When things looked bleak earlier this year, trainer H. James Bond always tried to keep the faith. Like everyone else, he didn't know what the future held for his business because of the coronavirus pandemic.
When New York racing was put on pause from March 15 to June 3, Bond wasn't sure what would happen.
"There were times when you saw me in May and, in the beginning when (Saratoga) opened, that we were scared to death," Bond said in his office at his private barn Wednesday morning. "If this thing came back and bit us again, it could have been all over. This barn may have been up for sale."
Saratoga completed Day 35 of its 40-day meet Wednesday and Bond can smile. Despite the virus, racing is alive and Bond has had a solid, decent summer. After winning the eighth race with Evaluator on Wednesday, Bond has 11 wins from 36 starters.
"I am proud of my horses, I am proud of my staff," Bond said. "I am grateful for my owners. It has been a fantastic season. This game is hills and valleys. You just hold on and hope to God you can survive going up that hill again."
He'll try to end the season with a bang when he runs Prioritize in the Grade I, $500,000 Woodward on Saturday. Prioritize, a 5-year-old gelding, will be taking a hike up in class as he runs against the likes of Tacitus, runaway winner of the Grade II Suburban in his latest start, Moretti, second in the Suburban, Global Campaign, who won the Peter Pan last year, Spinoff, recent winner of the Alydar here, and Math Wizard, who is coming back a week after finishing fifth in the Charles Town Classic.
Prioritize won an optional claiming race here on July 25, beating 3-year-od Money Moves by a neck. Money Moves is in Louisville running in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.
"It's a tough race, there is no lying about that," Bond said. "He has a win over the course and he is doing very well. He really, really loves it here. This is his home. He is a grinder. Every time I have asked him to do something a little bit better, he has done it. The horse is doing great, but he has to step up his game."
Prioritize, a son of Tizway, ran his first nine races on grass. On his past four on dirt, he has a pair of wins and two seconds.
Minus six
After Sunday, the Saratoga riding colony shrunk by a half-dozen. That's when jockeys Javier Castellano, David Cohen, Manny Franco, Tyler Gaffalione, Ricardo Santana Jr. and John Velazquez departed for Churchill Downs and their dates with Kentucky Derby week. Due to coronavirus virus protocols, riders had to be in Louisville by Monday at 11 a.m. And, once there, they would not be allowed to come back to Saratoga.
Five of the six have been riding at Churchill, which started its Derby week racing on Tuesday. Only Manny Franco, who will ride Tiz the Law, has yet to see any action. Santana has won three of his seven mounts and Gaffalione has two wins.
"I have been riding at Saratoga for almost 20 years and I always got to Labor Day at the meet," Castellano said before he left town. "I mean, this is a crazy year for everyone. We just have to go with the flow and do the best we can. It's unfortunate that I could not finish the meet. But I don't have any complaints. I had a great meet."
The Hall of Famer had the most wins of the departed riders as he ended with 26. Gaffalione had 21, Franco 18, Velazquez 16, Santana 12 and Cohen seven.
With Anticipation
Rain forced Wednesday's first race, a steeplechase event, to be canceled and the five turf races — including the featured $100,000 With Anticipation — to be moved to the main track. The change in surfaces didn't bother Fire At Will one bit.
The 2-year-old colt took to the sloppy track with ease and won the seven-furlong race by a half-length. The race was originally scheduled to be run at 1 1/16 miles on the Mellon turf course.
Fire At Will came from off the pace and won a stretch duel with even-money favorite Blame the Booze. Racing on the inside, Fire At Will and Irad Ortiz ran the seven furlongs in 1:23.14. It was the third win of the day for Ortiz, who would also win the finale. After missing three days of racing last week because of a wrist injury, Ortiz is now back in the lead in the riding standings with 51 wins, two more than his brother, Jose.
Following two scratches, including the 7-5 morning-line favorite American Monarch, the With Anticipation field was reduced to four.
"With a short field, it made sense to stay in the race," said Nolan Ramsey, assistant to trainer Mike Maker. "We talked to Mr. (Kirk) Wycoff (owner, Three Diamonds Farm) and Mike and made the decision to stay in and we're clearly happy we did."
Fire At Will, who went off at odds of 3-1, paid $8.20 and $3.00. There was no show wagering.
twilkin@timesunion.com • 518-454-5415 • @tjwilkin
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