Saturday At 'The Spa': Saratoga Race Course Picks For Alabama Day
The ladies take centerstage at Saratoga Race Course Saturday, August 17 with the Grade 2 Lake Placid and Grade 1 Alabama Stakes. The Alabama is the biggest dirt race for three-year-old fillies and the Lake Placid is for three-year-old turf fillies. Even though I was at The Spa last Saturday, I took the week off because Tropical Storm Debby caused the biggest turf races to get canceled.
It's been a rough 2024 Saratoga summer meet for me as I'm -$113.50 after bricking on "Whitney Day", August 3. Regardless, I have to get-right before next week's Travers Stakes, the third-biggest international horse race for three-year-olds. Also, I'm hell-bent on hitting a Pick 5, so I have one of those on my card for Races 8-12 on "Alabama Day".
Saratoga Race Course Betting Card: Alabama Day
Race 8: $110K Allowance race, 4:29 p.m. ET
Seven horses on a one-and-one-eighth-mile fast dirt track for three-year-olds and older.
5- Jackson Heights
- Morning Line (ML): 15-1
- Record (Win-Place-Show): 15-3-4-1
- Jockey: Dylan Davis
- Trainer: Orlando Noda
- Best Beyer Speed Figure (BSF): 82
This New York-bred comes in with good form, winning by a nose his last time out earlier this month at Saratoga. It was also Jackson Heights' fastest BSF ever. This season, Jackson Heights is 2-2-0 over five starts, and he is 1-2-1 in five career races at The Spa. His jockey is a Saratoga native and Saratoga High School graduate.
Pick(s):
- $5 Win-Place-Show Bets: #5 Jackson Heights for a $15 total bet.
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Race 9: Grade 2 Lake Placid Stakes, 5:04 p.m. ET post time
Eight horses on a one-and-one-sixteenth-mile inner turf for three-year-old fillies with a $200,000 purse.
2- Grayosh
- ML: 8-1
- Record: 5-1-1-1
- Jockey: Flavien Prat
- Trainer: Chad Brown
- Best BSF: 85
The #2 horse checks a lot of my boxes, including jockey, trainer, familiarity with Saratoga, and recent form. Prat has the most earnings of any jockey thus far in the Saratoga 2024 summer meet. "Brown's horses on the Saratoga turf" is a thing and Brown is a Saratoga County native. Grayosh ran his fastest career BSF at The Spa last month at this distance, finishing second by a nose.
5- Spalidy
- ML: 12-1
- Record: 5-2-0-2
- Jockey: Larry Dettori
- Trainer: Chad Brown
- Best BSF: 85
This is the best price we've gotten on Spalidy. The previous shortest price was $4.80 in her first career race at Gulfstream in February. Spalidy won the Boiling Springs at Monmouth in her last race in July. She's run faster in all five races.
Pick(s):
- $5 Win-Place Bets on #2 Grayosh for a $10 total bet.
- $5 Win-Place Bets on #5 Spalidy for a $10 total bet.
- $1 Trifecta Box on 2-5-7 for a $6 total bet.
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Race 10: Grade 1 Alabama Stakes, 5:43 p.m. ET post time
Eight horses for three-year-old fillies on a 1.25-mile fast dirt track with a $600,000 purse.
1- Intricate
- ML: 6-1
- Record: 7-2-2-1
- Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
- Trainer: Brendan Walsh
- Best BSF: 87
The best three-year-old filly in the sport, Thorpedo Anna, is running with the boys at the Travers Stakes next week and is skipping the Alabama. Intricate is the only filly to beat Thorpedo Anna, last year in the Grade 2 Golden Rod. She showed in the Coaching Club American Oaks behind Anna and #7 Candied last month.
3- Power Squeeze
- ML: 9-2
- Record: 9-5-1-1
- Jockey: Javier Castellano
- Trainer: Jorge Delgado
- Best BSF: 92
At this price, Power Squeeze is my filly in this field. She has the second-fastest race of any horse in the Alabama Stakes. Power Squeeze beat the favorite at the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks last month. She also won the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks in March at $22.00 odds.
7- Candied
- ML: 7-5
- Record: 6-3-1-1
- Jockey: Manuel Franco
- Trainer: Todd Pletcher
- Best BSF: 99
While I'll try and beat Candied with the #3 horse, the Pletcher trainee is the rightful top betting choice. I'll USE in my Pick 5 and in a Trifecta with Intricate and Power Squeeze.
Pick(s):
- $10 Win Bet on #3 Power Squeeze.
- $1 Trifecta Box on 1-3-7 for a $6 total bet.
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50-Cent Pick 5 (Races 8-12): $36
- Race 8: 2-5-6
- Race 9: 2-5-7
- Race 10: 3-7
- Race 11: 3-7
- Race 12: 3-6
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