Saratoga titles: Brown, Pletcher tie; Irad Ortiz is top rider

Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown and Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher each posted 32 wins at Saratoga to share the H. Allen Jerkens training title at the 40-day meeting that ran from July 10 through Monday.

Brown entered Monday’s closing-day card with a one-win lead over Pletcher, who evened the score with a win from Only in America in race 2. Pletcher took over in the standings when Ted Noffey stormed to victory in race 9, the Grade 1 Hopeful, but Brown battled back with a win in the race 11 nightcap with Say Yes To Dreams to share in the title with Pletcher.

"It's really rewarding because my friends and family are here,” Brown said. “It's one of the rare times of the year between July and August I get to catch up with people I don't see the rest of the year. It's a lot of work. It's my busiest time of year, but I also get to see a lot of people that are important to me.

"I'm happy to salvage a tie with Todd, and hats off to his team. They just had an outstanding meet,” he said.

Pletcher shared similar sentiments and tipped his cap to Brown.

“A great finish to the meet, and I’m very proud of the whole team and all the work they’ve done,” Pletcher said. “It’s great to see it pay off, and the horses were running well. It was exciting to watch. Chad and his team do a great job and they’re tough to beat at any meet, especially this one.”

Brown, a 46-year-old native of nearby Mechanicville, N.Y., earned his fifth consecutive Spa training title, his eighth overall and his 35th title at a New York Racing Association. He posted a record of 186: 32-27-31 and earnings of $4,509,878 at the meet, good for a win rate of 17.20% and in-the-money rate of 48.39%.

Brown won six stakes at the meet, led by his first victory in the Whitney (G1) with reigning champion 3-year-old colt Sierra Leone. He earned his other Grade 1 score when Excellent Truth took the Diana by a head to provide Brown with a record-extending 10th win in the nine-furlong turf affair for older fillies and mares.  

"I'm really proud of my team. The highlights of the meet were the Diana and the Whitney, particularly the Whitney, here's a race we'd never won before. And the Diana is a race that's been so important to my career,” Brown said. “Winning those two races was really at the top of the list.”

Brown’s other stakes wins came in the Curlin with Chancer McPatrick, the Perfect Sting with Dynamic Pricing and with New York-breds in the Suzie O’Cain with Mommy’s Turn and George Briggs in the NYSSS Cab Calloway.

Pletcher won his 15th training title at the Saratoga meet and his first training title on the NYRA circuit since taking the 2021 Aqueduct fall meet.

“This one was a bit of a surprise,” Pletcher said. “I knew we had so many 2-year-olds to run, and generally, you can’t count on too many of them to win twice at the meet. We were fortunate that we were able to do that with some of them.”

He posted a record of 131: 32-20-18 and earnings of $3,450,915, good for a win rate of 24.43% and in-the-money rate of 53.44%. Among his wins were a sweep of juvenile Grade 1 sprints with horses owned by Spendthrift Farm as Ted Noffey took the Hopeful and Tommy Jo won Saturday’s Spinaway. Pletcher also landed a top-level score in the Jockey Club Gold Cup with Antiquarian on Sunday.

Pletcher’s dominance with 2-year-old prospects also shone bright with a sweep of the juvenile turf routes during closing week in the With Anticipation (G3) with Final Score and the P.G. Johnson with Time to Dream, both owned by leading owner Repole Stable.

“I said coming into the meet that our success would be dependent on how our 2-year-olds ran, and thankfully, they showed up and ran really well,” Pletcher said. “I think all of the wins were special in their own way, but especially the 2-year-olds.”

The 58-year-old native of Dallas notched additional stakes victories in the Shuvee (G2) with Leslie’s Rose and the Bolton Landing with Snow Face Princess.

Pletcher spoke of leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr., who was aboard several of Pletcher’s juvenile winners.

“He’s done a tremendous job, and he’s so consistent,” Pletcher said. “You think about how long he’s been riding at a top level, meet after meet. It’s a real credit to his dedication.”

Linda Rice finished third in the trainer standings with 24 wins.

Ortiz successfully defended his title as Saratoga’s leading rider for a fourth consecutive year after registering 59 wins to best his brother and runner-up Jose Ortiz, with 55 wins, and third-place Flavien Prat  with 42 wins. Ortiz earned his seventh overall Angel Cordero Jr. riding title after clinching additional titles in 2015, 2018, 2020 and 2022-24.

Ortiz did not ride the Spa’s closing-day card Monday after falling from Mindframe at the beginning of Jockey Club Gold Cup, where he escaped serious injury and was medically cleared to continue riding.

“After this, I feel great,” Ortiz said, with a laugh.

Steve Rushing, Ortiz's agent, said the rider’s mental toughness is what helps make him so successful.

"It's his ability, but also his mentality. He wants to win every race,” Rushing said. “He's so competitive. He's an all-around rider.

“He's had an amazing meet, for sure,” Rushing added. “You want to win any meet you're competing in but Saratoga is extra special.”

The 33-year-old native of Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, posted nine stakes wins at the meet, led by graded scores in the Shuvee (G2) with Leslie’s Rose, Honorable Miss (G2) with Halina’s Forte and Grade 3 Quick Call with Governor Sam. 

“All of them are special to me,” Ortiz said of his wins. “Every single one, it counts to get here to win the title, so that’s why they’re special. Every single horse that can win for me, I appreciate that. They made me what I am today, every single one of them, so they’re all special to me. I’m happy.”

Ortiz also rode 10 juvenile maiden special weight-winners, and he said Saratoga is a place to dream.

“It’s great. Every year, we have 2-year-olds to follow all year, and this is a place to get a Derby horse for next year,” Ortiz said. “I’m happy for every horse I rode out there. It’s exciting when you win a maiden, you never know. It’s an exciting place, and I think it’s best place to ride horses and the people show so much love every single day. They support the sport so much, so I can’t be happier to be here.”

Ortiz, Jr. completed the meet with a record of 286: 59-56-44 and earnings of $5,341,609, good for a win rate of 20.63% and in-the-money rate of 55.59%.

Rushing also serves as the agent for Jose Ortiz, and spoke of the success of the younger Ortiz to finish a strong second with his wins including Grade 1 scores in the Ballerina with Hope Road, Alabama with Nitrogen and Test with Kilwin.

"He's always been extremely talented,” Rushing said. “He's one of the top riders in the nation, and he's had a great year. Everything has just come together for him."

Mike Repole’s Repole Stable earned the owners’ title with 14 wins, notching its first title at a NYRA meeting since taking the 2021 Aqueduct winter meet in a tie with Michael Dubb. Repole last won the owners’ title at Saratoga from 2010-12, and he was New York’s leading owner in 2009.

Among Repole’s wins at the meet were the sweep of 2-year-old turf stakes routes during closing week in the With Anticipation and P.G. Johnson. Other standout winners included two juvenile maiden-winners in the New York-bred Grazie, who graduated on debut on July 31 en route to a third in the state-bred Seeking the Ante on Aug. 22, and debut winner Teleport, whom he co-owns with Newtown Anner Stud Farm.

“Winning at Saratoga is always special, but winning 14 races and having Mike win leading owner for the fourth time at such a prestigious meet is truly incredible,” said Danielle Bricker, assistant racing manager for Repole Stable. “None of this happens without a true team effort from Repole Stable; trainers, jockeys, backstretch workers, and all of the farms. Everyone plays such an important role. We’re so grateful for the fans who cheered our horses on every step of the way this meet. As Mike always says, ‘think big, dream bigger.' ’”

Repole Stable completed the meet with a 61: 14-11-8 record and $1,123,270 in earnings. Klaravich Stables finished second with 11 wins, and Flying P Stable was third with nine wins.