Saratoga Ends With Pletcher, Velazquez Atop Standings

The expanded 40-day Saratoga meeting came to an end with a bang on Monday, with trainer Todd Pletcher winning the trainers’ title for the seventh time, and his main jockey John Velazquez winning the jockey title at the Spa for the first time since 2004.

We also saw a star in the making on Monday, with the brilliant two-year-old Boys of Tosconova winning the Three Chimneys Hopeful (G1) in impressive fashion, putting him among the top prospects for next year’s Kentucky Derby (G1).

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Pletcher had the trainers’ title taken away from his last year by Linda Rice, who became the first woman to finish on top of the trainer standings in the history of the track.

Rice still had an outstanding meet this year with 20 wins from her 103 starters. Pletcher ran away with the title, winning 36 races from his 133 starters.

Pletcher saddled eight of his winners for Repole Stable, who was the leading owner at the meeting with 13 victories.

Pletcher won the trainers’ title for the seventh time, topping his previous best mark of 35 winners. The trainer sent out live juveniles throughout the meet, two-year-olds accounting for 17 of his wins.

Velazquez won his first jockey title in New York since taking the Aqueduct fall meeting in 2005.  

Of his 57 winners, 28 came getting a leg up from Pletcher.

Ramon Dominguez has been dominant in New York recently, winning the previous nine meets including last summer’s Saratoga meeting.

Dominguez ended up third in the standings this year. Javier Castellano had an outstanding meeting, finishing with 54 winners for second.

The Rick Dutrow trained Boys At Tosconova was a flashy winner of the Hopeful on the closing day card on Monday.

The colt was making his first start since breaking his maiden by a dozen lengths on July 2 at Belmont Park, and showed that effort was no fluke was a strong effort beating an overmatched field by 1 ¾ lengths under a hand ride by jockey Ramon Dominguez.

Dutrow said the talented colt would train up to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 6.

“He’s very exciting to be around,” said Dutrow. “If he stays this way, and trains like he did coming into this race – he already likes that racetrack. It’s a matter of two turns with him, and we certainly are not going to be afraid of it.”

The colt made his debut over the Churchill Downs surface in a runner up finish in the Kentucky Juvenile (G3).

Saratoga officials were happy with the meeting overall despite handle and attendance being off.

Daily average all sources handle for the expanded 40-day meet was down 3.4% compared to last year’s 36-day meet.

Daily average attendance for the 40-day Saratoga meet was down 7.4% and average on-track handle was down 7.8% from the 36-day meet in 2009.

Those numbers are still better than the industry average, where handle for the year is down more than 7%.

With the Saratoga meeting ending, the Belmont Park Fall Championship Meeting gets underway on Saturday, Sept, 11.

There will be 19 graded stakes during the fall meeting, with many of them key prep races for the Breeders’ Cup, which is at Churchill Downs this year on Nov. 5-6.

The opening day feature on Saturday is the $150,000 Bowling Green Handicap (G2) for three-year-olds and upward at 1 3/8 miles on the turf.

The first Grade 1 race of the meeting is the $250,000 Garden City Breeders’ Cup Handicap for three-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on the turf on Saturday, Sept. 18.

The marquee event of the fall meeting is Super Saturday on Oct. 2., which features five Grade 1 races, all major final prep races for the Breeders’ Cup.

The feature is the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup for three-year-olds and up going the Classic distance of 1 ¼ miles.

The other Grade 1 races on the card are the $350,000 Beldame for fillies and mares, the $350,000 Vosburgh for sprinters, the $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational, and the $500,000 Flower Bowl Invitational for fillies and mares on the turf.

On Sunday Oct. 3 Belmont Park will feature a pair of Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” races for juveniles.

The winners of the $150,000 Ms. Grillo (G3) earns an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), and the winner of the $150,000 Pilgrim (G3) earned a start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1).

On October 9, the $300,000 Champagne (G1) and the $300,000 Frizette (G1) are also “Win and You’re In” races for juveniles.

Post time for Saturday’s opening day card at Belmont Park is 1:00 ET and the New York Racing Association is offering a $300,000 Guaranteed Late Pick 4 each Saturday during the meeting.