Grade I Whitney Handicap & Grade I Go For Wand

This is the Saratoga meets first weekend of stakes action! What a weekend it figures to be for online racebook fans as both the Grade I Whitney and the Grade I Go For Wand, two huge races that could determine starters for the Breeders’ Cup Championship this coming October, will be run on Saturday.

Both races could provide a nice BetUS online sportsbook gamblers. Why waste further time?

Let’s get to it!

Saratoga Racecourse - - Race 9

Grade I Go For Wand

$250,000

For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Up

1 1/8th miles on dirt

Ginger Punch, the reigning Champion Distaff Mare in the United States, returns to Saratoga after two scintillating performances. I can’t pick her on top because of her online odds, but I will say that she won this race last year and should be tough to beat this year. I prefer the longshot Copper State in this race.

Going second time for super trainer Steve Asmussen, Copper State lost by 5 lengths in her last to Unbridled Belle. On paper, she has no shot against Ginger Punch, but Asmussen always improves his horses second time out. I’ll be counting on it at what almost assuredly will be double-digit online betting odds.

Ginger Punch has no excuses in this race. Not only should she finish first, but she should finish first by open lengths. Still, at 3 to 5 or so, she’s an iffy online wager. Ginger Punch has had bad days. I’ll be counting on her doing that in this race.

For third, Moon Catcher deserves a look. She stumbled badly at the break in her last race and ended up losing by 15 lengths, but her past performances say that she can run with Ginger Punch - - at times.

1. Copper State

2. Ginger Punch

3. Moon Catcher

Saratoga Racecourse - - Race 10

Grade I Whitney Handicap

$750,000

1 1/8th miles on dirt

There are a lot of ways to go in this race. Both Solar Flare and Commentator will get tons of play as will A.P. Arrow who, for some reason, online betting gamblers love to throw money behind. I’m going to bypass all three horses and go with Student Council in this race. Student Council returns to the dirt after flirting with artificial surfaces on the West Coast. The return to dirt could be exactly what Student Council needs in order to get a victory.

He’s definitely got the class and with trainer Steve Asmussen calling the shots, you know Student Council will be fit enough. Rising Moon is a decent online wager for second in this race. He had to go wide in the Grade I Suburban while Solar Flare and Frost Giant got dream trips.

If jockey Cornelio Velasquez can work out a nice run for Rising Moon in this race, then he could improve off that stellar 4 out 7 lifetime record. For third, Notional appears ready to finally break into the top ten of the handicap division. The four-year old just hasn’t been doing all that much so far this year, but his last race was spectacular. It could be a sign of things to come.

1. Student Council

2. Rising Moon

3. Notional

Good luck!

Check the BetUS Belmont Stakes