Free Picks For Saratoga - 8/13/20

Race 4- Starter Allowance $50,000 (Purse - $55,000)

Six 3-and-4-year-old colt and geldings will go one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. This race appears should be fantastic. #2 Blood Moon will look for an improved performance after leading for a good portion of the race at this distance and level before weakening down the stretch and finishing third, in his first attempt at this distance. The 3-year-old Kentucky colt has run well in two of his last three races and has five cashes in nine career starts. #4 First Rate has shown improvement in each of his last four outings. The 3-year-old Kentucky gelding finished fourth in his last outing, three lengths behind Blood Man in what was his first outing at this distance, although he has finished in the money in two of his four starts this year. #5 Naughty Prince is coming off a victory against $16,000 claimers at this distance after batting back following losing the lead late in the event. Naughty Prince has won both of his career starts.

Picks: I like a win bet on the #2. I also like an exacta box of #2, #4.

Race 6- Allowance Optional Claiming $62,500 ($76,000)

Five strong female runners will go one and one-eighth miles. #1 Risky Mandate has shown improvement in each of her last two outings and has reached the podium in all five career races. The 4-year-old Kentucky filly, who is stretching out to this distance for the first time, was third at the Shine Again Stakes in his last outing and recorded a second-place finish against $80,000 optional claimers two starts back. Risky Mandate is also coming off a superb recent training session. #3 Indy Union used a strong close to nab a second-place finish against $35,000 optional claimers going a mile the last time out. Indy Union, who has finished in the top 3 in 50% of his career races, has raced well at Saratoga and in these types of conditional races. #5 Off Topic should be able to hit the ticket despite being a little inconsistent recently though she does have seven cashes in 11 career events.

Picks: I will make a win bet on the #1. I will also go with a #1, #3 exacta box.

Race 9 - Union Avenue Handicap ($85,000)

Six female runners will go seven furlongs in what should be a heck of a race. There are three horses that I really like but I’ll go with #1 Ratajkowski in this one. Ratajkowski is the fastest horse in the field though this is her first race at the current distance. The 6-year-old seldom race mare is coming off a victory in the $125,000 Critical Eye Stakes where she won by a neck going one mile at Belmont in June. Ratajkowski has five wins and seven cashes, including both of her outings at Saratoga, in eight career starts. #6 Newly Minted is racing for the first time since March but she had been in pretty good form prior to taking this break, recording four straight top-2 finishes and has failed to reach the podium just once in 10 starts. The 4-year-old New York filly, who is arguably the classiest of the runners and has won 50% of her starts, has one win at the current distance as well as a victory at Saratoga. #5 Carrera Cat is racing for the first time in 2020 but the 5-year-old New York mare has registered two of her five career victories at this distance and she has a 75% WPS rate at Saratoga. Trainer John Morrison has Carrera Cat, who won this event last year, training well.

Picks: I like an exacta box of #1, #6. I also like a show bet on the #5.