Rydilluc & Balance the Books Could Show Up in Saranac

The Grade 3, $150,000 Saranac on the turf is under consideration for two-time stakes winners Rydilluc and Balance the Books, who were early scratches from today's National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes for 3-year-olds, which was taken off the grass.

Trainer Chad Brown said that Balance the Books would likely run in the 1 1/8-mile Saranac on September 1, while trainer Gary Contessa said he would decide between the Saranac and the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes on August 17 at Arlington Park.

"I'm only going to run this horse on the turf from now on," said Brown of Balance the Books, who broke his maiden last year by winning the Grade 2 With Anticipation on the Saratoga grass. "I'm not interested in running on any other surface."

Contessa said he will discuss future plans with Rydilluc's owners.

"We'll look at the Secretariat in Chicago, and our Plan B will be the Saranac right here," he said. "We'll look at the long-range [weather] forecast in Chicago and see what they've got coming. I'll make a decision in the next couple days."

Rydilluc went undefeated in his first four turf starts, including victories in the Grade 3 Palm Beach Stakes in March at Gulfstream Park along with the inaugural Penn Mile in June, before finishing eighth in the Grade 2 Virginia Derby.