How to bet the Bolton Landing Stakes

Juvenile fillies will jaunt 5 1/2 panels on the Saratoga lawn in Sunday’s $150,000 Bolton Landing Stakes. The dash lacks a clear standout and appears to be an attractive betting opportunity with numerous interesting contenders in the field. 

Bolton Landing Wagers

• $25 win 4 Viggiedal ($25)
• 50-cent superfecta key 4 with 2,6,7 with 2,6,7 with all ($15)

#4 Viggiedal (9-2) will make her turf debut in the heat and should take to the lawn for Steve Asmussen. 

By good young sire Vekoma, the $350,000 two-year-old purchase was a fine debut winner on the Churchill main oval June 14 and was sent postward as the favorite in the subsequent Schuylerville S. at Saratoga. In that dash, the gray forced the rapid early pace before retreating late, but she bounced back with a trio of morning moves in the interim, including a pair on the turf over the Oklahoma training green. I expect the Kentucky-bred to be prominent from the opening bell with Jose Ortiz in the silks. 

#2 Mighty Eriu (5-2) outran her 50-1 odds when runner-up in the Queen Mary (G2) at Royal Ascot two back prior to registering an unplaced finish in the Duchess of Cambridge (G2) at Newmarket in her latest venture. 

The Irish-bred bay is still a maiden, but she has a good turn of foot and is a key exotics contender in her first start for trainer Brendan Walsh. Flavien Prat will guide the import and have her making a run in the stretch. 

Debut winner #6 Lady Orient (7-2) overcame a slow break to rally for a game victory at Ellis Park in her unveiling for Tom Amoss and looks like a promising prospect. 

The Liam’s Map filly was bet down to favoritism, and she should move forward in her second race. The $170,000 yearling purchase has put in two turf breezes on the Oklahoma in advance of the affair and picks up Tyler Gaffalione. 

#7 Yesterday (6-1) is another exotics contender that I will dabble with, mostly out of curiosity. 

The George Weaver trainee finished sixth in a turf route on the course in a maiden event at first asking, and she cuts back in distance while moving up to the stakes ranks in this spot. The American Pharoah filly was well backed in her first appearance, and picking up top pilot Irad Ortiz Jr. is another positive.