Whiskeyjack will attempt to dethrone Miner League as the leader of the local sophomore division in Saturday’s $50,000 Irish Day Stakes at Emerald Downs.

Miner League was the winner of the Gottstein Futurity at the end of the 2023 season and is a perfect 2 for 2 in 2024 after having earned identical Beyer Speed Figures of 62 in each start this season. The 2023 2-year-old champion is trained by Tom Wenzel for George Todaro.

Gabaldon, who represented Gulfstream Park with a big runner-up finish in the 27-runner Windsor Castle Stakes during last month’s Royal Ascot meet, is now settled in at Saratoga and has upcoming stakes options in New York and at Monmouth Park, according to trainer Jose D’Angelo.

Gabaldon made the trip to England after winning the Royal Palm Juvenile in his career debut in May at Gulfstream. Emisael Jaramillo was aboard that afternoon and traveled overseas to ride Gabaldon, who was beaten just a length for Soldi Stable.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Seize the Grey, the Preakness winner who finished seventh in the Belmont Stakes, worked five furlongs in 59.22 seconds over the Oklahoma training track on Tuesday.

It was the third work for Seize the Grey since the Belmont Stakes, but first in Saratoga.

“Wonderful, by himself, impressive,” trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Wednesday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Rich Strike, the 2022 Kentucky Derby winner, had his first official work for trainer Bill Mott on Tuesday going three furlongs in 39.60 seconds over the Oklahoma training track.

Mott said it wasn’t necessarily designed to be Rich Strike’s first publicly timed work.

“We let him gallop-out a little bit, we made time, so I said put it in,” Mott said. “He’s going great.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The connections of Moira certainly did not choose an easy spot to bring Canada’s Horse of the Year back from an eight-month layoff when they entered her in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Diana Stakes at Saratoga.

“You’re not lying there,” trainer Kevin Attard said. “That’s what you expect when you run in Grade 1s. It’s a quality field, nothing to be surprised about I guess.”

The Diana drew a field of 10, four of whom are Grade 1 winners.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Star of Mystery would clearly be the one to beat if she runs in Friday’s $150,000 Coronation Cup for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga.

However, trainer Charlie Appleby has cross-entered Star of Mystery in Sunday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Quick Call Stakes for 3-year-olds here and communicated by text Wednesday that no decision would be made until he sees the fields for both races.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After sending out Striker Has Dial to win her debut in impressive fashion this spring at Laurel Park, trainer Horacio De Paz was eagerly anticipating bringing his promising filly to Saratoga on Belmont Stakes weekend and trying her at the next level in her second start. That is, until he picked up the overnight and saw the competition included no less a rival than the Grade 1-placed Ways and Means, who was exiting a fourth-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The much anticipated rematch between Mentee and Colloquial, that many had hoped would take place as soon as Saturday’s Grade 3 Sanford Stakes, will have to wait for a while.

Trainer George Weaver said earlier this week that he’s had to take Colloquial out of training for some minor issues, with the hope of having him back to the track by the end of August.

The Japan Racing Horse Association saw a new American buyer at its select yearling sale this week, and a new American sire playing a factor in its select foal sale.

Mike Repole, with Alex Solis II as agent, purchased five yearlings at the single-session sale on Monday, followed by two youngsters at the Tuesday session where foals were showcased alongside their dams. The purchases followed Repole exploring the Japanese 2-year-old market earlier this year.