The last of the horses have shipped out of Saratoga until spring, so it’s time to look at my favorite photos from this fall at the Oklahoma Training Track. Click here to see my other posts about Saratoga Race Course.
I took this photo first thing in the morning, still dark out, waiting for Sovereignty to take his morning gallop over the Oklahoma Track. Yonibel Correa walks him around the shedrow before Jimmy Quispe gets on him. Fair warning, you will see a lot of Sovereignty in this post. The Bill Mott trainee shipped out to Del Mar, but was scratched from the Breeders’ Cup Classic after spiking a fever. Despite missing the biggest race of the year, the three-year-old colt still makes a solid case for Horse of the Year with his wins in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Travers Stakes.
MGISW Locked gallops through the fog on a Saturday morning. The Todd Pletcher trainee qualified for the Breeders’ Cup Classic with his win in the Grade II Woodward Stakes at Belmont at the Big A, but was ultimately retired due to injury and missed the race.
Sovereignty heads out to the track with Jimmy Quispe onboard. Neil Poznansky, assistant to trainer Bill Mott, is on the pony, Rocky.
Jimmy pauses for a photo after exercising Sovereignty.
Jimmy rides by on Sterling Silver. This fall, the Bill Mott trainee won the Iroquois Stakes at Belmont at the Big A.
Reigning Champion Three-Year-Old Male Sierra Leone jogs onto the track before his breeze. Regular rider Kriss Bon is onboard and Natalie Rutigliano is on the pony.
Sierra Leone (inside) works in company with stablemate Chancer McPatrick. Both Chad Brown trainees went to the Breeders’ Cup, with the former coming within a neck of defending his title in the Classic and the latter finishing third in the Dirt Mile.
Exercise rider Raúl Alejandro gives George Weaver trainee Escape Hall, a two-year-old colt I’ve known since he was a few days old, a pet.
Bill Mott trainee Stars and Stripes pauses for a photo in the shed row before heading out to the track.
The harsh lights of the shed row illuminate Sovereignty, Jimmy, and Yonibel.
I love these quiet moments at the track. A champion in the making!
Exercise rider Hannah Smith gallops Caroline St. Beat, a Saratoga maiden winner. The Miguel Clément trainee finished second in the Notebook Stakes at Aqueduct yesterday.
Sovereignty pauses for a moment before his daily gallop.
Sovereignty emerges from the fog on an October morning.
Sovereignty heads back to the barn.
Exercise rider Nora McCormack takes Time to Dream for a spin. The Todd Pletcher trainee won two races at Saratoga this summer, followed by a third in the Grade II Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland and a 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
The morning light hits Sovereignty’s face as he is led out to the wash pad for his bath.
One of my favorite photos from the whole year: Sovereignty grazing in the morning sun.
Kriss Bon rides Chancer McPatrick. The Chad Brown trainee finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
Bellezza gallops around the track. The Miguel Clément trainee finished sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
MG1SW Tommy Jo goes out for a spin. The Todd Pletcher trainee was unbeaten with two grade 1 wins going into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, but finished fifth.
Raúl Alejandro takes grade 1 winner Dorth Vader out to the track. The George Weaver trainee finished fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Maiden two-year-old Stimulate goes for a spin. If you read this blog regularly, you know I’ve been keeping my eye on him after I read about him in The Saratoga Special’s Stable Tour with Bill Mott.
Caroline Nally exercises Royal Testament. The George Weaver trainee finished 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint behind stablemate Cy Fair.
Sierra Leone heads out to the track with Kriss Bon onboard.
Sierra Leone looks a picture as he gallops around the track.
Todd Pletcher foreman Juan Aguayo leads MG1SW Fierceness out to the track for the first set with Danny Wright onboard.
Emma Nordin gallops Cy Fair early in the morning. The George Weaver trainee gave her trainer his first Breeders’ Cup win with her victory in the Juvenile Turf Sprint.
Carol Fisher rides Kentucky Derby alum Society Man. The Danny Gargan trainee ran at Keeneland this fall.
Danny Wright gallops Fierceness. The Todd Pletcher trainee finished third in the Breeder’s Cup Classic behind Forever Young.
Carlos Quevedo gallops Mindframe early in the morning. The Todd Pletcher trainee finished fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Antiquarian heads off the track after a gallop, with Mindframe photobombing in the background. The former, a Todd Pletcher trainee, finished eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Todd Pletcher trainees Locked, Antiquarian, and Mindframe get baths.
Carlos Quevedo takes a pause on MG1SW Ted Noffey. The Todd Pletcher trainee is unbeaten this season, which was capped off with a win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
Ted Noffey makes his way around the track.
G1SP Talkin takes a spin around the track. The Danny Gargan trainee finished second in the Grade I Champagne Stakes at Belmont at the Big A this fall.
Mattie Kerker takes a pause on maiden two-year-old Miss Magical. The George Weaver trainee is unrated since finishing fourth in the Schuylerville Stakes at Saratoga in July.
Carol Fisher jogs grade 1 winner Iron Orchard. The Danny Gargan trainee finished ninth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, suffering her first career defeat, and has since been transferred to trainer Steve Asmussen.
Sierra Leone puts in one of his final works before shipping to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup.
A pair of gray George Weaver trainees, Maykomotion (left) and Enforced Agenda, work in tandem. Both are unraced.
Sovereignty gallops out from his breeze with Neil Poznansky onboard.
Sovereignty heads into the shadows.
A little Photoshop fun yielded this black and white edit of Sovereignty after his breeze.
Maiden two-year-old Double Act cools off. The Bill Mott trainee has a pair of thirds from two starts this fall.
GSW Batten Down stands on the wash pad.
Sovereignty gets a bath with the fall foliage showing behind him.
Yonibel Correa walks Sovereignty around the shed row.
Exercise rider Raúl Alejandro poses atop GSW Governor Sam. The George Weaver trainee finished eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
Outrider Jesse Costa ponies Sovereignty with Neil Poznansky onboard prior to his final breeze before shipping to Del Mar.
Sovereignty and stablemate Playa Del Mar round the turn.
Sovereignty breaks clear of his stablemate.
My friend Nancy gives a pony a pet.
To see more of my equine photography be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook. All photos in this post © Samantha Decker and may not be reused without permission.
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One thought on “Fall at the Spa 2025”
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Beautiful!