The Jim Dandy Stakes 2024
Saturday is Jim Dandy Day at Saratoga and the card at Del Mar is nothing to sneeze at either. We should see some exciting racing and get a clearer picture of the male three-year olds and how they are truly stacking up.
In the Jim Dandy we have what looks to be a showdown between Sierra Leone and Fierceness.
We will have another strong favorite in Skelly in the Alfred Vanderbilt.
In The Jim Dandy Sierra Leone will never see a better set up pace wise than he will get Saturday, at least on paper. The entire field with him as the exception has speed and wants to be on or near the lead. He is truly the only closer and his stretch run should be enough to get him past Fierceness who even if he stalks and pounces will be entertained at the least when he tries to pass the speed. That in my view figures to soften him up enough for Sierra Leone who may even just be better than him on the square. Fierceness has never won a fight, and he may have to if he is going to win Saturday.
In the Vanderbilt Skelly will look to go wire to wire and in fairness he did break slowly in his last two which didn’t help. He is one of the best and fastest sprinters around and is very consistent. That said he runs hard every time, and you must ask how many do those types that don’t turn off have in them. Between that, the short price, and the presence of enough other early speed on paper I must give the edge to either Nakotomi or up and coming Subrogate to beat him. Subrogate will get the jump on Nakotomi and depending on how the track is playing that might decide things.
Out west at Del Mar we have the Grade 1 Bing Crosby. I think the remarkable “The Chosen Vron” may finally lose a race. He catches an excellent field and a very fast comebacker in Jackstown who has one under the belt. Jackstown projects to get an excellent stalking trip unless Juan Hernandez elects to put him right on the lead. I think he is fast enough to win this either way.
The San Diego gives us the return of Arabian Knight. He could be one of the better if not the best older horse in the division. We will find out more Saturday. An interesting alternative could be the stretching out Dr. Venkman. This horse has run four outstanding sprints and now stretches out to two turns and a mile and a sixteenth. He is bred for nothing but distance and is second off the bench, so he has one back under the belt. That might make the difference.
Don’t miss our latest episode of Saratoga Saturday, Jim Dandy day, week 3 brought to you by AmWager on Past the Wire TV!