handicap for 3-year-olds and up going 1 3/8 miles on the turf in Race 7 at 8 p.m. United, who ran in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf last year, will compete in a race that will offer the winner an automatic berth in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf. Combatant won a Grade 1 in March when he captured the Santa Anita Handicap over the main track. The 11-horse field also features Oscar Dominguez, the Irish bred who won the 1 ½-mile Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup.

The Grade 1 action continues in the fourth leg in the $250,000 Del Mar Oaks for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/8 miles on the turf in Race 9 at 9 p.m. Laura's Light, trained by Peter Miller, won the Grade 3 Honeymoon at the same distance. She will face an 11-horse field that includes European horses such as Miss Extra, winner of the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham in France, and the French-bred Neige Blanche, who captured the Group 3 Prix Cleopatre in her native country.

The finale will be the Grade 1, $500,000 Pacific Classic in Race 10 at 9:30 p.m. Maximum Security, who won the Eclipse Award last year as Champion 3-year-old, is 2-for-2 to start his 4-year-old campaign after winning the Saudi Cup and the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap last out. The horse who crossed the wire first in last year's Grade 1 Kentucky Derby before being disqualified and placed 17th and has won four graded stakes since the “Run for the Roses,” taking the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park, the Grade 3 Bold Ruler at Belmont Park and the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap in December at Aqueduct Racetrack. Now trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Maximum Security is one of six contenders in the 1 ¼-mile test, which includes Midcourt, Higher Power, Mirinaque, Dark Vader and Sharp Samurai.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

Cross Country Pick 5 – Saturday, August 22:
Leg 1 – Saratoga, Race 5: (3:28 p.m.)
Leg 2 – Saratoga, Race 9: G1 Fourstardave (5:46 p.m.)
Leg 3 – Del Mar, Race 7: G2 Del Mar Handicap (8:00 p.m.)
Leg 4 – Del Mar, Race 9: G1 Del Mar Oaks (9:00 p.m.)
Leg 5 – Del Mar, Race 10: G1 Pacific Classic (9:30 p.m.)

The post Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 Features Graded Stakes From Saratoga, Del Mar appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Tiz the Law ‘Perfect’ in Saturday Drill

Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz the Law (Constitution) tuned up for next Saturday’s GI Runhappy Travers S. with a five-furlong work in :59.44 (2/24) at Saratoga Saturday.

“I wanted to go in a minute and he went in a minute. It was perfect,” trainer Barclay Tagg said of the work. “We couldn’t have worked better. He came back good and he was breathing good. Everything was good. He’s a gem to work with. He is doing perfectly as far as I’m concerned. I don’t know what else we can do for him. I like this colt. Why wouldn’t you? We’ve got a nice horse.”

Sent out at 5:30 a.m., Tiz the Law recorded splits of :23 4/5, :36 and out in 1:13 2/5 over a fast main track with exercise rider Heather Smullen aboard.

“He’s a little more relaxed in the morning,” said Smullen. “He’s nice and professional and does his job. There is always adversity. If he sees someone, he will get strong. He will get aggressive. He’s a racehorse. Luckily, there was no one out there today. He went out there today and did what I told him to do. He was strong and consistent. It sure seems like [he’s ready for the Travers]. He’s done everything they have asked him to do.”

Tiz the Law has won all three of his starts this season, opening his sophomore campaign with a win in the Feb. 1 GIII Holy Bull S. before adding the Mar. 28 GI Curlin Florida Derby. He is coming off a win in the June 20 GI Belmont S.

Sackatoga Stable will be seeking its second GI Kentucky Derby win next month at Churchill Downs. The operation, headed by Jack Knowlton, won the 2003 Derby with Funny Cide.

“I want to enjoy the next week because it is going to be a lot of fun,” Knowlton said. “We will get to do a lot of things and we will enjoy the moment at Saratoga. Hopefully, everything will work out. We’ve got four weeks to hopefully win another Derby.

Knowlton continued, “It’s exciting [to be here for the Travers]. My second biggest disappointment with the whole Funny Cide run was not being able to even run in the Travers. When he got sick, that was a bigger disappointment after not winning the Triple Crown. Now, we’ve got a second chance. It’s not often you get second chances the way we have with this horse and to do things that we couldn’t do. We checked one box by winning the Belmont. It would be wonderful to check this box to win the Travers. I have a lot of confidence that he’s going to get the mile and a quarter.”

Travers contenders Country Grammer (Tonalist), Shivaree (Awesome of Course) and Caracaro (Uncle Mo) also breezed over the main track at Saratoga Saturday, while possible Travers entrant Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) breezed at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Maryland.

Paul Pompa, Jr.’s Country Grammer worked four furlongs in :47.66 (6/50) for trainer Chad Brown. The bay colt is coming off a win in the July 16 GIII Peter Pan S.

Jacks or Better Farm’s Shivaree, trained by Ralph Nicks, went five furlongs in 1:03.27 (24/24). The chestnut homebred was second in the Florida Derby and is coming off an 11th-place effort in the July 11 GII Toyota Blue Grass S.

“It looked like he went well. He’s a tough horse and he handles everything fine,” said Nicks. “He handled shipping up there fine. He seems to be in good form. It was a nice maintenance breeze on the bridle, just kind of cruising around there this morning, so all is well. We decided last week to take a shot, and everything’s good.”

Global Thoroughbred and Top Racing’s Peter Pan runner-up Caracaro, trained by Gustavo Delgado, worked six furlongs under Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano in 1:15.99 (1/1) Saturday.

A maiden winner second time out at Gulfstream Park in January, the bay colt was making just his third lifetime start in the Peter Pan.

“He’s a good mover. Today, it wasn’t about looking for time, it was more like a two-minute lick starting from the three-quarters and letting him gallop out,” said Castellano. “He just ran three weeks ago, so today was a good maintenance work. He galloped out beautiful past the wire, but I didn’t let him overdo it. He handled the track well. He did everything the right way today.”

Godolphin homebred Mystic Guide, a late-running third in the Peter Pan for trainer Mike Stidham, added blinkers for his five-eighths work in 1:01 flat (1/5) Saturday at Fair Hill.

“We felt like he was a little more handy with the blinkers on,” said Stidham. “He broke off three lengths behind another horse. We told the rider to stay even with the other horse down to the wire and he galloped out well. He went out in :13 and change. I was very happy with the addition of blinkers.”

Stidham said he is considering the colt for either the Travers or the Sept. 5 GII Jim Dandy S.

The post Tiz the Law ‘Perfect’ in Saturday Drill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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New Owners Consider Runhappy Travers for South Bend

South Bend (Algorithms), purchased privately by a partnership group that includes Gary Barber, Adam Wachtel, Peter Deutsch and Leonard Schleifer of Pantofel Stable following a runner-up effort in the June 27 GIII Ohio Derby, could make his first start for the new connections in the Aug. 8 GI Runhappy Travers S.

“We’re leaning toward the Travers,” confirmed the colt’s new trainer Bill Mott. “The partnership group wants to have a good look at that. He’ll work probably the first part of the week.”

Previously campaigned by Sagamore Farm and trainer Stanley Hough, South Bend won last year’s Street Sense S. over the main track at Churchill Downs and his three stakes placings over the turf include a third-place finish in the Feb. 29 GIII Palm Beach S.

Of the colt’s versatility, Mott said, “I think that’s one of the reasons they bought him. He looks good on both surfaces.”

In his first work for Mott, South Bend went four furlongs in :49.12 (5/31) at Saratoga July 27.

“We breezed him the one time. We like the horse, he’s doing well,” Mott said. “He’s a nice horse to train. He moves well and he worked well for us. I’m happy with him.”

Trainer Mike Stidham confirmed that Godolphin homebred Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper), most recently a closing third in the July 16 GIII Peter Pan S., is also under consideration for the Travers.

“The Travers is a possibility. He’ll work [Saturday] and we’ll know more after he works,” said Stidham. “Ultimately, he has to put himself in a better position early. You can’t win those types of races with that much to do late in the race. Our goal was to try blinkers on him and see what type of response he gives, so we can try to be a little bit closer.”

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Saratoga Opening Weekend Handle Posts Increase

All-sources handle for Saratoga’s 2020 opening weekend totaled $80,325,660, a 9.4% increase over last year’s opening weekend, which generated $73,441,101 from all sources.

Saratoga’s recently completed opening weekend, Thursday through Sunday, corresponds with the four-day period in 2019 from Thursday, July 11 to Sunday, July 14.

The post Saratoga Opening Weekend Handle Posts Increase appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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