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Wednesday was going along roughly heading into the featured race, the $75,000 P.G. Johnson, where I had the longshot New Wave as my top pick.

I had a hunch she was going to take to turf and the stretch out to two turns. She is a half to General Quarters ($1.1 million), who won the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs in 2010.spablog10.gif

Her 10/1 morning line drifted up to 16/1 by the time they loaded them in the gate, and despite being cold on the toteboard I had a good feeling she was going to take the field gate to wire.

Well, she opened up a lead going moderate fractions of 23.69 and 48.53, and I thought we might be home free.

However, despite urging from jockey Alex Solis she could not hold off the late running Alaura Michele, and we had to settle for second.

So now we have some work to do today to make up for yesterday.

The stakes action kicks off in the third race with the $75,000 Ann Clare for two- year-old fillies going six furlongs on the main track.

The eighth race is the $75,000 Island Whirl, which drew a field of six older runners who will go seven furlongs on the main track.

The feature on the card is the $150,000 With Anticipation, a 1 1/16 mile turf event for two-year-olds.

It is a wide open race that includes six recent maiden winners and three others that still have not picked up their diploma, making for a wide open betting race.

However, don’t be too quick to toss the maidens out of the hunt. In the six runnings of the race, four have been won by maidens.

Thursday’s Featured Race of the Day from Saratoga:

SAR Race 9 The With Anticipation G2 (5:32 ET)

#7 Two Months Rent   6/1

#1 Captain Webb   3/1

#6 State of Play   5/1

#4 Dullahan   7/2

Analysis: #7 Two Months Rent prompted the early pace while in between foes, took over the lead and could not finish, beaten a half-length for the top spot when third last out in the maiden ranks. Two back going six furlongs she ran a good second behind repeat winner Finale, who returned to win the Continental Mile at Monmouth Park by 10 lengths on Aug. 20. The gelding gets a key jock upgrade here to Castellano and maidens have actually done very well in this race, winning four of the six runnings. This gelding has some pedigree, a half to four turf winners including a pair of stakes winners, top earner Transition Time ($111K).

#1 Captain Webb was a good looking maiden winner in his debut for the Pletcher barn over a turf course labeled as good. The effort was flattered when the runner up Daddy Nose Best came back to break his maiden in his next start here on Aug. 27. The Pletcher two year olds have really been firing again this summer and this guy still appears to have plenty of upside potential. He is by Grade 1 turf winner English Channel out of the stakes winner Miss Mary Pat ($103K).

Wagering

WIN: #7 to win at 4/1 or better.

EX: 1,7 / 1,4,6,7

TRI: 1,7 / 1,4,6,7 / 1,4,5,6,7

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Thursday’s Price Plays at Saratoga

These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.

R2: #4 Fair Whit   8/1

R3: #4 Why Take a Chance   8/1

R5: #11 City Strut   10/1

R7: #8 Lethal Combination   8/1

R10: #3 Toccet’s Image   8/1

R10: #2 Impetuous Spirit   12/1

R11: #2 Run a Risk   8/1