Spa selections 2018: Saratoga August 24

Pret Say Eye was antsy early, strong late for trainer Lacey Gaudet (left) at Saratoga in 2016. Photo by Teresa Genaro.

by Joseph Aiello

In Spa Selections, Saratoga on-site correspondent Joseph Aiello provides picks for a handful of key races at Saratoga, including all of the exciting stakes action!

Race 3 – Albany Stakes

1. #2 Singapore Trader (10-1) – Pletcher put Velazquez on this gelding over Speke, and she won by a dominant thirteen last time albeit in a maiden claimer

2. #6 Analyze the Odds (4-1) – Finished second to Sea Foam last time, but with the ability to close and more wins than anyone this year, this Servis trainee should be involved late

3. #1 Evaluator (3-1) – Sea Foam will be the likely favorite and tough to leave out, but this colt has run against two who will be Travers entries this year, despite being hit or miss in his career

Race 5 – Funny Cide Stakes

1. #4 Bustin to Be Loved (9-2) – More front-end speed than the others, and leading jockey Irad Ortiz keeps the mount

2. #5 Bankit (2-1) – Ricardo Santana and Steven Asmussen have cooled off from earlier in the meet, but still have a great chance here with this two-year-old

3. #7 La Fuerza (5-2) – Dugout was just as, if not more, impressive in his first start, but this colt by Flatter has a better running style sitting off the leaders to take over at the top of the stretch

Race 7 – Seeking the Ante Stakes

1. #7 She’s Trouble (4-1) – Not sure if the sloppy track helped her in the last two, but with plenty of frontrunners, this filly by Into Mischief should be able to close

2. #6 Time Warp (5-1) – The only one in the field who has gone past six furlongs and can win sitting off the leaders, but the break will be vital

3. #4 Collegeville Girl (5-2) – Just possesses more speed than the others, and had an impressive win in her debut a month ago

Race 8 – Yaddo Stakes

1. #2 La Moneda (5-2) – Solid jockey trainer combo for a mare that has won three in four tries this year; was bet to favorite in her last three

2. #7 Fifty Five (8-5) – The most class in this race and best record at the distance; Chad Brown trainees just can’t be ignored no matter what the odds

3. #8 Lady Joan (8-1) – Has had some trouble winning back-to-back races, but with distance cut and the ability to take over on the front end, take her over other longshot Munchkin Money

Race 9 – Fleet Indian Stakes

1. #1 Purely Lucky (5-1) – Her try two back will win this race, as she has a bit more speed than some other favorites which have benefitted from slow paces

2. #7 Rachel’s Blue Moon (8-1) – A chance to go wire-to-wire with a bit slower fractions than last time, which she went out in a forty-five second half-mile

3. #10 Pas de Deuce (12-1) – Filly by Curlin will get more pace to run into than last time and has been improving since her first start

Race 10 – West Point Stakes

1. #6 Offering Plan (6-5) – Brown trainee with Javier Castellano is hard to ignore, finishing a length off of Voodoo Song last time out and seemingly in good form

2. #4 Tapitation (8-1) – Manny Franco stays on this grey gelding that hasn’t won in two years, but found something last time out running near a hot pace

3. #8 Mo Maverick (12-1) – Rapt may have run huge last time in a hot pace, but with a tough post and this gelding’s ability to possibly wire, take a shot here