Day 6 at the Spa dawned cool, dry, sunny, and beautiful; running past the Oklahoma this morning, I watched horses working out in the kind of light foggy sunlight that so many people have captured in photographs of Saratoga. It was sublime.

And in my second breeze for the Fasig-Tipton 5K run on August 15th, I went 27.02 for 5K, convincing me that the route can’t possibly be a full 5K. Proceeds from the race benefit the Belmont Child Care Association, Backstretch Employees Service Team, Racetrack Chaplaincy of America, and Backstretch Education Fund. If you’re going to be in town, consider joining in the 5K run or 1K fun run.

Day 6 brings the Grade II Amsterdam, a race that I love. Generally a prep for the King’s Bishop, a few years ago it launched me on my “long price in a short field” betting practice when I bet 10 – 1 Court Folly over prohibitive favorite Songster…and exulted when Court Folly improbably won. Today Quality Road makes his long-awaited comeback and début for Todd Pletcher. He’s joined by Bay Shore winner Capt. Candyman Can, who broke his maiden so impressively here last year.

Yesterday while looking for video of Saturday’s Diana on Youtube, the first hit I got was this one from ESPN. “Success!” I thought…until I noticed that ESPN had disabled embedding for the clip.

Can someone explain to me 1) how/why ESPN has a clip of a race that it didn’t cover? And 2) how it justifies forbidding the further dissemination of said race it didn’t cover?

Justenuffhumor was terrific in yesterday’s Fourstardave; great ride by Alan Garcia and explosive late run. I wrote about it for the Saratogian—full report there.

Steve Asmussen’s certainly had a hell of a week. He wins the Schuylerville on opening day with Hot Dixie Chick; his two-year-old filly Kinsey won on Thursday; Saturday he won the West Virginia Derby with Soul Warrior and the Jim Dandy with Kensei; and yesterday, his wonder-filly Rachel Alexandra beat the boys—again—in the Haskell.

How great is it that that little matter down in Texas is still being resolved, so that he was around to enjoy all of these terrific victories?

And finally, Ray Kerrison in today’s New York Post writes glowingly of Rachel Alexandra’s Sunday victory. He closes his write-up by declaring, “She is racing’s Miss America.”

Sure…because winners of the Miss America title earn it by their outstanding athletic prowess, right?