Saratoga · Thursday, July 30, 2026 · Race 2 of 9

Maiden Special Weight

turf, sloppyFive And One Half FurlongsPurse $115,00012 ranPost 2026-07-30 13:48:00Final time 1:06.53Pool $210,869

Good for all

Result

FinPPHorseJockey / Trainerstart1/43/8stretchfinishMarginOddsFig
112Midnight Raider (NY)
ins-2p turn,angled out
Christopher Elliott44441—4.9742C
E1 69 · LP 89
210Never Before
2p turn,led past1/16
J Alvarado111122¼6.6813C
E1 96 · LP 85
38Smooth Authority
fractious gate,3p,wknd
E J Zayas2222346.9535C
E1 95 · LP 83
42Honest Won
stdy4-1/2,stdy1/8,altr
K Carmouche333344¼0.3034C
E1 92 · LP 82
—1AutospellF Prat————————
—11Ninuccio (NY)J Lezcano————————
—3ScramjetM Franco————————
—4Top ThrillerJ L Ortiz————————
—5GaynorJ R Velazquez————————
—6Fire MarshalI Ortiz, Jr.————————
—7Solo StrykerC Elliott————————
—9Bet On ZionR Gutierrez————————

How the race unfolded (position at each call; hover a line to follow one runner)

1234start1/43/8stretchfinish10Never Before8Smooth Authority2Honest Won12Midnight Raider (NY)

Fractional times

Call 122.49
Call 246.40
Call 359.84
Final1:06.53

Payouts

BetWinning numbersPaidPool
exacta ($1)12-10$27.65$124,362
quinella ($1)10-12$10.93$3,586
daily double ($1)4-12$32.05$92,202

Chart notes

MIDNIGHT RAIDER was carried out at the start, dropped well behind under urging, moved in leaving the backstretch, raced inside to the two path on the turn, angled out while gaining in upper stretch, rallied outside into the final furlong, closed strongly under a left-handed crop to get the lead just inside the sixteenth-pole, pricked his ears then lugged in after getting to the front and went clear under extra right-rein pressure to the finish. NEVER BEFORE broke out but was away fast then hustled, angled in early then showed the way off the inside, went around the turn in the two path, was asked near the five-sixteenths pole, came under a right-handed crop while remaining on his inside lead in upper stretch, swapped to the proper lead outside the furlong marker then was switched to a left-handed crop, led into the final sixteenth but was overtaken while clear for the place. SMOOTH AUTHORITY was fractious in the gate, broke in then was hustled, chased outside the leader after that rival crossed in front, made a bid leaving the backstretch, vied in the three path on the turn, turned into upper stretch under a drive, came out some under a left-handed crop outside the furlong marker, dropped in a bit around the furlong marker and weakened but just held for third purse money. HONEST WON was carried in at the start then drifted further in, moved up under urging then steadied behind the pacesetter at the nine-sixteenths pole, picked up the pursuit of the leader shortly thereafter, moved from the rail to the four path on the turn then dropped back to the inside late on that bend, came off the rail while chasing in upper stretch, steadied off the heels of the leader again near the furlong marker then altered to the inside and tired.