Johnny D's Blog

July 26, 2024 Jeff Siegel’s What You Need to Know Saratoga ______________________________________________________________________________ Saratoga 3rd Race – Post: 2:18 ET. Degree of confidence: A- Top Selection: 1-World Record Other Contenders: none. Forecast: This year’s renewal of the Amsterdam S.-G2 attracted just five runners and given that none are particularly quick leaving the gate, we’re expecting World Record to […]

July 25, 2024 Jeff Siegel’s What You Need to Know Del Mar ______________________________________________________________________________ Del Mar 4th Race – Post: 3:30 PT. Degree of confidence: B+ Top Selection: 2-Visceral Other Contenders: 4-Canada Gate. Forecast: We usually prefer two sprint preps prior to a stretch out, but we’ll break the rule and go with Visceral, who’s had just […]

July 25, 2024 Jeff Siegel’s What You Need to Know Saratoga ______________________________________________________________________________ Saratoga 5th Race – Post: 3:27 ET. Degree of confidence: B Top Selection: 9-Masterwork. Other Contenders: 1a-Unlimitedpotential. Forecast: Making his first start since being gelded, Masterwork takes a significant but understandable class drop into a restricted (nw-2) $16,000 claimer in his first start in three […]

July 24, 2024 Jeff Siegel’s What You Need to Know Saratoga ______________________________________________________________________________ Saratoga 5th Race – Post: 3:26 ET. Degree of confidence: B Top Selection: 5-Bramito. Other Contenders: 8-Sanderson; 6-Scat Tu Top. Forecast: Let’s go with a price in this $50,000 inner turf course claimer for older horses. Bramito shows up in a seller for the first […]

  July 21, 2024 Jeff Siegel’s What You Need to Know Saratoga ______________________________________________________________________________ Saratoga 3rd race – Post: 2:13 ET. Degree of confidence: B+ Top Selection: 5-Java Buzz. Other Contenders: none. Forecast: Java Buzz makes his first start since March of 2023 for the Linda Rice barn (superior stats with layoff runners) and shows up in […]

Jeff Siegel’s What You Need to Know Saratoga Saturday, July 20, 2024 ______________________________________________________________________________ Saratoga 1st Race – Post: 12:35 ET. Degree of confidence: B+ Top Selection: 7-Hands of Time Other Contenders: none. Forecast: Several highly regarded juveniles are debuting in this middle distance turf router, many of them with pedigrees and/or work patterns for top […]

July 19, 2024 Jeff Siegel’s What You Need to Know Saratoga ______________________________________________________________________________ Saratoga 1st Race – Post: 1:10 ET. Degree of confidence: A- Top Selection: 1-Governor Sam. Other Contenders: none. Forecast: Governor Sam was thought well enough by his connections to make his debut in the Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes at Gulfstream Park in mid-May and […]

July 18, 2024 Jeff Siegel’s “What You Need to Know” Saratoga ______________________________________________________________________________ Saratoga 5th Race – Post: 3:27 ET. Degree of confidence: B+ Top Selection: 7-Iridescent Other Contenders: 3- Squints; 8-Sweet Soddy J Forecast: Trainer B. Cox has a remarkable record with the first-off-the-claim stat according to DRF (47% with a massive ROI) so it […]

July 17, 2024 Jeff Siegel’s What You Need to Know Saratoga ______________________________________________________________________________ Saratoga 3rd Race – Post: 2:18 ET. Degree of confidence: B Top Selection: 6-Practically Summer. Other Contenders: 1-Vehemente; 4-Trail of Gold. Forecast: There are lots of question marks in this state-bred juvenile filly dash that offers a field exclusively of first time starters. We’ve seen […]

Jeff Siegel’s What You Need to Know Saratoga Sunday, July 14, 2024 ______________________________________________________________________________ Saratoga First Race – Post: 1:10 ET. Degree of confidence: B Top Selection: 4-Silver Circle (6-1). Other Contenders: 8-La Cara; 1-Kimchi Cat. Forecast: Low percentage connections notwithstanding, the second time starter Silver Circle might be worth a small gamble in the Sunday lid-lifter for […]

JHeff Siegel’s What You Need to Know Saratoga Saturday, July 13, 2024 ______________________________________________________________________________ Saratoga Fifth Race – Post: 2:46 ET. Degree of confidence: B+ Top Selection: 3-Rebel Red (GB). Other Contenders: 1a-Unit Economics. Forecast: The lightly raced and rapidly developing Rebel Red (GB) was given an easy run in his U.S at Keeneland in April, finishing on […]

July 12, 2024 Jeff Siegel’s What You Need to Know Saratoga ______________________________________________________________________________ Saratoga Sixth Race – Post: 4:05 ET. Degree of confidence: B Top Selection: 10-Classic Time. Other Contenders: 2-Reteko; 6-King’s Leap; 9-Replevin. Forecast: Classic Time did everything but win in his debut at Aqueduct in late May. The M. Casse-trained colt broke well and established […]

Jeff Siegel’s What You Need to Know Saratoga Thursday, July 11, 2024 ______________________________________________________________________________ Saratoga Sixth Race – Post: 3:53 ET. Degree of confidence: B Top Selection: 1-Strong State Other Contenders: 9-Teca; 2-Will Not Be Swayed. Forecast: Strong State didn’t break well and was shuffled back in heavy traffic early, found room to rally inside into the […]

Jeff Siegel’s National Prime Plays Sunday, July 7, 2024 ______________________________________________________________________________ Ellis Park – Fourth Race – Post 1:21 CT Prime Play: 1-Big Salt Lick Forecast: In his debut at Churchill Downs last month Big Salt Lick didn’t get away cleanly and lost early position, commenced his rally into the lane and finished with interest to be a […]

Jeff Siegel’s National Prime Plays Saturday, July 6, 2024 ______________________________________________________________________________ Belmont at the Big A – Sixth Race – Post: 3:08 ET Prime Play: Legend of Time (GB) Forecast: This year’s edition of the Belmont Derby Invitational-G2 projects to have a slow early, fast late race shape that is likely to prove challenging to Endlessly, the […]