Tuesday Night Quickie

- Bill Mott has just 6 winners in 41 starters at Saratoga, good for a 14.4% win percentage that is below his 22% for the year. He did strike on Monday however with 3 yo turf maiden winner Warrior Song, paying an un-Mott like $19.40. Perhaps the bettors took note of Jerry Bailey jumping ship to ride Bobby Frankel’s first time starter Sir Galatyn, the 7-2 crowd favorite. Ramon Dominguez got the mount on the son of Unbridled’s Song out of Grade 1 turf winner La Gueirere, and therefore a half-brother to Lasting Approval. Frankel’s colt checked in 8th

Don’t look now but Steve Asmussen is creeping up on Todd Pletcher in the trainer standings. Whereas after the first week it looked like Pletcher could get 60, he now has just 14 at the halfway point, and seems like a longshot to make it to his usual 35. Asmussen has 9 in just 17 starts, while Pletcher has sent 50 to the post. Asmussen took Monday’s first, and then in the second, a 2yo maiden turf route, Pletcher had the entry of Dyna’s Destiny and Dancing Band sent postward at .55-1. This despite the fact that one of them had never run, and the other one had just a turf sprint to show. So you were getting 55 cents on the dollar on a couple of horses being asked to do things they’ve never done before. There has to be better value than that offered at a track (and there is of course). Pletcher's entry finished 4th and 6th.

That second race was won by a first timer, but at 4.70 to 1, you were at least getting value on a Giant’s Causeway colt from Shug McGaughey and ridden by Bailey. Carriage Trail was dead last going past the stands the first time but had already swept 3 wide to the lead as they straightened away for the stretch.