The Lake Placid Stakes is a Grade 2 race worth $150,000 for three-year-old fillies going 9 furlongs on the grass at Saratoga. The race has been strong in recent years with good winners like Shared Account, Backseat Rhythm and Wait a While.
This year’s field is strong and features the sensational filly Winter Memories (El Prado x Memories of Silver by Silver Hawk). She looked like a machine last out when she won the Lake George by 4 ½ lengths over Bellamy Star and Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner More Than Real. It was a sweet win for trainer James Toner because the latter filly is the only one to ever deal a loss to Winter Memories. The lass had a very rough trip and did everything she could to lose, but still crushed her foes.
Winter Memories will have to deal with an extra half furlong this time as well as a few new shooters, but she is clearly the one to beat a 4-5. Regular rider Jose Lezcano is set to pilot the rising star.
Defeating the chalk here will be far from easy, but if someone is going to do it then that someone is likely to be Hungry Island (More Than Ready x Flying Passage by AP Indy). It took her five tries to break the maiden, but since doing so she hasn’t lost with wins in an allowance race and in the $60k Recording Stakes from Belmont Park. She looks like a filly on the rise and trainer Shug McGaughey believes she will move forward here. He says the only question is whether or not she is good enough. I say she is and will call for her to get the upset victory. Alex Solis is listed to ride.
Ken McPeek’s Kathmanblu (Bluegrass Cat x Abba by Devil’s Bag) is also worth a look. She exits the Regret Stakes where she could only manage a fourth place finish, but the lass has had some rest since then. She could be ready to show the form that allowed her to win the Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra earlier this year as well as the Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes last year.
Bellamy Star, Trac N Jam, Wyomia and Dynamic Holiday are also set to compete. Believe In AP, Indian Tale and Tiz The Argument are main track only entries.
To get our the rest of our picks for Sunday’s races check out our Saratoga Picks page. Also, check out our Horse Betting page to learn more about betting the Lake Placid Stakes on the internet.
[...] My top pick for the Lake Placid was the winner, Hungry Island. She was somehow allowed to pay $21.40. This makes no sense in my mind as she was clearly a top contender and should have been no more than 4-1. Finding an overlay like this is rare. Our second choice for the race was the second place finisher Kathmanblu thus making for a $136.50 exacta. You can read what we had to say here. [...]