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00:00The hardcore horse players, real horse racing fans, love the summer season because you get Saratoga on the East Coast, you get Del Mar out on the West Coast, and it just brings together some of the best horses in the country, the best trainers, best jockeys, all converging in one place for some high-level racing for a series of about two months during the summer from mid-July right on through Labor Day.
00:24So definitely looking forward to this meet that just kicked off yesterday.
00:27So 40 race days in total, and you talk about some of the best horses and trainers and jockeys.
00:35Who are your favorites this summer up in Saratoga that are already running as of yesterday?
00:43Well, definitely looking forward to the Traverse Stakes, which is about six weeks into the meet that's going to take place on August 24th.
00:52That's kind of the next logical step for the horses that competed through the Triple Crown races.
00:57TBD on whether the Derby winner Mystic Ben is going to ride up there.
01:01I think there's some reporting that he might be skipping the race, but a lot of others that competed through the Preakness, Belmont Stakes will be pointing towards that Traverse.
01:09It really is going to settle a lot of the questions that were left from the Triple Crown because he did have three different horses winning those three legs of the series.
01:17So hoping to see some of them match up later in the summer.
01:19But there are top-level stakes races every week right up until then and through Labor Day.
01:24So looking forward to each week of this meet.
01:27You get, like I said, top trainers and jockeys.
01:29I think two of the names that people will have their eye on at this meet are Irad Ortiz Jr., who is one of the top jockeys in the country.
01:35He's been the leading rider for the past several years.
01:38Typically has a big Saratoga.
01:40And Chad Brown, who is one of his partners, they team up on a lot of horses.
01:43He is the best trainer in the country, has won the last few Eclipse Awards.
01:47And Chad Brown tied for the training title last year.
01:50That was a bit of an upset that he didn't win it outright.
01:52But he definitely is a strong hand of horses to play through this summer season.