SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After watching his 3-year-old New York-bred filly Fingal’s Cave open her career with two one-sided victories by a combined 17 1/2 lengths, one could forgive trainer David Donk for getting a little excited when talking about his latest prospect. But that’s just not Donk’s style.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Trainer Rudy Rodriguez thought he got lucky when he won a 14-way shake to claim High Tide, a 1 1/4-length winner of Thursday’s third race on opening day at Saratoga. A little while later, he received word that the claim was voided because High Tide was deemed to be lame by the attending veterinarian back at the test barn, according to the stewards.

Thus, the horse was returned to trainer Carlos Martin and M and A Racing.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After last Sunday’s $150,000 River Memories Stakes failed to fill at Belmont Park, War Like Goddess will now point to the Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls Stakes at 1 1/2 miles here on Aug. 6, trainer Bill Mott said.

“We were juggling between the United Nations [at Monmouth Park] and the Glens Falls,” Mott said. “I think I’m going to go to the Glens Falls.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The two Godolphin-bred and -owned and Charlie Appley-trained 3-year-olds who finished second in Grade 1 turf stakes at Belmont Park on Saturday moved up to Saratoga to prepare for this track’s marquee events for 3-year-olds on turf in August.

Nations Pride, beaten three-quarters of a length as the favorite in the $1 Belmont Derby, will run in the Grade 1, $1 million Saratoga Derby on Aug. 6, while With the Moonlight, beaten 1 3/4 lengths as a 7-1 choice in the Belmont Oaks, will run in the Grade 3, $700,000 Saratoga Oaks on Aug. 7.

Officiating conquered two turns last Saturday in the Grade 3, $300,000 Cornhusker Handicap at Prairie Meadows.  

Now, he’ll attempt to get three turns.  

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Officiating is being pointed to the Grade 2, $1 million Charles Town Classic on Aug. 26. The 1 1/8-mile race is run around three turns at Charles Town.  

“He has very good tactical speed and you want to have some speed for that race,” Joseph said Wednesday.  

In 1992, a horse named Great Navigator won the Grade 1 Hopeful at odds of 24-1 at Saratoga. He was a son of Gulch trained by John Mazza for Ron and Rosemary Shockley’s RoRon Stables.

Saturday, a horse by name of Great Navigator will try to win the Grade 3, $175,000 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga. This Great Navigator is a New Jersey-bred son of Sea Wizard owned by Holly Crest Farm and trained by Eddie Owens Jr.

Bleecker Street wasn’t meant to be one of Chad Brown’s top female turf horses.

But when Bleecker Street trained just average on dirt, Brown switched her to the grass. Now, midway through her 4-year-old season, Bleecker Street is 7 for 7 in her career.

Coming off a victory in the Grade 1 New York Stakes last month at Belmont, Bleecker Street could be favored in Saturday’s Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga.

Damon’s Mound, the exciting 2-year-old prospect, has taken up residence with trainer Michelle Lovell’s string at Colonial Downs and is being aimed at the $200,000 Saratoga Special on Aug. 13, Lovell said.

Damon’s Mound won a six-furlong maiden race July 2 at Churchill Downs by 12 1/2 lengths, clocking 1:09.84, which was good for an 84 Beyer. That’s the fourth-highest 2-year-old Beyer in North America so far this year, but Damon’s Mound performance looked even better than the figure.

Purses for Kentucky-breds at Ellis Park got another big boost during opening weekend at the western Kentucky track when an additional $1 million from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund was transferred from Kentucky Downs.

Maiden-specials with a maximum purse of $50,000 now are worth as much as $60,000, with allowances also getting an identical $10,000 hike, according to Ellis racing secretary Dan Bork. The raises became effective Sunday and do not apply retroactively to the first two cards of a 23-day meet that began July 8.

Average daily handle was up but all-sources handle was down at the 2022 Belmont spring/summer meet compared to last year.

With 44 days of racing - and 35 fewer races - this year compared to 48 days in 2021, all-sources handle was $591,250,409, down 6.4 percent from last year’s figure of $632,208,251. The average daily handle was $13,437,509, a 2 percent increase over last year’s daily average of $13,171,005.