SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Gabaldon, who came up a length short from pulling off a major upset last month at Royal Ascot in the Windsor Castle Stakes for trainer Jose D’Angelo, began preparations for the second half of his 2-year-old campaign, breezing an easy three furlongs in 38.95 seconds over the main track here Thursday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The 3-year-old Knightsbridge, who has won his first two starts by a combined 19 1/2 lengths, has recently returned to trainer Bill Mott’s Saratoga barn and is in light training for a potential fall campaign.

Knightsbridge was turned out for more than 60 days after suffering from a maladaptive bone disease, commonly referred to as bone bruising.

Mott said Knightsbridge is just jogging at the current time and there is no set timetable for his potential return.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - In between two very appealing graded stakes on Saturday’s Saratoga card is what appears to be an intriguing maiden race for 2-year-olds featuring debut runners from the barn of Chad Brown, Todd Pletcher, Brad Cox, and Bill Mott.

The 6 1/2-furlong race, which goes as the seventh, drew a field of 11 but is limited to 10 starters.

Chancer McPatrick, a son of first-year sire McKinzie, sold for $725,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales auction in April. He shows a series of solid works for Brown, who has already sent out two debut winners at the meet.

The Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes, one of the leading turf races of the Del Mar summer meeting, has a projected field of nine on Sunday, all graded stakes winners.

The starting gate is expected to include Balladeer, Balnikhov, Dicey Mo Chara, Du Jour, Easter, Gold Phoenix, Johannes, Master Piece, and There Goes Harvard.

The $250,000 Eddie Read Stakes is run at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

Gold Phoenix and Balnikhov were first and second in the 2023 Eddie Read Stakes, which also drew a field of nine.

Francisco Garcia, an assistant to trainer Mike Puype, will have his first starter when City of Angels starts in the fifth race at Del Mar on Friday.

Garcia has taken over the stable after Puype was provisionally suspended on July 19 by the Horseracing and Wagering Integrity Unit for alleged possession of two banned substances in late April.

For weeks, Saturday’s maiden race for 2-year-olds at a mile on turf at Del Mar has been a goal with the expensive yearling purchase Brummell.

The surface and distance are a better fit for Brummell than a main track sprint, trainer Michael McCarthy said on Thursday.

“He’s a nice, big beautiful horse,” McCarthy said. “He has kind of a high cruising speed more than a turn of foot. I didn’t think running him 5 1/2 furlongs on dirt would do him much good.

There are several favorable attributes regarding the debut of the 2-year-old filly McKechnie in a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar on Saturday.

McKechnie is by top stallion Into Mischief and is the first foal to race out of Mother Mother, a debut winner at Del Mar as a 2-year-old in 2018 who later won minor stakes at Churchill Downs and Santa Anita. Mother Mother was purchased in November 2020 for $1.8 million after her final start.

Jockey Antonio Fresu plans to seek court action this week allowing him to appeal a five-day suspension for causing interference in the 11th race at Del Mar on July 20, according to the rider’s attorney, Bing Bush.

Fresu was cited by stewards Grant Baker, Luis Jauregui, and Kim Sawyer for failing to maintain a straight course aboard The Old Nine in a maiden race at a mile on turf. The Old Nine was judged to have caused a chain reaction of interference that caused the fall of Fausto in the stretch.

Fausto and jockey Edwin Maldonado were not injured in the incident.

Whether his rival was Flavien Prat in 2020 or 2021, or Juan Hernandez the last two years, there has always been at least one rider keeping jockey Umberto Rispoli from winning the riding title at the Del Mar summer meeting.

This year, at least through the first two days of the 31-day season, Rispoli is atop the standings. Last Saturday and Sunday, Rispoli led all riders at the top-class meeting with five wins, including victories in stakes aboard Formidable Man in the Oceanside Stakes on Saturday, and Ag Bullet in Sunday’s Osunitas Stakes.