Handicapping: Saratoga, Del Mar in Saturday Spotlight

A trio of Breeders' Cup Challenge races are among the highlights of racing on Aug. 22.

At Saratoga Race Course, Got Stormy, who set a course record beating the boys in the 2019 Fourstardave Handicap (G1T), will try to recapture that form against a Chad Brown-trained foursome led by reigning female grass champion Uni. The winner receives a fees-paid berth to the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T).

It's also the biggest day of the summer at Del Mar, with the TVG Pacific Classic (G1) climaxing a five-stakes program and offering the winner a spot in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). Earlier in the day, the Del Mar Handicap Presented By The Japan Racing Association (G2) is a win-and-in to the Longines Turf (G2). In between those two races is the Del Mar Oaks (G1T) for 3-year-old turf fillies.

At Monmouth Park, the Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G3) is headed by Warrior's Charge, who will try to run his record at 1 1/16 miles to 5 for 5 as he drops in class from a pace-pressing effort in the Runhappy Metropolitan Handicap (G1). His main rival on paper, five-time graded stakes winner Mind Control, will likely scratch and await the Forego Stakes Presented By America's Best Racing (G1) Aug. 29.

The Fourstardave, Del Mar 'Cap, Del Mar Oaks and Pacific Classic are the last four legs of a Cross Country Pick Five spanning more than six hours of action. The sequence begins with race 5 at the Spa, a 2-year-old maiden route scheduled for turf at 3:28 pm ET, and it doesn't end until near bedtime (for some of us, anyway) with the Pacific Classic.

Let's look at the stakes in chronological order (all times Eastern).

Fourstardave (Sar, race 9, 5:46): Got Stormy (4) drew off to win the Fourstardave in a record 1:32 a year ago but has shown only brief glimpses of that form this season. That race was among five huge efforts she put forth in the span of four months all over North America, and she simply has not been quite the same this season.

Raging Bull (1) and Uni (6) were second and third behind Got Stormy in last year's renewal and look like the strongest of four entrants from Chad Brown, who also sends out Valid Point (7) and Without Parole (8).

Uni gave futile chase to barn mate Newspaperofrecord in a slow-paced Just A Game (G1T) to begin her 6-year-old season. A similar situation could arise here if Halladay (5) controls a deliberate early tempo. I would like the latter more if it weren't for the fact that he is perfect from three starts at Gulfstream Park and 2 for 10 elsewhere.

Raging Bull took the Shoemaker Mile (G1T) with a big figure to start his 5-year-old campaign, and looks to be on a bounce-rebound pattern after getting floated out late as the 6-5 choice in the Maker's Mark Mile (G1T).

Valid Point may flirt with double-digit odds, and he may prove to be good value. He was special enough to win his first three starts capped by the Secretariat Stakes (G1T) at age 3 and has since had difficult trips in two starts against older stakes horses, the most recent when off slow, rushed up early and shuffled back in the Poker (G3T) first time out in nine months.

A — 1, 7

B — 5, 6

Del Mar Handicap (Dmr. race 7, 8:06): United (1) is the deserving favorite after notching three grade 2 stakes scores from as many starts in 2020. His margin for error has been slim (all three wins by a half-length or less), but he should enjoy a ground-saving trip from close range.

It may pay to be lenient with the off-the-board finish by Oscar Dominguez (9) in the Elkhorn (G2T) last month, as it was his first start since third-place finishes in the San Marcos Stakes (G2T) and San Luis Rey Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park's winter meet and his first start outside Southern California in four years. He was beaten less than a length by United in the San Marcos and gets a favorable eight-pound weight shift for the rematch. Moreover, stablemate North County Guy (11) ensures an honest pace.

Backups with price potential are Combatant (3) and Ward 'n Jerry (5).

Earlier this year, Combatant upset the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) in his second start off a trainer change to John Sadler. He has been off the board twice since then and now returns to turf, where he was good enough to run a close third in the 2018 Mathis Brothers Mile (G2T). He looms a wake-up possibility after a couple of recent workouts over the course.

Ward 'n Jerry was used way too early in the 1 3/4-mile San Juan Capistrano (G3T) off a 15-day turnaround and faded to third as the 7-10 favorite, losing second after the rider dropped his crop late. He loses Flavien Prat to United but picks up someone (Mike Smith) you may have heard of.

A — 1, 9

B — 3, 5

Del Mar Oaks (Dmr, race 9, 9:06): Laura's Light (10) has won her last four turf races at the expense of several fillies she meets again here. She's a three-time graded stakes winner with tractable speed and super-obvious form. However, even though she has been improving in small increments numbers-wise, which is promising, it's not like she has been busting any stopwatches.

If someone is going to beat her it will probably one of the French-bred invaders, Miss Extra (3) or Neige Blanche (8). 

Miss Extra won three in a row to start the season, notably the Prix de Sandringham (G2T), and after that, she was wheeled back 16 days later and tired in the 1 5/16-mile Prix de Diane Longines (G1T) behind Fancy Blue, who subsequently captured the Qatar Nassau Stakes (G1T). The cutback in distance will help, and she won on firm turf at Deauville three races back.

Neige Blance is an unknown on firm ground, but she comes off a win in the Prix Cleopatre (G3T) over soft going at about 11 furlongs so she will have no problem staying the trip here.

A — 3, 8

B — 10

Pacific Classic (Dmr, race 10, 9:36): Maximum Security (5) was there for the taking in the San Diego Handicap (G2) first time out since the Saudi Cup five months earlier, but after getting shuffled back early behind Midcourt (1) and last year's Pacific Classic winner Higher Power (2), he rebid and willed himself to get up by a nose over the former.

Maximum Security gave Midcourt and Higher Power five pounds that day and meets them at level weights here. I'm 50-50 as to whether he moves forward off that hard-fought debut for five-time Pacific Classic winner Bob Baffert or whether he goes the other way and regresses stretching back out to 10 furlongs, where his only prior experience was in the slop in the infamous 2019 Kentucky Derby Presented By Woodford Reserve (G1).

Midcourt and Higher Power blew their chance last time. The backups are Mirinaque (3) and Sharp Samurai (6).

Like past Pacific Classic winners Gentlemen (1997) and Candy Ride  (2003), Mirinaque was bred in Argentina. The gray grandson of Storm Cat makes his North American debut after putting in five workouts. His form in Argentina was strong on turf and dirt: Three group stakes wins including the Argentine Derby (G1), and runner-up finishes in the Gran Premio International Carlos Pelligrini (G1T) and Longines Gran Premio Latinoamericano (G1T). He finished in front of 21 rivals in the Pellegrini, a win-and-in for the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T), and beat 15 opponents in the $500,000 Latinoamericano, the richest race in South America.

Sharp Samurai is third off the bench after closing fast (last three-eighths under 35 seconds) behind United in the Eddie Read Stakes (G2T). He's a four-time graded stakes winner on grass, but his sire is First Samurai , the Champagne Stakes (G1) and Hopeful Stakes (G1) winner in 200, and he is out of a mare by Street Cry, the 2002 Dubai World Cup (G1) winner, so why not go back to dirt, where he was a maiden graduate three years ago?

A — 5

B — 3, 6