Posted
Friday, August 24, 2018
Saturday's Saratoga Survivor contest at DerbyWars.com is an all-stakes tournament covering Races 6 through 12, which includes the Grade 1 Travers. This special contest requires just an $8 buy-in and a prize pool of up to $2,500.
Although this contest spans only seven races, make no mistake about it: This will be one difficult event to take down. Graded stakes races at Saratoga offer different challenges from the races on a typical daily card. Trainers point their horses to these stakes races and have them ready to win. Then there is Saratoga's reputation as "the Graveyard of Champions."
Accordingly, here are five keys to finding success in Saturday's Saratoga Survivor contest.
Buy multiple entries
At only $8 each, entries are not that expensive. A contestant may purchase up to 10 entries.You will need multiple chances to survive these seven stakes races, similar to submitting different combinations in multi-race wagers. When the favorites lose, will they still hit the board and survive? There is nothing quite like a good survivor contest.
Watch the bounce
Proponents of bounce theories insist that horses will drop off in performance after running a top speed figure. There appear to be plenty fitting this category in Saturday's sequence: Promises Fulfilled, Firenze Fire, and Engage in the Jerkens (Race 6); Finley’sluckycharm in the Ballerina (Race 8); C Z Rocket in the Forego (Race 9); and Funtastic in the Sword Dancer (Race 10).
Tough to survive the Travers
I won’t argue with you if you think that the Travers is the hardest race in the contest. It is wide open race to pick the winner with many horses capable of victory. In a race as deep as this, they could also completely miss the board. As the penultimate contest race, I would ideally have three entries left. If that scenario arises I will use Good Magic, Vino Rosso and Bravazo.
Singles
You can’t spread in every race because if you do, you will quickly find yourself with only one entry left at best. You have to single somewhere in the sequence. Here are my picks as singles: Elate in the Personal Ensign (Race 7); Limousine Liberal in the Forego (Race 9); and Spring Quality in the Sword Dancer (Race 10).
In Chad we trust
Chad Brown is far ahead in the Saratoga trainer standings with 33 winners, and he has a chance to break the meeting record of 40. In the all-stakes sequence, Brown has horses entered in every race except the Forego. After day 30, he sported a record of 113: 33-22-17 for an in the money, survivor percentage, of 64%. Maybe I’ll just do an all-Chad Brown entry in the contest. Seriously.
Enjoy the Travers and a big day of racing overall at Saratoga. Look for me in the entries as well: andyscoggin.
