SARATOGA SPRINGS – The last week of the meet and we get two jump races including today’s opener, a restricted stakes named after Happy Intellectual, the only three-time winner of the New York Turf Writers Cup (tomorrow’s feature).
This one narrows down to three potential winners rather quickly: Sermon Of Love and Prep School for trainer Jonathan Sheppard and Langburg for Tom Voss. I know, I know, sounds like a broken record. They aren’t the only two trainers in steeplechasing, but they have won four of the five so far and are always live.
Sheppard’s Sermon Of Love ran a quality race two weeks ago, but couldn’t match stablemate Look At Him after getting caught wide and settling for third. Firm turf and the quick turnaround can help. Stablemate Prep School went off as the favorite in that race, despite coming off a year layoff. I didn’t see him that day, and he finished a well-beaten fifth, but figure on a better effort. His jump form is pretty good and if he gets some pace to close into could be pretty tough.
Voss’ Langburg does just what Prep School did two weeks ago, steps in off a long layoff, and I would normally say let him beat you, but I saw him school over jumps Monday and he looked great.
The others scare me. Swagger Stick has run well twice at the meet. I’m not sure he can break through with a win in his third try. I loved him at 11-1 July 30, cooled off at 7-2 Aug. 14 and don’t want to take 2-1 this time. Spy In The Sky looks like a rising talent, but the 4-year-old takes on older horses and will have to run better than he did in the Smithwick. He won’t be much value either.
THE PLAY: His last race wasn’t as bad as it looks. Bet Prep School to win. Box him and Sermon Of Love in exactas and use them on top of Langburg and the Fisher entry. Try to hit a trifecta with Prep School and Sermon Of Love in the top two spots, Langburg, the Fisher entry and Spy In The Sky third.
THE RECORD: Just missed with Dynaski last week as second choice The Price Of Love scored, but added another (chalky) exacta and trifecta. Two wins from Dynaski ($4.70) and High Action ($8.40) in five races at the meet, plus three exactas ($15.40, $27.40 and $74) and three trifectas ($27.40, $207.50 and $223).