Saturday’s Whitney Stakes at Saratoga drew a aggressive discipline of most likely 9 horses (#1 Mindframe is anticipated to be scratched) angling for a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Nov. 1 Longines Breeders’ Cup Basic. The group is headlined by the 1-2 finishers of final yr’s Longines Basic, additionally held at Del Mar, #5 Sierra Leone and #9 Fierceness.
Learn on for Whitney Stakes trifecta betting methods from the staff at America’s Finest Racing, and use ABR’s useful Playing Calculator to construction your bets.
Mike Curry:
The connections of #5 Sierra Leone (2-1) acquired a pacesetter for final yr’s Longines Breeders’ Cup Basic winner, a deep nearer, to help in his races. They entered that horse, #8 Opposite Pondering (50-1), within the Whitney, which additionally drew longshot #4 Mama’s Gold (50-1), who has set the tempo in his final six races. I do imagine the race ought to characteristic a swift early tempo and it ought to profit Sierra Leone and, presumably, harm the probabilities of #9 Fierceness.
However that tempo must also assist #10 Submit Time (12-1) and #7 White Abarrio (4-1). Submit Time is a deep nearer who all the time does his finest operating late and completed third within the Whitney a yr in the past. White Abarrio enters off a disappointing unplaced end within the Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap on a sloppy monitor. He’s by no means received on an “off” monitor and bounced again from a distant third within the Met Mile two years in the past to win the Whitney. I’ll make these two my key to the race (each should end within the high three) with one among Fierceness or Sierra Leone filling the opposite spot.
Technique for a $30 finances:
$2.50 trifecta: #7 White Abarrio and #10 Submit Time with #7 White Abarrio and #10 Submit Time, with #5 Sierra Leone and #9 Fierceness ($10)
$2.50 trifecta: #7 White Abarrio and #10 Submit Time with #5 Sierra Leone and #9 Fierceness with #7 White Abarrio and #10 Submit Time ($10)
$2.50 trifecta: #5 Sierra Leone and #9 Fierceness with #7 White Abarrio and #10 Submit Time with #7 White Abarrio and #10 Submit Time ($10)
Noel Michaels:
On this headline match-up between #5 Sierra Leone and #9 Fierceness together with a really sturdy supporting solid, give me Fierceness, who appears like the higher possibility at Saratoga and on the distance of 1 1/8 miles. Sierra Leone beat Fierceness within the 2024 Longines Breeders’ Cup Basic and Fierceness could have work to do to show the tables, however Sierra Leone’s late-running type has not confirmed appropriate with Saratoga’s monitor structure that tends to favor horses nearer to the tempo, resulting in Sierra Leone’s 0-for-3 document on the Spa so far.
In the meantime, Fierceness demonstrated his affinity for this oval with wins in each the Jim Dandy Stakes Offered by Mohegan Solar and DraftKings Travers Stakes final yr. Fierceness was a disappointing second final time within the Grade 1 Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap, however the one-mile distance of that race was a bit shorter than he prefers. He is been pointed to this race all alongside for coach Todd Pletcher and must be prepared for his finest effort. Sierra Leone might be closing late and shouldn’t be too far behind.
That leaves us another spot to fill within the trifectas, and it goes to the horse with the most effective probability at an upset, #7 White Abarrio. It appears you by no means know what you’re going to get in relation to White Abarrio, however his finest races have been ok to earn him wins in races just like the 2023 Whitney Stakes, the 2023 Longines Breeders’ Cup Basic, and extra just lately when resurgent within the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes earlier this yr.
Technique for a $50 finances:
$5 trifecta field: #5 Sierra Leone, #7 White Abarrio, and #9 Fierceness ($30)
$10 trifecta: #9 Fierceness with #5 Sierra Leone and #7 White Abarrio, with #5 Sierra Leone and #7 White Abarrio ($20)
Patrick Reed:
This yr’s Whitney shapes up as an thrilling race, however I believe total the outcomes might be pretty formful. As mentioned in a number of race previews throughout completely different publications, proprietor Peter Brant and coach Chad Brown entered allowance winner #8 Opposite Pondering within the Whitney to function a pacesetter or “rabbit” for stablemate #5 Sierra Leone, a deep nearer who must be prepared to fireside his finest shot in his third begin of the yr. #4 Mama’s Gold, a New York-bred stakes winner who’s stepping up in school, additionally has loads of early velocity, and he and Opposite Pondering may flip the Saratoga backstretch right into a drag strip in the event that they each run to their reputations.
That mentioned, I truly assume a quick early tempo will profit #9 Fierceness most of all. Corridor of Famer John Velazquez is totally in sync along with his mount’s abilities and operating type having ridden Fierceness for 9 consecutive begins, and he ought to have the colt settled in snugly behind the primary two or three pacesetters (#2 Skippylongstocking additionally could possibly be shut) and able to inhale them popping out of the far flip at Saratoga, the place he’s received three of 4 begins. I believe Fierceness will get the soar on a stalking #7 White Abarrio, deep closing Sierra Leone and #10 Submit Time, and wild card #3 Highland Falls and has greater than sufficient stamina in reserve to fend that quartet off within the remaining yards.
Technique for a $30 finances:
$2 trifecta: #9 Fierceness with #3 Highland Falls, #5 Sierra Leone, #7 White Abarrio, and #10 Submit Time, with #3 Highland Falls, #5 Sierra Leone, #7 White Abarrio, and #10 Submit Time ($24)
$2 trifecta: #9 Fierceness with #5 Sierra Leone with #3 Highland Falls, #7 White Abarrio, and #10 Submit Time ($6)
