The last four Pick 3 pools on Saratoga’s card last Friday drew more than $100,000. Will history repeat itself this Friday, Aug. 8? It’s worth playing the $1 wager to find out. We’ll focus on a Pick 3 with the Grade 2 $300,000 Ballston Spa Stakes in the middle of the action.

SAR 7th race (4:39 p.m. EST) -- Go deep in this wide-open Maiden Special Weight turf mile with a $100,000 purse. APALTA, a $525,000 sales buy, stretches out off a useful debut sprint for trainer Todd Pletcher, who won with three MSW turf routers in less than a month at the current meet. SALAMIS was bumped wide into the first turn and recovered to finish third in a ‘triple key’ seasonal debut at Keeneland four months ago. He finished between three rivals who won MSW turf routes next out, two with 81 Beyers. His dam, Antonoe, was 4-for-10 on the grass with a Grade 3 win in France and a Grade 1 victory at Belmont that pushed her bankroll over $500,000. He moves from post 10 to post 2, but will need some pace flow. PERRETTI handled a change to front-end tactics in his second U.S. start last fall, leading to the stretch from post 12 in a race that produced two follow-up winners and a runner-up who posted a 95 Beyer in defeat. PRAIRIEDALE and ROYAL PRESENCE, among several entrants returning off long layoffs, are worth using on the Pick 3 ticket at a price. PRAIRIEDALE hasn’t raced since he debuted two years ago, when he passed seven rivals with a wide stretch run to finish fourth. He is working forwardly, gets Irad Ortiz Jr. to ride and gets Lasix. ROYAL PRESENCE “climbed some into kickback” in a turf-to-dirt debut at Saratoga last fall in which the top pair eventually posted 1-2 finishes in Grade 3 company. He lacked stretch kick in a well-bet follow-up try on the Aqueduct lawn, now makes his seasonal debut for Mott, who strikes at 24-percent with first-time blinkers added. (If the race is moved to the main track, use #9 Duration as a solo play.)

SAR 8th race (5:12 p.m. EST) -- BE YOUR BEST set a fast pace and drew away on the turn in the 1-1/8-mile Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita to become the lone entrant in today’s featured $300,000 Ballston Spa (G-2) with a Grade 1 victory in North America. She is cross-entered in a Grade 2 event at Colonial Downs tomorrow and her presence – or absence – will alter the complexion of this speed-laden turf route. Use her on the ticket if she runs, but lean toward two better-priced options in the Pick 3. WHISKEY DECISION slipped through a rail opening on soft footing at Monmouth Park to win the Grade 3 Eatontown off a seven-month layoff. She continued strong on the gallop out and could improve in her second start for trainer Chad Brown. OZARA finished 2-1/4 lengths behind WHISKEY DECISION but can turn the tables in here. She was a bit fractious in the gate, settled in last in the six-horse field, made a bold 4-wide sweep to join the leaders for the stretch drive and finished third. She came back to win the $135,000 De La Rose Stakes to go 2-for-2 at Saratoga, finishing 1-1/5 seconds faster than split-division winner DEEP SATIN, who is lower odds on the morning line.

SAR 9th race (5:45 p.m. EST) -- UNCLE JIM won 3 of his first 6 starts before he was roughed up off the claim and finished last for a $100,000 tag. He gets class relief in his first short sprint try and, if needed, showed a passing gear in his debut victory. THREE B’S brushed the side stall, then leaned in on a rival at the break, but recovered to finish second as the favorite to a speedy, runaway class dropper. He steps up for his new connections today. STORM THE STREETS fell a head short of three consecutive 6F wins on a tour of Kentucky tracks recently and lures Irad Ortiz Jr. to ride. CONSIDER IT DONE showed marked improvement in winning his first two starts off the claim for trainer Linda Rice in the spring and merits a second look despite a dull allowance try last out.

Suggested $1 Pick 3
SAR 7th Race: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 (add #9 as MTO)
SAR 8th Race: 1, 2, 3 (add #10 as MTO)
SAR 9th Race: 1, 2, 4, 6
Cost: $60