Check out my Thursday (6-5-25) Saratoga Race 9 analysis below.
SAR 9 (G3 Poker, 8f inner turf) – Post Time 5:12 PM ET
Primary – #2 INTELLECT, #1 Cameo Performance
Secondary – #8 Donegal Momentum, #3 Filo Di Arianna
Horse Comments:
#2 Intellect (5-1) rallied from post 10 and was floated wide around the far turn, and he continued on and missed the place by a nose in a decent show finish in his US bow at KEE April 24. Stalking types finished 1-2 and he did well to land the show under Flavien Prat. That was also his first start in a year and Chad Brown is a profitable 22% in the graded ranks.
#1 Cameo Performance (3-1) scratched out of the G3 Arlington (9T) at CD on May 31. Last year, he was second in the G3 Marine and first in the Ky Downs Preview Nashville Derby at Ellis Park. He returned from a layoff and rallied for the show in the G2 Muniz Classic (9T) on March 22, and was wide throughout and ended up 8th of 11 in the G1 Turf Classic (9T) May 3. He cuts back a furlong and drops in class in his third start after a layoff, and he figures to save ground before launching his rally from off the pace under his new rider Manny Franco.
#8 Donegal Momentum (5-1) ran well in all five turf starts (5 3-1-1). The early-pressing 4-year-old colt won a local OC-80k/1x affair at this course/distance last year. He won the Gio Ponti at AQU last fall, and shipped to California and battled on the pace and finished a close 3rd of 11 in the G1 Hollywood Derby. He returned with a stalking victory as the favorite in an OC-80k/3x flat mile turf race at FG March 6. He turned back, switched to dirt, and finished 5th of 7 in the G2 Carter at 7f April 5. He was back in a flat mile turf race at AQU May 8 and he dueled on the lead and missed by a half-length as the beaten favorite. He should attend the pace under his regular rider Javier Castellano, and Tom Morley is 0-for-25 with his graded starters.
#3 Filo Di Arianna (4-1) is a lightly raced 9-year-old gelding with a 9-for-19 record (5 runner-up finishes and 1 show finish). He set the pace and missed by a neck in this race in 2023. Last year, he was first in the G2 Highlander (6T) and G2 King Edward (8T), and was second in the G2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint (5.5T) and G1 Woodbine Mile (8T). He returned from a layoff and chased the pace and was clearly second best in the Thorncliffe at 5.5f on all-weather ground at WO May 4. He stretches back out in his second start after a layoff and is probably the one to catch under Jose Ortiz.
Wagers:
#2 to win
Exacta box 1-2
Trifecta 1-2/1-2-3-8/1-2-3-8
Recent Bettor Bet$ Free Pick Winners
May 23 – Favor to You ($4.20), Exacta ($7.40), Trifecta ($25.40)
May 24 – Sneaker ($6.60)
May 25 – Catch the Breeze ($9.00), Exacta ($30.40), Trifecta ($80.00)
May 28 – Grounded ($5.40), Trifecta ($188.00)
June 1 – Bit’s Tiger Magic/Breve/Blue Wildcat Trifecta ($103.00)
June 2 – Captain Courtney/Kiss Blue Exacta ($9.00), Trifecta ($30.80)
June 4 – Kay Cup ($4.80)
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