Free Picks For Saratoga - 7/17/20

Race 8 - Allowance Optional Claiming $62,5000 (Purse - $76,000)

Six fillies and mares are slated to go five and one-half furlongs on the turf. #2 Olendon should win this one. The French filly has raced well since coming across the pond and while she has not yet scored a victory in any of her four starts in America, Olendon is coming off a second-place finish against $32,000 optional claimers going one and one-sixteenth miles on the turf. Irad Ortiz Jr., who has won a career-best 26% of his rides and placed in the top 3 on 61% of those starts, gets his second ride on Olendon. #5 Lady Worthington is racing for the first time since the end of February where she registered a personal-best ESpeed of 102 while winning a six-furlong race at Turfway. The daughter of Scat Daddy has run well at this distance in her three previous attempts and has cashed in all three of her three dirt/all-weather track races. #1 Guacamole has a lot of speed and should benefit from starting on the rail. Guacamole has won her only other previous start at this distance. #3 Lady Lawyer is making just her second start in the US, having nabbed second against similar competition at Belmont on June 4.

Picks: I like the#2 to win and #1 to show. Additionally, I will take a #1, #5, #2 exacta box.

Race 7 - De La Rosa Stakes (Purse -$85,000)

This one-mile turf stakes race is slated to have nine fillies and mares that have not won a graded stakes event in 2020. There is definitely some quality horses in this event which should make this a high-quality race. I believe that there are four horses that really stand out and am going with the #3 Passing Out. Passing Out is coming off a mediocre effort while placing third in the Grade 3 Beaugay Stakes event where he was outkicked down the stretch early last month, The 4-year-old Kentucky has strung together four very good races and could benefit from the fact that #9 Blowout has not raced since October. Passing Out has six top 3 finishes in eight starts and all three of her wins have come at this distance. Blowout is arguably the classiest of the competitors, finishing in the top 3 of all four graded stake events which include the Grade 3 Pin Oak Valley View Stakes on Oct. 18. The Great Britain filly has yet to fail to cash in any of her eight events. #1 Catch A Bird was strong in her 2020 debut going wire-to-wire in a one and one-sixteenth mile allowance event on the turf. The daughter of Real Solution, who was fourth in the Pin Oak Valley View Stakes, won the listed Riskaverse Stakes last year. Jockey Tyler Graffalione, owns a 43% WPS percentage in stakes races this year, gets the ride on Catch A Bird, who has finished in the money in four of five starts. #7 Hogans Holiday is also racing for the first time in 2020 and has won multiple stakes.

Picks: I will take a win bet on the #3. I also will use the #3, #1, #9 in an exacta box bet.

Race 1 - Allowance Optional Claiming $62,500 (Purse - $76,000)

Six male horses are slated to go one and three-eighth miles on the turf in this one. With #1 Prioritize, listed as a main track only entrant, and #2 Canthelpbelieving, racing for the first time in over a year, I will go with #6 Valve Engineering to win this one. Valve Engineering makes his return to Saratoga since breaking his maiden back in August. The 4-year-old colt has hit the ticket in all five of his races, all of which have been on the turf, and is coming off win in a one and one-fourth mile race at Belmont by a neck as a result of a superior close. Expect jockey Javier Castellano, who has a 50% WPS percentage this year as well as for his career, to have Valve Engineering work off the pace in this meet which really does not have any speed.#3 Go Poke the Bear and #5 Bundibunan should battle for second and third. Bundibunan has been very good of late and is coming off a strong effort, tying a personal-best ESpeed of 107, as he finished third against similar competition going one and one-eighth miles on the turf at Churchill Downs (June 19). Jockey Jose L. Ortiz, who had two victories in his six rides at Saratoga this meet, and trainer Ignacio Correas IV have a strong working relationship. Go Poke the Bear has been pretty consistent since being claimed by trainer Mike Maker for $50,000 back in October. While the 4-year-old gelding has not finished in the money in any of his last three starts, he is a turf savant -- recording a WPS of 50% on the grass -- and has run well at this distance.

Picks: I will take the #6 for a win. I also like a #6, #3, #5 exacta box.

Race 9 - Shine Again Stakes (Purse -$85,000)

This seven-furlong race is for fillies and mares 4-year-old and upwards that have not won a stakes race in 2020. This should be a highly competitive race. #2 Risky Mandate is slotted in a very good position as she is one of the four fastest horses and doesn’t have any of the other speed around her. Risky Mandate came up just short after a strong close to grab silver in a six-furlong sprint against $80,000 optional claimers at Churchill on June 28. This past start was the 4-year-old Kentucky filly’s first start since finishing third in the Grade 2 Prioress Stakes here at Saratoga last August. Risky Mandate has cashed in all four of her starts, which includes two outings at Saratoga. #5 Indian Pride returns to Saratoga for the first time since shedding her maiden in late August. The speedy 4-year-old won her last outing by almost three lengths, as the heavy favorite, in a six-and-one-half furlong allowance event. #10 Please Flatter Me is the fastest of the runners and is coming off of a second-place finish in an allowance race at Belmont Park. The Pennsylvania filly has been well-traveled in her eight races, having raced at six different tracks, and has posted a 50% win percentage as well as a 75% WPS percentage. Expect #9 Blamed, who has won four races in her last eight starts, and #7 Honor Way to be factors.

Picks: I will go with an extra/trifecta box of #2, #5, #10, #9.