Horsing Around: July 24
We are now into the third full week of racing at Saratoga and Irad Ortiz Jr. has been a dominant figure thus far. A rib injury to his brother, Jose Ortiz, only strengthened Irad’s hold on the top spot. On the trainer’s side of things, Linda Rice remains on top. Here is the complete list of top jockeys and trainers heading into the week:
Top Ten Jockeys as of 7/24/23 in Saratoga:
Jockey | Starts | Win | Place | Show |
Irad Ortiz Jr. | 71 | 21 | 21 | 8 |
Luis Saez | 56 | 9 | 8 | 9 |
Jose L. Ortiz | 40 | 8 | 11 | 3 |
Flavien Prat | 51 | 8 | 7 | 10 |
Javier Castellanos | 43 | 3 | 9 | 9 |
Jose Lezcano | 37 | 6 | 6 | 4 |
Kendrick Carmouche | 37 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
Joel Rosario | 29 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
Tyler Gaffalione | 33 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
Dylan Davis | 38 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
Irad Ortiz is once again looking like the class of the jockey field this season and has built a substantial lead in the standings thus far in Saratoga. After finishing third in the standings at Belmont, jockey Manny Franco has struggled out of the gates at Saratoga. He currently sits outside the top ten.
Top Ten Trainers as of 7/24/23 in Saratoga: | |||||
Starts | Win | Place | Show | Win % | |
Linda Rice | 31 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 71 |
Chad C. Brown | 38 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 61 |
Todd A. Pletcher | 30 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 53 |
William I. Mott | 29 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 52 |
Brad Cox | 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 88 |
Christophe Clement | 16 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 44 |
Wesley A. Ward | 8 | 3 | 1 | 50 | |
Mark E. Casse | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 33 |
William E. Morey | 6 | 2 | 1 | 50 | |
Mark A Hennig | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 44 |
Rice continues to pace the field but look out for Brad Cox who got a late start at Saratoga but quickly moved up to the fifth spot.
This Week’s Saratoga Best Bets:
Wednesday Race 2: #1 Lastchanceatglory - Irad Ortiz takes his first mount of the day in a Linda Rice-trained horse. Looking for a play with higher odds? Try the #4 Silk Trade coming from the middle of the track.
Wednesday Race 3: Here’s a large field where you can play a Superfecta Box of 1-2-6-9-10.
Wednesday Race 6: #1 Ichiban - Jose Ortiz returns from injury and picks up a win here coming from the rail.
Wednesday Race 10: A big field for the final race of the day. Let’s try another Superfecta Box: 2-5-10-11-14
Thursday Race 1: #7 Jimmy the Tooth is a strong play in the opening race of the day, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione.
Thursday Race 6: Take the #5 Grab the Glory-ridden Jose Ortiz. Consider an Exacta Box with the #1 and #8.
Thursday Race 10: Last race of the day and its a big field. Take a Superfecta box of 1-2-7-9-10.
Friday Race 1: I like the #7 Mischief Joke to kick off the card with a win.
Friday Race 6: I like the #3 Sacred Rhyme to win this one. Try an Exacta Box with the #2 and #7
Friday Race 11: Take a Superfecta Box here of 1-4-7-10-14.
*Reminder that all races are subject to change so check the late scratches right up until race time.
By Mark Ruelle