Saratoga Race Course is set to host a day of racing on August 1, highlighted by three graded stakes races. The event features promising juveniles, talented turf runners, and top three-year-olds.
Saratoga Special Stakes
The day begins with the Grade 2 Saratoga Special Stakes, a 6½-furlong sprint on dirt for two-year-olds with a $250,000 purse. The race includes lightly raced colts, with #5 Uncle Kef (12-1 morning-line odds) being a potential longshot selection. Jockey Irad Ortiz, a top earner at Saratoga meets, is slated to ride Uncle Kef.
Uncle Kef has previously raced on a synthetic surface, breaking maiden on debut and finishing fifth in another start. The colt is expected to encounter early speed horses and betting favorites, with the potential to perform well in the closing stretch.
Lake George Stakes
Later, three-year-old fillies will compete in the Grade 3 Lake George Stakes, run at one-and-one-sixteenth miles on the inner turf course for a $225,000 purse. #8 Deeper Learning (7-2) is favored, with jockey Flavien Prat and trainer Chad Brown. Prat has a strong record with Deeper Learning, including a debut win at this distance last summer, where she earned a Beyer speed figure of 85.
Other contenders in the Lake George include #1 Honfleur (10-1), #3 Candy Moonshine (15-1), and #4 Time to Dream (5-1). Honfleur is noted for performing well on the Saratoga turf, while Candy Moonshine has shown strong past performances at the distance. Time to Dream has experience in graded stakes races and strong connections.
Jim Dandy Stakes
The Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes will headline the card, a one-and-one-eighth miles dirt race for three-year-olds with a $500,000 purse. The field is considered to be largely four contenders, with #2 Asked and Answered (30-1) being winless in six starts.
#5 Commandment (6-5) is the top pick for the Jim Dandy. The horse has a record of 4-1-0 in seven career starts and is 1-0 at the Jim Dandy distance. Commandment was part of a winning trifecta ticket at the 2026 Belmont Stakes at Saratoga.
