RACE 4: CLAIM $7,500 (CONDITIONED), 3 YEARS AND OVER, 5 1/2 FURLONS
4-6-5-2
#4 Midnight Renegade (20-1) hasn’t been in sharp form lately, but he’s also been racing at a mile or more for a while. This will be his first one-inning start since June 21, and his recent single-inning numbers are competitive with this. The shorter distance might wake him up for a good price. #6 Backnthewoods (7-5) drops in class after spending most of the year facing starters claiming optional enemies, while adding blinders. His only bad recent mark came two starts ago, when he got caught up in an early game at Timonium. #5 Mr. Agent (2-1) is in the midst of a strange streak, having finished fifth in six straight starts. However, this is the easiest field he has seen in a while, and he gets a driver change back to Tais Lyapustina.
RACE 5: SPECIAL WEIGHT GIRL, 2 YEAR OLDS, FRIENDS, 1 MILE (GRASS)
1-5-3-2 (DIRT: 2-10-6-1)
Graham Motion thought about it enough #1 Siouxse (3-1) to send her to Saratoga for her debut. Although she was cold on the board, she ran well and got a late start to finish fourth. She stretches 5 1/2 furlongs; Motion reaches 27 with its first routers. #5 Coach Mazzula (7-2) earned a solid second place in its debut, but ran into a potential future star in Screen Test. This seems like a much easier bunch. #3 Time (12-1) goes out for the first time for Jimmy Toner, who sent out a debut winner on grass here a few weeks ago. Her training has been solid and Jorge Ruiz is always a reliable rider on this surface.
RACE 6: GIRL CLAIMING $12,500, 3-6 YEARS, 1 MILE
8-1-4-2
#8 Knuckerpuck (12-1) broke slowly but made steady ground in his first start after a 7 1/2 month layoff last. He drops to a career low, stretching this distance for the first time, and should emerge second off the bench at a cost. #1 Kitty’s son (7-2) switches back to dirt after several failed attempts on grass. Many of his dirty figures from earlier in the year would win this. #4 Christmas spirit (5-1) also falls to this level for the first time. He ran a respectable 64 on debut in February, never got involved after a bad break at the next out, and achieved respectable marks for this level after three attempts on the lawn.
RACE 7: STARTER OPTIONAL CLAIMING $20,000, 3 YEARS AND UP, 5 1/2 FURLONGS (GRASS)
4-3-5-11 (DIRT: 3-7-8-9)
#4 Noble Jon (8-1) makes his first start with Jonathan Maldonado claiming. He has been close to these types or better in all his recent starts, but has lost them all at low prices. This looks a little simpler than the usual types this field attracts, and you’ll get a better price today if the morning line is right. #3 Where’s Ray (5-2) has been racing against better all year, including a sixth-place finish ahead of Maryland Million Turf Sprint champion Had to Have Him two starts ago. The kind of races he has run against them are better than this one. #5 Executive (4-1) makes his first start since a road-rage trip in Lone Star Park in mid-July. He can race well from the start or just off the pace and looks quick enough to get it under control quickly.
RACE 8: STARTER OPTIONAL CLAIMING $20,000, 3 YEARS AND MORE, 7 FURLONGS
2-8-6-3
#2 Brother Conway (2-1) is 8-for-13 on the court, including an easy win in the final out, in which he made a perfect trip and converted. There’s some speed in his outside, so he should be able to pull off another trip like that and sail to victory again. #8 bee (5-1) closed for second behind Brother Conway last and returns here from his Penn National base for another shot. He is the only one of these to have run in the 80s in each of his last four dirt starts, and also has the best late pace numbers in the field. #3 Rhumery (6-1) would have been a contender in yesterday’s Maryland Million Starter Handicap without his record, but instead he finds himself here. He is winless here, but he has won four of his last six starts at Charles Town. We’ll see if his form is sharp enough to finally make it here.
RACE 9: STARTER OPTIONAL CLAIMING $16,000, 3 year olds and older, fillies and mares, 5 1/2 furlongs (GRAS)
6-9-2-3 (DIRT: 2-7-13-1)
#6 Without a doubt (7-2) has improved with each recent grass start. She just missed the final out of Query, who returned to finish fourth in yesterday’s Maryland Million Turf Distaff Starter Handicap. #9 Rio Run (3-1) finished as the last favorite behind Beyond Question and Query. She set a clear early lead and held it until late. We’ll see if she can keep up the pace longer in her second start for the Anthony Farrior stable. #2 Lazy days (15-1) came in a strong second on her grass debut in May and should move up to second after a four-month layoff.
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