2022 Top Stakes to Bet On: 4 Great Races At Saratoga, and More Highlights Weekend

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On Saturday, Saratoga runs three grade 1 races: the Saratoga Derby, the Whitney, and the Test. The Grade 2 Glen Falls over the turf also happens at Saratoga. Also on Saturday, the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby happens at Mountaineer and Del Mar runs the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch. Check out top plays and Horse Racing Odds for the Top Stakes Races of the Week from Saturday, August 6th. You can also visit our Online Racebook to place your bets on active racetracks.

Horse Racing Odds, Picks, and Betting Analysis | August 1st Edition

Saratoga | Saturday, August 6

Grade 2 Glen Falls – 1 ½ miles turf – 4 year old fillies & mares

Bill Mott trained War Like Goddess, which has won five of her last seven, will go off the favorite. But the Mott trainee won’t face a small field. Chad Brown runners Higher Truth and Virginia Joy will enter the gate. So will Angelou, Key Biscayne, Treasure Tails, and Temple City Terror.

Grade 1 Saratoga Derby – 1 3/16 miles turf – 3 year olds

In his last, Classic Causeway took the lead out of the gate in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby and cruised to a victory. Don’t expect Causeway to get away with an easy lead on Saturday.

The word is out, which is why at least one horse will challenge the Kenny McPeek trainee. Todd Pletcher plans on saddling three: Annapolis, Grand Sonata, and Emmanuel. Charles Appleby puts the saddle on Nation’s Pride and Aidan O’Brien will go with Stone Age.

Graham Motion will run two. Royal Patronage ran fifth in the Belmont Derby while Sy Dog ran sixth.

Grade 1 Whitney – 1 1/8 miles dirt – 4 year olds & up

The Grade 1 Whitney sets up as a throw down between Bill Mott trained Olympiad, winner of five straight, including four graded races, and Todd Pletcher trained Life Is Good. Hot Rod Charlie, from the Doug O’Neil barn, is the wildcard. Zoomer, Happy Saver, and Americanrevolution will also run.

Grade 1 Test – 7 furlongs dirt – 3 year old fillies

Mountaineer | Saturday, August 6

Grade 3 West Virginia Derby – 1 1/8 miles dirt – 3 year olds

So far, just three sophomores from the Triple Crown Trail plan on racing in the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby. Simplification figures to go off the favorite. Skippylongstocking, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., will have a shot. Home Brew, from the Brad Cox barn, could upset the two likely chalks.

Expect more three-year-olds to join the fray. Few three-year-old only races are available that don’t include Epicenter, Early Voting, Cyberknife, and Mo Donegal, the top four-rated three-year-old colts in North America.

Del Mar | Saturday, August 6

Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch – 1 1/6 miles dirt – fillies & mares

The Clement L. Hirsch should be a fantastic race. The top two finishers from the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes are back. Bob Baffert trained Private Mission beat Blue Stripe from the Marco Polanco barn.

Those two runners face off against the top two finishers from the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis: Brad Cox trained Shedaresthedevil and Mark Casse runner Super Quick. Samurai Charm goes turf to dirt for Peter Miller. Soothsay won the Grade 3 Indiana Oaks in her last. Both could have a say in the outcome.

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