The summer meet is well underway at Saratoga, so now it’s time to look back at some training photos I took leading up to the meet. I also shared some photos in my Looking Back at the Belmont series, showing horses who raced during the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.
Sunrises at the Oklahoma Track are the best!
Exercise rider Brittany Troxtell rides Bill Mott trainee Sterling Silver.
A two-year-old Into Mischief colt out of Nonna Mia gets a bath at the Pletcher barn.
Champion Two-Year-Old Male Fierceness heads out to the Oklahoma Track. He is being pointed at the Grade I Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park next Saturday.
Outrider Jesse Costa rides his pony on the Oklahoma Track.
Omar Pereira is another outrider.
Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan is back in Kentucky now, with his next start currently up in the air, but I enjoyed taking some photos of him while he was in town for the Belmont Stakes (he finished eighth).
Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Just F Y I has been turned out for potentially the rest of the year following a sixth place finish in the Grade I Acorn Stakes at Saratoga.
Exercise rider Alonzo Tapia smiles from atop a Chad Brown trainee.
Exercise rider Danny Wright heads out to the Oklahoma Track atop a Todd Pletcher trainee.
Eventual Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch breezes inside of Ramblin’ Wreck over the Oklahoma Track.
Mary Union Ave, the horse I have a share in, is training in Saratoga and will make her next start up here soon.
Bill Mott trainee Batten Down recently won the Grade III Ohio Derby at Thistledown.
Another Bill Mott trainee, War Like Goddess, recently won the Grade III Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes at Delaware Park.
Preakness winner Seize the Grey finished seventh in the Belmont Stakes and is now being pointed at the Grade II Jim Dandy Stakes and the Grade I Travers Stakes.
Thorpedo Anna recently won the Grade I Acorn Stakes at Saratoga and is entered in the Grade I Coaching Club American Oaks on Saturday.
George Weaver-trained Dorth Vader recently finished fourth in the Grade I La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Champion Older Dirt Female Idiomatic was recently handed her first defeat in over a year when she finished second to Randomized in the Grade I Ogden Phipps Stakes at Saratoga.
Arzak recently finished second in the Grade I Jaipur Stakes at Saratoga.
Kentucky Derby alum Resilience finished 10th in the Belmont Stakes.
Kenny McPeek trainee Elko County gets frisky at the Oklahoma Track.
It’s bath time at the Chad Brown barn.
Danny Gargan trainee Ringy Dingy recently finished fifth in the Grade III Delaware Oaks.
Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch is targeting the Grade I Haskell Stakes.
Complexion was named a TDN Rising Star after her easy win on debut at Belmont at the Big A. Most recently, she finished seventh in the Schuylerville Stakes at Saratoga.
Grace Wilson rides Danny Gargan trainee Riot House over the Saratoga main track.
Charlie Appleby-trainee Siskany recently finished seventh in the Grade II Belmont Gold Cup, having previously won the race the year before.
A Barclay Tagg trainee gallops along the Saratoga backside.
This year’s respective Kentucky Derby and Preakness winning trainers, Kenny McPeek (right) and D. Wayne Lukas talk shop. McPeek’s “barn manager” Sonny the dog sits beside them.
Danny Ramsey is a long time exercise rider for Kenny McPeek and also a very nice guy!
McPeek trainee Gould’s Gold recently finished second in the Grade III Ohio Derby.
Sonny McPeek stays hydrated.
Horses are not the only animals at the track! I spotted this goat at the Jorge Abreu barn.
Keri Brion trainee Burning Munny is set to make his debut at the Spa shortly. I first met this son of Munnings at Mahoney Eden Manor in Saratoga when he was just a young foal!
Lorna Chavez is an exercise rider for Jeremiah Englehart and a fixture at Saratoga.
Two year old rising star Mentee is pictured among other Todd Pletcher trainees about to head out to the track.
Todd Pletcher inspects one of his charges prior to sending him out to the track.
Pletcher trainee Munnys Gold recently won an allowance race at Saratoga.
Leslie’s Rose is entered in the Grade I Coaching Club American Oaks on Saturday.
Bill Mott assistant trainer Neil Poznansky sits on Arthur’s Ride.
2022 Kentucky Derby winner is back in training and has been transferred to Bill Mott. It is unknown yet if he will make a return to the races.
Jena Antonucci-trained two-year-old filly Whatintheliteral recently won the Astoria Stakes at Saratoga. In her most recent start, the Schuylerville Stakes last Thursday at Saratoga, she stumbled at the gate and lost her rider. Luckily both the horse and rider were fine.
I’m excited to share that I’m shooting for The Saratoga Special this summer. Please check out their top quality reporting and be on the lookout for my photos!
To see more of my equine photography, be sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and X. All photos in this post © Samantha Decker and may not be reused without permission.
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These are great!