Spa selections 2021: Saratoga picks August 29

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 8 – OC 80000n2x

1. #2 Beau Liam (4-5) – Santana and Asmussen clearly know how to get sprinters home, and this likely favorite could be more of the same if he gets a reasonable pace here

2. #4 Night Time (7-2) – Could be in the right spot off of Beau Liam early, and ran a strong race last time despite getting beat at the wire

3. #6 Yodel E. A. Who (15-1) – This gelding can be a bit inconsistent at times, but performs well at this distance with four wins in eight tries

Race 9 – Better Talk Now Stakes

1. #6 In Effect (6-1) – Back to back good efforts at long prices, this colt drops from the grade II Hall of Fame and should run well here

2. #8 Sifting Sands (3-1) – Straw Into Gold has been solid recently, but this Chad Brown trainee looks to be improving here at the right time

3. #2 Dr Jack (9-2) – Switches from dirt to turf after being overmatched in the Jim Dandy, and if this colt takes to the surface, he could be dangerous here

Race 10 – Alw 50000s

1. #6 Chulainn (8-1) – Should get a good price on this Motion trainee who keeps Rosario and has made good closing moves in his las two tries in this company

2. #11 Lord Flintshire (12-1) – Picked up nearly sixteen lengths in a close loss last time, and actually seemed to improve despite the step up in class so worth a play here

3. #8 Made My Day (6-1) – Landbiscuit and Molino both can be played here, but this five year old has been in the mix recently and is due for a breakthrough

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