Handicapper Tips & Picks

WHITNEY (G1)

#6 CODY’S WISH will find himself tested at today’s two-turn, 9f distance and is the main talking point with him coming into this race as he is the class of the field. He has two, two turn route races and in both cases it is a reach to say the “distance” along was the factor that got him beat. His first route race was here at Saratoga in his second start, a race at today’s distance to at least project at the time they thought this would be his game. He broke slowly, something of a pattern for this horse, made an inside early middle move in traffic before flattening out late. Following that race he recorded three straight wins closing out his sophomore season. His four year old return was the second two-turn race, catching a strong field in the Challenger (G3) at Tampa – the winner Scalding came out of that race to win the Ben Ali (G3) and stakes runners Greatest Honour, Dynamic One and Wolfie’s Dynaghost were also-ran’s.  

As far as today’s 9f distance, this is probably not the ideal for Cody’s Wish, though the 9f distance is probably not the ideal for many of his main rivals and the class edge can prevail in that case. #2 CHARGE IT is an example of class prevailing along with pace as he had those factors as an edge in the Suburban  (G2) win; #3 GIANT GAME benefit rom the LONE lead in the Cornhusker; and both #1 ZANDON and #5 WHITE ABARRIO have been able to compete at the 9f, though need things/trip in their favor to win, translating to value to play.

#4 LAST SAMURAI is the lone runner in the field that has proven 9f to be his ideal distance. At the same time he has struggled to win in G1 company and that being his prime hurdle today. He should be sitting on a top effort making his second start off the layoff and should benefit from today’s Sun Contention and higher 67 SpeedRate, pace dynamics that had worked in his favor in the past.