Video: Grade 1 (turf) $600k Diana Stakes - SAT 7-28-12
The grey gal just loves the Saratoga turf and kicked on with her swift turf of foot! (pdf) Winter Memories is the covergirl for today’s Saratoga Special
Video: Grade 2 $600k Jim Dandy Stakes - SAT 7-28-12
The sloppy track is deceptive as the winner - Alpha - showed why he was a solid contender before the Kentucky Derby before finishing a dull 12th. I don’t know if he’s going to be the wagering favorite for the Travers.
As noted by the Saratoga Special folks - today’s 6th race at Saratoga oddly had three very similar names: Shes Tuff As Nails, Shewreckstheplace, and She Gets It 
I own a horse with a “shesa” prefix name for registration so I can appreciate Tom Durkin’s position in calling the race.
As for the jockey standings its Ramon by a country mile and if you look at his percentages its amazing - for the current Saratoga meet:
Ramon A. Dominguez: 56 starts with W-P-S of 15-8-10
Mount Earnings of $1,182,247
27% win percentage
Top 3 finishes being 33 mounts, which is a 59% in the money percentage
Goodness gracious - huge balloons!! You wanna talk long shots at the Spa?
Sunday - Race 6 - $35k maiden claiming a 70-1 winner over a 40-1 … $2 exacta wager paid $2,152! and $2 trifecta paid $18,910
Today’s action at the Spa
Video: Grade 2 $200,000 Amsterdam Stakes 7-29-12
And expect the Bob Baffert train to roll into the Traver’s station following today’s win over a small field in the $1,000,000 Haskell Stakes
Video: $1M Grade 1 Haskell Invitational 7-29-12 with Paynter, the Belmont runner up, cruising to victory.
Bob Baffert has won his last six Haskell entered races - Baffert won his first Haskell in 2001 with Point Given, who also won the Travers. He also won the Haskell with War Emblem (2002), Roman Ruler (2005), Lookin At Lucky (2010), and Coil (2011).
Trainer and all around good guy, Bill Mott, celebrated his 59th birthday with a win in the 9th race via Alaura Michele taking the $100,000 Nani Rose Stakes by a length and paid $15.60.
According to New York Racing Association stats, a $2 win bet placed on each of Mott’s starters on his birthday (July 29) since 2006 would have yielded a profit of $42. Remember that for 2013 
Further positive results with the overall meet … NYRA/BloodHorse 7-30-12
NYRA reported July 30 that attendance for the first two weeks of the meet at the upstate New York track was 203,780, a 1.2% increase from 201,400 in 2011.
All-sources handle, which includes wagers on Saratoga races both on-track and from simulcast outlets nationwide, was $142,894,233, up 6.7% from $133,920,503 last year. On-track handle of $28,941,361 represented a 4.4% increase from $27,728,174 last year.
Wagering downstate at Belmont Café and the Aqueduct simulcast center was $5,308,731 for a combined on-track handle of $34,250,092, up 5.2% from $32,549,735 in 2011.
NYRA reported average betting interests per race were 8.8 (887 total) compared to 8.5 (846 total) for the first 10 days in 2011. There have been 47 turf races and seven races taken off the turf and moved to the main track, compared to 44 on and five off in 2011.
Tuesday July 31st: Haskell Invitational winner, Paynter, has a elevated temp, will not ship back to Cali for now and is questionable for the Travers.
Paynter’s situation is similar to that of Lookin at Lucky, who won the Haskell for Baffert in 2010 and spiked a temperature coming out of the race. As a result, he skipped the Travers and did not race again Oct. 2 of that year in the Indiana Derby, which he won. Lookin at Lucky then finished fourth in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic against older horses.
Baffert said if Paynter does miss the Travers, a race like the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 22 at Parx would be a possibility. Baffert already is planning on being at Parx that day with Eden’s Moon, his 3-year-old filly who is to be pointed to the $1 million Cotillion Stakes after competing next in the Del Mar Oaks.
Bob Baffert maybe an absolute master of the Jersey Shore big dance but his Travers’ success is almost a polar opposite.
THUR races 1 & 2 are jumpers: $65,000. Optional Allowance/Claiming Hurdle and then the Grade 1-NSA $100k The A.P. Smithwick Memorial.
What is very nice to see is the Dogwood Stable with a runner in the 1st - Trippo - as its been awhile since that partnership had an interest in steeplechasing.
With the Pick Six having not been hit on Sunday or Monday it was a larger than normal carry over into Wednesday and fattened up well above $1.2 million. Despite several long shots it was hit with a couple of people collecting over $470k each 
Per the DRF the two winning tickets:
one of the tickets was sold at Nassau County (N.Y.) Off-Track Betting and the other was purchased at Venezuela OTB through the Maryland hub.
The were 12 live tickets into the last race banking on “Dan and Sheila” to win, and who came into the stretch with a clear lead, but he was outfinished by Sinorice ($28) at the wire, giving trainer Nick Zito his first win of the meet.
Today is the Birdstone Stakes so maybe Nick will continue his good luck streak. Although Zito has just one entry on the card today - a claimer of Tuvia’s Force (race 3) with Rosie up in the irons.
Maybe the old magic will return with Zito training 2-yr old Flying Bird (owned by Marylou Whitney) running on SAT in a $80k maiden special weight (Race 7) with Rosie up again. Speaking of Ms. Whitney, Saturday also will have in race 2 another maiden runner for Marylou - but trained by Ian Wilkes - Cape Glory for 3-year olds.
Reminder today, THUR, is a double-shot of steeplechasing with Races 1 and 2. Divine Fortune will be seeking his 3rd victory in the marque race the A.P. Smithwick (Grade 1-NSA) which is race 2.
The A.P. Smithwick $100k (Group 1-NSA) decided by a flared nose! Wow.
Big balloons with the price - $2 exacta at $371.50 and $2 win yields $52. Those who had faith on Danni Hodson were rewarded despite the bobbled last fence.
Too many betters thought the Naylor fleet of runners coupled as 1 / 1A / 1C / 1X made sense as it was 40% of the field
I’ll provide the replay when the video is made available for the A.P. Smithwick.
NYRA has posted the photo finish for the A.P. Memorial Smithwick (race 2)
#7 Spy In the Sky, over #6 Left Unsaid.
And who was the breeder of #6 Left Unsaid? The late Robert J. Frankel along with Mrs. Jerome T. Amerman.
Video replay - Group 1-NSA A.P. Smithwick Memorial Stakes
A pity to read this: Spy in the Sky, an 8-year-old son of Thunder Gulch trained by Jimmy Day for the Randleston Farm, paid $52. Neither the winning owner or trainer was in attendance for the Smithwick.
By the way if the winner of today’s first steeplechase race looked familiar it is because he already raced at Saratoga in this meet! Alajmal ran 5th on the flat here just 10 days ago. The 4-year-old First Samurai gelding is a Shadwell castoff now being trained by Janet Elliot and was making just his eighth career start and third over fences.
Race 3 did yield a victory for Nick Zito - thankfully. Tuvia’s Force ($8.00). He was the second winner for Zito in 20 hours after 0-for-16 start to the meet! The man is now on fire
If you watch today’s 11th race (THR) you’ll hear a runner “Slimshady” which isn’t to be confused with the Del Mar runner which is spelled Slim Shadey. The Saratoga runner is NY-bred 2-yr old whereas the Cali runner is 4-yr old British born stakes winner.
[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;6473983]
The A.P. Smithwick $100k (Group 1-NSA) decided by a flared nose! … Those who had faith on Danni Hodson were rewarded despite the bobbled last fence.[/QUOTE]
Today’s Saratoga Special has at its cover just how crazy that last fence was with Spy In The Sky piloted by Danni.
Fortify!
Anyone else impressed with this guy’s debut?
From the DRF:
" Darley unveiled a very good-looking 2-year-old colt in Fortify, Distorted Humor firster who was close to a quick pace, took over with authority in upper stretch, and drew away through 6f in 1:09.54 en route to a final time of 1:16.34 for 6.5f."
Agreed the winning debut of 2-yr old Fortify (without Lasix) was very impressive. The fractions were wicked for a maiden run!
Video - Saratoga Race 3 8-4-12 with Fortify
Another 2-yr old victor was seen in the 7th race the 2nd start [his maiden racing was last month at Belmont, finishing place] and victory of Palace Malice, with Lasix, (owned by Dogwood, trained by Todd Pletcher, and purchased for $200k) was rather solid too. Although the time was slower than Fortify’s
Video - Saratoga Race 7 8-4-12 with Palace Malice
Any word on Riverdance Rock from the 6th race? He was the leader of the race around stretch turn, suddenly and without any reason at all whipped right, dumped his rider, and headed to the outside fence.
I haven’t heard anything as yet on the jockey, but that was sure some spook. :eek:
I liked Palace Malice as well! He’s a Curlin and his dam line suggests he’ll do great on the turf as well.
[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;6478210]
Any word on Riverdance Rock from the 6th race? He was the leader of the race around stretch turn, suddenly and without any reason at all whipped right, dumped his rider, and headed to the outside fence.[/QUOTE]
Just a note on this: HR Insider Sunday notes - the horse is fine but the rider was injured:
Apprentice rider Keiber Coa suffered a fractured bone in his left hand after being unseated in the sixth race on Saturday, according to his agent, Cory Moran.
Coa, 19, the son of retired jockey Eibar Coa, fell to the Saratoga inner turf course when his mount, Riverdance Rock, unexpectedly veered sharply outside at the top of the stretch.
He was transported to Saratoga Hospital, where the fracture was diagnosed and placed in a cast for five to six weeks. Moran indicated that Coa will visit an orthopedist in New Jersey on Monday.
Sunday’s feature race - the Grade 1 $400,000 A. G. Vanderbilt Handicap (in honor of Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt) was supposed to be Shackleford’s big day although as noted - only after his massive flop, of course he (1) doesn’t do well at Saratoga and (2) doesn’t do well on an off track … gee all those signs yet he goes off at even money but finishes dead last
4-yr old Poseidon’s Warrior shocks Vanderbilt at 36-1 - this was his first win in 2012 (2 prior starts were lackluster) and interestingly enough a “Breeders’ Cup win and you’re in race” too
Today - Monday Aug 6th - Race 4 has the horse Black Rhino in a $20k claimer ($36k purse) and the jockey is Jackie Davis’ kid brother making his first ride. More on Dylan Davis, 18, from the Saratoga Special here.
It begs the question (although Jackie is riding at Suffolk Downs this summer) if a brother and sister have ridden against one another before? I know there have been husbands vs. wives but would (if it occurred) be a first?
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
