THE 2026 SARATOGA RACE MEET HAS EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS THUS FAR

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL, July 27, 2026 – It usually doesn’t happen this way but the racing gods have been exceedingly kind to the 2026 Saratoga race meet.

Starting with the weather and its preponderance of sunny days that has been good for the fans, which is to say good for business –even if the ‘August Place to Be’ doesn’t happen for another five days.

The turf races, most of which have had limit fields, is producing exciting, five-across-the-track-furlong-pole stretch battles, often resulting in one photo finish after another.

The races have been exceedingly competitive, personally vexing for having touted a disappointing six winners from 20 Feature Race selections, while another six winners were listed second choices, only adding to the frustration, exacta hookups notwithstanding.

Many outstanding horses, too many to recall, though Counting Stars emerged as the impressive leader of the three-year-old filly division-even if KY Oaks-winning Always A Runner came up short—twice.

No excuse offered here, but I wonder if she doesn’t handle the Spa surface as well as her rival. Hope they meet again in the mile and-a-quarter Alabama.

In a previous column, we referred four riding superstars of another era: Cordero, Bailey, Pincay and Baeza; but I cannot recall a Saratoga race meet ever to compare with the domination of Prat and the Ortiz Brothers.

Add to the list en fuego Franco and this Fab Four have accounted for 88 winners among 152 races run. Perhaps it’s because they never seem to lose a photo finish.

On the trainer’s side, Chad Brown’s 11 winners—the same number as his G1 Diana victories—leads Bead Cox, off to his fastest Spa start ever, by one, with Mark Casse in third with seven, most of his coming with names and grades attached.

Favorites are winning their share at +- 33%.

This week it’s three-year-old males Travers prepping in the Curlin and Jim Dandy. Imagine that, this meet is just starting to heat up.