Sloppy start

Even in horse heaven, sometimes you have to suffer. There was plenty of aggravation to endure at Saratoga yesterday, when the opening card of its 140th season was marred by relentless rain and 44 scratches. As expected, five turf races were moved to the sloppy main track, where little of significance occurred.

Unless you had the $26.40 winner, Jardin, the highlight of the featured Grade III Schuylerville Stakes for 2-year-old fillies was a wisecrack by Tom Durkin. As Jardin crossed the wire far in front, Durkin called it “a regatta.”

Ocean Colors was the 3-2 favorite, and the daughter of Winning Colors, the last filly to win the Kentucky Derby, didn’t run like mother. Ocean Colors set the pace before backpedaling to last, but her uncoupled stablemate, Jardin, bailed out trainer Steve Asmussen with a runaway under Robby Albarado. My $5 across-the-board play on far-back Boom Town Sally was a waste of money, as was the $2 exacta box of her, Ocean Colors and off-the-board Renda.

At least Kent Desormeaux got off his schneid, breaking an 0-for-30 slump with a daylight victory on Jazz Nation in the sixth race. It was victory No. 4,999 for the 38-year-old Hall of Famer, who is named on four horses today. Desormeaux will become only the 23rd rider to reach the 5,000-win plateau.

I plan to leave the Island Thursday morning and hope to arrive at the Spa midway through the card. Reminder: Friday’s program begins at the unusual time of 2:45 p.m. The only other “Sunset Friday” card will be Aug. 30, to kick off the meet’s final weekend.

Today’s play: I couldn’t find anything I liked in the Spa’s Thursday feature, the 6-furlong Sanford Stakes for 2-year-old males. My only bet might be in the fifth race, a 5½-furlong event for 2-year-olds. Trainer Wesley Ward, a whiz with 2-year-olds, scratched Mine All Mine from the Schuylerville for this much easier spot. She’s 7-2 on the morning line but could be much lower. She’s working well at Saratoga for her return off a two-month layoff.

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