The expanded 40-day Saratoga confluence came to an end with a bang on Monday, with trainer Todd Pletcher winning the trainers’ nickname as far as something the seventh beforehand, and his main jockey John Velazquez winning the jockey title at the Spa for the first in good time dawdle since 2004.
We also epigram a leading light 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 freshen up prospects in return next year’s Kentucky Derby (G1).
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Pletcher had the trainers’ title charmed 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 run down.
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 Firm, who was the leading p at the meeting with 13 victories.
Pletcher won the trainers’ title also in behalf of 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 interest in New York since taking the Aqueduct fall meeting in 2005.
Of his 57 winners, 28 came getting a invalid decrepit 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 marred.
The Rick Dutrow trained Boys At Tosconova was a loud 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 on the whole 1 ¾ lengths under a hand ride by jockey Ramon Dominguez.
Dutrow said the skilful 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 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 K (G3).
Saratoga officials were happy with the meeting overall despite handle and attendance being off.
Daily common all sources handle for the expanded 40-day meet was down 3.4% compared to last year’s 36-day run across.
Ordinary 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 normal, where handle for the year is down more than 7%.