WHITNEY LOOKS BETTER THAN A BARBECUE SANDWICH
So what makes a good barbecue sandwich?…Well of course it is all those tasty ingredients. The Whitney Stakes at Saratoga on August 7 has plenty to offer any hungry horse racing fan. A grade 1 race that is flat loaded, this five horse field may be as talented as any you have ever seen. Let’s take a look at the ingredients of what could be the best sandwich of the season.
First up we have the pulled pork and that comes in the form of Knicks Go (6-5 morning line). Perhaps as fast out of the gate as any runner in the game today, trainer Brad Cox makes no bones about the game plan here. The meat is going on the bun straight off the grill in what should be a catch me if you can scenario. His fabulous runs in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, Pegasus World Cup, and Cornhusker were proof positive he deserves to be the morning line favorite here.
Of course you can’t have a sandwich without some bread. Our sesame seed bun is none other than Maxfield (8-5 morning line). Toasted to perfection, this once beaten son of Street Sense has one of the most powerful strides in the sport. The front end speed could set things up nicely for this Brendan Walsh trained four-year old. Coming in off a stellar win in the Stephen Foster, Maxfield has continued to improve after an injury plagued three year old season.
Any good sandwich has to have that tasty sauce. The sweet heat here is Silver State (4-1 morning line). Trained by Steve Asmussen, this son of Hard Spun is four for four this year including an ultra-impressive win in the Met Mile in his last start. Having won his last six races, Silver State has been nothing short of finger-licking good.
The special ingredient that can really put your Sammy over the top is the coleslaw. It adds a little crunch and sweetness to accentuate the smoky goodness. That fast female Swiss Skydiver (6-1 morning line) represents the slaw here as she makes things a little more special. A win against the boys in last October’s Preakness Stakes told us she is fully capable of anything. Her seven lifetime wins have come at six different tracks and we know this daughter of Daredevil gives trainer Kenny McPeek a real chance any time he saddles her.
The best way to top off this delightful Dagwood is of course some dill pickles. The perfect accoutrement here is none other than By My Standards (10-1 morning line). Having finished second in the race a year ago, this son of Goldencents comes in as the longest shot in the field even though he has over $2.2 million in career earnings. Trainer Brett Calhoun has this four-year old ready for a big effort. And like a good, crunchy dill pickle, By My Standards has the goods to steal the show.
Superb ingredients put together usually makes for a tasty treat. Those that love to eat may not find a better sandwich until the Breeders’ Cup. Like the t-shirt says…”back a horse and get paid”.
Maxfield was powerful in his Stephen Foster win back in June
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