Saratoga Stack 8.23.23
Travers Week! Good weather and good card to kick it off Wednesday
I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say Saturday’s Travers at Saratoga is shaping up to be the best race not just of the summer, but of the year.
You have the three Triple Crown race winners meeting in this race for only the fifth time since 1978. And none of those three is favored! That honor goes to two-year-old champ and Jim Dandy winner Forte.
Add in Bluegrass winner Tapit Trice, the Matt Winn winner Disarm and the Curlin winner Scotland.
Pretty, pretty good.
Better than our picks this summer.
Week 6: 5-2-0-1 (+$1.50)
Meet: 27-5-3-4 (-$45.80)
A small profit for the week. Need a big finish to the summer.
One of the better results of the summer was Strong Odor in Sunday’s third race. From the Sunday StackCapping post.
In Race 3, #2 Strong Odor (named after many of our picks this summer) is as fast as any horse in the field and might be the fourth choice on the board. But with two scratches, I could not take 3-1 on this horse. I also didn’t want to horse in a five-horse field. I’ll be betting at 4-1 or better. Mike Maker has won seven races across the country the last week and might be heating up. He’s 21% in claiming races 10-40K at Saratoga.
He ended up going off a shocking 6-1 in there. That was good.
TODAY’S STACK IS PRESENTED BY NYRA BETS
Travers Week!
Want to thank NYRA Bets for giving MutStack Fans and new NYRA Bets users a great deal.
New users can take advantage of the MUT200 promo and get up to a $200 deposit bonus when they sign up at NYRABets.com. It’s where I’ve played for over 10 years. They are great. Bet any track, anytime.
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What are you waiting for?!?
God willing, this will be the 20th consecutive public Travers Stakes I have been to at Saratoga. We don’t count the Tiz the Law ‘Covid Travers.’
Not sure I’ve even been this excited for one, based on the field scheduled to line up.
A lot more on the Travers as we get towards Saturday.
As for Wednesday - looks like a glorious day to hang in the backyard at Saratoga and pick some winners. See you there.
Race #4 features our Two Minute Pick Presented by NYRA Bets.
The ‘Mean’ Thumbnail.
Other ideas for Travers Week Wednesday:
Race 3:
Are we really supposed to take 2-1 on #3 High Front? Can’t believe this horse sold for $350k recently at auction. Really? 9-2 seems fair on #6 Bring Me a Check. Coming off the fastest race Beyer-wise of his career, this gelding keeps Tyler G and trainer Patrick Reynolds has good numbers first off the claim. 6-1-3-8
Race 5:
Sharp trainer Jeremiah Englehart tabs Luis Saez on a Finger Lakes shipper? I take notice. Saez won about 89 races Tuesday at Parx. I guess the #3 and #6 are more likely, but 7-6-3 for me.
Race 6:
Hell of a trip last time for #8 D B Saints. Now goes to the main for Linda with good dirt works in Kentucky. Would not take less than the listed 7-2 but 8-7-3-1 for me.
Race 7:
Really good John’s Call on paper. #8 Sy Dog has good back races and was coming last time at Colonial. The added distance should help here. 8-5-4-3. Was almost the Two Minute Pick.
Race 8:
I thought # 12 Wild Guess was really rank last time trying to go longer. Gaffalione picks up the mount and at 10-1, I could be convinced in a weird bunch. 12-4-11-10 in a wild one.
Race 10:
Both Chad Brown and Mike Trombetta have awesome numbers dropping into the maiden claiming races and I’d use those two as As. 4,6,10,12 as backups late.
Good luck if you’re playing. Comments below for Travers Weeks ideas, thoughts, or questions.