SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In a span of nine days last summer, the horses who would go on to be voted champion 2-year-old male and champion 2-year-old female debuted at Saratoga.

Good Magic lost his debut. Caledonia Road won hers.

Perhaps racing’s next juvenile champions will emerge from here again this summer when the Saratoga meet opens Friday for its 40-day run. Led by horses from the barns of Todd Pletcher, Chad Brown, and Steve Asmussen, some of the most expensive and well-bred babies in the world could run at the Spa this summer.

Larry Jones is finished. Not with training Thoroughbreds, but riding them every morning.

“I’ll still get on one on occasion,” Jones said this week from his barn at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky. “But yep, I finally decided that I’m done.”

At age 61, weighing 185 pounds, Jones long has been known for doing what other trainers his age and weight have rarely done – exercise his own horses. This literal hands-on approach has distinguished Jones from his peers, but no more.

Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., will boast two $1 million preps for the Kentucky Derby in 2019 as part of a number of flashy changes to its stakes schedule for a meet that will extend beyond Arkansas Derby Day to May 4. The season starts Jan. 25.

Oaklawn will offer 30 stakes worth a record $8.8 million during its 57-date meet. The centerpiece remains the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 13.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – While the racing industry struggles with ways to attract a younger fan base, there is a youth movement of sorts happening on the backstretch. A handful of 30-something trainers will be plying their trade at Saratoga for the first time this summer when the 40-day meet begins Friday.

The names are recognizable – Jonathan Thomas, Norm Casse, Cherie DeVaux, and Rodolphe Brisset. Until recently, though, they were behind-the-scenes players. Now, the spotlight will be on them during arguably the best race meet in North America.

On July 1, Chris Kay marked his five-year anniversary as president and CEO of the New York Racing Association. A former executive at Toys R Us and Universal Studios, Kay helped NYRA get returned to private control, presided over two Triple Crown winners, and has seen Saratoga set records for all-sources handle. Kay, 65, recently sat down with Daily Racing Form’s David Grening to discuss the past five years and the future.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Rushing Fall was not among the eight 3-year-old fillies entered Tuesday for Friday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Lake George Stakes - the co-feature on Saratoga’s 10-race opening-day card - but trainer Chad Brown will still be represented in the 1 1/16-mile turf race.

Rushing Fall, last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner, developed a temperature coming out of her most recent workout last Saturday at Belmont Park, according to Brown, and is forced to miss the race.

Imperial Hint, winner of the Grade 2 True North Stakes at Belmont Park in June, had a minor training setback last week but is still on track to make his next start in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga on July 28.

According to trainer Luis Carvajal Jr., Imperial Hint lost a hind shoe during his half-mile bullet workout at Parx on July 6. Although he initially appeared fine, the foot became sensitive.

Trainer Cal Lynch is backing off one of the promising 2-year-olds in his Laurel Park stable and going for the gold with another.

Lynch had been pointing Tremont Stakes winner Our Braintrust to Saturday’s Grade 3 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga but has decided to back off on the colt's training. Congrats Gal, who has been breaking stopwatches at Laurel, will run Friday in the Grade 3, $150,000 Schuylerville at Saratoga.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Though he has done all of his racing on turf, Grade 1 winner Sadler’s Joy has done virtually all of his training on dirt.

That changed Monday when trainer Tom Albertrani opted to work Sadler’s Joy on turf for the first time in 14 months and just the second time in his career.

On a muggy morning, Sadler’s Joy worked five furlongs in 1:02.56 over the Belmont Park inner turf in preparation for a start in the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green Stakes on July 28 at Saratoga.

Trainer Karl Broberg and jockey Richard Eramia lead their respective standings heading into the final week of the Lone Star Park meet. The season closes Sunday.

Broberg has won 68 races at the meet into Thursday night’s card, with Steve Asmussen ranking second with 56.

Eramia has won 75 races at the meet into Thursday night’s card, 20 more than second-leading rider Iram Diego.

The leading owner is End Zone Athletics, with 38 wins. Broberg is the principal owner of End Zone. The second-leading owner into Thursday night’s card is Asmussen, with 19 wins.