In photos: Season winds down at Saratoga's scenic training track

As the Breeders’ Cup preparations are entering the home stretch, and fans are counting down the minutes to post time, operations at the historic racecourse in the north country are winding down. While regular training has continued since the end of the summer meet on Labor Day weekend, the migration of race horses to warmer climates in the south has reduced the number of horses that show up for their regular morning workout at Saratoga's Oklahoma Training track to a few.

While Saratoga is said to reserve its magic for the mornings, I am arguing that the best mornings are the ones during fall. So let me take you through a visual tour of this transition from the hot race summer days to the first frost on the ground.

Morning workouts on the main track ended a few weeks after the final race day of the season. The small training track Clare Court One is one of my favorite spots at the backstretch of the main track. The serene morning atmosphere there is really precious, as in this moment when trainer Kathy Barraclough is heading right into the camera with her horse under the last rays of warming sun on closing day.

After plenty of rain in early September, there are many opportunities for reflections on the summer racing season: an exercise rider during her morning rounds around Clare Court...

Here, a trio of James Bond exercise riders returning to their barn after the final morning workout on the main track.

Groom Emily McAllen follows her horse, Duncastle, back to the barn, riding home from the morning workout and the summer track season:

With the main tracked closed, activities shifted to the Oklahoma training track. Cooler nights settled in toward the end of September, bringing us gorgeous foggy mornings, as in this sunrise behind the Whitney Viewing Stand.

With the longer nights and shorter days, a larger portion of the workouts happen before the sun can burn off the morning fog. Another James Bond exercise rider goes through his pre-dawn morning workout with his helmet lights on...

… and a Bill Mott trainee wheeling through the cold morning fog:

After sunrise, the fog often lingers, engulfing horses and riders in a blanket of golden dust, as for this Nick Zito rider.

The fog gradually disappears as the fall sun warms the day for George Weaver exercise rider Kimmie Brooking-Kaetzel. 

Jockey and trainer Robbie Davis floating into the morning fog with his two horses:

Is this a morning yawn or a breath of fresh air on a frosty fall morning? A John Morrisson exercise rider waiting for the Oklahoma track to open after harrowing:

The cheerful gang of Chad Brown exercise riders showing up for work on a cold but sunny October morning:

Big Muddy creates his own Saratoga Steam Bath on a cold morning at the Todd Pletcher barn: 

Big Muddy and the Sanford Stakes winner Sombeyay are peeking through their own steam at the Pletcher barn:

In spite of the harsher conditions, exercise riders find time to relax between sets in the warm fall sun at the Pletcher barn …. 

... have their fun while waiting their turn to get onto the training track …

…. or just flash some warming smiles.

Fall also brings out the gorgeous foliage colors of the Northeast. Mott exercise rider Megan Johnston among some fall colors:

A race horse is being hot-walked on and under a wonderful blanket of fall foliage... 

Exercise riders returning from their workouts on the Oklahoma track: 

As the last horses are leaving Saratoga for warmer climates and the leaves of fall are blowing into the last hoof prints in the shed row of the Zito barn, we in the Northeast recognize that we at least have a strong skiing season ahead of us to bridge the time until race horses will again return to Saratoga next April.