Tom Law

Nearly one year ago, Miss Ella splashed down the stretch of the Saratoga Race Course main track on her way to a 2 1/2-length victory in the Caress Stakes. Heavy rains forced the 5 1/2-furlong stakes to move to the sloppy, sealed dirt course, but the daughter of Exchange Rate adapted, leading at every call. Monday, overnight rains and occasional afternoon showers left the Saratoga turf course labeled good and the Caress was the only race left on the grass. The surface didn’t affect Miss Ella, who rolled to another win in the $200,000 feature.

The theme of ladies first carried over into Sunday as StarLadies Racing’s Orbolution took the opener, a 1 1/16-mile maiden on the grass for 2-year-old fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.

Abel Tasman strolled in a 20-meter circle on the main track of Saratoga, looking more like a school horse than one of the best 3-year-old fillies racing this year. The blue plush of her noseband lowered to just six inches above the ground, while a replay of her and Mike Smith battling Elate and Jose Ortiz in the $300,000 Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks played on the big screen. Elate circled on the other side of the screen, still breathing heavily from the fierce dual into the stretch.

The Saratoga Special’s handicappers are back for another season and looking for more winners as the first week of the 2017 Saratoga meeting comes to a close with a nine-race card Monday.

Ken McPeek is on the hunt for a Grade 1. He went to Kentucky and California a few times this year and last looking for one for Daddys Lil Darling, only to see the filly come up just short.

Kiaran McLaughlin and Godolphin will attempt to play the role of spoiler with Dickinson in today’s Grade 1 Diana while jockey Paco Lopez will hope to kickstart his first full season at Saratoga with a victory in the highlight of Opening Weekend.

The late Hall of Famer Woody Stephens was frequently credited with a quote about the Saratoga Race Course meeting that went something along the lines of, “it’s not the 24 days that get you it’s the 24 nights.”

Closing Day of the spring-summer meeting Sunday at Belmont Park and The Saratoga Special’s John Shapazian scoped out the card in advance of Opening Day at Saratoga Race Course in less than a weeks’ time.

The final weekend before Saratoga and Del Mar open for the season always feels a little like the weekend before Christmas with so much anticipation and excitement and the days, hours and minutes dragging along at a snail’s pace. But before we wish our lives away there’s one more weekend of racing and time for another Saturday Special presented by Pin Oak Stud.