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Check out my Saturday (7-26-25) Saratoga Race 9 analysis below.

SAR 9 (G3 Lake George, 8.5f inner turf) – Post Time 5:04 PM ET
Primary – #4 LAVENDER DISASTER, #10 Play With Fire
Secondary – #5 Classic Q, #3 Daisy Flyer

Horse Comments:

#4 Lavender Disaster (5-2) stalked and scored as part of a favored entry in her turf route bow last September and the runner-up was a next-out winner. She was 7-2 in the G2 Miss Grillo second time out, and she stalked from post 10 and got wiped out turning for home when front runner Marvelous Madison bolted. Just draw a line through the Miss Grillo. She was the favorite in her allowance turf route return and stalked slow fractions and scored by 3/4ths of a length. I made her my top choice in the Wild Applause July 3 and she chased loose leader Classic Q, tried to make a race of it in the lane, and was beat of the rest in third in a decent effort. Irad Ortiz, Jr. sticks with her and he is 3-for-12 with Chad Brown recently. She is getting faster and might reverse the Wild Applause order of finish.

#10 Play With Fire (4-1) earned a strong late pace rating when winning from off the pace as my top choice in the Hilltop at 8T May 16. Chad Brown took over as her trainer and she ran on for the place in the Wild Applause. Manny Franco takes the call and she will try to get involved late.

#5 Classic Q (2-1) sat behind fast fractions and won an entry level allowance event at this distance April 30, and set above par fractions and weakened to 7th of 9 as the been 3-2 favorite in the G3 Regret at 9T May 31. She will try to do what she did in the local Wild Applause as the favorite at 8T July 3. In that event, she controlled the pace vs. five rivals under Jose Ortiz and prevailed by a half-length. The slightly longer distance does not help her cause.

#3 Daisy Flyer (12-1) ran a decent race from off the pace in the G3 Herecomesthebride March 1 and she finished in front of Classic Q that day. She has room for improvement in her second start of the year.

Wagers:

#4 to win

Exacta box 4-10

Trifecta 4-10/3-4-5-10/3-4-5-10

July 2025 Bettor Bet$ Free Pick Winners 
July 3 – Classic Q/Play With Fire Exacta ($13.60)
July 6 – Downtown Channel/Life Advice Exacta ($69.50), Trifecta ($135.48)
July 8 – Calvin’s Ride/Adios Buccaneer Exacta ($39.20)
July 9 – Tootaloo Kangaroo ($4.60), Trifecta ($27.40)
July 12 – Far Bridge/El Rezeen Exacta ($7.00)
July 13 – Paxsational ($4.90), Exacta ($12.60)
July 16 – Mommy’s Turn ($7.00)
July 23 – Gone and Forgotten ($6.10)
July 24 – Sir Rocket ($5.20)

Please visit The Runaway Horse Shop to purchase my full cards.

Jarrod Horak

Jarrod Horak posts stakes recaps from Del Mar and Santa Anita Park, along with full card recaps and free stakes picks from Southern and/or Northern California.