Saratoga Racing Tips: Silken Dollar to land the cash

Saratoga 22:05: Silken Dollar 1pt win at 3/1 or better

The first thing to note about this allowance contest on the dirt is the apparent lack of pace in the race and that could hand a big tactical advantage to Silken Dollar, who has plenty of early speed and goes up to a mile for the first time.

Richard Schosberg's daughter of Central Banker has only run once on dirt in four starts and that came on debut, where she showed some early foot before fading in the slop.

Her other three outings have all come on the turf, including a win at Belmont in May, but her pedigree is very much that of a dirt performer and I suspect she'll have no trouble switching back to the main track.

The early speed she possesses could well be a potent weapon, too, particularly in the hands of Luis Saez, who I expect to be aggressive from what should prove a good draw in stall 2, and I expect him to play catch me if you can from an early stage.

Of the opposition, the one that may provide the main threat is Sunset Louise, who is still open to progression after just three starts and shaped as if in need of the run when returning from a six-month break at this track last time.

Whether she quite has the pace to lay up with Silken Dollar early doors remains to be seen and I'm hoping that Luis Saez can dictate things from the front on our selection.