Glen McNeil Saratoga Harness Picks - Saturday April 1, 2023 . Post Time: 5:00 PM and 13 races on the card. Hope everyone enjoyed the buffet last Saturday and cashed some tickets, especially my two best bets in the last two races nice daily double and $11 win ticket with Frank Deford. I hope I can bring you some more winners on this big card Saturday Night. Good luck to everyone, and cash some tickets!
Race 1: 2-3-9-5 - If you are wondering why I picked the longshot in the opener #2 FURIOUS BEACH , shows speed and is in a very sneaky spot here to steal this one. The #3 and the #9 will be huge favorites . The #9 MR BIG LOAD only wins on the front end and he will have to take some air this week as he is not making the front so will need to grind it out . We have had 8 weeks now of racing and if you look back the 1st race start of the pick5 usually the favorite doesn’t win, throws everyone off, hoping this happens tonight. LEON BAILEY has been hot bringing in longshots past two weeks. Your going to get double digits on this horse, must use I think.
Race 2: 5-1-3-2
Race 3: 6-3-2-8
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Race 4 : 1-2-6-4
Race 5: 1-4-3-9 - $17,500 Step Up To The Plate Claiming Series - Consolation: #4 TEAM BEST is going to go off a huge favorite and I think he is beatable, every week gets the lead and tires to run 2nd. I see some speed shaping up in this race so they will push the pace a little. #1 SOUTHERN FLIGHT is going to be a great price has not run well at all past two weeks in the “ Claiming Series “ but go back to March 11th, he closed from off the pace at 9-1 to get the job done. If there is a fast pace up front can close again at a great price. I think SHAWN GRAY will just float right out of there from the rail and stock the pace and make a big run at the end. If there is a slow pace up front the #4 horse hangs on this week.
Race 6: 4-3-6-1 - $17,000 Open Handicap Pace: Wide open betting race using the #4 ROCKNROLL RUNA A on top. Two trips to Yonkers to race in the open, finished 2nd both races and was right there at the wire, just losing to two great horses including Moonshine Kisses on Monday night just missing. “Matty Ice” Athearn drove at Saratoga all day and went to Yonkers at night just for this horse two weeks in a row. What about the short week since he raced on Monday you might ask? I’m not worried about it at all, horse is in good form right now and should get the job done at a decent price.
Race 7: 5-2-4-1 - $33,100 Step Up To The Plate Claiming Series - Final - This is the big one and the one everyone has been battling to get into this series final. JIM DEVAUX choice in the race is the #2 CONTROL TOWER for Trainer JARED BAKO who also owns. Going to be huge favorite in this spot, could even be 3/5 or lower by post time, they will also bet #3 and the #4 . I’m landing with a price horse here # 5 ROGUE CHEDDAR. This horse has done nothing wrong in the series and is coming off a win, the only thing we lose here is Jimmy to the #2 horse but we do pick up “Matty Ice” Athearn . We can’t have the #2 get the lead and just walk around the racetrack or the race is over, they need to push him and make him earn it which I think will happen in the race. I think the #1, #4 and #7 could fire out and push a fast pace and this will set up for ROGUE CHEDDAR to get cover and go zooming by at the end at a great price. It would be sweet revenge since JARED BAKO claimed the #2 horse from ZACKARY GRAY for this series and ZACKARY GRAY is the trainer of ROGUE CHEDDAR . Matty The Ice Man Athearn going to have to get after him at 3 quarter pole and out drive Jimmy to wire (which is hard to do). If this is a fast pace up front, like the great Meadowlands Racetrack Track Announcer John Bothe would say here comes ROGUE CHEDDAR “Zoooooming Bye”. See you in the winner circle Zack. No pressure Matty, haha.
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Race 8: 1-2-6-4
Race 9: 6-1-9-2 - This is a wide open betting race, I landed on a longshot play here with the #6 CARRACCI HANOVER March 13th, ran very well to finish 2nd and should have won the race but he needed to use the pacing lane and the #3 SPECIAL FX got the job on him in the stretch on the outside and today one of the favorites. Last start CARRACCI HANOVER ran into a horse dropping way down that went wire to wire. I think he will fire out there and get a good trip at a great price here definitely a must use.
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Race 10: 6-3-1-5 - #6 ST LADS STERLING: Parked out entire mile last week as the favorite, Jackie Greene Stable is on fire winning everything, won’t be parked this week. #3 SIX DEGREES in great form take out last week races was absolutely buried, it won’t surprise me if this horse wins at double digits, very sneaky.
Race 11: 7-2-3-6
Race 12: 4-3-5-6
Race 13: 2-6-1-3
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Best Bet Race 2 : #5 KEYSTONE DAKOTA - Has showed nothing all year, but was in the open for three weeks, dropped down last two starts, didn’t show anything but had the #7 and #8 post also ran into “ Willie Go West N “. This horse made $120,220 last year and 9 wins. It’s time to fire him which I expect to be on the lead and go right down the road. Huge back class and has been facing much better. I know has not shown speed this year, but last year was all speed. MELISSA BECKWITH is 30% when dropping horse down. This horse gets into the winner circle today as they get ready for Plainridge Park.
2nd Best Bet Race 4: #1 LITTLE WILLY - What a mile last week on the front end, big fractions and parked out “ ST LADS STERLING “ who was the favorite in the race was on a speed mission, almost got the job done, lost by a nose to ‘KAPORAL “ who is stepping up to the open this week. Has the the #1 hole now definitely going to fire out there, also dropping down in class and when MELISSA BECKWITH drops 30%. Should be super good today Best Bet!!
Value Play Race 8 : #1 KICK THE DIRT UP - Great value here, last two starts had no chance, bad post position and was 44-1 and 93-1. If you look back on March 4th had the 9 post at 18-1 was right on the big favorites back entire way pulled out and couldn’t catch the big favorite, the fractions were incredibly slow. If anyone challenged the big favorite at all in the race I believe would have won. You could say the #2 UMBERTO will be a big favorite is a second or two faster, but remember this KICK THE DIRT UP hasn’t had anywhere to run in past starts, now he does with great post and will be huge value in the race.
Value Play Race 13: #2 RJ MAVERICK - Last race had bad post position and had no shot was out for a training. On March 18th was a monster, finishing 3rd and almost beating top horse Ideal Funding on a huge winning streak. If you look at the replay you will see RJ MAVERICK was gunning for the lead then got parked a little, took the two hole then Ideal Funding made the lead. RJ MAVERICK had to come first up sitting 3rd and still was firing at the end and almost beat Ideal Funding. Should be a monster here . The #1 SURFER BEACH odds on favorite for over a month and not firing at all. Also did not look good warming up last week as the favorite and finished 5th. Like I said previously, this is another MELISSA BECKWITH dropping down which hits at 30% in this spot.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH Saratoga Harness - 18,200 Open Handicap Pace March 28, 2023
1 Ap Blaze Of Glory John Macdonald/Andy Gardner 28-1
2 Adashious Hanover Matthew Athearn/Jimmy Nickerson 1-1
3 Always Watching Jordan Derue/Jordan Derue 8-1
4 Demeter N Luke Hanners/Larry Stalbaum 20-1
5 Alittlesidehustl N Jay Randall/Jackie Greene 3-1
6 Tonianne Billy Dobson/James Dunn 32-1
7 Sea Shadows SCR SK
8 Maczaffair N Jim Devaux/Christopher Dubois 20-1
9 Racey Rach N Chris Long/Lisa Zabielski 3-1