SARATOGA SELECTIONS -- 8/21/21

 I am returning to Saratoga Handicapping today despite my less that stellar results there over the past few weeks. If you want good racing in the summer months, it's the track to watch and I couldn't find another "card" as challenging, so. I'll try again. A nice mix of two turf and two dirt races and two stakes races, and a closing race that would be a stakes race if it wasn't a maiden afair, plus a challenging claimer to get the sequence started in Race 8 

~~~~~~~~UPDATED AT 12:15 PM WITH SCRATCHES/CHANGES~~~~~~~

RACE 8 -- CLAIMNG -- $75 K -- SEVEN FURLONGS

2 -- GOLANI BRIGADE

4 -- IDENTIFY POLITICS

8 -- THERISASTORMBREWIN

5 -- CHARLIE FIVE O

(IF SCRATCHES OCCUR/ALSO:  1 -- RESTORING HOPE) SCRATCHED

USE 3 -- VULCAN INSTEAD. 

RACE 9 -- LAKE PLACID STAKES -- GII -- $200K -- 1-1/16TH MILE (TURF)

2 -- TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

3 -- EGO TRIP 

6 -- SPANISH LOVE AFFAIR

1 -- ILLIOGAMI

(IF SCRATCHES OCCUR/ALSO:   4 -- RUNWAY RUMOR) 

RACE 10 -- ALABAMA STAKES -- GI -- $600K -- 1-1/TH MILES

6 -- MALATHATT

4 -- MARCUJA

2 -- WILL'S SECRET

3 -- CLAIRIERE

(IF SCRATCHES OCCUR/ALSO:  7 -- ARMY WIFE

RACE 11 -- MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT -- $100K -- 1 MILE (TURF)

12 -- PERFECT GRACE

4 -- SPLIT THEN DOUBLE  SCRATCHED

6 -- INGRESS

9 -- SO ENCHANTING

7 -- MISS BONNIE T  SCRATCHED

(IF SCATCHES OCCUR/ALSO:  1 -- GAUFF) SCRATCHED

The play: 

I'll try the late Pick 4 -- starting in Race 8 -- with my top four picks. Let's just ride those top fur picks through the two stakes races (Races 9 - 10) and end  by going five deep in the maiden final. Since only five horses (as of 12:30) were scheduled for the final, let's play them all except #2 Good Talk 

Good luck! 

Paulie