The Grade 1 $250,000 Forego

The Forego honors one of the great handicap horses of the 1970s. Forego was one of the first racing stars I remember seeing on my television when I was a very young racing fan. The race on Saturday will be run at seven furlongs at Saratoga and, of course, we will try to beat the favored Godolphin entry of Vineyard Haven and Girolamo. Here are the selections:

I really had a hard time separating my top two selections in this race, but I ended up going with #3 Big Drama based on the class of competition factor. Big Drama ran an excellent race when second to Majesticperfection in the Grade 1 Vanderbilt at Saratoga on August 8. He does have two previous wins at the seven furlong distance and both of the August workouts at Calder are strong. Eibar Coa has the riding assignment. For second, I will go with #4 Here Comes Ben, who is 12-1 on the morning line for this try. He has not run since June 25, but rolled off a three-race win streak before the break. All of those wins were at seven furlongs. However, this will be his first go with graded company and it is a very tough spot for him here. #6 Omniscient gets the third selection for me in the Forego. He picked up a win in an ungraded stakes race at Monmouth on August 1 and won the last two as a matter of fact. He is shortening up in distance off those wins, both of which were at 1 1/16 miles. Finally, I will use #8 Warrior's Reward, who is teaming back up with Julien Leparoux here. All three of the previous pairings were at seven furlongs and they ended up with two wins and a second. The colt is 0 for 2 at Saratoga, though, plus he has not raced since May 31. Here is the play for the Grade 1 $250,000 Forego:

$5 WP #3
$1 EX BOX 3-4-6-8
$1 TRI BOX 3-4-6-8
TOTAL- $46

Remember, They Are Off accepts no responsibility for any wagers placed in conjunction with these selections. They are merely suggestions. Tune in again next week for more from They Are Off. For right now, I am Gone... GOODBYE!