Pletcher chasing record for meet wins

ELMONT, N.Y. – With a nine-win lead entering the final two weeks of the meet, Todd Pletcher seems pretty certain to win his eighth Belmont spring-summer trainers title. The question is whether he will set a meet record for victories.

Pletcher entered this week with 39 wins, five short of David Jacobson’s record of 44, established in 2013.

Pletcher had three runners entered Wednesday and two on Thursday, but none for Friday’s card.

Pletcher’s personal best for number of wins at a Belmont spring-summer meet is 40, which he attained winning the meet title in 2003.

Meanwhile, the jockey standings are tightening up heading into the last two weeks of the meet. Entering Wednesday’s card, Irad Ortiz Jr. held a 49-43 lead over Javier Castellano. Ortiz had led Castellano by as many as 10 wins as late as June 27.

Ortiz and Castellano tied for leading rider at last year’s Belmont spring-summer meet. Ortiz beat Castellano by six wins at Belmont’s 2014 fall meet, while Castellano beat Ortiz by five wins at Saratoga last summer.