After two week-long festivals – one last month, one last week – the traditional 40-day carnival known as the Saratoga summer meet starts Thursday. There are reasons to believe it could be a tremendous season.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Graham Motion said Test Score exited his victory in Friday’s Grade 1 Belmont Derby in good order and that the $3.5 million Nashville Derby, the richest race for 3-year-olds in North America aside from the Kentucky Derby, will be his next major goal at Kentucky Downs on Aug. 30.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After capturing the Grade 1 Belmont Derby here last week with Test Score, what can trainer Graham Motion do for an encore?
Motion will try to kick off the official opening of the Saratoga meet on Thursday by winning the first, and arguably tougher, division of the $135,000 De La Rose with the Group 1-placed Heredia.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Mark Casse enjoyed his best Saratoga ever in 2024, fueled primarily by his 2-year-old crop that accounted for nine of his 15 victories at the meet.
Casse’s nine juvenile wins were second only to Chad Brown’s 10 at the 2024 meet, and those two trainers are likely to figure prominently again this summer at a meet that officially begins Thursday.
Major League Baseball is investigating Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz over irregularities connected to sports betting, ESPN reported last week.
Ortiz, 26, was placed on non-disciplinary leave last week and will be out through at least July 17. MLB insider Jeff Passan reported that the absence period was negotiated by the league and the players’ association.
ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer James Bentley Begg, known as Jamie to his friends, has been on a bit of a roll at Woodbine. The former New York assistant to trainer Mark Casse sends out Galley Head in her quest to win her third consecutive race in Thursday’s fourth.
Galley Head captured a 1 1/16-mile starter allowance/optional claimer over the Tapeta at Gulfstream Park on March 26, earning a career-high 77 Beyer Speed Figure. She shortened up to 6 1/2 furlongs here most recently and came from fourth to land a Tapeta sprint with a 73 Beyer.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. will carry some momentum into the traditional 40-day Saratoga meet that begins on Thursday.
When Santana got Awesome Czech to the wire a head in front of Vino Rouge to win Friday’s opener, it was his 22nd win since moving his tack to New York at the beginning of May. He has ridden winners for 16 different trainers.
“I have a new agent, P.J. Campo, who gave me the opportunity to come to New York,” Santana said. “This has always been my dream to be in New York. Things have gone really well.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Iron Orchard was bet like she couldn’t lose her career debut on July 3 – and she didn’t. The New York-bred daughter of Authentic, who brought $500,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s 2-year-olds-in-training auction in April, broke running under Joel Rosario and led every step of the way to win by 5 1/2 lengths. The race was for horses who sold for $60,000 or less at auction or are New York-breds.
