Best Horse Racing Bets Today | Saratoga, July 13

Opening weekend at America’s most popular racetrack is always a big deal, and Saturday’s card at Saratoga should not disappoint. Three graded stakes races will top the afternoon for a large crowd at the Upstate New York mecca of summertime horse racing. Leading the way will be a loaded field of turf females in the Grade 1 Diana Stakes. Didia and Chili Flag should vie for favoritism in the strong field.

Grass racing will be a theme for the day, with the Grade 3 Kelso for the males beginning the stakes races early in the card. The historic Sanford Stakes for 2-year-old males will be the only main track race I focus on, and is topped by the track record setting Mentee. Without further ado, let’s get to my analysis and best bets for this great card on opening Saturday at Saratoga.

Race #2 Kelso Stakes (Grade 3) $175,000 1-Mile Turf - 1:07pm EST

Riding tactics will be key when a compact field of five vie for early position in Saturday’s Grade 3 Kelso Stakes. Carl Spackler, Mysterious Night, and Talk of the Nation all figure to receive plenty of betting support in the one mile turf affair.

A 4-year-old son of Dark Angel, Mysterious Night is the 8-5 morning line favorite after finishing second in the Grade 3 Poker Stakes last month during the Belmont Stakes Festival. A graded stakes winner in three continents, the Godolphin homebred will be in search of his first victory in the United States on Saturday. The bay gelding has good tactical speed and should be close to the early pace.

Talk of the Nation finished just a head behind Mysterious Night in the Poker, and also just a head behind Carl Spackler in the start before that at Churchill Downs. The consistent son of Quality Road has good early speed and is always involved since switching to the turf eight starts back.

Carl Spackler, meanwhile, was the beaten favorite in the Poker. Without much pace that afternoon, he could not pick up the early leaders and was beaten nearly three lengths. Already a two-time graded stakes winner over the Saratoga turf, he should get a better pace to run at this time. The son of Lope de Vega, also should find a turf course with a bit more cut which will help. As the only confirmed late runner in the field, I like his chances to bounce back with a big effort on Saturday. He is my top pick in the Kelso.

My Play

• $20 Exacta Part Wheel - Carl Spackler over Mysterious Night and Talk of the Nation = $40

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Race #9 Allowance $115,000 1 1/16-Miles Turf - 5:04pm EST

Dropping out of stakes company for the first time since last fall, Irish Acres will be the one to beat among a full field of turf males in a $115,000 allowance race on Saturday at Saratoga. 

Trained by Brendan Walsh, Irish Acres exits a strong third-place finish in the Grade 3 Arlington Stakes at Churchill Downs. An easy winner of his first two career starts on the grass last year, the 4-year-old gelding has been competitive against better in four consecutive stakes races.  

Another horse with good graded stakes experience is the Cherie DeVaux-trained Taking Candy. Twice a winner in four starts on the turf last year, the Twirling Candy colt finished second in the Grade 3 Saranac last summer at Saratoga. That was his last start, however, making this his first race in over then months.

The Irish-bred Beuys, meanwhile, has been content to stick with allowance company since coming over from Europe. Trainer Mike Maker now has the 7-year-old in his barn and he has been knocking on the door of a victory of late in both New York and Kentucky. Likely to appreciate a turf course with a little bit of dampness, he will be my top pick.

My Plays

• $5 Exacta Box - Beuys, Irish Acres, and Taking Candy = $30

• $2 Exacta Box - Beuys, Irish Acres, and Mendelssohns March = $30

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Race #10 Diana Stakes (Grade 1) $500,000 1 1/8-Miles Turf - 5:43pm EST

Several of the nation’s top turf females will look to move closer to a potential Eclipse Award when they clash in a loaded edition of the Grade 1 Diana Stakes. Led by Didia and Chili Flag, it’s difficult to discount anyone in the ten horse field.

Despite the presence of five strong Chad Brown-trained runners, it is Didia who could go favored. The import from Argentina has won 11-of-15 career starts on the turf, and broke through with her most important career win last time with an impressive score in the Grade 1 New York at Saratoga.

Still, the five Brown runners should be a handful here. Each of the five has the credentials to win this, but it is Chili Flag who comes in with the best recent form. The French-bred daughter of Cityscape has surged late to win three straight graded stakes, including the Grade 1 Just a Game last time at Saratoga. She bested her stablemate Whitebeam, the defending winner of last year’s Diana, in that one.

A longshot possibility in the 9-furlong Diana is the progressive Neecie Marie. A daughter of Cross Traffic, she has been very consistent since switching to the turf eight starts back. In career best form, she finished strongly to win the Grade 3 Beaugay two starts back, before rallying to be second to Didia in the New York last time. She is the top pick to pull off a Grade 1 upset.

My Play 

• $20 Win & Place - Neecie Marie = $40

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Race #11 Sanford Stakes (Grade 3) $175,000 6-Furlongs Dirt - 6:17pm EST

In an early look at some of the most promising juveniles to be unveiled so far in 2024, Mentee should be a clear favorite among a field of eight 2-year-old colts entered in Saturday’s Grade 3 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga.

A full-brother to last year’s juvenile champion, Fierceness, the son of City of Light comes into the 6-furlong test off only one career start. Debuting four weeks ago at Aqueduct, Mentee went right to the lead and set fast fractions while cruising on the lead. He just held off a fast-closing Colloquial, but still set a track record in the 5-furlong maiden race. Trained by Todd Pletcher, he will be the one to catch.

There is other speed in the race, however, including the unbeaten Mo Plex. He also made his career debut at Aqueduct recently and romped home by ten lengths against fellow New York-state breds. He, along with a few others in the Sanford field, should make Mentee work early.

A fast early pace should be just what Studlydoright is looking for on Saturday. A son of Nyquist, he won his debut in the slop at Laurel, coming from well off the pace for trainer John Robb. He followed that up with another strong late rally which carried him to victory in the Tremont Stakes at Saratoga during the Belmont Stakes Festival. The only stakes winner in the field, he will be my top pick in the Sanford.

My Play

• $50 Win - Studlydoright = $50

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