2015 Whitney Stakes Picks and Analysis

A field of ten heads into the starting gate for the Gr. 1 Whitney Stakes this Saturday at Saratoga Racecourse. Last year’s defending champion, Moreno will attempt to keep his ruling title, but will have to face V.E. Day, Noble Bird, Lea and other younger competitors. Honor Code headlines as the 3-1 morning line favorite.

Whitney Stakes (G1) – Saratoga Racecourse

Date: Saturday, August 8th Post Time: 5:46 PM (ET) Distance: 1 1/8 mile (dirt) Purse: $1,250,000

Official Contenders & Post Positions

PP – Contender|Jockey|Trainer|Odds

Through The Eyes of The Madcapper

The Kings:

1) Liam’s Map – Handicappers would be hard pressed to find a hotter horse anywhere in the country right now. After a six-month layoff, this son of Unbridled’s Song came back to score the easiest of wins in an allowance optional contest at Belmont Park in June. The victory marked his fourth in a row, and trainer Todd Pletcher surely must be pleased with the monstrous works that the colt has turned in thus far at Saratoga. Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith lands in the saddle and will be looking to capture his first Whitney Stakes since 1993.

2) V.E. Day – Trainer James Jerkens has run V.E. Day two times over the Saratoga oval, and two times they have won. This four-year-old son of English Channel is another entry that has been working lights out in preparation for the Whitney. Following an unsuccessful outing over the Belmont turf course in May, V.E. Day returned to his preferred surface in June and was just held off by the much improved Coach Inge. Expect jockey Junior Alvarado to have him up closer to the pace and ready to pounce as the field turns for home.

The Nobles:

1) Honor Code – The fury this horse unleashed down the stretch in the Met Mile was a sight that will long live in the memory banks of racing fans everywhere. This four-year-old son of A.P. Indy has managed to find the winner’s circle in three of his last four starts. Trainer Chuck McGaughey retains the riding skills of the planet’s most gifted jockey in Javier Castellano. This will do nothing to hurt their chances, yet having to rely on a deep closer in such a talented field might be more than they can possibly overcome. Look for Honor Code to round out the exacta or trifecta play.

2) Noble Bird – It is difficult to knock a horse that has three firsts and one second since the latter part of March. This Mark Casse trained colt and son of Birdstone shook up Churchill Downs in his last outing as he powered to victory in the Stephen Foster. Noble Bird’s best performances have come when stalking the pace, and we will be expecting him to do just that up at Saratoga. Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan seems to get the very best from this colt, and he will be in the irons once again come Saturday.

3) Coach Inge – If there truly is such a thing as an athlete flying under the radar, then Coach Inge can certainly stake his claim as the poster boy. In seven starts that date back to December of last year, the four-year-old gelded son of Big Brown has registered four wins, a second, and two thirds. His signature victory came in the Brooklyn Invitational at Belmont Park, a race in which he defeated a talented field of ten that included V.E. Day. Jockey Irad Ortiz gets the call for the Todd Pletcher barn and the Repole Racing Stable.

The Knights:

1) Tonalist – Christophe Clement’s prized colt, and son of Tapit, has fallen out of favor with this handicapper. Back class alone lands him among our Knights, but his armor has recently been far from shining. Despite two solid second place finishes in his most recent starts, we will be expecting further regression from him here in the Whitney. John Velasquez will climb aboard for a third straight time, but this big-bodied beast is likely to get lost in the shuffle down on the inside. Off the board.

2) Lea – Trainer Bill Mott’s well-proven world traveler is another horse with oodles of back class to stand on. The six-year-old son of First Samurai has notched a second and third in his last two. He was runner-up to Noble Bird in the Stephen Foster, and fell in just behind Prince Bishop and California Chrome in the Dubai World Cup. This is a talented horse, but one who will show his wear this Saturday at Saratoga.

3) Wicked Strong –Wicked Strong has pieced together quite the remarkable career, and he is a colt that everyone loves to root for. The James Jerkens trained son of Hard Spun has looked to be somewhat out of form in recent outings, but he now returns to the site of some of his most memorable performances. Luis Saez gets the mount on Wicked Strong as the pair hopes to turn back the clock to the Jim Dandy victory in June of 2014. Look for him to round out the trifecta or superfecta play.

The Peasants:

1) Moreno – There are certain horses that handicappers have seen just about enough of, and the five-year-old gelded son of Ghostzapper is one of those horses. Trainer Eric Guillot is a difficult person to cheer for, and despite the horse’s raw talent, his best days have clearly come and gone. Moreno is likely to set a fast early pace and take them as far as he can go. Our hunch is that he begins to fade into obscurity just after he hits the far turn.

2) Normandy Invasion – Larry Jones trains this five-year-old son of Tapit that has spent 2015 training and running up at Delaware Park. He has raced just five times in two years, and his last two outings have each resulted in second place finishes, both against far lesser opponents than he meets here. He is deservingly the longest shot on the board, but in a field as loaded as this one, stranger things have happened.

The Madcapper’s Crusade

*Trifecta: 4,6/1,3,4,6,9/1,3,4,6,9

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