Eerie enough out there for you? Wednesday morning dawned hot, dry and orange-ish. Someone blamed wildfires in Canada, but we’re not ruling out some sort of off-kilter damage to the space-time continuum given that Saratoga Race Course hosted races in June, started its regular meet July 3 and ran seven days before The Saratoga Special published its first edition.
But we’re back. And you are too.
Catching up, Steve Asmussen and Horacio De Paz top the trainers’ standings with four wins each. De Paz is 4-for-7, a .571 batting average. Asmussen’s runners have made the trifecta in nine of 14 starts. Chad Brown, Mark Casse, Brad Cox, Ilkay Kantarmaci and Todd Pletcher have won three each. Kantarmaci needs one more to match his total from last year. Jockeys Flavien Prat (15 wins) and Jose Ortiz (14) jumped to the top of the jockeys’ standings. Ricardo Santana Jr. is third with seven.
Opening Day started with the traditional 1 1/8-mile treat from the gate in front of the stands. Did you cheer? McAfee led throughout to win for trainer George Weaver and jockey John Velazquez. One race later, Kelsey Danner sent out the first 2-year-old winner of the meet in the form of Allura, a daughter of Mind Control, for owner Robert Evans. Tyler Gaffalione rode the winner.
Phileas Fogg dominates Suburban
The #6 saddle cloth from the Grade 2 Suburban Stakes still hangs proud above Phileas Fogg’s stall, protected from the elements in a shiny display case now about two weeks removed from the race.
Trainer Gustavo Rodriguez stood under it Tuesday, grinning beside his superstar.
“For me, it’s like a dream,” he said. “He won the race. We thought we had a chance to win, but to win the way that he did was just … wow. It was so impressive. I didn’t expect him to run like that. Last year he was training good, but this year he’s training even better.”
The son of Astern dominated the Suburban, cruising to a 10-length victory over a stacked field of 10 rivals that included 2025 Dubai World Cup winner Hit Show and last year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Antiquarian.
Kendrick Carmouche hurried the 6-year-old Phileas Fogg straight to the lead and cruised through early splits of :23.93 and :48.59. Phileas Fogg extended his lead from there to win in 2:01.70.
Phileas Fogg won his first graded stakes in last year’s Suburban, edging Antiquarian by a head. Following that breakthrough, Phileas Fogg crossed the wire third in a troubled Jockey Club Gold Cup, but was ultimately disqualified to seventh after inference at the start. He wrapped up the year with a second in the Grade 2 Woodward and a fourth in the Grade 2 Cigar Mile.
Prior to the July 4 Suburban, Phileas Fogg prepped for this year’s Suburban with a victory in an optional claiming race May 1 at Aqueduct after a third there in late February in the Stymie Stakes.
“We’ve got the Whitney and the Jockey Club Gold Cup,” Rodriguez said of his plans for the gelding for the rest of the summer. “Those two races are for him. He’s been training great. He’s a good horse. He came out of the race in good shape, Thank God, and I think we’re going to lean on the Whitney August 8.”
– Darby O’Brien
McTigue keeps jockey, gets Grade 1
A month after his jockey fell off at the first fence in a Grade 1 steeplechase on Belmont Stakes weekend, McTigue stayed attached to new rider Graham Watters and won the $150,000 Leo O’Brien Handicap with a stretch rally over Rocket One July 5.
Trainer Cyril Murphy, whose horse ran loose ahead of the field, jumped several fences and evaded outriders for about 2 miles during the $150,000 Beverly Steinman June 3, watched with considerably less worry this time.
“It happens,” said Murphy, a former jump jockey. “I could try and blame somebody, but I’ve been out there, it’s happened. It’s one of those things. We got him back to the barn here and there was no cuts or scrapes or anything on him, so we just poulticed him up and brought him home.”
Based at owner Irv Naylor’s farm outside Baltimore, Murphy treated the Irish-bred as if he’d run a full race – three days off, turnout, jogging, some swimming in the farm pond. It was 10 days before the son of Fracas did any real work, and he responded.
“We just kept mixing it up, mixing it up, and this week it was just going through the motions of exercising – have a canter, do a bit of swimming to offset not being able to do too much on the firm ground, and that kept him fresh,” Murphy said. “I liked his overall demeanor today, he got hot in the paddock, but he was soft. He was a little agitated the last day.”
McTigue and Rocket One were the only returnees from the Steinman. Beaten a neck by the Saratoga-loving Jimmy P in that Grade 1, Rocket One wound up the 9-5 favorite just ahead of highweight Fil Dor and 2023 steeplechase champion Merry Maker. Take Your Seats set a quick pace, opened 15 lengths and still led into the stretch but was soon engulfed – first by Rocket One and later McTigue. Fourth and inside exiting the final turn, the winner came out from behind horses to find a clear running line, drew alongside Rocket One at the sixteenth pole and scored by a length as the top two were 13 1/2 lengths clear of St James The Great in third.
“I was tracking the right horses, I was tracking the right jockeys so it was just a case of sitting tight and having the confidence in him,” said Watters, aboard for the first time in a race. “If he didn’t come with his run, he didn’t. I wanted to give him the opportunity to do that and he did. I sat on him last week and gave him a jump and that was enough for me. He’s small and bouncy and racy, but he definitely needs that cover early. If you’re out in front on him, you’d do too much. He’d get running too soon.”
McTigue won over hurdles in Britain and France as a 3-year-old in 2022 and sold to Murphy and Naylor after pulling up in the 2023 Fred Winter hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival for owner Paul Byrne and trainer Emmett Mullins. McTigue won his American debut by disqualification in May 2023. He backed up that performance with a Saratoga stakes win and a third in the Grade 1 Jonathan Sheppard that summer before going to the sidelines with a suspensory injury. Murphy had him primed for a return last spring, but the injury flared again and he didn’t return until April 2026.
“He just aggravated it so it wasn’t as bad as the first time but if you press on, he might do something else,” said the trainer. “We stopped, it came right this year and it’s been good. With the time off, it’s just taken a little longer to get back to his form. He finds things relatively easy, so you can’t push on him as hard as he probably needs for fear it’ll come again but he got there and was where he needed to be today. It makes you happy for the horse.”
The O’Brien win was his fourth start this year, but only his ninth since December 2022.
The win was Murphy’s 100th as a trainer, after collecting 69 in the U.S. as a jockey from 2000 through 2007.
“For what it’s worth, I keep track of the numbers on Equibase and I knew I was on 99,” said Murphy, who won his 99th with Gold Charm at Colonial Downs June 29. “For me, it’s a big deal with the numbers we have and where we compete. It’s got some significance.”
– Joe Clancy
Making his first shot
Kinnon LaRose’s earliest Saratoga Race Course memories involve making the four-hour drive from Ogdensburg with his family, staying in Lake George, going to the water park and then spending a day at the races.
“We’d just stand at the rail all day and watch races, we didn’t know anything about it,” he said. “But we loved coming here and loved the horses.”
Which probably made the results of Saturday’s first race feel a little strange.
LaRose, who took over as the head trainer from his former boss Tom Amoss in April, became a Saratoga-winning trainer with his first runner as Midnight Still made off with a $115,000 maiden race for 2-year-olds. Racing for Double Down Horse Racing, the son of Curlin let Decimation and Motawaali battle up front, rallied four wide off the turn and drew off by 6 1/4 lengths while covering 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:05.20. Third in his debut at Churchill Downs in June, the Keeneland September purchase handled Saratoga like a pro while bet down to 4-5.
“The colt ran a great race,” said LaRose. “He ran great first time out, and it was good to see him kind of take that next step up and improve second time out. He’s a nice colt to have in the barn, and I’m happy for Alex and Elza Mitchum, the owners. It was a special day and a special win – awesome feeling.”
LaRose’s wife Sabrina was there for the big moment, as were several family members and friends, plus Amoss and his wife Colleen. The victory was LaRose’s 14th as a trainer and came about three months after he saddled his first starter at Oaklawn Park in April – and just six years since he sent a cold email to Amoss about a job.
A former basketball player at Siena College and Sacred Heart University, LaRose mucked stalls, hotwalked, groomed, learned at every stage and worked his way up to assistant trainer. Amoss, a winner of 4,278 races in a career that began in 1987, announced his retirement this spring after talking through the succession plan with LaRose.
“I did not know anything like this was going to happen,” LaRose said. “Tom approached me this winter down in New Orleans and said, ‘Hey, you know, I’m going to retire and turn everything over to you.’ At the time, I probably didn’t know what I was in for, but at the same time it’s good because you just kind of adapt and try to take advantage of an opportunity that you’re given. You learn as you go, you make mistakes, but you keep going forward.”
Amoss explained the concept to his owners, who all stayed on board, and is available to consult and offer opinions. Otherwise, it’s LaRose’s show. There are 24 horses at Saratoga, 40 more in Kentucky and the stable passed $1 million in earnings this year.
“Six years ago, I never would have envisioned myself in this position, but credit to Tom for giving me an opportunity,” said LaRose, 28. “I’m just very grateful and humbled to be here. Growing up four hours north of here, you never dream that you’re going to be in this spot. I’ve caught a lot of breaks along the way.”
– Joe Clancy
Fast start for De Paz
Trainer Horacio De Paz found himself in an enviable spot following the first two weeks of the meet: tied for leading trainer with four wins in seven starts.
“We’ll see how long it goes,” he said in his office Tuesday morning.
New York-bred Twenty Six Black kicked it off with a win in the Harvey Pack Stakes July 5, closing into a wicked pace set by Bring Theband Home and Full Disclosure after getting squeezed back after the break.
“It was great to see him come back,” said De Paz. “It was a hard effort in the Jaipur and he took a step forward. He’s always been a nice, classy horse. I was happy to see that he was able to take that next step forward there. It set up perfect for him. He did get squeezed coming out of the gate, which in hindsight probably a good thing. With the fast pace, he was able to close into it. That’s what happened in the Jaiper, too. The pace was pretty honest and those horses weren’t coming back, so he made that kick and made that run but they just weren’t coming back.”
De Paz said he’d look at the Grade 2 Troy Aug. 9 for the War Dancer gelding’s next start. He finished second in last year’s Troy.
De Paz won two races on the July 11 card, starting with the stakes-placed Twirling Candy gelding Sounds Like A Plan in the fourth.
“Very good horse, very consistent horse. We gelded him at the end of last year, and he’s just been rattling off those conditions,” said De Paz. “We had sort of a soft spot to come back off the layoff, which was that New York-bred allowance. And I thought, ‘Oh, that’ll be good.’ And then I saw the overnight and Spirit Of St Louis was in there and I was like, ‘Oh boy.’ And everybody was in uproar, even me, and I have a nice horse. Everybody was like, ‘Your horse is just as nice.’ That race came up super tough and he showed up. Now he’s come back with another great effort. There were some solid horses in there and it was nice to see him take another step forward.”
First-time starter B Yutiful Carly, a daughter of Greatest Honour, scored by 3 lengths for De Paz and Triple B Stables in the sixth as the longest shot on the board, paying $73.04 to win.
“She was very professional,” said De Paz. “She did enough to not dislike her, but not enough to be like ‘Wow! She’s something special’ type of thing. We just got her ready, got the foundation underneath her. She was always real professional in the morning so when she missed the break, that was a little unusual for her. But I said, ‘Well, she’ll get a lot of experience out of this.’ But it didn’t bother her. She came back with a run.”
The weekend wasn’t over yet. Professor Plum also scored on debut July 12. Owned by John Foster, Dennis O’Neill and De Paz, the son of Solomini went for $40,000 at OBS April before joining the barn.
“He was sort of inconsistent in his works,” De Paz said. “One week he would work good and one week he would work so-so. We didn’t really know where he was at. He was always kind of goofy at the barn, just being a 2-year-old colt basically. Nothing bad, but mentally wasn’t there. When we took him over to the races, he was prancing and happy going to the holding barn. Once he got into the paddock, I was a little bit concerned with how he was going to be acting. I figured he’d come in hollering and acting like a 2-year-old.”
Then the New York-bred subverted all their expectations.
“Once we put the tack on he was very professional,” De Paz said. “He acted well during the post parade and broke well. I figured he was going to be at the back, break bad and be at the back and maybe make a run. But no, the light bulb went off at the right moment. He really turned it around there at the races. That was the most professional I’ve ever seen him.”
Both juveniles will point to the 2-year-old New York-bred stakes in August – the Seeking The Ante for B Yutiful Carly and the Funny Cide for Professor Plum. Professor Plum will also be entered in the Fasig-Tipton July Digital Sale July 23-28.
– Darby O’Brien
Kantarmaci gets three early ones
Trainer Ilkay Kantarmaci likes to go day-by-day, a strategy that has proved successful so far.
“It feels good,” he said Wednesday morning, holding one of his horses on the washpad as he received some post-training spa-time. “We work hard every day, and it’s Saratoga. It’s always special to win here.”
Kantarmaci has won three times with eight starters so far, tied with Chad Brown, Mark Casse, Todd Pletcher and Brad Cox. The mini hot streak started with a double July 9 as Karey won the fourth race and Gatsby scored in the seventh. The next day, New York Scrappy lived up to his name to win a New York-bred optional claimer.
“I need to work harder than ever to keep going,” Kantarmaci said. “I had a good meet in the springtime. I finished as a leading owner and trainer in the wintertime. My goal is to keep going. I have a great team right now. I have a lot of support and a lot of people working for me. I have better horses right now. It helps when you have better horses, it makes it easy.”
Kantarmaci enjoyed a strong Saratoga last year and he carried that momentum with him downstate, where he finished the Aqueduct winter meet third in the trainer standings and the Belmont at the Big A spring meet in fourth.
“I have claiming horses, so when I come to the barn every day is surprising,” said Kantarmaci, “Claiming horses makes me excited. Most of the horses in my barn I own, so I’m going to try to claim more, better horses.”
– Darby O’Brien
Bouncing Around
• Bregman Family Racing’s To A Flame won the first stakes of the season, the $150,000 Wild Applause, that turned into a mess as four horses fell at the quarter pole. I Love Giraffes clipped heels and fell and three others went down behind her. I Love Giraffes will miss at least four months with a fractured hip. Smexy, Lovely Grey and Paris Carver all emerged relatively unscathed. Paris Carver’s jockey Javier Castellano injured his back and will miss at least three weeks. The others – Paco Lopez, Dylan Davis and Gaffalione – have all returned to riding. Lopez, who rode I Love Giraffes, was given a 30-day suspension but is riding under a stay while he appeals. To A Flame became a stakes winner after placing in one at Kentucky Downs last year and collected her third win from six starts.
Also on Opening Day, Harper’s Corner won the Schuylerville Stakes for 2-year-old fillies. The daughter of Speaker’s Corner races for owner Charles Biggs and trainer Cal Lynch and improved to 2-for-2 after breaking her maiden at Laurel in June. In the $150,000 Saranac for 3-year-olds on the turf Heeere’s Johnny became a stakes winner and broke his maiden at the same time for trainer Ray Handal. The son of Oscar Performance, second in two stakes last year and also in his 2026 debut, rallied from last of 11 early to score by a neck at 15-1 for jockey Jaime Rodriguez. The winner races for Blue Bison Stable, Catherine Coyle and Magic Carpet Racing.
• In addition to the Suburban win by Phileas Fogg, the July 4 card featured Belmont Oaks and Derby wins by European shippers Kensington Ride and Title Role plus a Sanford score for 2-year-olds by Booked.
• Heman Harkie rode his first Saratoga winner when Baby Sassicaia won the eighth race, a $16,000 starter optional, for trainer Norman Follett July 10.
• Mi Bago dug in and hung on. Zulu Kingdom dug in and kept rallying. Neither lost, though that wasn’t the initial reaction when their numbers flashed on the infield big screen after the Kelso Stakes July 5. After a lengthy photo-finish review, the first flash read 1-8 and stayed that way long enough for some to groan in disappointment and others to exult in joy before the “DH” light flashed as well. The dead heat awarded the Grade 3 stakes to both horses, complete with identical $84,375 winners’ shares and win payoffs of $3.66 (Zulu Kingdom) and $8.40 (Mi Bago). The place payoffs were a squirrelly $4.32 and $8.80, respectively.
Zulu Kingdom, who races for Madaket Stable, Michael Dubb, William Strauss and Michael Caruso, won for the eighth time in 11 starts for trainer Chad Brown. The Irish-bred son of Ten Sovereigns won the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile in April and was third in the Grade 3 Poker at Saratoga in June. New York-bred Mi Bago won his eighth race from 18 starts for Gary Barber and Mark Casse. The son of Vekoma won the Kingston here in June.
• Sippin Pretty opened the stakes slate for the second week with a 26-1 upset in the Grade 3 Victory Ride July 10 for 3-year-old fillies. Owned by Randall Bloch and Six Column Stable, the daughter of Yaupon edged 2-1 favorite Goodall late for trainer Ian Wilkes and jockey Ricardo Santana Jr.
Flying P Stable’s Ole Crazy Bone secured the second graded turf marathon stakes win of his career in the Grade 2 Bowling Green July 11. Flavien Prat rode the Ghostzapper gelding to a nose victory in the 1 3/8-mile test over European invader Fort George for trainer Mike Maker. Ole Crazy Bone, a $100,000 claim last June at Churchill Downs, also won last year’s Grade 2 Kentucky Cup Turf Invitational going 1 1/2 miles at Kentucky Downs.
The July 11 card also featured a victory by Movin’ On Up in the Grade 2 Caress Stakes for owner Ken Ramsey, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and jockey Tyler Gaffalione. The 5-year-old Accelerate mare won the 5 1/2-furlong Caress by 1 ¼ lengths over Zeitlos with her stablemate In Our Time third in the field of five.
• The July 12 card did not include a stakes, but didn’t lack for drama as a distance change in the fourth race forced the cancellation/refunding of pick six wagers including the race. A pick six carryover of $166,702 shifts to today’s card.
The race, a maiden on the inner turf for 2-year-olds, was originally slated for a mile but was shifted to 1 1/16 miles by the stewards due to safety concerns expressed by the jockeys given the run between the starting gate and the first turn. Because the change occurred after wagering had begun on the pick six, set to start with that race, those wagers were refunded.
Liam’s Law, the 2-1 favorite, won for Robert and Lawana Low, trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey Flavien Prat.
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