That’s a wrap at the Spa.
Ted Noffey overpowered the sphere and cruised to an 8 ½-length victory over favourite Buetane within the $300,000 Hopeful Stakes (G1) for 2-year-olds on Monday, the ultimate of 18 Grade 1 stakes on the prestigious Saratoga summer time horse racing meet.
The victory by Ted Noffey ($9.62 on a $2 win guess) additionally capped a outstanding Labor Day weekend for Corridor of Famers Todd Pletcher and John Velazquez.
The longtime coach/jockey workforce picked up 4 Grade 1 wins in three days – the Spinaway Stakes for 2-year-old fillies with Tommy Jo and two “Win and You’re In” Breeders’ Cup Problem races to the Breeders’ Cup Basic (G1) – the Pacific Basic at Del Mar with Fierceness on Saturday and the Jockey Membership Gold Cup with Antiquarian on Sunday.
For Pletcher, a pair of wins on closing day, gave him 32 for the meet and within the ultimate race of the meet, Chad Brown picked up the win with Say Sure To Goals and moved right into a tie for main coach along with his 32nd win. It’s Pletcher’s 15th Spa title and Brown’s eighth (Brown additionally shared the title with Linda Rice in 2023).
After 40 days of racing from July 10-Sept. 1, Irad Ortiz, Jr. was the main jockey for the fourth yr in a row with 59 wins.
Ortiz had already clinched his seventh general Saratoga driving title previous to Sunday’s Jockey Membership Gold Cup (G1), when he was unseated from Mindframe (skilled by Pletcher) throughout a sequence response of bumping simply after the beginning. Ortiz didn’t trip on Monday however is anticipated to return later within the week at Kentucky Downs.
Ortiz topped his brother, Jose, who completed the meet with 55 wins. Irad didn’t win a Grade 1 on the Spa however gained at a 20.6% clip – 59-for-286. He completed second 56 instances and third 44 instances for a top-3 end charge of 55.6%.
Jose, in the meantime, gained three Grade 1s on the Spa – the Alabama Stakes aboard Nitrogen, the Ballerina Stakes aboard Hope Street and the Check with Kilwin.
Brown’s Grade 1 wins got here within the Whitney Stakes (G1) with Sierra Leone and within the Diana Stakes with Wonderful Fact.
“It’s enjoyable sportsmanship,’’ stated Brown, noting that Linda Rice gained the ultimate race of the meet to share the title with Brown. “Hats off to Todd. He had the higher meet with so many Grade 1s. I’m completely happy to share the title.”
Pletcher stated that the “final couple of weeks, issues have fallen into place.”
Sovereignty the Star of the Spa
The largest star of the meet, in fact, was Sovereignty, the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner for coach Invoice Mott. Sovereignty, ridden by Junior Alvarado, gained the Jim Dandy Stakes (G1) and the Travers Stakes (G1).
Ortiz, Mindframe Updates
High jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. plans to return driving on Thursday at Kentucky Downs.
“I wish to thank everybody for all of the calls and texts and properly needs, I plan on taking a couple of days off and return to driving on Thursday at Ky Downs,’’ the rider posted Monday on X.
I wish to thank everybody for all of the calls and texts and properly needs, I plan on taking a couple of days off and return to driving on Thursday at Ky Downs🙏🏻
— Iradortiz (@iradortiz) September 1, 2025
On Sunday, he was knocked off Mindframe after a sequence response of bumping and jostling simply after the beginning of the Jockey Membership Gold Cup. He was carried off the observe by medical officers, taken to a hospital and confirmed up on the observe on Monday wanting as wholesome as could be.
Mindframe, in the meantime, ran unfastened for a virtually a mile throughout the race earlier than he was collared by an outrider and gave the impression to be high-quality on Monday.
“We acquired fortunate that he’s unscathed. An unfortunate race, however fortunate that he’s OK,’’ Pletcher stated.
Pletcher may have three starters within the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Basic (G1) — JCGC winner Antiquarian, Fierceness and Mindframe.
Mindframe had earlier clinched a spot within the Basic subject along with his WAYI victory within the Stephen Foster Stakes win at Churchill Downs on June 28.
Grade 1 winners on the Saratoga Summer time Meet:
Diana Stakes (July 12): Wonderful Fact
Teaching Membership American Oaks (July 19): Scottish Lassie
A.P. Smithwick Memorial (July 23): Historic Coronary heart
Fourstardave Stakes (Aug. 2): Deterministic
Check Stakes (Aug. 2): Kilwin
Saratoga Derby Invitational (Aug. 2): World Beater
Sword Dancer Stakes (Aug. 9): El Cordobes
Alabama Stakes (Aug. 16): Nitrogen
Travers Stakes (Aug. 23): Sovereignty
Ballerina Stakes (Aug. 23): Hope Street
Forego Stakes (Aug. 23): E-book’em Danno
Private Ensign Stakes (Aug. 23): Thorpedo Anna
H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (Aug. 23): Patch Adams
Jonathan Sheppard Handicap (Aug. 27): Jimmy P
Spinaway Stakes (Aug. 30): Tommy Jo
Jockey Membership Gold Cup (Aug. 31): Antiquarian
Hopeful Stakes (Sept. 1): Ted Noffey
