10 Races, including the Schuylerville and Lake George, on tap for Spa Opener

Ten races are on tap when the gates open at Saratoga Race Course for the first of 40 days on Friday. 

First post is scheduled for its traditional time of 1:00pm.  The 10th race, a Claiming race, is scheduled for 6:17pm.

The opening day card includes its traditional feature race, The Schuylerville (GIII) for 2 year old fillies, which carded 10 fillies to go six furlongs on the main track. 

The rail horse, Catherinethegreat was installed as the 5/2 morning line favorite by the track oddsmaker.  A third time starter, she has placed 1st and 2nd in her past two tries, both in Maiden Special Weights at Gulfstream Park.  Jose Ortiz rides the Florida bred for trainer Mark Casse.

John Velazquez and Todd Pletcher do their usual pairing together for the second choice, Nonna Madeline.  The Kentucky bred will start next to Catherinethegreat in post 2, and was a convincing 3 1/2 length winner for jockey Joe Bravo in her one start, a Maiden Special Weight at Monmouth Park.

Lady Apple, the #9 horse, has stakes experience having run in the Astoria Stakes at Belmont Park her last time out.  This twice-raced maiden had a narrow lead on a stalking trip entering the stretch, but was bested by Athens Queen by a neck at the wire.  Irad Ortiz will be on board for Steve Amussen.

Congrats Gal, Fightress, Lonely Road, Tapping Pearl, Sergenti Empress, Eyeinthesky and Blame the Frog complete the field of 10.

Opening day will also feature the Lake George Stakes (GIII) for 3 year old fillies going 1-1/16 miles on the turf course.  Seven horses are expected to start, with Nootka Sound entered in the event the race gets switched to the main track. 

Daddy is a Legend is the morning line favorite, but has had issues reaching the winner circle since winning the Jimmy Durante Stakes (GIII) at Del Mar last November.  In her three races since, Daddy is a Legend only made the board once, a third place finish in the Edgewood Stakes (GIII) at Churchill Downs.  Manuel Franco will ride this filly for trainer George Weaver. 

Chad Brown trains the second choice, Altea.  Finishing behind Daddy is a Legend in the Edgewood Stakes, Altea broker her maiden over in France, where she raced until this year.  Her first race on U.S. soil came in the Florida Oaks (GIII) at Tampa Bay Downs, where she was just a head behind the top two finishers Andina Del Sur and Goodthingstaketime.  Irad Ortiz will ride the French bred.

Speaking of Andina Del Sur, the 8/1 choice on the board hasn't seen the winner's circle since that Florida Oaks win.  She tried Grade I company, but a beat by over 16 lengths in the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland convinced the connections to go back into Grade III company, where she finished 6th in the Wonder Again Stakes (GIII) at Belmont Park, a race where most of these horses are emerging from.  

Goodthingstakestime did not emerge out of that race, instead opted to try the Appalachain Stakes (GII) at Keeneland and the Penn Oaks at Penn National, where the Irish Bred finished with a pair of third place showings.  Jose Ortiz rides.

Rail horse Punked, Longshot Going Out and outsider Heavenly Love complete the 7 horses who will race on the turf. 

Postmortem: Feeling good ... is gone

The Mets have hit rock bottom.

Did it take a 2-1 loss to Baltimore where the only run was brought in on a Sac Fly to realize this?

No.  This was evident long before this.

But losing to the Baltimore Orioles, the worst team in the majors, with a pitcher who was 1-7 with over a 6 ERA going into Tuesday's game helps emphasize what's wrong in Flushing. 

The Mets magic that was proudly on display in April, is gone.  The Mets should of danced circles around Alex Cobb.  Coming into that game, Cobb had allowed 5 or more hits in every start this season.  Instead, he punched out seven Mets, a season high.  The 1 earned run allowed is a season low for the 8th year pitcher.

And the Mets only had two hits against Cobb.  They made Cobb look like a Grade A pitcher. 

And that 1 run?  A Sac Fly to score the first run the Mets had seen since the 1 run they put up against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday night. 

The Mets offense has been anemic of late, and is a part of the problem that has the Mets losing 12 of their last 15.  Their batting average, sub-optimal.  Their bullpen, a turnstile.

The good feeling present in April, gone. 

This can be corrected, but it has to be done soon.  Especially with the first round of the Subway Series beginning Friday.

Familia, bullpen come up strong in Mets 3-2 win

The Mets bullpen worked four innings, giving up only 1 run by way of Bryce Harper's homerun in the 6th inning, as the New York Mets came back to beat the Washington Nationals 3-2.

The win ensures the 3rd straight series win for the New York Mets, who improve to 6-1 on the season and take a 1 1/2 game lead over the Washington Nationals heading into Sunday's series finale. 

Steven Matz went five innings, giving up three hits and one earned run, but did not return in the 6th inning as his pitch count reached 93.  Hansel Robles took over for the 6th inning, with his lone blemish being the home run he gave up to Bryce Harper.  AJ Ramos came out for the 7th inning, but then Mickey Callaway played strategic in the 8th inning, having Jacob Rhame to face Matt Reynolds to start, then pulled him for Jerry Blevins to face Harper.  Harper reached on a walk, leading to Callaway to call upon Jeurys Familia to pull off a five out save. 

Familia was perfect, as none of the 5 he faced reached base.

NEXT UP: Sunday Night baseball wraps up the series as Matt Harvey hopes to build upon his season debut against the Philadelphia Phillies, where he went 5 innings and gave up only one hit.  Tanner Roark went seven innings in his last start against Atlanta, striking out six as the Nats bats came alive in their 8-1 win over the Braves. 

Live coverage begins on FOX Sports Radio 97.9FM & AM 1230 at 7:25pm.

deGrom, Bruce spoil Nats Home Opener

Jacob deGrom unjammed himself from disaster and Jay Bruce followed it up 15 minutes later as the New York Mets ran away with the season opener against the Washington Nationals 8-2.

The Nationals struck first, plating a run on a fielding error charged to Jay Bruce in the bottom of the first inning.  That run was negated in the top of the second inning, when Stephen Strasburg issued his first balk in five years to bring Jay Bruce home from third base.

Washington would retake the lead in the top of the third inning when Adam Eaton scored on a Anthony Rendon double, but the Mets would answer back in the top of the fourth with Yoenis Cespedes's homer to left field.

Yes, he did it again. #DailyDoseOfYo #LaPotencia pic.twitter.com/R2ZzyzMr2U

— New York Mets (@Mets) April 5, 2018

The Mets took the lead in the 5th inning when Michael Conforto, in his first game back from injury, launched a video-review confirmed two run homer to give the Mets the 4-2 lead.

For five innings, Jacob deGrom looked well, but fell into big trouble in the sixth.  He allowed a single to pinch hitting Brain Goodwin to lead off the home sixth.  Then eight straight balls, to Rendon and Bryce Harper, to load the bases with nobody out.  deGrom called himself down and got Ryan Zimmerman pop to shallow right field.  Howie Kendrick then lined one straight to Reyes at short, and then deGrom relieved the stress by way of a Trea Turner strikeout to leave the bases loaded.


The Mets would load the bases in the seventh inning, but none of the three were stranded when Jay Bruce homered to right-center field to blow the game open for the Mets.

That’s how you put a game on ice.#PapaSlam pic.twitter.com/ITAuyXZXf3

— MLB (@MLB) April 5, 2018

The bullpen kept the Nationals off the scoreboard by pitching three scoreless innings, allowing two hits in relief of deGrom, who won his second game of the season.  Strasburg lost his first of the season, to even his record at 1-1.

NEXT UP: Like last week, Friday is an intentional off day in case the Nationals had to postpone their opening ceremonies.  As a result, the next game is scheduled for Saturday, when the Mets and Nationals face in the second game of this three game series at 1:05pm.  However, the weather forecast for Washington is unfavorable.

If the outlook improves, it will be Steven Matz going on mound for the Mets, hoping to improve off his last outing last Sunday when he only went four innings, allowing three runs in a losing effort against the Cardinals.  He'll go opposite Gio Gonzales, who gave up 5 hits in six innings, but only allowed 1 earned run in the 5-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

Radio Coverage will begin at 12:25PM on Saturday on FOX Sports Radio 97.9FM & AM 1230.

Then on Sunday, the Mets and Nationals get national exposure on Sunday Night Baseball, as Matt Harvey and Tanner Roark are scheduled to take the mound at this time, but that could change depending on whether or not Saturday gets rained out.

Radio Coverage will begin at 7:25PM on Sunday on FOX Sports Radio 97.9FM & AM 1230.

Mets take advantage of Phillies miscues, earn series sweep

The Mets made the best of their Wednesday afternoon, enduring a rain delay that pushed the start of the game 100 minutes back to 2:45pm, and took advantage of a throwing error in the sixth inning that led to the plating of two runs, as the Mets sweep the Philadelphia Phillies with their 4-2 win.

The game was tied 2-2 in the sixth inning when an Andrew Knapp throwing error allowed Asdrubal Cabrera to take second base with one man out.  Kevin Plawecki's ground out allowed Cabrera to set up 90 feet from home at third, and he and Wilmer Flores would score on Amed Rosario's triple to break the deadlock for good. 

Hansel Robles, AJ Ramos and Jeruys Familia pitched three scoreless innings to preserve the lead, with Familia giving up the lone hit in the 9th inning.  

Noah Syndergaard was given the ball to start, but only lasted four innings, giving up four hits and allowing two runs to score, both earned, in the no-decision.  Gsellman, the pitcher on record when the Mets took the lead in the 6th, was credited the win.  

Aaron Nola started the game for Philadelphia, going five innings and surrendering two runs on a Yoenis Cespedes home run in the second inning.  Drew Hutchinson was charged with the loss as he gave up the two runs in the sixth inning.  

NEXT UP: The Mets embark on their first road trip of the season, traveling to Washington as they have their first bouts with the Washington Nationals.  To start, an afternoon pitching duel.  Jacob deGrom takes the mound for the Mets, hoping to build on his first start against St. Louis where he surrendered one run in an 5 2/3rd innings effort.  Washington sends out Stephen Strasburg, equally as untouchable in his first start of the season, going 6 1/3rd innings and giving up one lone run.  First pitch is scheduled for 1:05PM on Thursday.

5-run 5th continues Mets dominance on Opening Day

Yoenis Cespedes | Credit: NEWSDAY / Thomas A. Ferrara

The Mets sent 10 batters to the plate in a five run fifth inning, breaking a 3-3 deadlock on their way to a 9-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on opening day.

It was the first win for new manager Mickey Callaway, who replaces Terry Collins at the helm. 

"Obviously, you want to get all the first out of the way.  We did all of that today," he said to reporters after the game.  He is the first Mets manager to win in his debut in 26 years, when Jeff Torborg won in his debut against the Cardinals in 1992. 

Noah Syndergaard went 6 innings, striking out 10 and issuing no walks, allowing 4 earned runs for the win.  Warned prior to the game that Syndergaard would be limited to no more than 100 pitches, he hurled 85 pitches, 59 of which were in the strike zone.  He allowed two home runs, including a 2 run shot by Yadier Molina in the second inning that was north of the strike zone. 

Offensively, Callaway's decisions paid dividends, having Syndergaard bat 8th and Cespedes bat 2nd in the lineup.  It resulted in Cespedes batting 3 runs for the Mets, and Amed Rosario, who batted behind Syndergaard on the lineup in 9th, drove in two runs. 

The win continues the Mets dominance on Opening Day.  Since the start of the franchise in 1962, the Mets are 37-20 on Opening Day, the best win percentage in the majors. 

While the Mets win brought joy to Flushing, it was a day of mixed emotions.  The grey, overcast and cool temperatures only echoed the feeling with the news of the passing of legend Rusty Staub at the age of 73. 

The Mets paid tribute to Staub during pre-game ceremonies. 

NEXT UP: After the Mets normally scheduled day off in case of an opening day rain-out, they will return to the field on Saturday as Jacob deGrom gets his 2018 season started against the St. Louis Cardinals.  Michael Wacha will go on the mound for the Cardinals.  First Pitch from Citi Field is scheduled for 1:10pm on Saturday.

Pregame coverage will begin on FOX Sports Radio 97.9FM & AM1230 at 12:30pm.

The New York Mets Return to WMML TOMORROW!

The New York Mets kick off their 2018 campaign at Citi Field tomorrow afternoon as they host the St. Louis Cardinals in the first game of their opening three game series.  And, for the first time since the 2015 World Series run, the Mets will be on FOX Sports Radio 97.9AM & AM 1230.

The first pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm, with pregame ceremonies emcee'd by Howie Rose airing shortly after 12:30pm.

It is our fifth year covering Mets baseball, and the first since the Mets made it to the World Series in 2015, when rights were transferred over to our sister stations CBS Sports Radio 1410 and WIN 104.9FM in Albany.  With the end of WIN 104.9, we have regained the rights, and look forward to the return of Mets baseball to our airwaves.

As in the past, we will broadcast all 162 regular season games here on FOX Sports Radio 97.9FM & AM 1230, with CBS Sports Radio 1410 being used as a secondary outlet in the event of schedule overlaps during the late summer.  Howie Rose, Josh Lewin and Wayne Randazzo will once again team up to give the live call of every game.

All broadcasts will begin 40 minutes prior to the first pitch, featuring pre-game ceremonies, manager and player interviews, and more.

We look forward to having the Mets back on and hope you can join us for the journey as the Mets seek their first World Series title since 1986 here on FOX Sports Radio 97.9FM and AM 1230.

Click here for the full 2018 New York Mets schedule.

#30#