NAP of the Day: Irish Guineas 2000 Horse can win over at Saratoga

With our usual UK Horse Racing team either on annual leave or busy with other work, we’ve asked our US Racing guy to step in and take over the Nap of the Day column for Friday and Saturday.

He takes a look at a Grade III over at Saratoga for Friday's selection, where a horse UK fans will have seen this year has shipped over and has a great chance of taking the win…

The Grade III Saranac Stakes is the top race on the bill Stateside this evening and is carded as the sixth race at Saratoga (20:20 UK time) and will take place over 1 1/16 miles on the turf. This small field of seven could well turn out to be a very interesting one later on today.

It should be noted that this is an Extra Place Race, with Betfred paying out three places on each-way bets rather than the usual two, so one to consider studying closely.

*You can of course check out the Saratoga 20:20 Odds and Card over at betfred.com, where the race will be priced-up closer to Post Time.

We have three primary contenders, one who is stepping-up in company and class but has looked very strong against State Bred competition up in New York, another who has looked stronger with every race coming in from a top barn with a first-rate trainer and then we have our pick for the NAP of the Day, a shipper from Ireland who was purchased for $380,000 after he raced and finished fifth in the Irish 2000 Guineas on May 25 and sent over to Brad Cox’s stable.

That horse is the three-year-old Take Me To Church who is undoubtedly the biggest wildcard in this race. Going off as a 40/1 shot in the aforementioned Irish 2000 Guineas, he went to the front before weakening in the final furlong but certainly showed there was more than enough there to pay a good sum of money for.

Previously he had enjoyed a three-race win streak across the end of 2023 and beginning of 2024 including a very impressive performance at Naas back in March. The raw tools are clearly there and when you put him in the hands of a trainer such as Brad Cox, you are expecting a step-forward.

We are expecting him to go off as the third-favourite here though, as the traders will have a tough time evaluating exactly how good he is and could be compared to the more known quantities in the field.

Cox will also send out West Hollywood, who has already tasted victory at the Spa, winning an Allowance back in late July with a fine Equibase Speed Figure of 101. Plenty to like about him including premier bloodlines as he was sired by Uncle Mo. You’d expect him to be the betting favourite come Post Time.

The Big Torpedo also put up a 101 last-time out winning at this track but that saw a significant improvement of what we’ve seen before. I’m always wary of one-hit wonders - particularly on the turf - so I’d not be able to back him at anything like the 5/2 on the Morning Line.

I’m plumping for Take Me To Church as you have to be excited by the raw tools that he has at his disposal and Cox is a mighty-fine trainer. It is not the easiest US debut here but he’ll be wearing blinkers for the first time and if he can get out of the gate clean, expect the US new-boy to be competing at the very front of the race.

*For the latest odds and Race Cards for all Today's Horse Races, head on over to betfred.com

The Morning Line has him priced-up at 7/2 and if we can get that when the market gets priced up locally, more than happy to take my chances at a decent number.

You can check out all of our NAP of the Day articles on that section of Betfred Insights...