9/1 - Closing Day
Flavien Prat - St. Elias Stable
Scrutinator, with Ricardo Santana Jr up and Todd Pletcher
Oscar's Hope and Jose Ortiz win on debut for trainer Tom Amoss
Junior Alvarado {Monfort}
Only in America and Kendrick Carmouche
Romero Maragh and Dylan Davis
Jose Gomez {Bucci}
Salt Spartan has a late burst of speed and wins race 3 with Jose Gomez aboard
Cocktailsnkringle and Jose Ortiz
{NK Racing}
Cue the Duckboats and Junior Alvarado
Ted Noffey wins the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes with John Velazquez aboard for trainer Todd Pletcher
The final stake of the meet, The Saranac
Stars and Strides and Junior Alvarado
{Pin Oak Stud}
Bill Mott and Junior Alvarado. Remember the names.
And they're off in the final race of the meet
Say Yes to Dreams (and Flavien Prat)
8/31
Ivory and Ebony and Luis Saez
Funny Factor and Javier Castellano
John Velazquez recaps his ride aboard Fierceness in the Pacific Classic the previous day with Maggie Wolfendale
Echo Sound and John Velazquez
Capital Idea and Junior Alvarado
Capital Idea vs Echo Sound
{Woosley}
Boomington and John Velazquez close in on rivals
Chaos in the Gold Cup! After a bumpy start caused by Phileas Fogg, Irad Ortiz Jr lost his balance aboard Mindframe and was thus thrown from the saddle onto the back of White Abarrio. After trying to support both Mindframe and Edgard Zayas, who nearly fell off himself, Ortiz Jr let go of the reins and fell to the track.
The field of the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup goes by for the first time. Mindframe, without his jockey, keeps up in the pack. Ortiz Jr was assisted on track, leaving fans and us photographers with a tense scene.
In the stretch, Antiquarian takes the lead and wins the Gold Cup. In the background, you can see Mindframe being corraled by the outriders
Race 6
Don't Jinx It and Manny Franco
Lovely Christina and John Velazquez
Tap Into This
Donning the silks of Juddmonte Farm, Junior Alvarado gives an animated recap of the race to trainer Bill Mott.
Georgia Magic, Chris Elliott, and Ray Handal
Tap Into This and Joel Rosario
{R. A. Hil Stable}
Jose Gomez {LC Racing LLC}
Handsome Lic and Jose Gomez
Section and Junior Alvarado
Tacticality and Flavien Prat
Glavine and Sunrise duel to the wire
Sunrise and Ricardo Santana Jr
Claiborne and Junior Alvarado
{Barber}
Twenty Six Black wins the inaugural running of the Disco Partner Stakes over Outlaw Kid
Eighty Gold and Jose Gomez
Lodato and Luis Saez
Renew the Blue and Katie Davis fly past rivals late
"Katie Davis from the clouds"
Kendrick Carmouche {TEC Racing}
Alternate Reality and Junior Alvarado
Navajo Warrior and Edgard Zayas
Brooklyn Dantz, at odds of 44-1, proceeds to pull off the biggest upset of the meet with Chris Elliott aboard
Mission Hill vs Deemer
Mission Hill and Kendrick Carmouche
8/30
Truman's Commander and Edgard Zayas
Luis Rivera Jr {Winfield Racing LLC}
Factually Correct and Luis Rivera Jr
Trust Fund vs Ten Cent Town vs Factually Correct
Urban Legend and his team
Creditworthy and Jose Gomez lead from Set and Dylan Davis
Jose Gomez {Klaravich Stables}
Midtown Lights and Edgard Zayas
Victor Espinoza {Youngs Racing Stable}
Stradale leads from Talkin
Praying and Eric Cancel win the Grade 3 Prioress Stakes for trainer Robby Medina
Universe and Chris Elliott
Universe - trained by Kenny McPeek
Shoot It True and Luan Machado
The Grade 2 Flower Bowl Stakes
Belleza and Jaime Rodriguez win the Grade 2 Flower Bowl fro trainer Miguel Clement
Tommy Jo and Kendrick Carmouche win the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes
8/29
Day to Day - trained by Saffie Joseph
Be Your Best - trained by Saffie Joseph
Robby Medina leads Praying back to the barn after her jog on a rainy morning
Dynamic Pricing and Flavien Prat
{Watchtel Stable}
Steer Clear and Irad Ortiz Jr
Donegal Momentum and Irad Ortiz Jr
The Bernard Baruch Handicap
Donegal Momentum and Irad Ortiz Jr win the Bernard Baruch Handicap over Program Trading and Northern Invader
Cherie DeVaux and Joel Rosario
{Donegal Racing}
Junior Alvarado and Joel Rosario
Killy Start and Irad Ortiz Jr
{Schauer}
Luis Rivera Jr {Harold Lerner, LLC}
Stickupwithoutagun and Luis Rivera Jr
Florida Flower vs Foxy Cara
Scwarzenegger
Attfield stuns Shwarzenegger in the closes stages to win on debut
Tom Morley and Maggie Wolfendale stand together as husband and wife as they watch the replays on the infield board of Attfield scoring the win. This is an emotional victory for the trainer-racing analyst couple, especially for Mr. Morley. John Attfield, assistant trainer to Morley, passed away suddenly in early November of last year. The chestnut colt by Vekoma was named to remember him, and he lived up to the emotional name.
Attfield and his joyous connections
She Feels Stunning, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes winner She Feels Pretty. Cherie DeVaux trains the sisters
Gin Joint and Junior Alvarado
Miss Picky and Irad Ortiz Jr. That's four wins on the card
Comedy Town
{West Paces Racing}
Baby Yoda makes his return to Saratoga. Flavien Prat aboard
Dubyunell and Junior Alvarado
Baby Yoda charges past Light the Way and Comedy Town
The graded stakes winner makes his return to Saratoga a winning one
Race 10
Boxed Wine and Ricardo Santana Jr
Dynamic Pricing
John Velazquez and Flavien Prat
{Resolute Racing}
The Perfect Sting Stakes
Dynamic Pricing wins the Perfect Sting Stakes with Flavien Prat aboard for trainer Chad Brown
Victoriously and Caviar Breakfast make it a close one in the final race of the card
8/28
Miguel Clement and Bill Mott have a chat in the paddock. A current legend, and a future one.
Cadenza and Irad Ortiz Jr
Ricardo Santana Jr {Asmussen}
Enduring Spirit and Chris Elliott
Shattuck and Ricardo Santana Jr
Kathynmarissa
Oath of Omerta and Junior Alvarado
Rina's Revenge and Javier Castellano
Junior Alvarado {Goldolphin}
Todd Pletcher and Kendrick Carmouche
The With Anticipation Stakes
Final Score proves himself in the With Anticipation Stakes. Kendrick Carmouche in the irons
{Schmeling}
Eric Cancel and Junior Alvarado
Johny's Rendezvous and Javier Castellano
{Rigney Racing}
{Pin Oak Stud}
Katie Davis {Pascarella}
Race 9
Jose Gomez {Ward}
Race 11
Extraordinary One and Katie Davis pull off the upset to close out the card
Brother-Sister duo Edmund and Katie Davis. This is Edmund's first Saratoga win as a trainer
8/27
The Funny Cide Stakes
Minorinconvenience and Ricardo Santana Jr charge past Fourth and One to win the Funny Cide Stakes
Bosun threads the needle between Vacation Dance and I'm Wide Awake
Bosun and Kendrick Carmouche
Wonderful Justice and Irad Ortiz Jr
Cultivate wins Race 5 with Flavien Prat
Race 5 was named "Saints Go Marching" to support the Siena Men's and Women's Basketball teams for their upcoming seasons. Both head coaches, Gerry McNamara and Terry Prim, were in attendance, as well as athletics staff and team members. As a Siena College alum, this was one of the most anticipated races that I photographed this week.
Junior Alvarado {Love}
Tom Morley and Junior Alvarado
Race 6
Reteko and Junior Alvarado
Prove and Ricardo Santana Jr
Az U Chase Me and Manny Franco
Time to Dream and Irad Ortiz Jr. win the P.G. Johnson Stakes
