All Star Horse Lineup – Rachel Alexandra and Mine That Bird in Action

Padding Your Bankroll: Saturday August 1

Three year olds take center stage this weekend in a trio of stakes, and the winners of all three of the Triple Crown races will be in action.

Preakness (G1) winner Rachel Alexandra will take on the boys in Sunday’s $1.25 million Haskell Invitational (G1) at Monmouth Park.

She will take on six foes including Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Summer Bird and Tom Fool Handicap (G2) winner Munnings.

Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mine That Bird will find out on Saturday if West Virginia is almost heaven, taking on five rivals in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby (G2), the first time in history a Kentucky Derby winner has travelled to Mountaineer Park.

His main rival will be Big Drama, who has crossed the wire first in seven of his last eight starts. The colt has only lost three times in his career, a fifth in the Preakness Stakes (G1), a disqualification from first in the Swale (G2), and a third place finish last summer in his debut.

While the Triple Crown race winners will garner much of the attention this weekend, seven other three year olds will try to make it to prime time in the $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga.

All three races are key preps for horses heading for the Shadwell Travers (G1) on Aug. 29.

Today’s two plays go off within a few minutes of each other, so wager early:

Mountaineer Park Race 8 West Virginia Derby (G2) Post time 5:43 ET

#4 Big Drama 8/5
#2 Mine That Bird 3/5
#1 Soul Warrior / #1a Sunday Sunrise 15/1

#4 Big Drama comes into the race off a sharp win in a two-turn seven-furlong stake at Charles Town and owns the top last out speed fig. The colt beat a decent field in that race. The runner up Bunker Hill is a multiple stakes winner and third place finisher Russell Road is a Chuck Town specialist who went into that race having won six of nine career starts. Those two are not in the same class as the Kentucky Derby winner, but it looks like the colt has the tactical edge in this racer, which looks like a match race. The colt owns the edge in early and mid pace numbers and if he shakes loose early he may be tough to catch in this spot.

#2 Mine That Bird is making his first start since running third in the Belmont Stakes (G1). The gelding made a three wide move to take over the lead but it may have been premature and he ended up third and beaten three lengths. He was second two back to Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness. The filly came back to trounce fillies in the Mother Goose (G1) by 19 ¼ lengths. He might end up with too much to do as they turn for home here. Of the ten races run at nine furlongs over the main track here, horses on or close to the lead won six.

Wagering
WIN: #4 to win at 8/5 or better.
EX: #4 over #2
TRI: no play

Saratoga Race 10 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) Post time 5:47 ET

#4 Warriors Reward 3/1
#3 Kensei 5/2
#5 Charitable Man 4/1
#1 Saratoga Sinner 6/1

#4 Warriors Reward was the beaten chalk in the Dwyer (G2) last out at 4/5 and I was completely mystified by Borel’s ride in the race. The colt stumbled coming out of the gate, was far out of it the first six furlongs and I thought maybe the jock was taking a nap on the colt. The colt made a mild late run to finish third but clearly, he has more to give, and hopefully we will see it here. The colt was a head shy two back in the Northern Dancer (G3), his first start after popping a 113 Beyer beating up on Alw-1 company three back. The colt will appreciate the extra ground and the two turns here and I think Borel will make amends to my bankroll here.

#3 Kensei was a smart winner of the Dwyer, finishing 3 ¼ lengths ahead of our top pick. The colt really got a good trip, tracking the early pace while saving ground, took charge at the quarter pole and edge clear late. Two back he ran third to the very good Munnings, who returned to win the Tom Fool (G2) in his next start and will take on Rachel Alexandra on Sunday in the Haskell. The colt owns a solid pace profile throughout and just looks better each time Asmussen sends him to the track.

Wagering
WIN: #4 to win at 3/1 or better
EX: 3,4 / 1,3,4,5
TRI: 3,4 / 1,3,4,5 / 1,3,4,5,7

Good luck padding your bankroll today!