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Weekend Open Thread: Travers & Pacific Classic

Saratoga takes center stage on Saturday with the Travers, while Del Mar runs the feature race of their meet, the Pacific Classic, on Sunday.

By Frankel
USA TODAY Sports

UPDATE Sunday, Aug. 25:

  • Liaison scratches out of the Pacific Classic, which allows Martin Garcia to move to morning line favorite Game On Dude to replace the injured Joel Rosario.
  • Morning Line has scratched from the G2-Pat O'Brien
  • Out at Saratoga, Royal Delta returns in the G1-Personal Ensign in a field of, sigh, five. Anyone remember the last time we had a top level graded stakes race for distaffers going two turns that drew more than six fillies and mares? I'll watch this race but will save my money for something actually worth betting on.

    Speaking of the Personal Engsign and it's five-filly and mare field, I love the payout guidelines:

    "The purse to be divided 60% to the winner, 20% to second, 10% to third, 5% to fourth, 3% to fifth, and 2% divided equally among the remaining finishers."

    Some quick back-of-the-napkin math tells me that any filly/mare entering the race is guaranteed a minimum of $12,000, with a shot at $18k by squeezing into the top 5. And yet this race can't draw more than five contenders.

Saratoga Scratches & Changes - Sunday, August 25th (via Equibase)
Del Mar Scratches & Changes - Sunday, August 25th (via Equibase)

ORIGINAL POST:

I'm late with this because, well, Saratoga decided to begin their card at 8:30 am Pacific time. Some of us like to sleep in just a little bit on the weekends.

The big news at Saratoga is Joel Rosario off of his mounts today, including Orb in the Travers, after suffering an injury following a spill at the Spa on Friday. Jose Lezcano takes the mount on Orb, while it is to be decided who takes the irons on Game On Dude in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Sunday. From the linked article at the Daily Racing Form:

Rosario was injured when his mount in Friday’s seventh race, Casual Elegance, stumbled past the finish line and unseated him. Rosario told his agent Ron Anderson that the filly might have stepped on him.

The rest of the changes at Saratoga can be found at the link below (via Equibase):

Saratoga Scratches & Changes - Saturday, August 24th

This is your weekend open thread.

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