Odds & Picks at Saratoga August 22-23: Fourstardave Handicap & Diana Stakes

• A pair of grade one races highlight this weekend’s action at Saratoga
• The Fourstardave Handicap on Saturday is a Breeders Cup Win and You’re in race
• Canada’s Horse of the Year Starship Jubilee faces a serious challenge in Sunday’s Diana Stakes

A pair of turf races take center stage at Saratoga Saturday and Sunday. Both the Fourstardave Handicap and Diana Stakes have drawn strong fields. With competition comes options, and more contenders mean significant betting value is available.

Named for “The Sultan of Saratoga,” Fourstardave won a race or more at the Spa every year from 1984 to 1987. Fifteen of his 21 career victories came on the turf, and hence the race named in his honor is a one mile event on the sod. Got Stormy and Uni, who split two races at Saratoga last year, and are among the top horses in the division highlight a strong group of nine.

After winning Saratoga’s Ballston Spa Stakes last time out, 2019 Canadian Horse of the Year Starship Jubilee returns to the track Sunday in the Diana Stakes. She’ll have to contend with two horses she narrowly beat in the Ballston Spa including 2018 Champion Turf Female Sistercharlie. The red hot Mean Mary, and five-time grade one winner Rushing Fall are also scheduled to run.

Let’s look closer at the two races and see where a thoughtful bet might be made.

2020 Fourstardave Handicap Odds

All odds taken August 20

The Fourstardave will be run on the inner turf course at Saratoga. The winner will receive a berth in the Breeders Cup Mile. Post time is scheduled for 5:46 pm EST. The race will be televised on Fox Sports 2.

Contenders

Uni finished third in this race last year, behind Got Stormy and Raging Bull. She responded by winning a grade one race at Keeneland and then taking the Breeders Cup Mile.

A winner of 10 out of 19 career races, Uni finished third in her lone start this year, the Just a Game Stakes June 27 at Belmont Park. She has one win in three tries at The Spa. At her best she is the reasonable favorite, but she must improve on her last effort in order to win this heat. Uni is trained by top turf conditioner Chad Brown. He has three other horses going in the Fourstardave too.

Got Stormy won this race last year and is two for two at Saratoga. She was the runner up to Uni in the Breeders Cup Mile, but things have not gone well since.

In 2020 Got Stormy has yet to win in four tries and has finished fourth on three occasions. Trainer Mark Casse insists if she gets a good firm surface the five-year-old will be just fine.

Raging Bull is as consistent as they get. He’s always in the mix and has a couple of grade one victories on his resume. He took May’s Shoemaker Mile after eight months off.

Raging Bull finished third last time out in July’s Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland. He is two for three at Saratoga.

Halladay won back-to-back lesser races at Gulfstream Park in April and May before finishing fourth, and not having the best trip in Saratoga’s Bernard Baruch Handicap last month.

Without Parole was third in the Breeders Cup Mile but has run 11th, third and fourth in three grade one tries this year.

Analysis

While Raging Bull is strong, getting the Breeders Cup winner Uni at +350 presents value. While we normally would jump at that, Got Stormy at +450 is really tempting too. You can go either way with it. Uni is the more likely winner, but horses who can win at a price don’t grow on trees.

Pick: Got Stormy (+450)

2020 Diana Stakes Odds

While not numerous, The Diana has an incredibly strong field of older fillies ready to go a-mile-and-an-eighth on the turf. Run since 1939, The Diana is named for the mythological goddess Diana. Sistercharlie is seeking to become the first-ever three-time winner of the event. Post time is 5:18 pm EST with television coverage on Fox Sports 1.

Favorites

Seven-year-old Starship Jubilee has won four straight and six of her last seven races. She has 18 career victories and she’s coming off a win at Saratoga last month.

It is hard to knock how well Starship Jubilee is running, but she has participated in only two grade one races, both were in Canada, and she won one of them. She has a big chance in The Diana, but at the price we’re looking elsewhere.

Sistercharlie has won this event in back-to-back years and put together a six-race winning streak before finishing third in November’s Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

Her season debut was a lackluster third behind Starship Jubilee at Saratoga last month. She should be sharper second off a layoff and has never lost three races in a row.

Rushing Fall was just behind Sistercharlie in this race last year and is going good right now. After an eight-month layoff she won the grade three Beaugay Stakes at Belmont Park June 3 and followed it up with a grade one victory last month at Keeneland.

Rushing Fall has 10 wins in 13 career starts and she’ll be tough to beat if she can repeat her effort from last time out.

Mean Mary is the kid of this group. She’s three for three this year and five for seven in her career. She ran perhaps her best career race last time out at Belmont Park.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-OV5Mx8GNg

While The Diana is a step up in class for Mean Mary, she has been dominating her competition and it is time to see how she fares against the top horses in her division.

Analysis

This race is filled with classy horses. The price on Starship Jubilee is surprisingly reasonable. Sistercharlie is coming off a forgettable try, and Mean Mary is trying deeper waters. There is no doubt Rushing Fall is in good form, but there are better bets than him as a tepid favorite.

Pick: Starship Jubilee (+550)