Maybe Mundane Thursday is a good thing?

Real Writing on Racing 💯

The horses and jockeys head home after the 5th race was cancelled

Didn’t have power outage on the bingo card of odd happenings that have befallen the seemingly cursed 2023 Saratoga meet but that’s exactly what happened yesterday at 3:19pm as the field for the 5th race made its way to the track under a picturesque sky and not a drop of rain in sight. The card had already lost the first race, a steeplechase event that was postponed till next week because of the unsettled condition of the grass courses. Credit NYRA officials for making a wise move to cancel the 5th about 25 minutes past scheduled post time, after the ten two year old fillies had warmed up on the track before being recalled to the paddock. Many were becoming agitated and considering that they left their stalls at post time for the third race, it was a long time to ask a group of mostly first time starts to idle, especially without having any exact timeframe for power to return.

☔️ With rain in the forecast for today starting around 5pm the odds are probably slim that the turf races will be on the grass today or Friday and even the weekend’s non-stakes turf races may be in jeopardy. Mother Nature has been particularly unkind this summer by teasing us with beautiful days like yesterday yet having them be interspersed between ugly days full of downpours and squalls.

🤷🏼‍♂️ I will be honest…we don’t have many recaps as the vast majority of races weren’t compelling and I was busy working on a project that kept me away from the frontside for most of the day. With no stakes on tap for today we have no preview either.

🎖️Race three was a MSW for NY bred 2yo fillies originally scheduled to be run at 5.5 furlongs on the turf but was moved to the main track at the same distance. Tricky Temper, an Into Mischief filly trained by Jeremiah Englehart and ridden by Johnny Velazquez made up for a sluggish start and overpowered the other five non-Into Mischief fillies to win by close to five lengths as the 6-5 public choice.

🏆The sixth was an open MSw for 2yo fillies that was scheduled for the turf at 5.5 furlongs that was moved to the main track. Jody’s Pride, a firster by American Pharoah from Jorge Abreu and Flavian Prat made short work of this six horse group, showing speed from the start, taking over entering the stretch and widening her lead out to 10 1/2 lengths at the finishline.

🥇Linda Rice threw us a curveball when she decided to scratch Bustin Bay from the Bruce Johnstone Mile rather than the cross entered Betsy Blue, who could have opted for Fridays Union Avenue stakes instead. As it turned out Venti Valentine overcame a rough start where she hit the gate hard to rally in deep stretch to run down Know It All Audrey and Timeless Journey, out kicking the even money favorite Betsy Blue in the lane. Sent off at a generous 5-1 in the five horse field, the filly by Firing Line gave Jorge Abreu his second on the day and Manny Franco his lone winner. Betsy Blue simply had too much to do and couldn’t muster up the needed rally.

Okay this wasn’t exactly the greatest Poll we ever did as expected Personal Ensign ran away with the title of greatest Shug filly.

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