FIFTH RACE

POINT TO REMEMBER stretching out for the first time here in a race where he projects to be the main speed and doing so for a trainer who excels sprint to route on dirt. He is a half-brother to Gangster, who broke his maiden at a big price in his second career start, also while stretching out for the first time, up here a few years ago; thought he ran well when second-best to Vino Rosso in his lone start last year, and he was back to a good race last time while closing for 3rd in a race that set up well for that kind of run. DOMAIN improved with the switch to dirt for his second career start, just as his pedigree suggested he would, but couldn’t get to front-running Candygram and settled for second-best; improved his figure last time but was once again no match for a Jerkens-trained, front-running winner. Trying to avoid that fate for a third straight time. ZEALOUS was making his second start off a lengthy layoff when tracking wide and coming up empty behind DOMAIN most recently; too early to give up on him, but he needs to improve quickly. WOODERSON a half-brother to the great Rachel Alexandra for top connections but he has looked like a work in progress in his first two starts; may be something there with time, but he would have to be a very big price in order to get interested.

SIXTH RACE

WET YOUR WHISTLE debuted for a tag at Laurel but he ran well there after taking a good bump at the start while showing speed and then having to steady hard while running up on the leaders into the turn, before gamely hooking a rival on the lead and dueling him down through the stretch while putting distance on the rest of the field; switches to turf with the pedigree to handle it as a son of the good grass mare Winlocs Glory Days. BAM BAM BLU didn’t debut until April of his 6yo year and he still managed to look a bit green while coming up empty in that spot; dropped for his second start and looked like a different horse while showing sharp speed and blowing out maiden claimers in the slop, and he is a brother to five turf winners from this mare; taking his chances seriously for a hot trainer. HELDATGUNPOINT didn’t show his typical early speed in pair of starts at this distance up here last year, and it really cost him in that first start on July 26th when never able to get into a comfortable position; good try contesting the pace last time in a race that ultimately went to closers, and she should be sending from the rail here.

SEVENTH RACE

MY BIG ITALIAN FRIEND finished behind a couple of these rivals in her debut last month but thought she received an odd ride there while conceding the lead to Communal after securing rail position, and she was racing on through the stretch; would like to see them get more aggressive this time with half-sister to the Grade 1-winning sprinter Currency Swap. ASCOT WALK was out-paced early in that race with MY BIG ITALIAN FRIEND, but she went to a drive to make a game wide run to contention around the turn before getting a bit tired late; McLaughlin 9 for his last 29 (31%) with maidens making their second career start in dirt sprints after hitting the board on debut. FRENCH EMPIRE more of a wildcard switching to dirt and cutting back for her second career start but she received a terrible ride in that turf race last month and may be better than she looks.

EIGHTH RACE

DANCING BREEZE failed to change leads and flattened while no match for the razor-sharp Moneda off the layoff; hoping for better with that one out of the way for filly who ran well in both starts last fall vs. better than this. GUERRIERE often settled while facing some solid competition in France, but she didn’t make any kind of serious run sprinting in her stateside debut; needs to pick it up quickly stretching out. REMARQUED back to turf for her second start as a 4to after failing to impact in two most recent starts on dirt, which are separated by a layoff; has the positional speed to get the right trip behind the speeds in this spot.

NINTH RACE

Coaching Club American Oaks features a compelling matchup between the top two 3yo fillies in the country in MIDNIGHT BISOU and MONOMOY GIRL. The latter holds the advantage to this point as a three-time Grade 1 winner and the victor in the lone prior matchup in the Kentucky Oaks, but MIDNIGHT BISOU has a little early trouble in that race and she was super impressive winning the Mother Goose last time while never having to get down to serious business; needs her absolute best here but she’s good. MONOMOY GIRL the one to knock off after backing up hard-fought Oaks win with easy victory cutting back in the Acorn; still prefer her going a bit shorter, but she is going to be tough to run down with an apparent pace advantage. ESKIMO KISSES has something to find vs. the top two at this point, but she isn’t all that far behind them and she ran well in that Kentucky Union Avenue Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 (518) 584-6200 Main track: One and one-eighths mile, oval. Mellon turf course: One mile, 98 feet. Inner turf course: Seven Furlongs, 304 feet. Distance from last turn to finish line: 1,144 feet.

TAKEOUT INFORMATION ■ Win, place, and show: 16% ■ Daily Double, Quinella, and Exacta wagering: 18.5% ■ Trifecta, Pick Three, Pick 4 and Superfecta wagering: 24% ■ Pick 5 wagering: 15% ■ Pick 6 wagering: 24% (15% on non-carryover days) Oaks to be 4th; threat of a wet track on Sunday only helps her chances.

TENTH RACE

TAP TAP TAPAROO a daughter of the good turf horse Silver Screamer and she made a promising debut on grass when forced to come wide after a slow start and then making a good run into 2nd behind subsequent stakes-winner Andina del Sur; stretches out off the layoff with a change to an excellent trainer. COMPRESSION was green first time out at Gulfstream hut she ran deceptively well there after a wide trip; was held up for a long way in some traffic before making a game run up the rail late for 3rd. COMPETITIONOFIDEAS sat a better trip than COMPRESSION did in that last one as the favorite, and she couldn’t find enough to hold off the closing winner at the end; has had no excuses so far, but she is clearly a contender once again. QUAFF raced greenly while showing some flashes of potential in her lone start as a 2yo, and she has been compromised by dynamics in her first two starts this year; has to stretch out but is doing so from a good inside draw.