Trainer Bob Baffert holds plenty of aces on today’s card at the Spa. The white-haired conditioner will saddle champion Indian Blessing in the prestigious Test S. (G1) and two other potential winners.
Indian Blessing, the odds-on morning line favorite for the 83rd running of the Test, returns to the scene of her first-out maiden victory where she blazed 5 1/2 furlongs in a razor-sharp 1:03 1/5. She raced twice more last season, winning the Frizette S. (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) by open lengths before being named champion two-year-old filly of 2007.
In her most recent outing, the speedy filly showed a new dimension when breaking a step slow and sweeping widest of all around the turn before drawing off to a 5 1/4-length triumph in the six-furlong Prioress S. (G1) on a muddy track at Belmont Park.
Indian Blessing is ideally drawn on the outside in the seven-furlong Test and loves an off track. It would be a surprise if she got beat.
In the second, Baffert will be represented by Spaniard, a two-year-old half-brother to Indian Blessing. The son of freshman sire Candy Ride (Arg) was highly touted for his debut on June 19 at Hollywood Park, but after an awkward beginning, he never got involved as the odds-on favorite. Spaniard has worked four times on the East Coast since then and will make his second career start without blinkers. He looms large in what appears to be a fairly deep juvenile heat.
In the fourth, Adirondack S. (G2) queen More Happy is the one to catch in the Flanders S. for three-year-old fillies who have not won a graded sweepstake this season. The $1 million Vindication filly has not started since setting fast early fractions and fading to fifth in the Spinaway S. (G1) over this surface last year. She has been working up a storm for her return, however, and appears primed for an explosive performance.
John Velazquez has the call on all three.
*****
In the seventh, Hidden Glance is a decent looking sleeper. The son of Kingmambo finished third to Prussian and fourth as the favorite to Big Brown on the turf here last year. He makes his sophomore debut for conditioner Neil Howard and is 10-1 on the morning line.
*****
In Saratoga Springs, it was 69 degrees and raining at 10:45 a.m. (EDT). The forecast call for a 60 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms throughout the day.
*****
As usual, I’ll return to post my SHOWdown selections, once entries have closed.
Tags: handicapping, Indian Blessing, More Happy, Saratoga, Saratoga selections, Saratoga spot plays, Spaniard, Test, The Joyce Report, Thoroughbred racing
