The summer racing season begins in earnest this week with the Saratoga season, which opened Thursday, followed next week by the opening of the July 18-Sept. 7 Del Mar meet.

Prestigious Saratoga’s 17 Grade I flat races include the Whitney on Aug. 2, which could draw top-ranked Mindframe, his Repole stablemate Fierceness, as well as Sierra Leone and White Abarrio; the Travers for 3-year-olds on Aug. 23, likely to be the next start for Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Sovereignty, and the same day’s Personal Ensign for fillies and mares, a target for reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna.

Saratoga will have huge implications for the Oct. 31-Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar. In 2024, the nine North America-based Breeders’ Cup race winners at Del Mar included six horses who raced at Saratoga that summer — including Classic winner Sierra Leone and Distaff winner Thorpedo Anna — and two who raced at Del Mar during the summer.

This is a week off for California thoroughbred racing. Del Mar will take entries Sunday for its Friday, July 18 opening-day card, featuring the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes for 3-year-olds.

Kazushi Kimura wrapped up his first jockeys title at a Southern California track last Sunday, finishing the Los Alamitos thoroughbred meet with one more win than Diego Herrera, 10-9. Peter Miller and Steve Knapp tied for the trainers title with six wins each.

Sweet Azteca’s $9 win over Kopion in the Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Al last Saturday earned the 5-year-old mare her first votes of 2025 in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association poll. Sweet Azteca is ranked No. 13 this week, while Kopion slipped from No. 9 to No. 11.

In Los Alamitos quarter-horse racing, Stanley Cartel and jockey Armando Cervantes won the 400-yard Vessels Maturity on Sunday night, leading all the way in a $10.80 upset of runnerup London Toby. It’s the first Grade I win for the 4-year-old colt and trainer Ramiro Castillo.

Journalism, the Santa Anita Derby and Preakness winner, tops the nominees for the $1 million, Grade I Haskell Stakes at Monmouth on July 18. That would be the colt’s first start since finishing second to Sovereignty in the June 7 Belmont Stakes.