Displaying items by tag: Saratoga Race Course

This latest renewal of the Breeders’ Cup will be the most stressful and possibly most damning edition in the 36 years since its inception.

The crisis of horse deaths at Santa Anita that began in December of 2018 have not stopped. A 35th and 36th horse were euthanized just last week as the best horses, trainers and jockeys converge on the famed Southern California racetrack for the sport’s Super Bowl.

I don’t even know who’s running. I don’t want to know.

Santa Anita has made rooting for this sport all the more challenging. In fact, following the Sport of Kings is starting to feel more akin to greyhound racing. It feels increasingly sad. You start to ask yourself: Why and how is this fun? How has this been allowed to carry on? Do people really enjoy this?

Of course there will be the old guards and the hard liners, the people who don’t give a lick about anything beyond a live Pick 4 ticket and the prospect of an empire-building stallion. The game persists, it would seem, to line the pockets of the legacy families and the few mega-trainers who have all but monopolized the game’s premier talent. 

In a sense, horse racing is a microcosm of America and the American Dream. Bernie Sanders would categorically blow up horse racing.

And yet, in the face of perhaps the worst PR nightmare to tornado the sport perhaps ever, the Breeders’ Cup will heighten the focus and multiply the tension by an immeasurable degree. If Spinal Tap took it to 11, the anxiety at this year’s Breeders’ Cup will be a terrifying 13.

Given this crisis at the track where something is wickedly off-kilter, whether it’s the racing surface, the nature of the horses, the horsemanship on the backstretch or just dumb luck, to persist in the face of that is Russian roulette. Real lives are at stake. And if the lives of the horses don’t matter — which to many they don’t — think of the lives of the jockeys aboard these horses. 

We’re talking full fields of the biggest, baddest, fastest horses on the planet with a lot of money on the line. Jockeys will be aggressive. They will fit into tight holes because hitting the board in the Breeders’ Cup might mean a new house. 

These are also great horses - and great horses, a trainer once told me, are the ones you have to worry about because when they feel a little bit of pain — like our great human athletes — they grind on.

Santa Anita, and the powers that be, should have moved the Breeders’ Cup and they failed to do so.

Outgoing Breeders’ Cup Ltd. CEO Craig Fravel said  (h/t horseracingnation.com), “The Breeders’ Cup going somewhere else would send entirely the wrong message. When people are trying to do the right thing, you need to stick with them. The entire Breeders’ Cup board was unanimous in that decision and we’re certainly glad to be here.”

I disagree. I think it sends the wrong message to keep running this experiment with live ammo. You can stick with your people, but let them keep using crash test dummies instead of actual people. 

Banning the likes of Jerry Hollendorfer from running his horses at these tracks for having an excessive number of horses break down is ceremonial. It’s the kind of move that looks impressive, looks strong, but lacks nutritional value. It says, “Look, we’re taking action.”

Talk to any serious horseplayer (few as they number), and they’ll tell you that this sport long abandoned them with greater takeouts and a customer service experience that bordered parody. Horseplayers are the drunk uncle of the sport. You’ve got to invite them to the wedding, but when it comes for table arrangements, they’re at Table 9 with all the freaks (h/t “The Wedding Singer”) and most certainly — and without question — the last to walk up to the buffet line.

But when the sport turns its back on the horses, the critters who light us up and give it all, this is something entirely unforgiveable and shows the true colors of the people who really hold the reins.

Now, the Breeders Cup could have been moved, but it would’ve taken a phalanx of brave owners to say, “I’m not running my horse(s) at your track. I’d rather miss this year’s Breeders’ Cup than put my horses at risk.”

The Breeders’ Cup has given us thrills the likes of which we carry forever. Some of the most thrilling races and racecalls we’ve ever seen take place on this great weekend around Halloween. It’s a legacy cementer, a king and queen maker. 

And I can’t — and won’t — watch as the Reaper waves its scythe over that oval.

Brendan O’Meara is a freelance writer. He lives in Eugene, OR. Follow @BrendanOMeara on Twitter

Fan Appreciation Week

NYRA will thank its fans with a series of special offers during Fan Appreciation Week at Saratoga Race Course. Fans will enjoy savings on reserved seats and reserved tables in the Fourstardave Sports Bar and Miller Lite Picnic Paddock, as well as numerous food and drink specials.

Friday, August 30

• LUCKY COIN
The day’s feature race is the $100,000 Lucky Coin for 4-year-olds and up on the turf. 

• DOG ADOPTION CLINIC
NYRA will offer fans the opportunity to give an animal its fur-ever home during a Dog Adoption Clinic from noon to 4 p.m. The clinic, which is hosted in partnership with News 10 ABC and Pet Connection with Steve Caporizzo, will be held near the Big Red Spring in the backyard. NYRA will underwrite adoption fees for animals placed with a new family during the clinic. Only dogs will be available for adoption. Participating animal shelters and rescue groups include: Companion Animal Placement Program; German Shephard Rescue of NY; Greyt Companions; and the Saratoga County Animal Shelter. 

• SOUTHWESTERN LABOR DAY BBQ
Fans are invited to enjoy a southwestern-style Labor Day Weekend BBQ while experiencing The Rail at the 1863 Club, the first-floor banquet space at the all-new 1863 Club. The event is hosted through Labor Day, Monday, September 2, is $85 per person. Reservations are available at Ticketmaster.com. 

• TASTE NY: CRAFT BEER & CIDER
The popular tasting event will offer guests the opportunity to sample craft beers and ciders produced exclusively in New York State. Live music will accompany from noon to 5 p.m. in the Coca-Cola Saratoga Pavilion. Guests will enjoy five samples for $5. Must be 21 years or older to participate. 

Saturday, August 31
POST TIME: 12:30 P.M.

• WOODWARD DAY 
The Spa will celebrate the final Saturday of the 2019 meet with four graded stakes. The Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward, presented by NYRA Bets, will headline the day’s card accompanied by the Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls; the Grade 2, $250,000 Prioress; and the Grade 3, $200,000 Saranac. FS2 will have live coverage of all the racing action on Woodward Day beginning at 2:30 p.m. with Saratoga Live.

• FASHION SATURDAYS
Designed to showcase the tradition of style in thoroughbred racing, the event will feature women’s and men’s fashion apparel from local retailers, as well as home décor and jewelry items. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Coca-Cola Saratoga Pavilion. 

Sunday, September 1
POST TIME: 12:30 P.M.

• SPINAWAY
The day’s feature is the Grade 1, $350,000 Spinaway for 2-year-old fillies. Saratoga Live will have full-card coverage on FS2.

• SARATOGA ZIP-UP HOODIE SWEATSHIRT GIVEAWAY
Fans will celebrate closing weekend with the final giveaway of the season - a Saratoga zip-up hoodie sweatshirt, presented by Lia Infiniti. The gray hooded, zip-up sweatshirt adorned with the red Saratoga logo will be available free with paid admission, while supplies last. 

• BERKSHIRE BANK FAMILY SUNDAYS
The popular kid-oriented event will feature a wide variety of free family-friendly activities, games, attractions and educational activities from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Coca-Cola Saratoga Pavilion. The theme for this week’s event is “Under the Sea,” featuring a sand art station, goldfish racing and mermaid cutouts. 

• LOW ROLLER CHALLENGE
Sunday will include the Low Roller Challenge Handicapping Contest, which allows aspiring handicappers the opportunity to experience the thrill of tournament play for $40, with $30 going towards live bankroll and $10 to the prize pool. Registration begins at 11 a.m. near the Fourstardave Sports Bar and the challenge ends after the final post. 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 - Closing Day
POST TIME: 12:30 P.M.

• RUNHAPPY HOPEFUL
The traditional final feature, the 115th running of the Grade 1, $350,000 Runhappy Hopeful for 2-year-olds, will afford fans a preview of potential standouts in next year’s Runhappy Travers. The day’s card will also feature the Grade 2, $250,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap. Saratoga Live will have coverage of all the racing action beginning at 1 p.m. on FS2.

• BREAKFAST AT SARATOGA, PRESENTED BY CDTA 
Fans are welcome to enjoy the final Breakfast at Saratoga in addition to free tram tours of the backstretch. Tram tours run from 7:30 to 9 a.m. and depart from the Clubhouse entrance approximately every 15 minutes. Tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are 45 minutes in length.

• EMPIRE 6 MANDATORY PAYOUT
Closing Day will mark a mandatory payout for the new Empire 6 in which the entire net pool plus the jackpot carryover (if applicable) will be distributed to those selecting the greatest number of winners on Monday’s card. The Empire 6 features a $0.20 bet minimum and has provided horseplayers with consistently large payouts since it was added to the wagering menu this summer. The Empire 6 has paid out five figure totals on three days since being introduced, including $37,064 on August 21; $25,145 on August 14 and $12,547 on August 18.

Going into the final weekend of the meet, what with the Woodward Stakes and all, it’s high time to look back 10 years ago to when Rachel Alexandra beat the boys and became horse of the year. 

That was going to be the entirety of this week’s column. Looking back at the moments big and small into the most electric scene ever at Saratoga Race Course.

It was going to the sole focus, but how can it? How can it when Rachel’s jockey, the Hall of Famer Calvin Borel, was arrested for drunk driving this past Sunday? In what I was hoping would be a celebratory column that allowed us to look back on a meet that saw so many great things, the coup de grace coming when Rachel Alexandra gallantly thwarted Macho Again under the wire and knighted “Alexandra the Great” by then-race caller Tom Durkin.

Ten years ago Borel had won the second of what would be three Kentucky Derbys. He then took off that mount because Jess Jackson, wine magnate, purchased Rachel Alexandra from Dolphus Morrison.

Morrison infamously said following Rachel’s smashing 20 ¼-win in the Kentucky Oaks that, in essence, fillies should run against their own. Jackson then purchased her and ran her in the Preakness Stakes. She broke from Post 13. She had Borel in the irons. She won.

Borel would even go on to win the 2010 Kentucky Derby aboard Super Saver. It granted Todd Pletcher his first career Derby win, a very elusive one at that. Borel won his third. 

Borel, for all his ability and longevity, is a one-note rider. Hence the nickname Bo-rail. He rides the rail. For better or worse, there isn’t a whole lot of nuance. He had a chance to pilot Rachel Alexandra to a win in the Personal Ensign back in 2010. She had struggled all year. She never regained that turn of foot we saw her deploy in the Oaks, the Mother Goose, the Preakness, the Haskell and certainly the Woodward. She had reached the bottom. 

And so in the Personal Ensign, Life at Ten went gunning for the lead and yet Borel insisted on taking Rachel Alexandra in a suicidal speed dual at the classic 10-furlong distance — always thought to be her Achilles’ heel — where she staggered home and lost to the opportunistic Persistently. 

John Velazquez, aboard Life at Ten, couldn’t believe Borel went with him. But Borel had one thing in mind and didn’t call an audible. 

In any case, Borel’s star began to fade and by 2016, Borel stepped away from racing, apparently at the behest of his wonderful and charming partner Lisa Funk. She worked with hunter jumpers and Borel couldn’t take that pace. He’s a one-note horseman, so to speak, and rides thoroughbreds. 

“I didn’t quit because I wanted to,” he said. “I quit because of  the circumstances. I didn’t quit because I was scared. Because I knew I didn’t quit for Calvin. I quit for somebody else, and I didn’t like it…. It slowed down so much.”

In the match race of passions, the track won out.

During the reporting of Six Weeks in Saratoga, Funk spoke of how the pair were like soul mates. They were so in sync when it came to horses and racing but, it appears, racing was too much in Borel’s blood — again, one note — that the pair split in 2016.

And so it is now, as we look back on that magical summer we asked: Would she run in the Travers against Summer Bird, the Belmont Stakes winner and Mine That Bird, the Kentucky Derby winner? (MTB would skip town, literally, in the middle of the night.) Would she run in the Pennsylvania Derby?

No, in order to cement Horse of the Year she would have to defeat older males. 

In the post parade for the Woodward, she reared up on her hind legs. She stood as tall as a basketball hoop. Borel jumped off her. The crowd gasped. Nerves were popping. 

We were all nervous. The Eight Belle’s post-Derby tragedy in 2008 was still very much on people’s minds. 

Rachel was given a clean bill of health. She went to the lead and set scorching fractions. She circled the track repelling all attacks. One final push came from Macho Again. She held him off too. Over 30,000 fans were screaming, hugging, high fiving. 

Ten years ago. It’s how we remember her, at her highest.

And now it appears Borel is at the nadir of his career, perhaps his life. 

Nobody got hurt as a result of Borel’s drunk driving, except for Borel’s reputation. Maybe, if he remembers, he can look in the rearview when he was atop the best horse in the country (shush Zenyatta fans!) and his success was sustained and well earned.

Wish him well. 

Brendan O’Meara is a freelance writer and author of Six Weeks in Saratoga: How Three-Year-Old Filly Rachel Alexandra Beat the Boys and Became Horse of the Year. (@BrendanOMeara)

Most people who are horse racing fans or work in the Thoroughbred industry were likely introduced to the sport by a family member or someone they knew in the game.

Along with that, social media and technology has helped fans and members in the industry remain informed about news in the sport.

Despite those easily accessible platforms for information, many younger people still have limited access to resources about opportunities involving horse racing or the Thoroughbred industry.

Madison Scott is one of those people who can relate to that experience, but she is trying to do something about it by being an advocate by providing resources, mentors and opportunities for the next generation of horse racing fans, owners, or those who want to work in the industry as the co-founder of Amplify.

Growing up as a 10-year-old living in Austin, TX, Scott didn’t have much exposure to horse racing until she watched Smarty Jones go for the Triple Crown bid in 2004. From there, she wanted to learn more about the sport, but she had limited access to resources and little interest from others in an area that is attractive for millennials.

“I had no one to go to for help with racing,” the 25-year-old Scott said. “There is not even a racetrack in the city, let alone anyone interested in horses. I didn’t have anyone to turn to ask questions. I was really left reading newspaper articles that were there on my own.”

One of the organizations that eventually helped Scott was Three Chimneys Farm in Versailles, KY. Once the late Roy and Patricia Chapman of Someday Farm retired Smarty Jones, Scott contacted the farm for more information.

In return, Three Chimneys provided stallion brochures, hats and other materials that eventually led to a farm visit when she was 14 and an internship while she attended the University of Kentucky as a dual major in equine science and marketing.

“I became Smarty Jones’s No. 1 fan,” she said. “Three Chimneys was so good and had so much foresight. When Smarty Jones retired, it was important to them and the Chapmans that he was at a place where fans could visit him. Three Chimneys is always very receptive to me.”

Since writing that first letter to Three Chimneys, Scott’s career in the Thoroughbred industry has evolved.

After graduating from college three years ago, she participated in the Godolphin’s Flying Start program, an international program that provides training in management and leadership in the Thoroughbred industry. Her industry training has included externships with Christophe Clement in New York, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing in Australia, and Zabeel Stables in Dubai.

Now, Scott is using her past experiences – with the support of others – to develop Amplify to reach out to those under 30-years-old.

Along with receiving the support of Jason Litt, who is Scott’s employer at Solis/Litt Bloodstock for the past year and board member of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association’s Marketing Committee, as well as fellow board member Price Bell of Mill Ridge Farm and Horse Country, Amplify reflects her business plan when she was part of the Godolphin Flying Start.

“This concept started when I was in a course with a designed business plan for Flying Start,” she said. “This is something that we have been talking about for over a year with Jason Litt. Jason has been so critical for getting this off the ground. He has been so fantastic. He understands about racing’s ends and the need to engage more young people and try to move our sport forward.”

Since starting its mission in June as part of the first phrase, Scott and her co-founder have introduced the program to 4-H Program students at various farms in Central Kentucky and to others at Fasig Tipton in Lexington, KY.

“The first phrase of Amplify is providing resources to those who are already interested in racing and interested in horses,” Scott said. “It would be a group of young people on the fringes in the industry. Maybe they are in racing or in pony clubs or 4-H. They are the low-hanging fruit, the people that racing should be reaching out to anyway. As we expand, we’ll work with community organizations.”

At the beginning of August, Amplify was expanded to Saratoga.

Through a collaboration with NYRA and using resources already in place including backstretch tours and an opportunity to spend a day at Saratoga Race Course, Amplify developed an enhanced experience that included meeting Mark Casse and Preakness winner War of Will during the first week of August.

Besides providing resources and an enhanced experience for anyone attending these events, Scott also wants people – regardless of the outcome – to have at least a positive perception of the sport and industry.

“When we host an event and 20 people come, the worst-case scenario is now there are 20 more people who have a positive perception of racing,” she said. “The best-case scenario is one of those 20 people remembers how much fun they had, and when they are 30, they buy a racehorse. Whether we are creating more positive perceptions, or more people want to be fans or bettors, or eventually work with or own horses down the line, it’s all good stuff for racing.”

To learn more about the Amplify program, visit the website at amplifythoroughbreds.com or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

THE CONVERSATION

Recently I had the distinct privilege of interviewing one of the top race riders of the last half century. It seemed like it all happened in seconds. 

My brother Pat met Jose Santos at his workplace and called me immediately to discuss the possibility of an interview. I was floored. I said “of course, he is a legend.”  Within moments I was on the phone with Jose. He said that he would be glad to do it. A few days later he joined me for lunch at my home. I had sent him a list of questions that I thought pertinent to his Hall of Fame career. During the interview he also added aspects of importance in a back and forth. The following are highlights of a conversation with a master of his trade. 

IN HIS FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS

Jose’s story starts as a young teenager in his home country of Chile. His father Manuel was a jockey who rode at the bush league tracks that dotted the Chilean landscape. As Jose puts it, “My father was a lousy jockey. On the other hand, he was a great teacher.” To this day Jose credits his dad with giving him the tools that would take him to dizzying heights later in his career. At age fifteen Jose rode in his first race. For two years he plied the circuit that his father had before him. 

His final appearances in Chile came at the country’s fabled racecourse Club Hipico de Santiago. Universally considered one of the most elegant palaces in horsedom, it is an architectural mixture of both Versailles and Longchamp. It was befitting that he would say his goodbyes to Chile from there. 

A COLOMBIA EDUCATION

If you are under the impression that Jose’s education continued at the Ivy League Institution at 116th Street and Broadway in New York City, you are on the wrong page. Jose’s version of Columbia was a South American Country that had racetracks with larger purse structures than in Chile. There he was able to make a better living and sharpen the skills that were necessary to ride in the big time. 

During 1983 a turn of events took place that would change the course of Jose’s career. After a six-year stint on the Colombia circuit Jose was offered the opportunity to ride a horse in a Stakes Race in Puerto Rico. When he arrived, the offer was rescinded. He was now in a predicament of choosing the right path for his future. Rather than staying put or returning to Colombia, he decided to take a shot at South Florida’s lucrative racing scene. He was an immediate success. Jose led all jockeys at the Gulfstream Park meeting and continued with his winning ways at Hialeah. It wasn’t long before Jose’s eyes were fixed firmly on New York and “The Big Time.” 

ASSAULT ON THE BIG APPLE    

Jose made his debut on the New York Circuit in 1984. In a short two-year span, he vaulted to the top of the list of money winning jockeys in the country. For the next four years beginning in 1986 he owned that title. The year 1988 was especially sweet. He broke the great Laffit Pincay’s record for money earned in one season with over fourteen million dollars in purse winnings. Jose Santos was now a very big star; a one man shows. With the massive success came perks. Jose was courted by top owners and trainers alike who demanded the best. In his native tongue he was now “Soy Numero Uno.”

RIDING CHAMPIONS     

It is pretty much a standard question to put to a great jockey. I asked Jose who was the best horse he ever rode. He immediately answered, “Criminal Type.” It wasn’t a surprise. The last in the line of the legendary Calumet Farms champions, he beat many of the greats of his era. Count Sunday Silence, Easy Goer, Black Tie Affair, and Housebuster among them. So talented was this criminal, he easily heisted Horse of the Year honors for the year 1990. 

When I asked him about Manila, arguably America’s greatest turf champion, you could see Jose’s face light up. He had memorable moments on this Hall of Famer. In fact, he piloted Manila to five consecutive victories. In the United Nations Handicap at storied Atlantic City Racecourse, Manila blistered that grass surface with a track record for the mile and three sixteenths under the urging of the Chilean Master.   

ON THE FUNNY CIDE OF THE STREET

Jose shined in Triple Crown events. His first taste of victory came in the 1999 Belmont Stakes. He rode a colt named Lemon Drop Kid. The Kid was owned by Laddie Dance, fondly remembered for his outstanding skills as an auctioneer at the Fasig Tipton Sales, just yards from the home base of this publication. 

It looked like the year of Charismatic. He had taken the first two legs of the Triple Crown and was looking to add the Belmont Stakes and immortality. Jose had other plans. Coming from way off the pace, he put the Kid in high gear and overtook Charismatic to claim his first Triple Crown race trophy. Four years later Jose Santos was about to become part of a horse racing fairy tale and all the fun that went with it. 

Let’s set the stage. A consortium led by Saratoga resident Jack Knowlton, and an Albany businessmen Gus Williams, invested seventy-five thousand dollars in a New York bred gelding. In his first start he won a Maiden Special Weight event by fifteen lengths. He also took two stakes races in the fall of his rookie season. Jose was confident that he had a Derby contender. Funny Cide opened his sophomore campaign with a lackluster effort in the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream. He then headed to New Orleans where he finished a game third in the Louisiana Derby. 

Next up, New York’s major Derby Prep, the Wood Memorial. Here Funny Cide showed vast improvement. He contended with the two-year-old champion Empire Maker and was beaten by only a half a length. This guy was peaking at the exact right time. For Jack Knowlton and his merry men, it meant only one thing. They were about to catch “Lightning in a bottle.” 

On the first Saturday in May all roads led to Louisville for the one hundred and twenty ninth rendition of the Kentucky Derby. Empire Maker was favored to take home the roses. Funny Cide was overlooked by the betting public. He went to the post as a twelve to one longshot. The bell rang and Jose got the gelding off to a good start. He maneuvered his mount close to the pace and stayed that way down the backstretch and into the far turn. Then he began his move. At the top of the stretch Jose unleashed all the power and fury that churned beneath him. Midstretch, Funny Cide took the lead. Empire Maker made a futile run at him. It was too little, too late. Jose had captured America’s greatest horserace. Funny Cide had become the first New York State Bred to win it and the first gelding to prevail in the Derby since 1929. 

Jose Santos, Jack Knowlton, his partners, and trainer Barclay Tagg, were sitting on top of the horseracing world. 

The Funny Cide story was taking on folklore status. He and his connections had gripped the imagination of the sporting public. Now he was looking to take the Triple Crown for the first time in a quarter of a century. Funny Cide returned to his homebase Belmont Park as a conquering hero. He was “The Toast of the Town.” Over one hundred thousand fans came out to root for Funny Cide in the Belmont Stakes. Unfortunately, torrential rains had made the track sloppy. The fan favorite didn’t handle the surface very well. This time the tables were turned. Empire Maker got the best of him. The Funny Cide saga had ended, yet the legend would live on.  Jose thoroughly enjoyed the run. In his words, “It was one of the most fun periods of my career.”

JOCKEYS, RACETRACKS, AND SARATOGA

I asked Jose who he thought were the top riders of his generation. Without hesitation he answered, “On the New York Circuit, Angel and Jorge.” To us mere mortals that would be Angel Cordero Jr. and Jorge Velasquez. As for racing in California, it was a no brainer. He answered almost in awe, “Laffit Pincay, the best.” As far as jockeys of today he rates the Ortiz brothers as the best out there. He is also high on Tyler Gaffilione. Jose sees an opportunity for greatness from this young star. 

When asked about riding on the grass where he excelled, he had this to say. “Winning races on the turf demands a quality horse beneath you. The fields are so well matched that every extra step can be the difference in winning or losing.” 

Another interesting point was made by Jose. I asked him the difference riding in California versus New York. He stated that New York riders gauge the race with their horses’ strong points and that the race materializes from there. In California the Jocks come flying out of the gate like kamikazes, as if they are riding a quarter horse. If you don’t follow suit, you find yourself out of the running quickly.

Jose found his stride and massive success on the New York racing scene. Without hesitation he lists Saratoga, Belmont, and Aqueduct as his favorite stomping grounds. He became hooked on Saratoga the first year he rode here and has been coming back ever since. That’s quite a statement from a man who has traveled the world. 

LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE RECORD

Tammany Hall’s favorite son Al Smith, Governor of the Empire State during “The Roaring Twenties” coined this quotable slogan; “Let’s look at the record.” It’s time to look at the record of Jose Santos.

Let’s start with this mind-boggling number. Jose’s mounts earned in excess of 187 million dollars in purse money during his twenty-four-year career. In the four consecutive years that he was leading jockey in the country, his mounts took home an unprecedented 53 million dollars. 

In 1988, he won an Eclipse Award for outstanding Jockey of the Year. He feels that he was worthy of two more in years that he led the country in both monies earned and stakes wins. 

He got his career Triple Crown taking both the Derby and Preakness with Funny Cide, and the Belmont with Lemon Drop Kid. Add to that seven Breeders Cup winners, including the Breeders’ Cup Classic with Volponi in 2002. Of note to fans here at the Spa he took the 1999 Travers Stakes with Lemon Drop Kid. He also scored in the 1995 Whitney Stakes with longshot Mahogany Hall. His magnificent career ended in 2007 after a serious accident on the racetrack. The best was yet to come.

A WALK DOWN HISTORIC UNION AVENUE

Just six months after his career ending accident, it was time for Jose to reap the most coveted award of them all. He was to be inducted into the Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame. He, as so many of the all-time greats before him, walked down Union Avenue and into the brick building that was about to insure his immortality. He made a powerful, yet humble speech that drew a standing ovation from his fellow Hall of Fame members. The young kid from Chile had realized a lifelong dream. For that one memorable day in August of 2007 Jose Santos was again “Soy Numero Uno.”

“We try to do what makes sense. Patience does pay off in the long run. If you do what is right for the horses and the clients are on board with the plan, everything can work out.” - Cherie DeVaux

When Cherie DeVaux made the move last year of becoming a trainer, she knew it wasn’t going to be easy, especially after spending nearly 80 years of working as Chad Brown’s assistant while handling top-quality horses that included 2017 Eclipse Female Turf Champion Lady Eli.

She made the best of her 10-horse stable with a couple of second-place finishes at Saratoga before going to Laurel Park in the fall and Gulfstream Park for the winter for a few more good races from her horses.

As part of her plan, DeVaux continued to build on her stable with 30 horses that included some 2-year-olds. The 37-year-old Saratoga Springs native also earned her first career win with Traveling at Gulfstream Park at the end of March.

“We started at zero,” she said. “For what I had for horses and just starting out, I thought we did pretty well. The full picture of our business is starting to become clear. For things to finally come into fruition, it takes a while. On the best circumstances, to get a horse up and running, it takes a year-plus to even reach
their potential.”

DeVaux has always been around horses since her family has been involved in harness racing. Her father Adrian “Butch” was a long-time trainer and her brother Jimmy has become a successful driver at Saratoga Raceway.

However, DeVaux didn’t follow that same path, especially after her family moved to Florida.

After graduating from high school, DeVaux went to Florida Gulf Coast University as a pre-med major leading into physical therapy two years. She then came back to the Capital Region to attend the University at Albany. Going into her last year at UAlbany, Devaux wanted to follow her passion of working with horses.

“I remember my advisor telling me what courses I had to take for my last semester,” she said. “I told her, ‘No. I want to go do something fun.’ I don’t regret it. I learned a lot and lived a lot of life during those four years.”

For the next several years, DeVaux became more educated on the business and physical aspect of working with horses. She started as a hotwalker for Phil Gleaves before working for Chuck Simon, a Saratoga Catholic graduate, though, DeVaux never thought about being a trainer until Simon convinced her about being his assistant.

“Unlike most people, I am a fan of the horses,” DeVaux said. “I am not a handicapper; I never followed the sport. I followed along the business end. It has never been a dream of mine since I was a kid. It was more about following my heart into something I felt passionate about.”

DeVaux’s passion and hard work for her horses paid off last month when she won her first race at Saratoga with Heartstrings, owned by Saratoga Springs native David Lyons, head partner of Blue Lion Thoroughbreds. DeVaux’s husband, David Ingordo, is also a part owner.

Purchased by DeVaux with the help of Ingordo for $45,000, Heartstrings had been training at Saratoga last year until she realized the filly needed more time. After getting back to training at Keeneland and again at Saratoga, the filly was ready for her first career race.

“We took our time with her,” DeVaux said. “We try to do what makes sense. Patience does pay off in the long run. If you do what is right for the horses and the clients are on board with the plan, everything can work out.”

Everything did work out. Stalking the pace as much as 12 lengths in the early stages of the race, Heartstrings made a strong move in the stretch run to win going away at 39-1.

“I was happy on a personal level,” DeVaux said. “To come out with a first-time starter at any level, then to fire, and with the hard work we have put into her, it is a gratifying feeling. The partners of Blue Lion, since they are from this area, were really ecstatic. To be able to give the moment to them, it really meant a lot. For them, it was a dream since they were kids. To them, it was more gratifying.”

A key person to DeVaux’s business development has been Ingordo, who also has an extensive background in the horse racing industry through his family.

His late father Jerry Ingordo was jockey agent for Hall of Fame riders Laffit Pincay Jr., Patrick Valenzuela, and Sandy Hawley; his mother Dottie Ingordo-Shirreffs helped manage late Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel’s business; his father-in-law John Shirreffs trained champion Zenyatta and 2005 Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo.

After working as an assistant for Frankel during his teenage years and Juddmonte Farms during college years at the University of Kentucky, David Ingordo has become a highly-regarded bloodstock agent who is known for help selecting Zenyatta and assisting in other purchases that include Lady Eli, 2015 Whitney winner Honor Code and 2015 3-year-old champion Stellar Wind.

Ingordo met DeVaux in New York while checking on eventual Grade 1 stakes winner Gift Box, a horse he has purchased for Will Farish III. Their friendship eventually evolved into marriage last year. Ingordo believes DeVaux has the ability to get to that next level.

“I think Cherie is one of the more talented horse people out there that just has to get her own career started,” he said. “Her record doesn’t reflect some of the really good work she has done. She is trying to develop horses. I see some of these horses coming from different places and different conditions. I see the improvement. Objectively, that’s what a horse trainer is supposed to do. She has a knack for that.”

“If she can keep hanging in there, she will continue to move forward,” he added. “The cupboards aren’t bare here. I am looking forward to seeing how it goes for her. Anyone who knows me know that I don’t follow any empty wagons.”

DeVaux indicated that she has been satisfied with her meet so far, especially with the way her horses have been running on the track. With about 10 days remaining in the Saratoga meet, she will continue to work with her plan before going back to Kentucky for the Keeneland and Churchill Down meets in the fall.

“So far, the meet has been gone well,” she said. “All of them have put in solid performances. We really tried to pick specific horses to target certain races, and not to bring horses just to run.”

More important, DeVaux is grateful for the support from Ingordo.

“I am fortunate to have my husband who is business-mined,” she said. “We have a three-year plan to up to that full capacity. We cannot just focus on the stats and wins. We have to look at the body of our work as a whole. He has been really good in keeping me focused with that.”

At long last it’s time for the Grade 1 Run Happy Travers Stakes. Can you believe it? One hundred and fifty of these things.

It takes a while to get here, but when it arrives it always feels worth it, worth the wait.

We make a big of a deal it. Looking back over the last several winners of the race, it’s definitely a race that’s on its own island. Most of the horses that win this race didn’t have much of an impact before or after. I say most because there are some special horses on this list.

Arrogate started the greatest four-race win streak in the history of the sport by erupting onto the scene, winning the Travers, the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the Pegasus Cup and then his spectacular Dubai World Cup win. Suffice to say we will never see anything like that again.

And there was Street Sense, who had won the Kentucky Derby in 2007, yet came within a whisker of losing to Grasshopper in the Travers. But to find a truly great horse, a Hall of Famer, you’d have to go all the way back to Point Given in 2001. I’d throw Bernardini in there too in terms of sheer class.

So let’s take a look at some of the, let’s say, less impressive winners of this race, or the ones that didn’t quite make a lasting impression: Catholic Boy, West Coast (despite being Champion Three-Year-Old), Keen Ice, V.E. Day, Will Take Charge, Alpha, Golden Ticket, Stay Thirsty, Afleet Express, Summer Bird (despite being Champion Three-Year-Old), Colonel John, Flower Alley, Birdstone and the list goes on and on. As we go farther back into history, I suspect the pattern would continue with the rare exception of an Easy Goer or Thunder Gulch.

What you don’t see are a lot of Triple Crown race winners. In the last, say, 16 years, only Summer Bird (2009), Street Sense (2007) and Bernardini (2006) and Birdstone (2004) won a Triple Crown race and neither ran in all three legs.

And so with the latest crop of 3-year-olds, it appears history will repeat itself. Sure, Tax, winner of the Jim Dandy, and a horse that ran in the Kentucky Derby will be here. But the real eyes will be on the most talented sophomore, though the one who has yet to break through and assert himself as the best of this crop: Tacitus.

A Tacitus for the rest of us!

He’s a strapping colt that might have just found his secret weapon: blinkers.

Ever have trouble focusing? Ever start writing a column and it goes in one direction, then a different one and then you forget what you started? 

So where was I? Oh, yes, Chad Brown, can you believe he has “only” won 25 races as of this writing? Wait, what? …Tacitus? Gotcha, gotcha. I see.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott strapped on the eye cups and something happened, something good for Mott and scary as all get out for the field.

“I think the blinkers seem as though they helped him focus a little bit. Even in the workout, it looked like his head carriage was a little more straight and level,” Mott said in a NYRA release. “Does he absolutely have to have them? Maybe not. But if they help him an inch it’ll be worth it. The good thing is that they didn’t make him anxious or rank. They just helped him focus through the stretch.”

Given that Maximum Security will take his inquiry-inducing talent to the Pennsylvania Derby, Game Winner came down with a virus and War of Will on shelf needing more rest, that gives Tacitus no excuse entering the Travers.

His greatest opponent will be Tax, the Jim Dandy winner, who benefited from the better trip in their head-to-head matchup. Tax filed a monstrous 47.33 four-furlong breeze in his final turn of the screw ahead of Travers 150.

“We tucked him in behind a horse and we got some other company in the middle of it and he went to the rail and just went right on about his business. I was really happy,” said trainer Danny Gargan. “Irad [Ortiz] said he’s getting stronger and bigger and faster. We’re really happy with how he’s doing. He seems to be blossoming at just the right time. He was bucking and squealing coming off the track. It was a big-time work. He worked in 47 [.33], and out three-quarters in 1:12.4.”

Tax showed grit down the lane when confronted by Tacitus. Will Tacitus move forward after a bad break in the Jim Dandy? Will Tax step up another rung after the win and that faster-than-a-speeding-bullet work?

The rematch looks great, so it’s best to enjoy it while you can, because, like most renewals of this race, it’ll be long forgotten before the race is official.

Brendan O’Meara is a freelance writer and author of Six Weeks in Saratoga: How Three-Year-Old Filly Rachel Alexandra Beat the Boys and Became Horse of the Year. He lives in Eugene, OR.

In the aftermath of a rain soaked, delayed Alabama, a jubilant Jose Ortiz proclaimed that victories in historic races like this 139-year-old Grade 1 would help him find a permanent home across the street in the Hall of Fame.

It appears that the young 25-year-old native of Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico is well on his way to making his dream come true.

In just a few short years, Jose and brother Irad have made a meteoric rise to the top of the game, and seem poised for greatness and eventual immortality. 

They are both already Eclipse Award winners, and have each won the Belmont Stakes and multiple Breeders’ Cup races, but remain as hungry as they were when they arrived in New York as teenagers.

For Jose, this was his third straight Alabama. He guided Dunbar Road, a talented daughter of Quality Road, through the mud to an easy 2-3/4 lengths victory over Point of Honor and Street Band. It made Chad Brown a first-time Alabama winner, while it took owner Peter Brant 36 years to win his second Alabama, as he won his first with Spit Curl in 1983.

In 2017, Jose won his first Alabama aboard Bill Mott’s Elate, and last year brought Eskimo Kisses home for Kenny McPeek. Irad won his first Alabama in 2012 on Godolphin’s Questing, and it’s hard not to imagine that the brothers will bring home many more.

With the panache of a seasoned vet, Jose made all the right split-second decisions during the quirky race, and sounded like a polished pro after the race when he praised Sophie Doyle, the British-born jockey and sister of Group 1-winning jockey James Doyle, for her fine ride on the third place finisher, Street Band.

Although several professional handicappers had questioned whether the lightly-raced Dunbar Road was ready for the demanding challenge of the classic 1-1/4 mile distance, she quickly turned doubters into believers.

Brother Irad had initially worked Dunbar Road down in Florida over the Winter, but Jose and agent Jimmy Riccio ended up with the mount for her first start, after she went unraced as a 2-year-old. It was an eye opening 8-3/4 lengths, maiden-breaking victory upon first asking March 3 at Gulfstream 

Irad and agent Steve Rushing secured the mount for Dunbar Road’s second race, just 27 days later, when Chad Brown decided to make the quick leap into graded stakes territory, in the one mile, Grade 2 Gulfstream Oaks.

Although she came up a half length behind in 2nd to the winner Champagne Anyone, she was asked to go a 1-1/16 in just her second start. Champagne Anyone had already raced six times, and her previous three races included two Grade 2s and a Grade 3.

Chad gave Dunbar Road a two month break following this loss, and brought her back for a layup in an allowance at Belmont the end of May. Jose was up for the 5-1/2 length victory that served as her prep for the Grade 2 Mother Goose a month later.

She was once again victorious with Jose aboard, winning by 2-1/2 lengths, and seven weeks later she would find the Winner’s Circle for the fourth time in five tries when she captured the Alabama.

With his locked and loaded stable of stars, it becomes a chess match of epic proportions for Chad, as he deftly moves each piece with precision, avoiding showdowns with stablemates and owners like a magician.

Chad’s other star 3-year-old filly, Guarana, who remains undefeated after romping in the Coaching Club American Oaks, is expected to next run in the Cotillion at Parx on September 21, where she’ll meet Tom Amoss’ Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress, and a field of 3-year-olds for the final “Win and You’re In” opportunity for the division.

Although it’s not yet known where Chad will send Dunbar Road next, perhaps she’ll take the same path Princess of Sylmar did following her Alabama victory, when she headed to the Beldame to face older fillies and mares.

Eventually, they will have to meet in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, and we’ll just have to wait and see what approach Chad takes.

As the skies darkened over the Spa, the Post Parade was shortened and the field for the Grade 2 Lake Placid was rushed to the gate.

Sheer excitement was about to ensue, as by the half mile pole, a torrential downpour hit the track, and the 3-year-old fillies probably wondered who turned the shower on and the lights off!

As the track went dark, and thunder boomed, lightning strikes coming from different directions could be seen and heard. And who could’ve thought that the best was yet to come?!

Mike Maker’s Amandrea broke well and very briefly held the lead under Tyler Gaffalione, but Chad Brown’s Blowout and Jose Ortiz quickly took over, much as they’d done in the Lake George, when Amandrea didn’t take the role of pacesetter, as was assumed she would.

Amandrea would retake the lead on the far turn over a game Blowout, but both Varenka and Regal Glory were now lurking and ready to pounce. They swung outside and moved up to challenge the early frontrunners, and set up a scintillating 4-horse stretch battle.

When it appeared that Regal Glory and Luis Saez, Chad’s other entry, had established a fairly safe half length lead over her rivals, Graham Motion’s Varenka, with Javi Castellano aboard, dug in from the outside over the final jumps, and got a good head bob to hit the wire at the same time as Regal Glory.

And then all hell broke loose! In the absence of a light at the finish line, the darkened image from the Teletimer sent up to the photo finish booth made it impossible for the racing officials to make a quick and clear judgment.

After what had to feel like an interminable period of time for all the connections, the decision, based on inconclusive evidence, was to make the fair call of adead heat for Varenka, the son of Ghostzapper, and Regal Glory, the son of Animal Kingdom.

Interestingly, Javi Castellano won his first Breeders’ Cup aboard Varenka’s sire, Ghostzapper, while Graham Motion won his first Kentucky Derby with co-winner Regal Glory’s sire, Animal Kingdom.

In spite of protestations from an annoyed Chad Brown, the always gracious Graham Motion accepted the outcome, and was nonetheless grateful to share the victory.

While the youngsters were playing in the puddles at the Spa, elder statesman and Hall  of Famer Johnny Velazquez was basking in the sun “where the surf meets the turf” at Delmar last Saturday.

Johnny announced his arrival with a bang, when he slyly found a seam on the inside hedge behind a wall of horses, and rode his first mount on the card to victory, going a mile over the turf on Richard Baltas’ Succeedandsurpass in the 5th.

Although Johnny wasn’t as lucky on horses for Bob Baffert and Arnaud Delacour, getting beaten by longshots in the 6th and 7th, he bounced right back with a flair on his next mount in the Grade 1 Delmar Oaks.

Cambier Parc, a 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, was purchased by Larry Best’s OXO Equine for $1.25 million at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. She is yet another filly in Chad Brown’s stellar lineup, and she delivered under Johnny.

Cambier Parc was ridden by Jose Ortiz in her five previous races, when she went 3-5. During that span, her only two losses were to the very talented Concrete Rose in the Grade 3 Edgewood at Churchill Downs, and in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks in her last outing.

Sadly, it was announced last week that Concrete Rose had suffered a hairline stress fracture following her victory in the inaugural Saratoga Oaks, but thankfully it will not require surgery. Rusty Arnold stated that his star filly will be back and ready to go in 2020.

In another crafty ride by the Hall of Famer, Johnny brought Cambier Parc from the back of the pack, swinging five wide at the top of the stretch, to capture the Delmar Oaks, a 1-1/8 mile race over the turf.

Bob Baffert had teased John Sadler during Higher Power’s final work before the $1 million Pacific Classic that his 4-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro was looking like his Whitney winner McKinzie.

Baffert’s observation was spot on, as Higher Power, making the transition from turf to dirt look seamless, looked impressive in his Pacific Classic victory.

Going up against graded stakes winners in Seeking the Soul, Pavel and Quip, Higher Power only had three wins over his last ten races in allowance optional claimers. However, it seemed as if the three favorites wanted no part of the heavy going at Delmar this day, as they gave absolutely nothing.

Sadler became a back-to-back winner of the Pacific  Classic, and joined the elite company of Bobby Frankel, Bob Baffert and Richard Mandella by doing so. Sadler won last year with Accelerate, and Frankel won six editions during his career. Baffert has won five, and Mandella has four.

While Johnny and Dallas Stewart had to be disappointed with Seeking the Soul’s dull performance in the Pacific, Johnny wasn’t about to get outta’ Dodge on a losing note. He rolled the dice with an inside move once again in the nightcap, and brought 9-1 longshot Super Patriot from last to first with an exciting kick along the rail for Richard Baltas.

Super Patriot paid $20, and I’m sure Johnny ended up pleased to go 3-6 on his trip west, including a Grade 1.

Earlier in the day at Saratoga, it was nice to see the “Coach”, octogenarian D. Wayne Lukas, get off the duck and hit the Winner’s Circle for the first time this meet, with American Butterfly, a 2-year-old son of American Pharoah.

All the buzz pre-race actually centered around the Hall of Famer’s protege Todd Pletcher and his highly touted Candy Tycoon, a son of Twirling Candy. But it was the wily old mentor who had his trainee ready second time out, after being beaten  by 16 lengths in a maiden July 21.

It was just as nice to see Wayne continue his wonderful tradition of plucking random kids out of the crowd to join him in the Winner’s Circle, as it was to see him bring a 22-1 longshot home that paid $46.20. 

In a sport that desperately needs to seek new young fans, it is the simple gesture of an old time Hall of Famer that could run circles around any slick advertising campaign.

And Down the Stretch We Come! How can it be?! In  a meet that has been dominated as much by Mother Nature as it has been by superb horses and racing, it’s hard to believe that we’re in the final days.

It seemingly began a couple of weeks ago, but as is the case with anything we cherish, there’s never enough time. So get out there and enjoy these last two weekends before sweet memories fade in our rearview mirror.

Photos by SuperSourceMedia, LLC. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Hot Pink Luncheon to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation was held Aug. 8, 2019, at The Rail at the 1863 Club, on the grounds of the Saratoga Race Course. Pioneering jockey Barbara Jo Rubin was the guest of honor. 

In a week that featured Fabulous Fillies Day, one fine filly showed the boys who's boss last Saturday when she became the first filly in 35 years to win the $500K Grade 1 Fourstardave.

Got Stormy not only handled the boys, she broke the course record by over a full second, and did it old school style on one week's rest after winning the De La Rose the Saturday before.

While trainer Mark Casse was less than thrilled with owner Gary Barber's bold move to run her back on short notice, all's well that ends well, as Got Stormy proved she was more than ready in front of a crowd of over 41,000.

She set the course record, covering the mile over the inner turf in 1:32 flat, and sprinted home to an easy 2-1/2 length victory under Ricardo Santana, Jr. 

As is par for the course, Chad Brown sent out a formidable trio, including another filly, Uni, who was actually the 9-5 post time favorite, along with Raging Bull and Made You Look.

Made You Look briefly held a two length lead after Todd Pletcher's Gidu streaked out like a rabbit, only to fade, but Made You Look had nothing left either.

Got Stormy roared home, while Raging Bull, Uni and Mark Casse's other entry, March to the Arch, managed to close in the money, but were no match for the blazing winner. 

Casse, the Canadian Hall of Famer, is no stranger to success with a talented turf filly. He trained the sublime Tepin, who won the Eclipse Award three times and the 2015 Breeders' Cup Mile, and he believes that Got Stormy has the same potential.

Ricardo Santana, who called her a "monster" after the race, graciously thanked her regular rider, Tyler Gaffalione, for giving him some pre-race tips, but agreed that she didn't need much guidance.

Gaffalione was previously committed to ride Got Stormy's stablemate, Live Oak Plantation's March to the Arch, who he rode to victory in the Grade 2 Wise Dan at Churchill Downs in June, but he ended up on the wrong horse this day in 4th place.

Next up for Got Stormy is probably the $1 Million Grade 1 Woodbine Mile on Casse's home turf September 14th, and she's also earned a free trip to Santa Anita for the Breeders' Cup Mile, following her "Win And You're In" victory in the Fourstardave.

In Saturday's co-feature, the 114th running of the Grade 2 Saratoga Special for 2-year-old colts, Jimmy Jerkens' Green Light Go never stopped on his way to a 3-3/4 lengths victory.

Junior Alvarado was once again aboard the big, strapping son of Hard Spun, who looked like a man among boys while recording his second straight victory. He broke his maiden at first asking by wiring the field for a 3-1/4 lengths score on the 4th of July at Belmont, and seems primed for a bright future.

Jimmy Jerkens has said that although he'll nominate his "special" juvenile for the Grade 1 Hopeful on closing day, he'll probably just give his talented charge a breather, and let him leisurely train up to the prestigious Grade 1 Champagne on October 5th at Belmont.

As a native New Yorker, Jimmy holds the Champagne in high regard, as it was the most important juvenile race before the advent of the Breeders' Cup. It is now part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge, and the winner also receives 10 points on the Kentucky Derby ledger.

In one five year span from 1974-1978, future Hall of Famers Foolish Pleasure, Honest Pleasure, Seattle Slew, Alydar and Spectacular Bid captured editions of the signature race, as did other greats like Buckpasser, Riva Ridge and Easy Goer. And Jimmy would love to do something his Dad never did, as somehow the Champagne eluded the Chief.

Green Light Go was just one of four impressive juveniles on display last Saturday.

Christophe Clement and West Point Thoroughbreds sent Decorated Invader out for the second time this meet, and the son of Declaration of War delivered on second outing with a 3-1/4 length maiden victory in the 1-1/16 mile race over the Mellon Turf Course.

Steve Asmussen and Ricardo Santana hit the Winner's Circle together twice last Saturday with another pair of good looking juveniles.

In the 5th, first-time starter Tumbling Sky, a chesnut son of Competitive Edge, broke his maiden against a field that included a $1.4 million son of American Pharoah, Kittansett, who finished out of the money.

In the 7th, another first-time starter for Asmussen put everyone on notice that he will be a force to be reckoned with. Gozilla, a chesnut son of Flatter, was absolutely dazzling, and should be high on Derby futures' radar.

While leading jockey Jose Ortiz was holding down the fort at the Spa, on a modest day by his standards with only one win, brother Irad and Chad Brown, along with Hall of Famers Johnny  Velazquez and Javi Castellano, were literally tearing up the turf in Chicago on Arlington Million Day.

It was a remarkable day of racing for Chad Brown, as he captured all three Grade 1s, and added a Grade 3 in the nightcap, sweeping the final four races on the card.

Peter Brant's Sistercharlie was a repeat winner in the $600K Grade 1 Beverly D, and earned a career-best 105 Beyer for her 3-length victory in the 1-3/16 mile race, once again with Johnny Velazquez up.

The reigning Eclipse Award winner as the Champion Turf Female rallied from the back of the seven-horse field, going three wide to chase down her stablemate and pacesetter, Thais, just as she did in the Diana. And it's no coincidence that Peter Brant is the owner of both!

With this victory, Sistercharlie was granted a berth in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, where she'll try to defend her title. If she follows last year's path, she'll go straight from repeat victories in the Diana and Beverly D to the Breeders' Cup in Santa Anita.

The afternoon continued with the 43rd running of the $500K Grade 1 Secretariat for 3-year-olds going a mile. Chad's lightly raced Valid Point, a son of Scat Daddy, made e Five Racing and Bob Edwards proud when he went from last to first under Javi Castellano, and remained undefeated, fending off Aidan O'Brien's Van Beethoven for his first Grade 1 victory.

In the 32nd running of the Arlington Million, Seth Klarman's and Bill Lawrence's Bricks and Mortar proved that he is solid as a rock, and presented a strong case for his Horse of the Year consideration.

With his exciting, come-from-behind closing kick, Bricks and Mortar held off the challenge of Aidan O'Brien's Magic Wand, and earned a 103 Beyer for his 3/4 length victory with Irad Ortiz aboard.

The 5-year-old son of Giant's Causeway has remained perfect since returning from a 14-month layoff last December, following surgery for a hock condition. He has gone 6-6, and is now 10-12 in his career, with earnings of close to $4.9 million.

His lone blemishes were in the 2017 Grade 3 Saranac here at the Spa, when he was beaten by Voodoo Song, and in October of 2017 in the Grade 3 Hill Prince at Belmont, when he was beaten by Yoshida.

Although Bricks and Mortar has a "Win and You're In" free entry to the 12 furlong Breeders' Cup Turf after his victory in the 10 furlong Arlington Million, Chad is still not sure where he'll enter his star next, as he maintains that 10 furlongs is his best distance.

His tour de force campaign and racing career will definitely end in one of the Breeders' Cup races, as it was reported by BloodHorse earlier this week that Bricks and Mortar's breeding rights were sold to Teruya Yoshida's Shadai Farm in Japan. Both Yoshida and his bloodstock agent were at Arlington to see their future sire perform, and I'm sure they left with smiles on their faces.

In the final race at Arlington, the Grade 3 Pucker Up at a mile and 1/8 for 3-year-old fillies, Peter Brant's Cafe Americano, a daughter of Medaglia d'Oro, gave Irad Ortiz his second straight victory on the card. Following his back-to-back victories in the Million last year and this year, Irad was once again sent back home just in time for his birthday, and what I'm sure was a happy celebration.

On the opening night of the New York-bred Yearling Sales, a colt by Constitution went for $340K, while a filly by Runhappy went for $300K. During the day session on Monday, Larry Best's OXO Equine had the Sales topper when they paid $775K for a filly by Malibu Moon out of a Street Sense mare. Jeremiah Englehart went to $500K for a filly by Outwork out of an unraced Tiznow mare.

Although the numbers were slightly down this year after a robust 2018 sale, it is nonetheless a wonderful thing to see how far the New York-breds have come in recent years.

The racing community was in shock following the unexpected passing of Carmen Barrera last week. Her many friends and colleagues gathered en force in the Winner's Circle for an impromptu and heartfelt tribute to the longtime Director of Horsemen's Relations immediately after the devastating announcement came across the loudspeakers.

Carmen, the daughter of trainer Luis, who won the Belmont with Summing in 1981, and the niece of Laz, who campaigned Affirmed to the Triple Crown in 1978, was with NYRA for over 40 years. She was only 60. Carmen will be sorely missed by so many, as was evidenced by the outpouring of love.

This coming Monday, August 19th, Second Chance Sports and The Learning League will present the 2nd annual Health, Horses and Making History Travers Week Celebration.

I first learned about this event last year from my Saratoga friend, John Huppuch, who has helped promote this fundraising event that supports the programs the non-profit has run for over 30 years. They provide veterans, active duty military, and individuals and families with sports therapies and treatments for spinal injuries, autism and P.T.S.D.

The event will be held at the Sports Plex in Clifton Park on 6 Corporate Drive from 6-10, and Jack Knowlton, owner of Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide will be the guest speaker.

For more information about the evening and to purchase tickets or make a donation, you can call/text Founder/Director Billy Yaiser at #518-491-0556 or #518-430-8374. Thank you so much for supporting this worthy cause, and on to Alabama Day in advance of Travers week!