Graded stakes plays for Sept. 7

A pair of Grade 1 tilts for juveniles will take place on opposite sides of the country on Labor Day.

Race 13 - Hopeful (G1)

A field of seven 2-year-old boys will travel 7 furlongs at Saratoga in the $250,000 test. There is a trio of prime win candidates in the field that are very hard to separate, but I will give a minor edge to second-time starter #5 Reinvestment Risk (8-5).

Trained by Chad Brown, the $280,000 son of Upstart was especially good on debut in a dominating and professional tally on the surface. Kentucky-bred bay closed with impressive energy while geared down in his first offering, and the March foal has come back with a trio of fine morning moves in the interim. Irad will retain the mount atop the exciting colt.

The Todd Pletcher-trained #3 Mutasaabeq (5-2) was one of the more visually impressive youngsters at the meeting in my opinion and wouldn’t be a surprise. I successfully tabbed #6 Jackie’s Warrior (7-5) to take the Saratoga Special (G2) for Asmussen, and the son of Maclean’s Music could easily be the one with even slight improvement.

Wager

• $20 Win: #5 Reinvestment Risk ($20)
• $5 Exacta Key Box: 5 with 3,6 ($20)

Race 10 - Del Mar Futurity (G1)

I loved the debut second by #5 Dixie’s Two Stents (3-1) and envision the juvenile to graduate at the highest level for conditioner Doug O’Neill. Bay son of Quality Road chased a game winner while in second throughout in that first offering and was more than five lengths clear of second in the process.

The bay Kentucky-bred drilled a bullet five-eights from the gate most recently to signal his readiness for his stakes bow. Mario Gutierrez has the assignment in the Del Mar closing-day feature.

Wager

• $40 Win #5 Dixie’s Two Stents ($40)