The pick below is yours free from the Wizard.
Saratoga
Race 7 Post time 3:21 ET
(3) LEGEND OF TIME
TURF ONLY SELECTION. Trainer Charles Appleby has been an almost unstoppable force over the last several years in many of the top American turf graded stakes, consistently shipping over European horses who are perfectly spotted and perfectly trained for success at the highest levels in this country. Legend of Time became another of those Appleby success stories when he overcame a bad start and a troubled trip to win the G2 Pennine Ridge at 1-1/8 miles on May 25. In that race, Legend of Time stumbled at the start and rated in last most of the way. He steadied when trying to advance on the far turn, steadied again trying to advance in upper stretch, and finally found some racing room nearing the eighth pole. When he did, Legend of Time came through between horses 2-wide, dug in resolutely, and then ran down leader White Palomino as he pleased, gobbling up ground through a powerful final furlong in :11-2/5. Off that visually impressive victory, where Legend of Time was much the best, he was favored again in the G1 Belmont Derby on July 6, which offered Legend of Time an additional 1/16 of a mile to flatter his closing kick. However, this time Legend of Time had even more severe traffic trouble, as well as a pedestrian pace in front of him, and the result was that he was a tough-luck loser. He was completely blocked down inside for almost all of the final 3 furlongs of the race, and when he finally found some racing room in deep stretch, it was much too late, especially given the fast late pace after the mild early pace. The pace today projects to be honest, if not fast, and I think that jockey William Buick won’t get his mount blocked down on the inside again after the trip cost him a possible win last time out. Legend of Time continues to train very well, with a fast turf work on July 26, and he’s also shown that he loves turf with some ‘give’ to it, which is expected today.