Saratoga: Handicapping the Grade 1 Vanderbilt

By Rick Francis —-

Sunny skies and a dry track await a field of seven accomplished sprinters in the running of the Grade 1 Vanderbilt Handicap; let’s take a look at the contenders.

Saratoga

Race 9) Grade 1 Vanderbilt Handicap 6 Furlongs Post Time 5:44 EDT

1) Mitole (Asmussen/Santana); never off the board in eleven career starts, with seven straight wins and six at the distance. Obviously always forwardly placed, he’ll need to be contested early for others to have a chance.

3) Imperial Hint (Carvajal/Castellano); multiple Grade 1 winner, including 2018’s edition of this race, makes his first start since returning from Dubai last March, normally an angle to consider, however he’s been pointed to this since then as his bullet worktab clearly indicates; this is setting up as a great stretch-duel.

5) Mr. Crow (Colebrook/Ortiz, J.); put it together last out besting Churchill OC’s; owns two wins over the track, but needs a contested pace up front to have a win chance.

2) Strike Power (Henning/Velazquez); makes his third start of the year, winning two back at Gulfstream and then battling gamely throughout only to come up a half-length short in the Grade 2 True North; don’t discount.

The field from the rail out:

1) Mitole (Asmussen/Santana)
2) Strike Power (Henning/Velazquez)
3) Imperial Hint (Carvajal/Castellano)
4) Firenze Fire (Servis/Ortiz, I.)
5) Mr. Crow (Colebrook/Ortiz, )
6) Diamond Oops (Biancone/Leparoux)
7) Do Share (Maker/Saez)

SELECTIONS: 1, 3, 5, 2