Padding Your Bankroll on Friday August 22

National horse racing handicapper Michael Dempsey will attempt to pad his bankroll and yours with his daily column. He will feature at least one Pick 3 or Pick 4 play from a major track along with coverage of major stakes races, longshots, and he will keep you up to date on what is happening on the circuits he covers.

The feature on Friday’s card at Saratoga is the $400,000 Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) for fillies and mares at 1 ¼ miles.

The race drew seven runners, with six horse betting interests as Ginger Punch and Spring Waltz will be a coupled entry.

Ginger Punch is the 4/5 morning line favorite. The Bobby Frankel trainee comes into the race with a three-race win streak, her last victory coming over the main track at Saratoga in the Go For Wand (G1). She will have to handle an extra furlong today and has not been the distance.

Her main rival is Unbridled Belle, who won the Delaware Handicap (G2) at the distance last year. She is the lone runner in the field that has a victory at 1 ¼ miles.

The race is the middle leg in today’s Late Pick 3 play, which could come up chalky. We are going to count on Unbridled Belle getting the job done as we are going to single her on our $24 ticket.

Today's Play of the Day from Saratoga:

SAR Race 2 Md Sp Wt (1:33 et)
#2 Concorde's Dance 5/2
#7 Dynaslew 9/2
#1 Platinum Girl / #1a Weekend Strike 3/1
#6 Dream Express 5/1

Analysis: #2 Concorde's Dance raced evenly last out in a fourth place finish in the slop in her debut. She figures to move forward with a race under her belt and the switch to turf. She is by Concorde's Tune (10% first turf) out of the Danzig stakes winner Polish Holiday ($131K), who has dropped four winners, three on turf, top earner Holiday Trip ($160K).

#7 Dynaslew makes her debut for Mott barn that has really struggled this year at the meet (2 for 45) after being leading trainer here last summer where he won with six first time starters. The filly is by Dynaformer (15% first turf) out of a stakes winning Seattle Slew mare, her first foal to race.

Wagering
WIN: #2 to win at 2/1 or better.
EX: 2,7 / 1,2,6,7
TRI: 2,7 / 1,2,6,7 / 1,2,6,7,10,11

Saratoga Late Pick 3 Play:

Starting in Race 8: $2: 2,4,8 / 5 / 1,3,5,6 = $24

SAR Race 8 OClm $50,000N2X (4:55 et)
#8 Duchess Royale, #4 Caprice, #2 Viva La Flag

#8 Duchess Royale stalked the early pace and faded to finish seventh last out in the G3 Orchid back in March and returns to the allowance ranks here for her first go off nearly a five month break. Two back in her U.S. debut she was a good third, beaten 3/4 of a length for the top spot. That was a solid group of runners she caught that day. In good hands with Clement barn that is 26% winners with horses coming back off a 61-180 day break.

#4 Caprice finished well for third last out in her U.S. debut at Del Park. She was blocked in traffic briefly in the stretch and came up 1 1/2 lengths short. The winner of that race was Ziggly, who beat Alw-3 foes here on 8/16.