SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It rained again on Fourstardave Day in Saratoga. But unlike last year, when the final six races on the card were canceled, the New York Racing Association got in all 11 races Saturday completing what has been a wildly successful first half from a business standpoint.

All-sources handle through Saturday was $342,506,638, a 10.6 perent increase over last year’s figure of $309,760,529. Ontrack handle was $79,761,216, an 8.6 percent increase over last year’s figure of $73,451,290.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Jockey Dylan Davis had quite the memorable Saturday at Saratoga. Five hours after he became a father for the first time, he rode Oskar Blues to a 33-1 upset in the second race.

Davis’ girlfriend, Sara Rowland, gave birth at 8:30 a.m. to the couple’s first child, a son whom they named Michael Dylan. He weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces.

Davis wasn’t scheduled to ride until Saturday’s third race. But when jockey Robby Albarado had travel issues, he couldn’t arrive on time to ride Oskar Blues, so trainer Ken McPeek named Davis to ride.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Coming off a last-place finish in the Jim Dandy Stakes two weeks ago, Cloud Computing needs to show Chad Brown that he’s ready to return to his Preakness-winning form before the trainer commits the colt to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers at Saratoga on Aug. 26.

The criticism came fast and furious. And not unexpectedly.

“A step to ruin,” one Twitter user said. A Twitter user going by the handle mylifemyrules99 said, "The rich get richer and we pay for it." Twitter user Greg Hartman wrote that he “would never bet Keeneland again” and claimed that the track was “railroading horse players.”

Trainer Mac Robertson should have a major say in the featured $50,000 Hoist Her Flag, race 7 on Sunday at Canterbury. The Hoist Her Flag is a six-furlong dash for older fillies and mares, and Robertson starts Thoughtless and Beach Flower.

Trainer Mac Robertson put it simply when asked to talk about Amy’s Challenge, the 2-year-old filly he trains.

“That one can run,” Robertson said.

That she can. Debuting against males in the seventh race Aug. 6 at Canterbury Park, where Robertson is leading trainer, Amy’s Challenge went to the front and never looked back – and if she had, she probably wouldn’t have seen any horses. She won by 16 1/2 lengths and ran 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.89, a time good for a 91 Beyer Speed Figure, among a handful of 90-plus Beyers earned by 2-year-olds so far this year.

DEL MAR, Calif. – The Grade 1 Pacific Classic on Aug. 19 may have only five starters, the smallest field for the $1 million race since four ran in 2003.

As of Friday, the expected runners for the Pacific Classic were Accelerate, Arrogate, Collected, Curlin Road and Donworth. Songbird, the two-time champion female, is nominated for the Pacific Classic, but trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said her next start has not been selected. The Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 26 is another possibility.

“We’re not leaning” in any direction, he said on Friday.

DEL MAR, Calif. – R Sunday Surprise, a 3-year-old full-sister to two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome, won for the first time in her eighth start in a turf maiden race for California-bred fillies and mares in Thursday’s eighth race.

Ridden by Israel Ocampo, R Sunday Surprise ($16.40) closed from sixth in the final quarter-mile to win by a head over 2-1 favorite Halo Ahead.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Jockey Drayden Van Dyke escaped serious injury after his mount in Thursday’s sixth race reared back and struck the rider in the face, causing a bloody nose and cut lip.

The incident happened shortly after the post parade began for the sixth race. Callie Mesa was startled by another 2-year-old filly and reacted by throwing her head back, Van Dyke said.

“She hit me right in the face, more on the nose and the lip,” Van Dyke said Friday morning. “It did hit my front two teeth, but not directly.

DEL MAR, Calif. – Klosters, a winner in the United Kingdom in June, has been acquired by a partnership and will have her American debut in the $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf for 2-year-old fillies on Sept. 4, new trainer Doug O’Neill said.

Klosters, by Kodiac, has worked twice on turf at Del Mar in recent weeks. Previously trained by Roger Charlton, Klosters was third in an allowance race in her debut in May before winning a six-furlong allowance race for novices at Chepstow Racecourse on June 16.

Klosters is owned by Steve Keh, Great Friends Stable and Kevin Bogart.