Check out my Sunday (6-7-26) Saratoga Race 9 analysis below.
Race 9 Scratches: #7 Private Desire
Updated Contenders Tickets After Scratches:
SAR 9 (SOC-20k, 6.5f) – Post Time 4:39 PM ET
Primary – #12 SHOOT THE NICKEL, #9 Forgiving Spirit
Secondary – #6 Secured Landing, #1 Gatsby, #5 Mr Skylight
Horse Comments:
#12 Shoot the Nickel (4-1) finished in the top three in five of his last six starts. He missed by a half-length in a $40k claimer at 6.5f May 3 and Linda Rice is 22% first after the claim. He is 0-for-2 at SAR and 0-for-4 with three runner-up finishes at 6.5f. Flavien Prat takes the call and he wins races with this outfit, and an outside stalking trip is anticipated.
#9 Forgiving Spirit (6-1) returns to dirt and should be competitive at this level. He stalked and scored in a local $12.5k claimer at 6f last summer. He finished 1-2 in 5 of his last 7 dirt sprints.
#6 Secured Landing (6-1) easily won his last three claiming starts at one mile. Linda Rice claimed him last time and we will see how he fares in his first local start and first attempt at this distance.
#1 Gatsby (9-2) is the inside speed under Manny Franco. He missed by a nose in a local 6f sprint last year (Clm-12.5k), and wired the field in his next two starts at AQU. He was an even third in the mud as the beaten favorite when last seen in January.
#5 Mr Skylight (10-1) was nabbed out of his last by Robert Falcone, Jr. and he is 18% first after the claim. He puts blinkers back on and figures to stalk the pace. He fits with these if he runs back to his March 13 win.
Wagers:
#12 to win
Exacta box 9-12
Trifecta 9-12/1-5-6-9-12/1-5-6-9-12
Recent 2026 Bettor Bet$ Free Pick Winners
May 12 – Dawn At Normandy ($4.00)
May 13 – How About Now ($15.40)
May 14 – Paco the Taco Man ($5.20), Trifecta ($78.00)
May 17 – Ahrens/Thirty Two Chunk Exacta ($13.80), Trifecta ($52.80), Trifecta ($74.80)
May 18 – Strike D’ Oro ($4.20), Exacta ($10.40), Trifecta ($27.00)
May 20 – Certain/Willie Bird Exacta ($16.20)
May 27 – Jes See Me/Revolutionnaire Exacta ($11.20)
May 30 – Decapo ($5.20), Exacta ($11.60), Trifecta ($32.40)
May 31 – Miso Phansy ($4.80)
June 1 – Hector ($3.00), Exacta ($8.60), Trifecta ($19.60)
June 4 – Magnanimous Max ($7.90), Exacta ($68.58)
June 5 – Portfolio Duration ($10.00), Trifecta ($424.68)
*All winning wagers based on $2 payoffs unless noted otherwise.
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