Saratoga: Rice says her stable isn’t as strong this summer

Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Linda Rice knows what it takes to make history at Saratoga.

In 2009, she became the first woman to win a training title at a major track when she produced 20 victories at the iconic upstate New York venue, one more than Todd Pletcher’s loaded stable, even though her horses made 75 starts compared with Pletcher’s 135.

She added another chapter to her illustrious career last summer when she staged a dramatic comeback to tie Chad Brown for the Saratoga crown with 35 wins each. She trailed by five victories with two days of racing left but managed to draw even by capturing the final race of the 40-day meet.

No one would be surprised if there is more history to be made by Rice, but do not look for that to happen at the current Saratoga stand. At least she does not think so.

“Do I think we have the right stock in my barn at the moment to be in contention for the title? Probably not,” she said. “I don’t feel my hand right now is as strong as it was last year at this time. It’s just my gut feeling.”

Rice, 60, downplayed her prospects last July, too. This time, she may not be playing coy. She has enjoyed great success since she committed to racing in New York year-round but placed second to Brown at the Belmont at the Big A spring-summer meet leading into Saratoga.

The contrast between Rice’s operation and Brown’s is stark. She focuses largely on finding opportunities in the claiming ranks. Brown is intent on succeeding at the graded-stakes level with regally bred, high-priced stock that is particularly successful on turf. Neither is immune from the vagaries of racing. No trainer is.

“Ebbs and flows. There are ebbs and flows in racing,” Rice said. “Some horses run out of conditions and your back is against the wall. If it’s breeding stock, you have to protect them. Like I said, it’s ebbs and flows.”

The winner of more than 2,400 races whose horses have amassed $108 million-plus in earnings suggested the makeup of her barn is not suited to making another run at the top of the trainer standings this time around.

“I buy and claim more dirt than turf horses because I race in New York year-round. I feel that serves my purposes better and that is a better financial model for my clients,” she said. “I don’t have the turf horses in my barn that I would need to contend for the training title at Saratoga.”

Rice does not expect to come close to the 35 wins that made for a dramatic close to last year’s meet. “That’s a huge number of wins, and it would be hard to repeat for anybody,” she said. “If we can come away with half of that, I’d be happy.”

Brown made headlines not long ago when he suggested the quality of racing at Saratoga had slipped at the lower levels. Rice agreed with him, to a point.

“Our foal crop has gone from 40,000 to less than 20,000,” she said. “That certainly has an effect on racing in general, not just Saratoga. Chad’s in a unique position in that he has a barn full of graded-stakes horses. He’s a victim of his own success.”

Brown has said he will keep horses on the sidelines this summer rather than run them in claiming races for less than he believes they are worth.

Rice feels sure that Saratoga has not lost its cache. “It’s a meet that’s cherished by the public, by the bettors, by the horsemen, the jockeys. I don’t think there is anyone who doesn’t cherish this meet,” she said.

Whatever Saratoga brings, Rice is grateful for the history she already has made here in what continues to be a male-dominated sport.

“Frankly, I don’t care if I was a guy, it’s special to win a training title twice at Saratoga,” she said. “To be in the company of Todd Pletcher, Chad Brown, Bill Mott, it’s an honor to be in that group. As far as whether being a woman makes it extra special, maybe it’s a good role model for other women to know it’s achievable. And that’s terrific.”