Saratoga: Rice, Brown tie for training title with 35 wins each

The race for the training title at Saratoga came down to the final race of the 40-day meet that ended Monday, with Linda Rice finishing in a tie with four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown at 35 wins apiece.

The title was the sixth for Brown at the Spa and the second for Rice, who has dominated the New York Racing Association circuit since last fall, earning the titles at the past four NYRA meetings at Aqueduct fall, Aqueduct winter, Aqueduct spring and Belmont spring/summer. Rice entered the day with a two-win deficit behind Brown but closed the gap with wins from Pioneering Spirit in the Bernard Baruch and Lt. Mitchell in the Race 11 nightcap.

“We won three (Saturday), which gave us a chance,” said Rice. “I thought it was pretty unlikely, but you never know. The day before we were second beaten a neck, fourth beaten a head. But then (Saturday) after winning three, I thought, ‘well, maybe we have a chance.’ It’s been a tremendous year. A lot of highs and lows in racing. We’ve all seen them and we’ve all experienced them. Today was a good day.”

Rice, 59, completed the meet with a record of 147: 35-31-23, good for a win percentage of 23.81 and in-the-money rate of 60.54 percent with total purse earnings of $2,640,777.

Brown, 44, notched his third consecutive Spa training title with a record of 183: 35-41-33 and earnings of $5,487,603 for a win rate of 19.13 percent and in-the-money percentage of 59.56. His top wins at the meet came with Grade 1 triumphs by Randomized in the Alabama, Whitebeam in the Diana and Program Trading in the Saratoga Derby Invitational.

“It was a great meet and I’m proud of my team,” said Brown. “The Alabama and Saratoga Derby at the top, those were huge wins. My team persevered through the weather – we had a record number of off-the-turf races and second-places, and they were still able to grind out a tie for the win, which is amazing. Hopefully, we can continue that into the fall.”

Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher finished third with a record of 144: 28-19-29.

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. successfully defended his status as Saratoga's leading rider after registering 62 wins to earn the title in a runaway victory over his brother Jose Ortiz, with 37 wins, and third-place Manny Franco, 36 wins. Ortiz secured his second consecutive Spa riding title after guiding 55 winners last year, and his fifth overall after clinching additional titles in 2015, 2018 and 2020.

“It means a lot, it means everything,” said Ortiz, who is represented by agent Steve Rushing. “It’s a special place and it’s a lot of work. My agent does a great job, and I have big support from trainers and owners.”

Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables completed the meet with a 77: 22-15-16 record, securing the owners’ title over Repole Stable in second with 10 wins, with Michael Dubb, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and St. Elias Stable in a three-way tie for third with seven wins. Klaravich Stables tied the record for most wins by an owner at a Saratoga meet, which was set by Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey in 2013.

Among Klaravich Stables’ victories at the meet were Grade 1 triumphs with Program Trading in the Saratoga Derby Invitational and with Randomized in the Alabama.

Klarman said it was meaningful to earn his first win in the Alabama with Randomized.

“Winning at Saratoga is always special,” said Klarman. “Winning a race that’s as historically important as the Alabama will always be a highlight of my ownership career.”

Klaravich Stables now boasts 23 owners’ titles at NYRA tracks, and six consecutive at Saratoga.