Race Preview: Whitney Handicap

Saratoga's most prestigious race for Older Males is on Saturday. Nine horses will be lining up for this year's Whitney Handicap. A WAYI for the Classic

10th Race - Saratoga - Saturday, August 2nd, 2014

STAKES. 1 1/8 Mile Dirt. Purse $1,500,000. Whitney H. (Grade 1). FOR THREE YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD. (05:46 PM) (9)

PP	Horse	A/S	M/E	Wgt	Jockey	Trainer
1	Will Take Charge	4 C	L	124	Saez Luis	Lukas D. Wayne
2	Prayer For Relief	6 H	L	117	Rosario Joel	Romans Dale L.
3	Moreno	4 G	L	117	Alvarado Junior	Guillot Eric J.
4	Itsmyluckyday	4 C	L	119	Lopez Paco	Plesa, Jr. Edward
5	Palace Malice	4 C	L	124	Velazquez John R.	Pletcher Todd A.
6	Departing	4 G	L	121	Albarado Robby	Stall, Jr. Albert M.
7	Romansh	4 C	L	119	Ortiz Jose L.	Albertrani Thomas
8	Golden Ticket	5 H	L	117	Leparoux Julien R.	McPeek Kenneth G.
9	Last Gunfighter	5 H	L	121	Castellano Javier	Brown Chad C.

Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song): 2^nd in the Stephen Foster, and 6^th in the Alysheba before that. He won the Oaklawn Handicap after finishing second in the Big Cap and Donn. Runner up in last year's Classic, 3yo Champ Male, won the Travers here last year after being the runner up in the Jim Dandy. Gets the rider he had in the Travers back.

Prayer for Relief (Jump Start): Been in and out of the top four in his last 8 starts. 3^rd in Suburban in his last. This will be his first start at Saratoga.

Moreno (Ghostzapper): First start against his nemesis Will Take Charge since the Classic last year. Was 2^nd in the Suburban. Ran well in both races at the track last year finishing 3^rd in the Jim Dandy and 2^nd in the Travers.

Itsmyluckyday (Lawyer Ron): Since his return from injury he is 3 for 4 all of them in stakes races. Won the Salvator Mile in his last. Makes his Saratoga debut here and first try at G1 company since his runner up finish in the Preakness.

Palace Malice (Curlin): There is no horse that is hotter then him, already in the Dirt Mile thanks to his win in the Met Mile. Won the Jim Dandy here last year and was 4^th in the Travers before his runner up finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. Broke his maiden at Saratoga in 2012.

Departing (War Front): 3^rd in the Stephen Foster and won an allowance/optional claimer before that. Won the IL Derby, WV Derby and Super Derby before and after his 6^th place finish in the Preakness. Has been a very promising horse for quite a while, but needs to finish the job.

Romansh (Bernardini): 5^th in the Travers, and 6^th in the PA Derby after being handed the Curlin via disqualification. Also picked up a win in the Discovery. This year he has won the Excelsior and was third in the Met Mile. 5^th in the Suburban in his last.

Golden Ticket (Speightstown): Co 2012 Travers winner (with Alpha), has been up and down since. 4^th in the Cornhusker in his last, he was 2^nd in the Alysheba in May and 5^th in the Foster where he was the defending runner up. Runner up in last year's Dirt Mile.

Last Gunfighter (First Samurai): 9^th to his stablemate Zivo (who is Woodward bound) in the Suburban had won at Penn National in the Mountainview in his season debut. Last year won the Pimlico Special, Iselin and Hawthorne Gold Cup. Finished 5^th in the JCGC and Classic. Makes his Saratoga debut here.

Picks

Win- Palace Malice

Place- Will Take Charge

Show- Departing

Dark Horse- Moreno

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Good luck to all and save travels!