Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

And profuse thanks to reader BrooklynSaint, who pointed out two unforgivable omissions in my wrap-up post from yesterday.

Brian Nadeau: thank you! Brian started writing Derby preps last winter, and he continued handicapping through the end of the Saratoga meet, focusing on the Saturday Pick 4’s. His work at the Saratoga Special kept him burning the midnight oil, but he nevertheless found the time to offer detailed, insightful, often funny commentary and analysis. He is a gift to Brooklyn Backstretch, and I am saying multiple Hail Marys and Our Fathers for this dreadful exclusion.

And Flashing with the Mig aboard! Migliore’s second win at the meeting, in the Grade I Test, brought applause for the horse, but maybe even more for the jockey. He’s back aboard her in this weekend’s Grade III Presque Isle Downs Master’s Stakes…go, Mig, and please forgive the oversight.

And then there’s Forever Together—how could I forget you? You kicked off Distaff Summer with your second consecutive win in the Diana, demonstrating guts and heart and everything we love about horse racing. How lucky was I that this was the first race that the Saratogian assigned me to cover?

Thanks to Seth Merrow of Equidaily for pointing out that Danielle Hodsdon is not, in fact, the first woman to win a jump and a flat race at the same meet. He steered me to this article by Mark Singelais in the Times Union, which indicates that Blythe Miller did the same in 1997.

And in a faux paw that falls a little closer to home, I neglected to acknowledge the results of this summer’s feline handicapping. Wins dropped off quite a bit as the meeting wound down, but here’s how things ended up:

Madison: down $3.90
Floyd: down $31

Furlong: up $16.70
Ruffian: up $16.80

The kittens’ profit was up there in the 30’s for a while, but even with the cold stretch, they reaped a tidy profit for their first full-meet endeavor. They have not yet decided whether they’ll be playing at Belmont today [update: they’re playing]; they’ve continued their Saratoga sojourn while Mother Backstretch and I work out a joint custody arrangement. Madison and Floyd continue to be grumpy about their bankroll and the little ones’ presence.

A grim, wet weekend is forecast for New York, but I’ll be at Belmont rain or shine on Saturday. After all, how could I miss the Ruffian?

Sorry–still NO idea how to get rid of the flashing eyes!