Trainer Robertson has strong, efficient meet

With 17 winners entering the final three days of racing this meet, Roger Brueggemann is a strong favorite to capture his sixth straight Hawthorne training title, but no trainer here has had a more efficient meeting than Hugh Robertson. Robertson, who wintered his main string at Fair Grounds, has compiled a record here of 10-6-3 from just 22 starters. Robertson, never a man to mince words, credited a lack of competition for his stable’s excellent showing.

“There have been some fields here that have been just so awful,” he said. “You lead one over that’s a decent horse in that kind of a race, [and] you’re going to win.”

Robertson has yet to send his string to Arlington, and though he’ll have more than 50 horses stabled there this summer, the stable figures to hit a lull after the big run at Hawthorne.

“It’ll be quiet for a little while, I’d think,” said Robertson.

Robertson did credit the racing office at Hawthorne for working hard to fill higher-class races this meet, and that’s the case on Sunday’s closing-day card, which includes first- and second-level allowance races.