Other examples of Saratoga's being the place to claim

To follow up on the post about Our Entourage -- I think Desert Storm, who was claimed for $50,000 last Wednesday, had some of the same characteristics and could also be classified as a "class" claim. When he was 3rd at Churchill in his debut last November, I remember track announcer Mark Johnson singling him out for looking very good in the final stages as he seemed to be figuring things out. He never quite flashed ability in the same way again, but could still be said to be a tease, and until trying turf in his 7th start, never was out of the money. After that July 29 allowance, his first against winners, Mott worked him twice, suggesting he came out of the race o.k.

 I think Mott and WinStar just gave up on him. I they just concluded he was never going to get much better. And I can't blame them for such a cold-eyed reading of the facts. But I still think he was a live horse running for $50,000, and presented some rare traits for a horse in a claimer. By Tiznow, he cost $440,000 as a weanling. He was 3rd by 3 3/4 in the race on Wednesday, likely coming out in the end with nearly exactly the same effort he normally does.

From Friday's card at Saratoga, Catinatree could not be described as possessing class incongruous of a claiming entrant, but she still struck me as out of place being up for a tag. She went off at 10-1 and was a badly beaten 6th in the alternate non-winners-of-two-other-than allowance, but Gary Contessa reached the same conclusion I did, rescuing her from the ignomy. Other than a victory, the only development that can soothe the sting of being in a claiming race is for someone to claim the horse. (Wait, I don't think horses know they are in claiming races.)

The interesting potential with Catinatree is that she has Beyers of 92 and 94 this year. Both were blowout wins, at Hawthorne and Parx, respectively. The first time she got a 90+ Beyer, it was another nw2x optional claimer, this time for only $35,000, and she went off at 28-1. So that race was really a bolt from the blue. The second 90+ Beyer (following Beyers of 59 and 82), had her only 5-1 in the July 1 Bed o'Roses, where she led for a half but did not run well.

There are horses for all tastes at Saratoga.