Looking for betting action on the Fourth of July? Saratoga is the answer to spice up your holiday.
The Spa serves up five stakes to complement your barbecue and fireworks festivities topped by the $750,000 Belmont Derby (G1) for 3-year-olds on the turf, the $400,000 Suburban Stakes (G2) for main-track older runners and the $200,000 Manila (G3) 3-year-old grass milers.
The $150,000 Schuylerville for 2-year-old fillies and the $150,000 Harvey Pack for turf sprinters complete the stakes quintet.
Let’s start with the Suburban, a long-time Independence Day weekend feature downstate at Belmont Park, which is currently closed for renovation. It has long been one of our favorite events at the tail end of the traditional Belmont Spring/Early Summer meet.
Locked needs little introduction to fans of the handicap division. The 4-year-old colt’s sparkling resume already includes wins in Breeders’ Futurity (G1), the Cigar Mile (G2) and the Santa Anita Handicap (G1). He was second to White Abarrio in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) back in January.
Locked, the 8-5 favorite, will look to rebound from a dull effort in the Alysheba Stakes (G2) on the Kentucky Oaks (G1) undercard. He broke poorly, lagged well behind the pack and offered only a mild stretch rally to get fourth.
He is back home for this race, comfortably bedded down in Todd Pletcher’s barn. This race fits him perfectly at 1 1/4 miles, probably his best distance.
Bendoog (12-1), second in this race last year, could be the major danger, while Pletcher has another contender in Antiquarian (4-1) , second most recently to 2024 Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan in the Blame Stakes (G3).
Pletcher has won the past three editions of this race with Dynamic One, Charge It and Crupi, in addition to a past score with Keen Ice (2017).
Post time is 6:19 p.m. ET.
For those who bet horse racing ...
It could be graduation time into the Grade 1 ranks for Test Score (4-1) in the richest race of the day.
He dug in gamely to get second last time out in the American Turf Stakes (G1) on the Kentucky Derby undercard.
“He’s very brave, this horse,” said trainer H. Graham Motion, who won this race last year with Trikari. “I think when the chips are down, he really is pretty tough. I don’t think he lost much in defeat last time.”
The most intriguing horse in the race is Final Gambit (5-2), returning to the grass after five races on synthetic or dirt surfaces.
He earned a spot in the Kentucky Derby with a victory in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) and turned in an excellent effort to get fourth after a rough start.
He was a rallying third in his debut, the lone start on turf.
New Century (3-1) already owns a Grade 1 turf victory, earned in the Summer Stakes last September at Woodbine. He rallied from far back to finish a nose behind Test Score in the American Turf.
Zulu Kingdom (6-5) shortens up to a mile following the 1 1/16 miles victory in the American Turf.
On paper, Zulu Kingdom would have been a leading contender in the more lucrative Belmont Derby at 1 1/8 miles.
Trainer Chad Brown clearly feels a mile to a mile-and-a-sixteenth is this colt’s wheelhouse. Who are we to quibble?
Brown is a master at developing top class grass runners and Zulu Kingdom is a prime example with five wins (including four stakes) since joining Brown’s barn.
Zulu Kingdom is also a horse for the course, having won the With Anticipation Stakes at Saratoga last summer.
Reagan’s Wit (7-2) is spoiling for a rematch. Zulu Kingdom beat him by only a neck in the Columbia Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs over the winter.
Only Evolution (7-2) has made more than one start. So, the race comes down to: who had the most impressive debut?
Our vote goes to My Sweetheart (2-1), a speedy front-running winner at 5 furlongs on the grass at Churchill Downs. She switches from the lawn and stretches out to 6 furlongs for her stakes debut. On the upside, she looks to be the controlling speed, and Frankie Dettori retains the mount.
Dynamic closer Witty (5-1) tries to build on his victory at 5 furlongs in the Turf Sprint Stakes at Pimlico. This race is a half furlong longer and that added distance, while slight, could make the difference.
1 Phileas Fogg (Kendrick Carmouche, Gustavo Rodriguez), 5-1
2 Disarm (Joel Rosario, Steve Asmussen), 8-1
3 San Siro (Luis Saez, Brendan Walsh), 20-1
4 Locked (Jose Ortiz, Todd Pletcher), 8-5
5 Bendoog (Jose Lezcano, Bill Mott), 12-1
6 Honor Marie (Ben Curtis, Whit Beckman), 15-1
7 Antiquarian (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher), 4-1
8 Awesome Aaron (Irad Ortiz, Jr., Norm Casse), 7-2
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
