Mark finally gets a winner on the board and Caleb and Josh both miss with their common pick. Mark gets an extra play today due to the scratch on the 29th.

Caleb @CalebWVU

Race 2 – #3 Bustino Santino: I’m electing to go with a bit of a bells and whistles play in the second race at Saratoga with #2 Bustino Santino. This gelding has been average in his three career starts to date, but I believe there are reasons to be optimistic for an improved effort on Wednesday. First, all three of his starts were held over muddy tracks, so he has a right to improve getting onto a fast track for the first time in his career. He also has had some poor trips in each of those races, being steadied and running into traffic. Bruce Levine is 33% (4/12) off of 180+ day layoffs and 25% (5/20) with second time Lasix. Furthermore, when Jose Ortiz and Bruce Levine team up they are hitting at 70% (7/10) over the last year. The Levine barn has been hot with limited starters at Saratoga this meet, collecting two wins and one place from five starters. He will likely need some pace help up front or to display improved early speed if he wants to contend here, but I’m willing to back him to improve around his 5/1 morning line.

Josh @CherryDrank

Race 9 – #7 Kaufymaker: On figures alone, this highly-touted daughter of Jimmy Creed looks to be a bit slow, but one thing this filly has shown is true early sprint speed. Horse plots out great on Optix in Q1 On both plots and is coming in to this race in good form. Gets Luis Saez aboard again who is one of the best turf sprint jockeys in the country and is aggressive out of the gate. I think the #1 Happy Soul takes money here even though the horse hasn’t won since early 2022 and the #2 Scottish Star has never run a turf sprint and will be short as well. I love #7 Kaufymaker at the 4-1 ML and will win bet at anything over 7/2.

Mark @Two_Turns

Race 3 – #4 Brazillionaire: At the risk of being called a “Castellano Simp” by my other two competitors, I often find that when Jockey, Horse, Trainer, Track and Situation all align then good things happen. The #2 Chess Master and #1 Chuck Willis are the horses here that stand out on figures and will take all the money; but both the Maker and Jacobson barns have been ice cold this meet which gives me pause. The #3 Brazillionaire comes into this race off some sub par performances, but those were all going routes and really felt like more works than real races to get some bottom end into this six-year-old son of Candy Ride. This is the first time he will be in for a tag since the claim from Morley last June and he gets back to a distance he’s perfect at while reunited with a jock who is 3 for 3 on him. I also love that he has two wins across this inner turf course which can be tricky and Castellano is very high percentage when up for this local barn.

Race 5 – #7 Find Your Joy: I was afforded a bonus pick due to a late scratch on Saturday so it’s double Castellano simp time. If you watch the last, this two-year-old central banker filly was never really asked and even ran a little “baby z” pattern making a middle move and fading late. Tom Morley’s barn is roughly 4% with maiden first timers yet becomes 15% with then 2nd time making me think that first race was more a work than a real race. She gained valuable experience in that first start and now stretches out to a distance which should more fit her pedigree. I like her a lot in this spot getting Morley’s go to jock who has a feel for her at a nice price as people will chase more well known connections in this race.