The title of leading trainer at the Del Mar summer meeting is unlikely to be decided until Sunday’s final day of the season, with a familiar names vying for the honor.

Through Thursday, with three days of racing remaining, Bob Baffert and Doug O’Neill were tied with 17 wins, one more than Phil D’Amato.

Baffert won seven consecutive training titles from 1997 to 2003, but none since. O’Neill has won five titles at summer meetings, most recently in 2019. D’Amato has won or tied for two summer training titles.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Following the passing of 96-year-old Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, speculation was that the Queen’s Plate would revert back to the King’s Plate in honor of the new monarch, King Charles III, as has been the tradition in the 163-year history of the race.

Woodbine Entertainment CEO Jim Lawson said he will meet the board of directors regarding a name change for Canada’s most prestigious horse race.

Dane Kobiskie, who rode 290 winners as a jockey from 2005-09 before winning another 672 races in 14 years as a trainer, has stepped aside as the trainer for the Haughey family to serve as a part-time consultant. Kobiskie ran his last starter on July 1, with Doug Cowans taking over the horses owned by PTK, the nom de course of Tom Haughey and his daughter Kaitlin.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Rich Strike could make his next start in the Oct. 1 Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs as a prep for either the Nov. 5 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland or the Nov. 25 Clark at Churchill, trainer Eric Reed said this week.

“It’s probably where we’ll go unless something dramatic happens,” said Reed.

Hes Judgeandjury and Chasing Aj, the Heath Taylor-trained Quarter Horses who finished first and third in the $2.9 million All American Futurity on Monday at Ruidoso Downs, could both see stakes action later this year in Southern California. 

Hes Judgeandjury is paid up in both the Golden State Million and Los Alamitos Two Million, Taylor said Tuesday. But before plans are made with the All American winner, he will undergo a round of X-rays and other routine diagnostics to assess his general health. 

The remnants of a Pacific hurricane are expected to lead to wet conditions at Del Mar on Friday and Saturday and could jeopardize some turf racing.

Track officials on Thursday were closely monitoring forecasts of Hurricane Kay, which was headed north off the west coast of Baja California in Mexico.

Significant rain could force overnight races to be moved from the turf to the main track.

Jockey Flavien Prat will ride four days of the 31-day summer season at Del Mar and, though it seems extraordinary, might sneak into the top 10 in the standings before the meet closes on Sunday.

Prat won four races from eight mounts last Saturday, his only day of riding at the meeting. One of those victories came aboard Flightline, who won the Grade 1 Pacific Classic by 19 1/4 lengths.

Prat is booked to ride at Del Mar Friday through Sunday, with six mounts on Friday and nine on Saturday. Entries for Sunday were being drawn on Thursday.

Trainer Jorge Delgado won a pair of stakes over Labor Day weekend and will attempt to keep the barn’s momentum going Friday with a pair of starters in overnight races at Gulfstream Park.

Delgado saddled the undefeated Awesome Strong to victory in the $200,000 Affirmed division of Florida Sire Stakes on Saturday, then made his way to Monmouth Park on Monday to send out Winfromwithin to capture the $102,000 Red Bank.

“It was a very good weekend,” said Delgado.

Delgado has divisions of his stable at Gulfstream and Monmouth and could soon branch out to New York.

The New York Racing Association will offer 33 stakes worth $6.375 million at the Aqueduct fall meet, which has been extended to include 11 race days in December that typically have been designated part of the winter meet.

After hosting the 28-day Belmont fall meet from Sept. 15 through Oct. 30, Aqueduct will officially host its own 29-day fall meet from Nov. 4 through Dec. 31. In previous years, Aqueduct’s fall meet would end the first weekend in December, with its winter meet beginning the following week. Now, the winter meet will start in January.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Moira had her first work since her impressive victory in the Aug. 21 Queen’s Plate when she breezed an easy half-mile in 50.20 in company with Gaston on the dirt training track on Wednesday at Woodbine.

“I didn’t want anything too fancy,” trainer Kevin Attard said.

Moira won $1 million Queen’s Plate, the opening race of the Canadian Triple Crown at Woodbine, by seven lengths in a synthetic track record time of 2:01.48 for the 1 1/4 miles. She earned a 97 Beyer Speed Figure.