--Some guy at the Siro's seminar came up to me after we were done with the card to tell me that he thought Private Lap in the first had been sent here merely as a travelling companion for Diabolical and the horse should be pitched from consideration. Private Lap ($11.00) won a four-way photo by a neck over 38-1 Wood Winner, who I noticed after the race was 1-for-1 at the nine-furlong distance in a race where he earned his career-best Beyer.
--Nick Zito picked up where he left off last year (six debut winners) taking the baby race in the second with first-timer War Pass($15.80), a $180k Cherokee Run yearling from an old Claiborne Farm broodmare line. War Pass broke last in the field of 11 but rushed up to outduel favored Globalization in 21.98 and 45.02 before pulling away by 2 3/4 lengths over 18-1 Mott firster Commandeered in 1:10.26,
--If you liked the sixth race at Churchill Downs June 13, you're probably having a good Saratoga. Warn, the runner-up in that maiden grass race, returned to win the grass maiden race here opening day, and the winner, Thorn Song, came right back to take today's N1x third at 22-1. That mythical $6300 ticket of a 10x10x7x9 $1 pick-four play mentioned last night is still alive and just might pay the requisite $12,601 to show a profit before withholding taxes. It needs a 1234569/123456781012 to get home.
Oh wait. It just died. Fresh Episode, one of my only two throwouts in the fourth, just won at 47-1. Oh well. The nice thing about making mind bets is that all you can lose is your mind.
