The Belmont spring-summer meet, which has been dragging the last couple of weeks as everyone prepares for Saratoga, concludes mercifully today with the $75,000 Evan Shipman Handicap, at a mile and a sixteenth on the main track for New York-breds.
Toddler, winner of the Kings Point for state-breds last April at Aqueduct, is the 123-pound highweight despite making his first start since finishing fifth in the Brandywine at Delaware Park May 26.
Toddler’s trainer, Rick Dutrow Jr., and rider, John Velazquez, topped their respective standings going into today’s getaway-day card.
Dutrow holds a lock on the training title with 20 winners from 81 starters. Jim Bond (13-for-53), Chris Clement (13-for-57), Allen Jerkens (13-for-63) and Todd Pletcher (13-for-53) are tied for second, followed by Scott Lake, Bill Mott and Nick Zito with 12 each.
Velazquez, with a 64-for-300 slate, is locked in a tight race for top jock with Edgar Prado, 62-for-319. Rich Migliore, who rode at Delaware Park yesterday, and Jorge Chavez are next with 52 winners each.
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Entries will be drawn today at Belmont for Wednesday’s opener at Saratoga. A field of six 2-year-old fillies is expected for the opening-day feature, the Grade 2 Schuylerville Stakes, with Baby Nance the lukewarm favorite.
The weather forecast for the first few days at the Old Spa calls for partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the mid-to-high 70s.