As the summer wears on, the horse racing at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York gets hotter and hotter. This Saturday’s race card at that iconic race track features a pair of major graded events.

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The first is a sprint on dirt for some up and coming juveniles. The featured event on that card is a major graded turf race with an attractive prize purse on the line.

2021 Saratoga Special Picks

When: Saturday, August 14th 2021

Where: Saratoga Race Course

Presented by Miller Lite, this Grade 2 stakes race features two-year old Thoroughbreds covering 6½ furlongs in a sprint on the dirt track at Saratoga. The total prize purse for this year’s event has been set at $200,000.

Top Choice

Horse Racing Nation has listed nine juveniles as probable for Saturday’s race as the official field continues to take shape. All eyes should be on trainer Steve Asmussen’s Gunite as the highest- rated colt in the field by HRN at 5.73.

The son of Gun Runner placed first in a recent Maiden Special Weight race at Churchill Downs on June 26. He covered six furlongs on dirt in 1:10.10. This followed a pair of finishes in the money in two other MSW events at Churchill this past spring.

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2021 Saratoga Special Trifecta Bet

My second choice for Saturday’s sprint would be High Oak, coming off a victory in a MSW race at Belmont Park on June 26. Trained by William Mott, this two-year old Kentucky-bred colt carries a 5.67 HRN rating early in his career. Sired by Gormley, he covered the 5½ miles on dirt at Belmont is 1:06.34 in his only career race to date.

Rounding out my trifecta bet for this year’s Saratoga Special is trainer Todd Pletcher’s Midnight Worker. This two-year old colt is also coming off an impressive victory his first time out. He ran six furlongs on the dirt at Saratoga on July 24 to win a MSW event. His winning time was 1:11.92.

2021 Fourstardave Handicap Picks

When: Saturday, August 14th 2021

Where: Saratoga Race Course

This Grade 1 stakes race is open to Thoroughbreds three and older. Covering a mile in distance on the turf at Saratoga, this year’s Fourstardave Handicap is offering a total prize purse of $500,000.

Top Choice

As this field for this race takes shape, HRN has identified six contenders as probable. Heading up the projected field is Raging Bull with a HRN rating of 7.22. Trained by Chad Brown, this six- year old veteran placed second in this year’s Grade 3 Poker Stakes at Belmont on June 20.

The son of Dark Angel is hoping to use this race as a gateway to this year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar in early November. He faded to fifth in last year’s Fourstardave after placing second in this race in 2019.

Win/Place/Show Horse Betting

2021 Fourstardave Handicap Trifecta Bet

Moving down the list, I like Daddy Is a Legend as my second choice if trainer George Weaver gives the six-year old mare a chance to run against the boys. Sired by Scat Daddy, she has placed in the money in her last two events, including a third-place run in the Grade 1 Just A Game Stakes at Belmont on June 5.

My third-place pick in this race would be trainer Mark Casse’s Got Stormy. Coming off a fade to fifth in the Grade 1 Jaipur Invitational at Belmont, this six-year old mare had won three of her previous five major graded events. She placed second in this race last year behind Halladay.

Read our expert guide on betting the Kentucky Derby.