Rich Strike Jockey Leon May Cut it Close Travers Day

Sonny Leon, the jockey for Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) winner Rich Strike , is not scheduled to ride in any races at Saratoga Race Course before he jumps on the son of Keen Ice  's back before the Runhappy Travers (G1) Aug. 27.

Jeff Perrin, Leon's agent for the last three and a half years, said Leon will ride at Gulfstream Park Aug. 26 and then fly upstate the following morning.

"We had to make sure he gets here logistically from Florida, bearing in mind that canceled flights are a part of traveling now," Perrin, a native of Maroubra, Australia, a suburb of Sydney. "If he gets no delays and he has one layover in Charlotte, he will arrive in Albany at 10:30 (a.m.), which means he would be here by the first race. If there is an hour delay here or a two-hour delay there... if it gets to be 1 p.m. and he is not in the room, then I will worry."

Once he gets to Albany, Perrin said Leon will probably get to Saratoga by Uber.

Leon has scheduled mounts in eight of the nine races on the card at Gulfstream on Friday. He has 11 wins in 97 starts.

Ortiz Jr., Rosario Receive Three-Day Suspensions

The final days of the Saratoga Race Course meet will be a little less hectic for jockeys Irad Ortiz Jr. and Joel Rosario as three-racing-day careless riding suspensions for both riders were announced Wednesday.

Rosario received an Aug. 28-Sept. 1 ban for his ride on Sassy Melissa , who was disqualified from third to fourth in the third race at the Spa Aug. 18.

Ortiz, the leading rider at the meet, was handed an Aug. 31-Sept. 2 suspension after Nabokov  was disqualified from fifth and placed sixth for bumping a rival in the eighth race Aug. 18.

Both jockeys waived their right to an appeal.

Ortiz entered Wednesday's card with a nine-win lead over Luis Saez (42-33) in the race for leading rider at the meet.



Wet Turf Forces Cancellation of Spa Steeplechase Stakes

Some classic Saratoga Springs downpours a day earlier wreaked havoc on Wednesday's card at Saratoga Race Course, forcing the cancellation of the day's steeplechase stakes and the moving of five other turf races to the main track, including the featured $135,000 John's Call Stakes.

A total of 1.47 inches of rain fell in Saratoga throughout the day Tuesday.

According to Saratoga racing secretary Keith Doleshel, the Michel G. Walsh Novice Stakes will be brought back on the Sept. 1 card if enough steeplechasers re-enter.

The John's Call was scheduled for 1 5/8 miles on the Mellon Turf Course and was shifted to a 1 1/4-mile distance on the main track. Hieroglyphics  was scratched, leaving a field of five.

The main track was fast for Wednesday's races.