National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. exotics and Troy Daily Double

Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) hero and Kentucky Derby (G1) also-ran Tiz the Bomb headlines a nine-horse field of three-year-olds in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. (G2) on Friday at Saratoga.

Below we give you our best exotics plays for Race 8 on Friday’s card, including exacta, trifecta, and superfecta tickets for the one-mile event on Saratoga’s inner turf. Then we’ll highlight a few runners in Race 9, the Troy S. (G3), and build a Daily Double ticket with both stakes races.

#9 Tiz the Bomb (7-2) opened as the morning line favorite and drew a favorable outside post for trainer Kenny McPeek. The War Front grandson has placed ninth in back-to-back starts, in the 1 1/4-mile Belmont Derby (G3) on turf July 9 and the Kentucky Derby, raced at the same distance on dirt. Three back, Tiz the Bomb triumphed in the Jeff Ruby Steaks on Turfway Park’s Tapeta course, where he scored his only other win in 2022, in the John Battaglia Memorial S.

Julien Leparoux will get his first ride aboard Tiz the Bomb, who is 4-2-1-0 on the grass and clocked a 96 Brisnet Speed rating when finishing second to Modern Games in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Del Mar last November.

Tiz the Bomb ranks first in prime power (152.4) among the field, but his recent form is concerning.

#6 Ready to Purrform (9-2) could be in line for a slight upset after finishing third by 3 1/4 lengths to Annapolis in the Manila S. The chestnut colt was bumped early and finished just a half-length behind second-place finisher #7 Double Clutch (5-1), who re-opposes here. The Brad Cox pupil clocked 89 and 90 Brisnet Speed figures in his last two tries at one mile. He was a neck second to Joe in the James W. Murphy S. on the Preakness undercard in his first start of the season.

Cox is a 26% winner in graded stakes and a 21% winner with horses making their third start off a layoff. Joel Rosario will stay in the irons and has gone 75-17-12-8 this meet.

The aforementioned Double Clutch is another contender to potentially hit the board. The lightly raced three-year-old has one win, a second, and a third in three career races, all run at one mile on turf. Conditioner George Arnold is a 22% winner with horses making their second start off a layoff and a 14% winner in graded stakes and turf races. Manny Franco will ride back following his second-place finish in the Manila Stakes.

For the minor awards, #1 Chanceux (6-1) will break from the rail post for Todd Pletcher. He finished fourth last out in the Manila, 1 1/4 lengths behind Ready to Purrform.

Irad Ortiz Jr. will jump in the irons and has gone 4-for-14 with Pletcher over the last 14 days. However, Post 1 has a poor win percentage, and the Speightstown son’s speed figures rank poorly compared to others in the field.

Pletcher’s other runner, #3 Wit (4-1)  flashed impressive speed two back in the seven-furlong Bay Shore S. (G3) at Aqueduct and gets his first try on the grass under Jose Ortiz.

#4 Wow Whata Summer (20-1) could also pull off a surprise like the one he accomplished in the Penn Mile (G2) as an 83-1 longshot. The dark bay posted a 98 BRIS figure in the one-mile turf race, then came back down to earth in the 1 1/8-mile Kent S. (G3) at Delaware Park, where he finished fifth of seven with a 75 BRIS rating.

With rain in the forecast on Friday, the Summer Front gelding may get a soft track like the one he relished at Penn National.

#5 Stolen Base (8-1) also won two back in the 1 1/16-mile American Turf S. (G2) on the Kentucky Derby undercard before faltering to a 12th-place finish in the Belmont Derby. Flavien Prat will hop back in the saddle for trainer Mike Maker and has one win and a second, in the Bourbon S. at Keeneland, with the Bodemeister colt.

Hall of Fame S. exotics wagers

$5 exacta: 6 with 5 ,9 ($10)

$1 trifecta: 6, 9 with 5, 6, 9 with 1, 5, 6, 7, 9 ($12)

20-cent superfecta: 6, 9 with 5, 6, 9 with 1, 5, 6, 7, 9 with all ($14.40)

Daily Double with Race 9: Troy S. (G3), 5 1/2 furlongs on turf

Wesley Ward pupil #5 Golden Pal (1-2) got off to a slow start in the Kings Stand (G1) at Royal Ascot and finished last in a field of 16. The Uncle Mo colt has returned to the states, where he was last seen romping to a 4 3/4-length win in the Shakertown S. (G2) at Keeneland in April, flashing a 104 BRIS figure in the 5 1/2-furlong sprint. The four-year-old should get back to the winner's circle at Saratoga, where he's 2-for-2 for his career.

$4 Daily Double: 5, 6, 9/ 5 ($12)