Who: Thoroughbreds – Ice Box, Fly Down, Super Saver, Rachel Alexandra
What: Horse Racing Betting Tips – The Travers, The Personal Ensign
Where: Saratoga
When: Saturday and Sunday, August 28th and 29th
If Super Saver bags The Travers (also known as the Midsummer Derby) tomorrow, he vaults right back into contention for 3YO division honors. The most recent winner of both races was Street Sense in 2007. He got the better of the mighty Curlin in the Derby, but Curlin beat him by a head in The Preakness, and went on to win Eclipse Awards for Horse of the Year as well as 3-Year-Old Male. Prior to Street Sense, you have to go back to Thunder Gulch in 1995 to find a dual Derby/Travers winner, and that colt garnered 3-Year-Old Male honors. With division leader Lookin At Lucky sitting this one out, it’s Super Saver’s time to shine.
Super Saver drew the outside post (No. 11) in The Travers, which should suit him well with such a long run to the first turn. There’s plenty of speed signed on, with #1-Miner’s Reserve, #4-First Dude and #5-A Little Warm expected to slug it out early. That should allow jockey Calvin Borel to find a comfortable spot for Super Saver in mid-pack. With a 2 ?-month break between The Preakness and The Haskell, it’s not surprising that Super Saver flattened out a bit in his comebacker, getting nosed for third. I’m expecting a major move forward here. Note that Super Saver is the only horse in the field to win at 1 ? miles toting 126 lbs., and has been working well at the Spa for leading trainer Todd Pletcher. I’ll bet on #11-Super Saver to win and place at odds of 4-1 or better, and key him top and bottom in exactas with the Nick Zito-trained duo of #6-Ice Box and #8-Fly Down. Both Zito runners are much better than they’ve shown recently, and should relish the classic distance.
Reigning Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra returns to action on Sunday in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga. While it’s her first try at 1 ? miles, you’ll remember that she had little trouble dispatching her male counterparts in last year’s Preakness at the slightly shorter distance of 1 3/16th miles. She faces the red-hot Life At Ten, winner of six straight, including the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Handicap two back at Belmont Park. Life At Ten is a very nice horse, but she’s never faced anything like Rachel Alexandra, who appears poised to make a serious run at back-to-back Horse of the Year titles. This mile-and-a-quarter test should provide her with the foundation to tackle all comers in The Breeders’ Cup Classic in early November at her favorite venue…Churchill Downs.
Those are my horse racing betting tips for the weekend. Best of luck and happy gambling!