Padding Your Bankroll for Wednesday August 20

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 weather in Saratoga should be glorious this week for the Travers Festival. There are four graded stakes on Saturday’s card including the $1 million Travers Stakes (G1), the premier race of the Spa meeting.

There are two stakes on today’s card including the $150,000 Albany Stakes for New York bred three year olds.

The race is the third leg of the OTB Big Apple Triple. Tin Cup Chalice won the first two legs and would pick up a cool $250,000 bonus if the undefeated gelding can win the Albany.

The Albany is the second leg of today’s Late Pick 3 play.

Saratoga Late Pick 3 Play:

Starting in Race 8: $2: 4,7 / 5,6 / 1,2,4,8 = $32

SAR Race 8 Bennington S. (4:55 et)

#4 Be Golden, #7 City Bird

#4 Be Golden is coming off back to back sharp scores in Kentucky and tries stakes company for the first time here. The filly went gate to wire last out to beat optional claimers. The filly owns a solid pace profile throughout and while she steps into a tougher spot she looks like she can move forward off her last two starts and we should catch a fair price on this gal in this spot.

#7 City Bird was a much the best winner last out against Alw-1 company, drawing clear to win by 7 1/2 lengths. She makes her third start of her current form cycle here for Dutrow barn.

SAR Race 9 Albany S. (5:30 et)

#5 Icabad Crane, #6 Tin Cup Chalice

#5 Icabad Crane was badly outrun in the Belmont last out but that is really his only poor effort so far in his career. The colt made a good late rally to win the Tesio three back at today's nine furlong distance and followed that up with a third in the Preakness behind Big Brown and Macho Again. The colt should get a good pace set up here if our second and third choices hook up early.

#6 Tin Cup Chalice can earn a $250K bonus by taking this race, the third leg of the OTB Big Apple Triple. The gelding is undefeated in six career starts although five of them came at his home track at Finger Lakes. There was nothing wrong with his lone start on the big circuit, a win in the Mike

Lee going seven furlongs. Faces tough here and may not have things easy in the early going. The extra ground and the likely short price are the main drawbacks on this guy.

SAR Race 10 OClm $30,000N2X (6:04 et)

#2 Absolute Heaven, #8 Bella Attrice, #4 Junkanoo Party, #1 Stormy Relations

#2 Absolute Heaven returns off a two-month break for Motion barn that is 22% winners with horses coming back off a 46-90 day break. Last out the filly set the early fractions and could not hold off Nehantic Cat late, coming up a head shy of the top spot. The winner came back to beat Alw-1 foes in her next outing on 8/6 here. The sixth place finisher Cagey Girl was also a next out winner, taking a Alw-2 optional claimer on 7/28 here. Motion is having a quiet meeting here (2 for 21) after winning seven turf races here last summer.