World news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Saturday at the Spa: Saratoga Race Course picks for Jim Dandy Day and two other graded stakes races
A racing tipster previews three graded stakes races at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday 1 August, offering betting picks for a day topped by the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes. The card also features the Grade 2 Saratoga Special Stakes for lightly raced two-year-olds and the Grade 3 Lake George Stakes for three-year-old fillies, making it a significant fixture on the summer racing calendar at "the Spa."
In the Saratoga Special (6½ furlongs, $250,000 purse), the tipster backs long-shot Uncle Kef (12-1) with top jockey Irad Ortiz. For the Lake George Stakes (one-and-one-sixteenth miles on turf, $225,000 purse), favourite pick is Deeper Learning (7-2), paired with Honfleur, Candy Moonshine and Time to Dream in exacta combinations. The Jim Dandy Stakes (one-and-one-eighth miles, $500,000 purse) is called a virtual four-horse race, with Commandment (6-5) tipped as the standout, having previously featured in a winning trifecta at the 2026 Belmont Stakes.
In short
- Tipster previews three Saratoga stakes races on Saturday 1 August
- Backs long-shot Uncle Kef in the Saratoga Special Stakes
- Favours Commandment to win the $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes
Explained simply
Saratoga Race Course, known as “the Spa”, is a major summer racing venue in New York. Graded stakes are races grouped by level, with Grade 1 the highest, followed by Grade 2 and Grade 3; they attract strong fields and can help shape horses’ reputations.
The Jim Dandy is a Grade 2 race for three-year-olds over a mile and an eighth. It is an important test for horses in that age group, while the Saratoga Special gives lightly raced two-year-olds a chance to compete over six and a half furlongs.
The card also includes the Lake George, a Grade 3 turf race for three-year-old fillies. Together, the three races offer different tests of age, distance and racing surface, making the meeting a notable part of Saratoga’s summer season.