Longshot of the Day: Race 8 at Saratoga
Track: Saratoga Racecourse
Race 8: $95K allowance going 6 furlongs on dirt for 3+ NY-breds
Post Time: 4:28 PM ET
Horse: #8 Sir Kartrite (8/1 morning line) use as a win bet at 6/1 or higher.
The race that kicks off the Late Pick 5 on Jim Dandy Day is a doozy and a great opportunity to find some value which is what I’m doing with Sir Kartrite for trainer Jeremiah Englehart. The son of Maclean’s Music had a solid start to his career finishing third in debut before breaking his maiden against state-bred company in his second effort on the track. He stepped up to face $80,000 optional claiming company in December 2024 and finished second in a race that produced eventually stakes winner Friend Ofthe Devil. After the runner-up effort, Englehart sent the horse to the bench for the next six months before bringing him back at this level last time out going 6 ½ furlongs at Belmont at Aqueduct. The horse showed good early speed but faded late to finish sixth in a seven-horse field. However, now he is back with better conditioning and Englehart is clearly tightening the screws as evidenced by the bullet July 11 morning workout where the horse went four furlongs in 48.1 seconds over the Oklahoma training track which was the first of 35 workers that day. The horse is also getting Lasix for the first time and this is a plus move for Englehart. Over the last five years, the trainer is 27% winning the second race back from a 180-day or more layoff and is hitting at 50% when combined with giving a horse Lasix for the first time. I think jockey Junior Alvarado will be aggressive out of the gate and get this one up on the lead, but unlike his first time off the bench, I expect for the horse to keep finding more in the stretch.
If one 8/1 shot in this race is not enough for you, consider #4 Blamicker (8/1) for trainer Chris Englehart. This son of Blame is shipping down from Finger Lakes where he ran a hole in the wind last time out earning an 86 Beyer Speed Figure (BSF). The horse is lightly raced having one had three career starts, but he broke his maiden in debut and then finished fourth against stakes company in his second start at which point he went to the bench for seven months. He came back looking better than ever as he wired the field and drew off easily in a race that produced a next out winner. If he runs back to the 86 BSF, he likely wins the race. Finger Lakes shippers can sometimes be dismissed but remember the connections view taking a shot at a race in Saratoga as their personal Jim Dandy whether it’s a stakes race or an allowance for state-breds. It’s a big deal and I have every reason to believe the horse is cranked up for this shot.