Sunday, August 3, 2025 at Saratoga

By Matt Shifman and Bob Ehalt

Hot List Key:
A: A preferred horse to watch​B: Secondary horse to watch
*C: Went down 2 or more betting notches and finished 1st through 3rd 
*D: Went down 2 or more betting notches and finished 4^th or worse
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.

3^rd race [Clm 50000B, 6 ½ F] – (1A) Notah returned from a winter layoff at the end of June and finished second after a stalking trip. (8) Hero’s Medal won for $30,000 two races back and got claimed. He was moved up to $50,000 and was second after getting farther back in the early going. (2) Riyadh Moon ran twice this year at Monmouth Park and won a first level optional claimer and then was third stepping up to the second-level allowance. (3) Ten Cent Town has been racing in second-level NY-bred allowances.

4^th race [Adirondack (G3), 6 ½ F] – (1) Mythical is already a stakes winner at Saratoga having moved from a maiden win at Gulfstream Park in April to the Tremont during the Belmont Stakes meeting. Her wins were by a combined margin of 12 lengths. (6) Iron Orchard was a highly regarded debut winner last month by more than five lengths as the odds-on favorite. (2) Spa Prospector broke her maiden in her second try at the Spa in July for Tom Amoss. (3) Angel Gift won her debut by four lengths at 7-5 for Todd Pletcher and Repole Stable. 

7^th race [Alw 110000 N1X, 6F] – (3) Vettriano won 3 out of his last 5 starts including a NY-bred maiden and both of the state-bred allowances. Last seen in December he set the pace in an opencompany allowance. (2) Keewaydin broke his maiden as a 2-year-old and then tried the Remsen (G2). This year he ran in a pair of allowances with a third and a fourth after showing early speed. (1) Midland Money made one start last year in June for Bob Baffert and won by six lengths at Santa Anita at .20-1 odds. (8) Aggelos the Great was a fast closing second early in July in her third start of the year. 

9^th race [OC50k/SAL50k, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (7) Willintoriskitall (B) broke through the gate, pressed the pace, faded, and got claimed for $50,000. He gets a positive rider change. (1A) Iron Max broke his maiden for a $50,000 tag after returning to the turf and in his first start after a claim by Brad Cox. (5) Jhirsch came back from a nine-month layoff and set the pace heading into the stretch. (9) Desperate Proposal is a deep closer that finished second in his second start after changing barns and gets blinkers here.

Best bets: Mythical (4^th); Vettriano (7^th). Best value: Notah (3^rd); Willintoriskitall (9^th).