Lake George Stakes: Skims Has a Big Shot to Return to Her Winning Ways

Check out our predictions and odds for the 2022 Lake George Stakes at Saratoga!

Lake George Stakes Predictions and Best Bets

Here are my plays ($60 in total)

$5 Exacta Box – Skims, Spirit And Glory and Eminent Victor = $30

$5 Exacta Box – Skims, Spirit And Glory and Dolce Zel = $30

If you’re playing only to win, go with my top pick Skims (6/1).

Check out our Horse Racing Calculator to ensure your bets!

Brown has won the one-mile test six times overall, and likely has the two favorites on Friday.

The only graded stakes winner in the field, Dolce Zel accounted for the Grade 2 Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs three starts back in what was her U.S. debut after beginning her career in France.

Most recently the French-bred daughter of Zelzal finished third in the Grade 2 Edgewood at Churchill Downs, which followed a runner-up result in the Appalachian at Keeneland, also a Grade 2.

The lightly raced Eminent Victor has only run once this year and three times overall, but was a sharp winner of the one-mile Wild Applause Stakes at Belmont Park last month.

A debut winner last summer at Arlington Park, the daughter of Mr. Z finished third in the Grade 1 Natalma in her second career start last year.

Among the challengers to the Brown duo is the returning Koala Princess. An impressive winner of her first two career races, the stakes winner returns after finishing off the board in last fall’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar.

Lake George Stakes Predictions and Race Analysis

Eminent Victor

This Mr. Z filly has done little wrong in her three career races. Her lone loss came in her second career start when she finished a solid third behind two very good fillies in Woodbine’s Grade 1 Natalma last fall.

After nine months away, the Chad Brown-trainee returned in fine form to rally to victory in the listed Wild Applause Stakes at Belmont Park four weeks ago. Coming right back for this, she is well suited for the one mile trip. She looks like the one to beat in the Lake George.

Dolce Zel

The other Brown filly is the only graded stakes winner in the field. Despite running a non-threatening third last time in the Grade 2 Edgewood, she cannot be discounted after a win and a second in graded stakes races in her first two races in America.

Off her last, the French-bred will not be my top pick, but considering her connections, as well as having Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the saddle, she is clearly a serious threat.

Koala Princess

Away for 8 ½ months, this daughter of More Than Ready has landed in a tough spot for her return. Having said that, she was very good as a juvenile, winning two of three, including a stakes race at Kentucky Downs.

Even her loss in the Breeders’ Cup was not bad, rallying to be beaten just over two lengths. If she returns sharp, the one mile trip should suit her. She is clearly a threat, but I am going to try to beat her off the sizable layoff.

Skims

This daughter of Frankel will get her third try in graded stakes company after running third in a pair of Grade 2 stakes at Keeneland and Belmont. She was afforded very little early pace in either and faced good horses when beaten just over two lengths in each.

With more early pace signed on here, the English-bred filly should have stronger fractions to set up her rally as she cuts back to a flat mile distance. I think those factors will be key in getting her over the hump for trainer Shug McGaughey.

Working very well, I think she has a big shot to return to her winning ways while offering solid value on Friday. She is the top pick.

Al Qahira

This daughter of Cairo Prince has only faced maidens so far for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, but her three turf tries have all been good. She has actually faced some nice fillies in those maiden races, including running second to the classy Spendarella at Gulfstream Park.

After a second try on dirt two starts back, she returned to the turf in early May to nicely win a maiden race at Churchill Downs. This will be a step up, but she has good tactical speed and looks to have a future.

Away for eleven weeks, this is a tough spot coming out of the maiden win, but she is hard to completely ignore.

Sister Lou Ann

The first of two in the race trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr. this Frosted filly was able to take them all the way around last time in a listed stakes race at Gulfstream Park. She has only run in South Florida so far, but she has shown good speed each time and has run well on three different surfaces.

She’s likely to go out for the early lead here as she faces a much tougher crew in her graded stakes debut. Speed is always dangerous, but I like others better in a race which should have a legitimate early pace.

Spirit And Glory

After not showing much in her career debut, this Irish-bred filly was quite consistent in three subsequent starts in her native land. All four of those races came on the synthetic surface at Dundalk.

Since moving to America, she has only run once, but it was a good looking allowance victory at Belmont. Despite shying at the start, she rallied strongly off a slow pace, and beat a next out winner. With a better trip on Friday, she looks like a very longshot here.

Republique

The second filly trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr. this daughter of Strong Mandate has won two of her three career starts. Both wins came on Gulfstream Park’s all-weather track, and following them they moved her up to graded stakes company.

There she finished well back in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks on the dirt. Thrown into an even tougher spot here for her turf debut, she is more likely to be only a pace factor rather than a real win contender.

Heavenly Hellos

A surprising stakes winner last out at Horseshoe Indianapolis, this daughter of Overanalyze will try to parlay that success at 36/1 to pull off another big upset on Friday.

While the last one points out that grass may wind up being her favored surface, she looks to be in a very difficult spot here. The victory against significantly cheaper in a blanket finish does little to make me believe that she can handle this bunch.

How to Watch the Lake George Stakes