My best bet of the July 25th sequence is the early P3 starting in Race 1 and as I didn’t have a chance to cover it on Saratoga Daily, here it is in written form!

Race 1 – #7 First Appeal and #8 A Little Faith should both be able to work the right trips, sitting pocket trips which has been what’s working. I’m a bit concerned that First Appeal might not have enough pace to close into as Elegant Zip seems the defacto pace presence but Irad got off the #1 Speightstown Gal after two wins which makes me think the #7 is live. I still want a little bit of both the #1 and #5 The Important One as neither would be a shocker.

Race 2 – I’m not quite sure how Todd Pletcher keeps finding MSW’s this weak but I don’t think #7 Midnight Surprise has much to worry about as she comes in with a solid work tab against a field over very low percentage connections. Irad and Todd are 38% together the last year at Saratoga and it seems very recently if Irad is up for Todd then its VERY live. With Todd’s barn hitting at over 30% to start the meet, I’ll be single here.

Race 3 – This race begins and ends with your feelings on #5 Sistercharlie. She was champion turf female of 2018 and has really done nothing wrong in her career being 10 for 15 lifetime and avoiding no-one. My knocks on her are the long layoff, that her last two weren’t as impressive and maybe she’s lost a step and that this is not really her preferred distance. I want the most of her, but also some #6 Starship Jubilee who is running at her perfected distance and #1 Call Me Love who may have hated the paceless affair last out.

My play will be as follows assuming a $100 budget, obviously scale to yours:

-Mark