Nik Juarez, runaway leader of the Monmouth Park jockey standings, will begin riding in New York when Belmont Park opens Sept. 8, according to Juarez and his new agent, Ron Anderson.

Juarez will ride at Belmont and Aqueduct through fall and then return to Florida, where he has ridden with success since January 2016. At the last Gulfstream Park winter meet, Juarez tied for fourth in the standings with Javier Castellano, trailing only Luis Saez, Paco Lopez, and Tyler Gaffalione.

"I'm taking a leap of faith," Juarez said about riding in New York.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Ian Wilkes had been wavering on whether to work McCraken one more time or simply give him an extended gallop five days out from Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes at Saratoga.

On Sunday at Saratoga, Blue Prize missed winning the Summer Colony Stakes by a nose, a tough beat that her trainer, Ignacio Correas, watched from across the country. Correas had traveled to Del Mar, where he saddled the Argentine import Le Ken in his U.S. debut, the Del Mar Mile.

Correas still was in California on Monday, but Tuesday he was flying to New York to run another horse at Saratoga. All this, and Correas’s main string is stabled at Keeneland, with a satellite string at Arlington.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In response to a rash of equine fatalities during the Saratoga meet, state racing regulators and officials have implemented additional protocols they hope will enhance equine safety.

The New York State Gaming Commission has stationed an additional regulatory veterinarian on the grounds of Saratoga during training hours. This person ensures that a veterinary presence exists to view horses during busy training hours and confirm that any incidents are appropriately documented and managed.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Entering 1997, Bill Mott was coming off a year in which he guided Cigar to a second straight Horse of the Year title, won his second straight Eclipse Award as leading trainer, and won the fourth of his nine Saratoga training titles. Todd Pletcher was about to start his second full year of training. Chad Brown was 18 years old.

Over the last two decades, Pletcher has become the all-time leading trainer in purse money won, and Brown has developed one of the top barns in the country. Mott, 64, in his words, “just keeps plugging along.”

When Curlin’s Approval and Distinta, who finished first and second in the Grade 2 Princess Rooney on July 1 at Gulfstream Park, compete in Saturday’s Grade 1 Ballerina both will do so for a new trainer of record.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Finley’sluckycharm, beaten a neck by Paulassilverlining in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss, will not make Saturday’s Grade 1 Ballerina due to swelling in a leg that caused her to miss some training time, trainer Bret Calhoun said.

Calhoun said Finley’sluckycharm was scheduled to work Aug. 9, but he noticed the swelling, and though a bone scan came back negative, she missed a few days of training.

“It was very minor, but [I] obviously had to stop and figure it out,” Calhoun said.

The field for the Grade 1, $3 million All American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs has been set after two days of time trials for the Quarter Horse classic Friday and Saturday. The finale is Sept. 4.

Ruidoso put on 28 trials. The horses with the five fastest times from each 14-race card earned a spot in the gate for the finale. Shakem Bye Perry was the fastest qualifier Friday with a 440-yard time of 21.66 seconds. Bigg Daddy set the standard for Saturday with a time of 21.61.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Gun Runner, the dominant winner of the Grade 1 Whitney Stakes on Aug. 6, drilled a sharp five furlongs in 1:00.31 on Monday over the Oklahoma training track in preparation for the Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward Stakes here Sept. 2.

The undefeated 2-year-old Thermistor could see stakes action at Kentucky Downs or Remington Park next, according to trainer J.R. Caldwell.

Thermistor won Colorado’s richest race, the $100,000 Gold Rush Futurity, on Aug. 13 at Arapahoe Park, improving his career record to 2 for 2. Caldwell said the horse will be considered for the $350,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile, a seven-furlong turf race Sept. 2, or the $75,000 Kip Deville over six furlongs Sept. 24 at Remington Park.