Spa selections 2021: Saratoga picks July 15

Ginger N Rye won the 2017 Smart N Fancy Stakes at Saratoga. Photo by Chelsea Durand/NYRA.

by Joseph Aiello

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

Race 7 – Alw 103000n1x

1. #1 Arham (5-2) – Will break from the four post which should help this colt be aggressive early as he adds blinkers and will try and control the race which may be difficult at this distance

2. #2 Southern District (4-1) – Showed massive improvement last time with the surface change to the dirt, and gets Irad Ortiz back for this Chad Brown and Klaravich colt

3. #3 Business Model (5-1) – Will be the beneficiary of any quick early pace, recently breaking his maiden at Churchill at a mile with solid fractions and a strong stretch run

Race 8 – Grade III Quick Call Stakes

1. #3 Golden Pal (1-2) – Not a lock here, but clearly a cut above the others and will win if he controls the race early and gets little pressure from Jaxon Traveler

2. #4 Omaha City (20-1) – Can be dangerous here from mid pack at a good price, clearly one that will run his best at this distance, but needs the right scenario to finish better than second

3. #8 Rebel Posse (12-1) – Has won both tries on the turf albeit against lower class, but others aren’t proven at this distance or surface, and fauci should hit the board but is less likely to win

Race 9 – Grade III Schuylerville Stakes

1. #1 Pretty Birdie (7-2) – Might be the only one who can really compete with Happy Soul early, and with Saez in the irons, this filly will certainly be aggressive and build off her last race win

2. #7 Happy Soul (8-5) – Probably wins this on a dry track, just a bit quicker than the others here and back to back dominant efforts for this Wesley Ward trainee

3. #8 Eagle Express (10-1) – Tough race and plenty of speed, but this could be one at a good price that sits off the early leaders and hopes for a bit too much pace to close into

Race 10 – Mdn 85k

1. #7 Waking Zim (6-1) – Won’t want to be positioned as far back as his last two tries, but definitely has the strongest closing kick here and should like the added distance

2. #8 Clever Fellow (8-5) – Will get bet because of the connections and a weak field, but has trouble winning races where he should find the wire first, but still is good enough here

3. #12 Ruse (5-1) – Gets a tough post draw here, but showed improvement last time out and runs his best up on the lead, so getting a good break and reaching the turn quickly will be key

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