The promotions have been plentiful to start the summer at 1/ST BET and Xpressbet and the love continues this week with a pair of promotions centered around the big summer meets. I will have a blog on the Bing Crosby Day Hit & Split on Saturday morning, but first will dive into a simple, no brainer promotion that starts Thursday and continues until Sunday. Just Bet $100+ each at Saratoga and Del Mar on Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday and earn a $20 bonus. This makes the maximum bonus a solid $80 over the course of the promotion, all just for wagering on many of the day’s best races. Here are a few runners on Saturday I plan to center my wagering around in upstate New York and “Where the Turf Meets the Surf”.

Saratoga Race 7

This MSW for 2YOs at 6-furlongs over the main track features a number of well-bred fillies for big name barns making their first career start. I am hopeful they take a good deal of money because they will have to perform well at first asking to beat second-time starter #4 Vajra. The Vekoma filly was bet down to 2-1-favoritism on debut at Churchill Downs in late June for trainer Rodolphe Brisset and battled throughout down on the inside before giving way mid-stretch. Brisset is just 2 for 27 with 2YOs debuting in dirt sprints over the last two years, so I don’t want to hold the performance against this gal. Especially since he is an eye-popping 6 for 13 with those making their second career start with an ROI of $2.74. Needless to say, major improvement should be expected for the $150k Keeneland September 2024 purchase.

Play: #4 Vajra (5-2 ML)

Saratoga Race 11

The runners that have competed on the turf thus far in this two-turn state-bred MSW event over the lawn have done little to impress, so I will look to a fresh face in the first half of the late Double. #3 Off Script has lost as the public choice in four consecutive starts sprinting on the dirt to kick off her career. Three of those came a year ago under the care of trainer Chad Brown and most recently the Instagrand filly came back off the layoff and disappointed at Horseshoe Indianapolis for new conditioner Will Walden. Walden has pulled all the right strings in 2025 winning with 21 of his 85 starters to date and 2 of 4 thus far at the Saratoga summer meeting and opts to move this $200k Saratoga August 2023 purchase to the sod for the first time. It is slightly concerning that Off Script has not tried the grass yet, since she has significant grass influence on the dam side, including being out of a Cosmonaut mare that earned over $188k on the lawn throughout her 19-race career. However, I am willing to give her a shot nonetheless against this bunch. The inside draw and presence of red-hot Irad Ortiz Jr. only help this filly’s cause. Hopefully, she takes to the surface switch like her mother did.

Play: #3 Off Script (9-2 ML)

Del Mar Race 10: Bing Crosby (G1)
A fun edition of the Bing Crosby headlines the best card of the summer thus far at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. The pace should be honest in this 6-furlong dash over the main track with #3 Hejazi, #5 World Record, #6 Roll on Big Joe, and #7 Mbagnick all wanting to be on or right off the early lead. This should set things up beautifully for #2 Dr. Venkman. The son of Ghostzapper has failed to win either of his first two starts off the bench, but those defeats came to the mighty Nysos and with a less-than-ideal voyage at Churchill Downs when he was turned away by Roll on Big Joe in the Kelly’s Landing (G3). The Mark Glatt trainee has to prove he has not lost a step in 2025, but I think he does just that with an off the pace victory under Antonio Fresu in the first Grade 1 event of the meet.

Play: #2 Dr. Venkman

Good luck!