Scully: Singling Asmussen firster in Pick 3 play

Saturday’s 12-race program at Saratoga features a pair of graded stakes, the Alfred Vanderbilt (G1) for sprinters and Jim Dandy (G2) for three-year-olds, but I will focus upon a Pick 3 sequence carded between the main events.

My Pick 3 single comes in the seventh race, a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight for two-year-olds. 

Steve Asmussen likes to point win-early juveniles to Saratoga. He sent out three debut winners in 2023, including Risk It and Valentine Candy on big weekends, and #10 Tiztastic (6-1) will make his first start for the Hall of Fame trainer.

Asmussen was bullish on his two-year-old roster earlier this season. After winning a maiden event late in the Keeneland meet, he captured eight maiden races with youngsters during the spring meet at Churchill Downs. 

Tiztastic, a dark bay colt from the first crop of 2020 Belmont (G1) and Travers (G1) winner Tiz the Law, came along too late for Churchill, recording consecutive five-furlong workouts in late June/early July, and he shows up Saturday with fast drills in tow.

Out of the unraced Keesha, a half sister to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint runner-up Shumoos, Tiztastic counts sprint stakes winner Interpolate as a half sister. He’s bred to be fast, and the maiden test does not appear loaded with promising types like last year; eventual Preakness (G1) winner Seize the Grey won the same race in 2023. 

I like Tiztastic to prove best on the front end with Tyler Gaffalione. 

Here is my Pick 3 ticket and thoughts on the remaining legs.

• $5 Pick 3 part-wheel (races 7-9): 10 with 1,4 with 2,3,4,5 ($40)

Race 8: #1 Scarlet Poppy (2-1) debuted with a good fourth in a possible key race at Keeneland but got away a little sluggishly when cutting back to a sprint last time, eventually settling for second. The three-year-old filly figures to send from her innermost post with Flavien Prat. 

#4 Arrasou (7-2) will finally get to turf after opening her career with a couple of placings in off-the-turf events; she looks dangerous with Irad Ortiz Jr.

Race 9: I’m against the top two choices on the morning line, opting to spread four-deep in a competitive entry-level turf allowance for three-year-olds.

#3 Navy Seal (5-1) is my top choice. A well-regarded turf stakes performer for Aidan O’Brien last season, Navy Seal’s recent form has been dirtied by three consecutive starts on dirt or synthetics, and I will give the well-bred Dubawi colt the edge with first-time Lasix.

#2 Main Beach (5-1), a last-out maiden scorer for Chad Brown, will be included along with #4 Time Song (10-1) and #5 Moonlight (15-1).