Thursday, July 31, 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.

2^nd race [Md Sp Wt, 5 ½ F TURF] – (6) Great Actress (A) made a strong middle move in her debut at Aqueduct in June in a six-furlong turf sprint. (4) Devilish Grin rallied to finish a close second in her debut at Aqueduct on the grass in June at 7-2. (2) Dolce Vino was third the entire race in her first start at Saratoga for the Fourth of July Festival against a strong field. (5) Choppin Brockley will make her debut for George Weaver who is good with firsters.

3^rd race [Clm 32000, 6 ½ F] – (7) Lady Orient (B) had a very wide trip for the entire race at Saratoga three weeks ago in a $100,000 claimer. (2) Sassy Shenanigans was claimed for $32,000 from a third-place finish by a trainer that does very well with a small barn. (3) Beaches and Pearls moved from turf to dirt and won a maiden claimer at Horseshoe Indiana by 10 lengths. (1) Maxaluna won her debut for a $40,000 tag and came back to run third in a $50,000 starter allowance in the late winter at Aqueduct.

4^th race [Clm 17500 N2L, 1 mi] – (4) Carolina Smokeshow was third in a top starter allowance and then second for a $50,000 tag and now makes this big drop in class. (3) Sailaway broke his maiden in his first race on the dirt in six tries for a $25,000 price. (7) Spirit of Esther won a $40,000 maiden claimer at Saratoga last summer and since then raced in NY-bred allowances hitting the board twice. (2) Freud’s Fancy won a $50,000 maiden claimer in May and then tried the turf to no avail.

7^th race [OC 40k/SAL, 5 ½ F TURF] – (1) Bourbon Serengeti (A) got pinched back at the start as even money favorite, raced five wide, and got claimed for $50,000. Blinkers go on. (4) Linarite won a NY-bred first-level allowance with a big closing move in May and gets a field with plenty of early speed. (5) Midnightloveaffair made her 2025 debut a five-length front-end victory racing the grass at Aqueduct in June. (6) Beautiful Crazy won her last two races at Gulfstream Park on the Tapeta in a maiden and a claimer both were for a $35,000 tag. Irad gets on board for the first time.

Best bets: Lady Orient (3^rd); Carolina Smokeshow (4^th). Best value: Great Actress (2^nd); Bourbon Serengeti (7^th).