Horse Racing Picks for Sat, Aug. 29, 2026 at Saratoga
Horse racing picks and best bets for Sat, Aug. 29th, 2026, at Saratoga from Turtle Sports’ Lundin Line. Get expert analysis, free tips, and stakes-race insights to help you cash in on today’s card in Saratoga Springs, NY.
HORSE RACING
- Fink
It’s another big day in the racing world as the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series rolls on, and we’ve got you covered with our Lundin Line top-rated picks from coast to coast. Last week, we gave you our rankings from Del Mar, and it was an overall good day. We hit four of our 11 top picks, plus three more second-pick winners, for a nice positive ROI on the week. Mr. W was on the mark with both of his featured-race top selections, while Finky is still trying to figure out why he went against Knightsbridge.
This week, we head to the East Coast for a full card at Saratoga on Travers Day. Today’s slate features 14 races, six stakes races, and three Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” events. We have to wait until the second half of the card for the biggest races to get going, but we start in Race 9 with the $500,000 Personal Ensign Stakes. This Grade 1 is a 1 1/8-mile dirt route for fillies and mares 3 years old and up, and the winner earns a spot in the Longines Distaff. We’ll have six runners in the race, and as noted, the winner will head west to Del Mar in October.
Next up is the Forego Stakes, a Grade 1 run at seven furlongs on the dirt for 3-year-olds and up, with a $500,000 purse. The winner here earns a place in the Dirt Mile at Del Mar in October. Last up among the Breeders’ Cup races is the Ballerina Stakes, another Grade 1 at seven furlongs on the dirt, with a $500,000 purse for fillies and mares 3 years old and up. The winner earns a spot in the Filly and Mare Sprint.
The featured race today comes in Race 13: the Grade 1 Travers Stakes. It’s another major event the racing community looks forward to every year at Saratoga. This race brings together the top 3-year-olds of the season and will be run at 1 1/4 miles on the dirt. While it isn’t a Breeders’ Cup race, the winner will likely have a path to Del Mar one way or another. The purse is $1.25 million. The biggest name in the field is probably Renegade, who finished second in the Kentucky Derby and third in the Belmont Stakes. But the field is loaded, so you won’t want to miss this one, with the Preakness winner in the lineup, multiple Derby runners, and a few horses that haven’t had their moment in the spotlight yet this year.
Today’s weather should be exceptional, with highs in the mid-70s and mostly sunny skies. The track is expected to be fast, and the turf firm, for the first leg of our coast-to-coast coverage.
Happy Saturday & National Chop Suey Day! 🥢
Need help picking winners? We've got you covered! Our (Always Free) Lundin Line's top picks and best bets are below. We use them to help narrow the field while putting our tickets together. The first post will be here soon, so don't be late -
It's time to get #InTheMoney! 💰💰💰
🏇Sat., Aug. 29, 2026 @ Saratoga
First Post @ 11:00 EDT(8:00 PDT)
⭑Best Bet(s)
R8: 500K H. Allen Jerkens Mem. S. (G1)
7 Furlongs on Dirt for 3 Yr. Olds
🏇R9: 500K Personal Ensign S. (G1)/BC
1 1/8 Miles on Dirt for Filies/Mares, 3 Yrs. Old & Up
BC Div: Longines Distaff
R10: 400K Lake Placid S. (G2T)
1 Mi. on Inner Turf for Fillies, 3 Yrs. Old
🏇R11: 500K Forego S. (G1)/BC
7 Furlongs on Dirt for 3 Yr. Olds & Up
BC Div: Dirt Mile
🏇R12: 500K Ballerina S. (G1)/BC
7 Furlongs on Dirt for Fillies/Mares, 3 Yrs. Old & Up
BC Div: Filly & Mare Sprint
🏇R13: 1.25 Mil. Travers S. (G1)
1 1/4 Miles on Dirt for 3 Yr. Olds
Ⓢtakes Race(s)
Aug. 29th: National Chop Suey Day! 🥢
3 Theories on the origin of Chop Suey:
Chinese-American invention: Chinese immigrants in 19th-century America supposedly created chop suey from leftover vegetables and meat to serve local customers.
Taishan/Hakka roots: The dish may have evolved from traditional southern Chinese stir-fries brought by immigrants from Guangdong, especially the Taishan region.
The 1896 Li Hongzhang story: A popular legend claims that Chinese diplomat Li Hongzhang requested a mixed dish during a visit to the United States, though historians consider this unlikely.
R1: 2-4-3-8
R2: 6-5-8-4
R3: 2-6-7-9
R4: 4-2-1-5
R5: 4-10-2-9
R6: 10-6-1-2
R7: 5-7-3-2
R8: 4-2-5
🏇R9Ⓢ: Personal Ensign S.
LL: 2-5-4
Fink: 2-4-3
Mr. W: 4-2-5
R10: 5⭑-9-4-7
🏇R11Ⓢ: Forego S.
LL: 5⭑-1-6-4
Fink: 5⭑-7-2-6
Mr. W: 5⭑-6-1-4
🏇R12Ⓢ: Ballerina S.
LL: 7-10-8-12
Fink: 7-10-4-12
Mr W: 7-10-12-8
🏇R13Ⓢ: Travers S.
LL: 8-9-7-2
Fink: 9-3-5-7
Mr. W: 9-5-7-8
R14: (11)-4-1-2-3
🏇= Featured Race(s)