A Notion about this horse in the Monday feature

Ron Flatter   Follow @ronflatter
Saratoga Play of the Day

So what in the world does Lady Aurelia have to do with the Monday feature at Saratoga? The two-time Royal Ascot winner trained by Wesley Ward happens to be a stable mate of Ruby Notion (8-1), no better than a co-fourth choice on the morning line for the $200,000 Caress Stakes. The turf sprint for older fillies and mares may be the most wide-open stakes race so far this Saratoga summer. Ruby Notion stands out because she managed a third-place finish despite lugging into the final turn three months ago in the $100,000 Giants Causeway sprint at Keeneland. She finished 2¾ lengths behind a winning run from – that’s right – Lady Aurelia. Cases can be made for Mississippi Delta (7-2) as she drops from a seven-furlong Grade 3 win in early June, Paquita Coqueta (8-1) in her cutback to 5½ furlongs and Miss Ella (8-1) in her return to turf. And yes, Fair Point (9-2) has been competitive since last summer against many in this field. But when Wesley Ward talks on turf, it is worth a listen – and even on a wet track where she has shown her mettle, Ruby Notion may be worth an on-the-nose bet in the Caress.

Play of the Day: Ruby Notion to win the 8th race Monday.

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Monday's Saratoga stakes race in handicap order from e-ponies.com

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