SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – There were only six 3-year-old fillies entered for Friday’s inaugural running of the $750,000 Saratoga Oaks at 1 3/16 miles on turf.

Cambier Parc, a multiple graded stakes winner, surprisingly was not among them.

Larry Best, the owner of Cambier Parc, believes his filly has had a strong schedule this year including racing May 3 in the Grade 3 Edgewood at Churchill where she finished fourth; June 6 winning the Grade 3 Wonder Again at Belmont, and July 6 when she was third, beaten a nose for second, to Concrete Rose in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After unsuccessfully taking a shot at 1 1/4 miles in the Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby, Moon Colony will shorten up to his preferred distance in Friday’s Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes at Saratoga.

With the addition of the $1 million Saratoga Derby at 1 3/16 miles on Sunday, the Hall of Fame was shortened to one mile from 1 1/16 miles.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Omaha Beach, now in a regular work pattern as he seeks to get back into action, went a half-mile in 49.20 seconds on Monday morning at Del Mar while in company for trainer Richard Mandella.

“Didn’t let him do too much. Second work, first half, but he went really nice,” said Mandella.

As with his first work last week, former jockey Alex Solis was aboard.

DEL MAR, Calif. – It’s been feast or feast this summer at Del Mar for trainer John Sadler.

He’s won five races, all stakes, including a sweep of the Grade 1 races last weekend, with Cistron in the Bing Crosby and Ollie’s Candy in the Clement Hirsch. Those five stakes wins have propelled Sadler into fourth on the all-time stakes win list here among trainers with 72, behind only Bob Baffert (128), Ron McAnally (77), and the late Charlie Whittingham (74), all of whom are in the Hall of Fame.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The New York Racing Association and the city of Saratoga Springs announced Monday a few tributes to Marylou Whitney, the horse owner/breeder and philanthropist who died July 19 at the age of 93.

NYRA will rename the clubhouse entrance at Saratoga the “Marylou Whitney Entrance.” The entrance will be flanked by two jockey statues adorned in the Eton blue and brown silks of Whitney’s racing stables.

NYRA will formally celebrate Whitney ontrack on Saturday, the day of the $1 million Whitney Stakes, with a tribute video.

Leader of Men will be looking for his fourth consecutive win Saturday when he moves into stakes company for the $60,000 Prelude at Louisiana Downs. The Prelude, which also drew multiple stakes winner Mr Money Bags, the Tapit colt Rotation, and the filly Blessed Again, awards its first four finishers a fees-paid berth into the Grade 3, $300,000 Super Derby on Sept. 7.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Trainer Bob Tiller will be looking to have a big impact in a pair of stakes races this weekend at Woodbine, with starters for both the $100,000 Duchess Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on Saturday and the $100,000 Shepperton Stakes for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds and upward Sunday.

Journeymen have dominated the top of the jockey standings at Gulfstream Park, although apprentices have made their mark. Tyler Gaffalione won the spring and summer meet titles at the South Florida track as an apprentice in 2015 and went on to win the Eclipse Award for apprentice jockey as well as several other Gulfstream riding titles.

Now another apprentice is challenging for a Gulfstream riding title. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Tommy Burns has accompanied Thunder Snow on his U.S. excursions from England to Churchill Downs, Belmont Park, and now Saratoga.

When it comes to what surface Burns believes Thunder Snow handles best, he leaves little doubt.

“The best I’ve seen him is on this surface,” Burns said. “For some reason he’s just thriving out here, he’s moving so well.”

Burns was referring to the main track at Saratoga, where on Sunday Thunder Snow worked seven furlongs in 1:27.31 in preparation for a start in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer was at Del Mar for the first time this season on Sunday, watching the best horse in his barn, the mare Vasilika, drill for the Grade 2, $200,000 Yellow Ribbon Handicap for fillies and mares on Saturday.