This upcoming weekend is full of graded action at US Racetracks and today we will take a look into Del Mar and Saratoga races, pick your favorite and make your bet!
National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame
There are probably no future Hall of Famers in the $200,000 Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes, the highlight of Friday’s Saratoga festivities, but the three-year-old contest at a mile on turf has drawn a competitive, complicated field.
The outcome of the Manila Stakes at Belmont Park last month may have the answer, a race in which Original went gate-to-wire and gamely held off late closer Public Sector by a head, with Annex a never-dangerous fifth. Those exacta horses – Public Sector has a 4lb swing with Original, which is a lot for that narrow margin of defeat – may have the edge over all-the-way War Chant Stakes winner Next and Woodbine winner Easy Time, whose only effort on turf hinted at an affinity with the surface, but the eye is drawn to a debutant on the weeds.
Tom Albertrani saddles Wolfie’s Dynaghost, who is two-from-three in a brief career to date, proved his stamina with victory over a mile-sixteenth at Belmont last month, and has the genes for grass being a half-brother to turf specialist Sadler’s Joy. He has the scope for further improvement anyway, and the shift to turf could be a multiplying factor for that.
| Horse | Jockey | Odds courtesy of Jazzsports |
| ANNEX | Junior Alvarado | +1000 |
| PUBLIC SECTOR | Flavien Prat | +200 |
| RANGER FOX | Joel Rosario | +800 |
| EASY TIME | Tyler Gaffalione | +600 |
| IN EFFECT | Jose Lezcano | +2000 |
| ORIGINAL | Luis Saez | +450 |
| NEXT | John R. Velazquez | +350 |
| WOLFIE’S DYNAGHOST | Irad Ortiz. Jr | +600 |
Troy Stakes
The highlight of the undercard is the $200,000 Grade 3 Troy Stakes, for four-year-olds and up on turf, which bears witness to the continued reinvention of Casa Creed as a sprinter.
After spending almost his entire career at a mile or more, Casa Creed dropped back to seven furlongs and won a black-type contest at Belmont Park, and then came from a long way back to win the Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes – also at Belmont – over six, with stablemate Chewing Gum, Bound For Nowhere and Fast Boat, who all reoppose here, second, third and sixth respectively.
Now he goes five and a half at a track where he has performed well, and if he has the kick for it from his outside post, his Grade 1 credentials outrank the opposition. The logical conclusion to the story is that Casa Creed becomes a quarter-horse, but there are plenty of good races to be won with him before then. The Troy may well be the next one.
| Horse | Jockey | Odds courtesy of Jazzsports |
| FAST BOAT | Tyler Gaffalione | +1000 |
| CHEWING GUM | Jose L. Ortiz | +1000 |
| CLASSY JOHN | John R. Velazquez | +2000 |
| BACKTOHISROOTS | Manuel Franco | +2000 |
| FRONT RUN THE FED | Ricardo Santana. Jr | +1500 |
| GEAR JOCKEY | Jose Lezcano | +1200 |
| IMPRIMIS | Irad Ortiz. Jr | +300 |
| CAROTARI | Javier Castellano | +1500 |
| CHATEAU | Dylan Davis | +3000 |
| LAZULI | Luis Saez | +800 |
| BOUND FOR NOWHERE | Joel Rosario | +350 |
| CASA CREED | Junior Alvarado | +450 |
Sorrento Stakes
Almost three thousand miles away, the $200,000 Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar brings together a clutch of promising two-year-old fillies for a six-furlong duel on the main track. As so often in this type of race, with so little track evidence to go on, it depends on you like.
At The Spa, who is instead at the seaside, is unbeaten in two at Santa Anita Park, the last a black-type affair in which she looked good when putting two and a quarter lengths into her field (Loveherheart fourth). Bob Baffert runs Eda, who got her debut win on a disqualification, while It’s Simple looked a hot ticket when sprinting five and a half lengths clear in a Santa Anita maiden, but this will be tougher.
Shesgotattitude has already come up short in Grade 3 company, but Smash Ticket drew off to win by five here last month, looks ready for a sixth furlong, and course experience can be valuable when everything else is inexperience.
| Horse | Jockey | Odds courtesy of Jazzsports |
| SHE’S SO SHINY | Ricardo Gonzalez | +800 |
| SMASH TICKET | Umberto Rispoli | +180 |
| EDA | Abel Cedillo | +400 |
| SHESGOTATTITUDE | Trevor McCarthy | +800 |
| LOVEHERHEART | Drayden Van Dyke | +1500 |
| IT’S SIMPLE | Mario Gutierrez | +600 |
| SAX | Joe Bravo | +1000 |
| FIRST PROMISE | Jessica Pyfer | +2000 |
| ELM DRIVE | Juan J. Hernandez | +250 |
| ROSES FOR SUZZET | Emily A. Ellingwood | +2000 |
| AT THE SPA | Tyler Baze | +500 |
Make sure to check Horse Racing Tote for all the latest horse news, racetrack entries, horse racing results and so much more. For current fixed horse betting odds check Racebook Tote
Follow us on Social Media for instant Del Mar and Saratoga races updates!