Linda Rice enjoyed one of the biggest days of the 2026 Saratoga meeting on Saturday, August 15, sending out five winners from six races in which she had runners.
The five-timer equalled the Saratoga record for most wins by a trainer on a single card and moved Rice firmly into the fight for the training title.
Her winners came with Scramjet, Lady Rose, Bite and Strike, Calling Card and Maximum Heat.
It was an impressive response after the afternoon had actually started badly. Salming, sent off at 3-5 in the opening race, finished last.
From that point, almost everything Rice sent out won.
A Big Day in Saratoga History
Winning five races on one Saratoga card is rare.
Todd Pletcher also managed five winners earlier at the 2026 meeting, on August 1, having previously achieved the same feat in 2004.
Chad Brown has done it twice, in 2021 and 2024.
For Rice, it was the third five-win day of her career on the New York Racing Association circuit.
She won five races at Aqueduct on January 22 this year and went five from five there on April 4, 2024.
Doing it at Saratoga carries extra weight.
Rice described Saratoga afterwards as the toughest place in the world to win a race. With many of America’s leading trainers, jockeys and owners based at the meeting through the summer, putting together five wins on one card is no small achievement.
Scramjet Starts the Run
The winning sequence began in Race 2 with one of the more interesting horses on the card.
Scramjet was making his first start in a six-furlong maiden for New York-bred two-year-olds.
The son of Uncle Mo was not one of the obvious choices in the betting, returning $18.96 for a $2 win bet, but he showed plenty of fight under Jose Ortiz.
Scramjet made the running before being challenged by Mindfield in the stretch. He responded well and pulled clear again to win by 1½ lengths in 1:11.27.
There was also more to the story than a normal winning debut.
Scramjet had been due to race on July 30 but was scratched after dropping Manny Franco in the post parade.
Rice later said she had been disappointed because she thought he had been placed in a race he could win.
His second chance came in what Rice felt was a stronger race, but he got the job done.
For followers of the American two-year-old scene, he is now a name worth keeping in the notebook.
Lady Rose and Bite and Strike Keep It Going
Rice’s next winner came in Race 4 when Lady Rose justified strong support in a one-mile allowance for New York-breds.
The three-year-old filly, ridden by Jose Lezcano, won by five lengths.
Rice then struck again in Race 7, which had originally been scheduled for turf but was moved to the dirt.
She saddled two runners and came away with the first two places.
Bite and Strike, also ridden by Lezcano, won at $10.60, with stablemate Vettriano following him home.
At that point, an excellent afternoon was turning into something much bigger.
Two Wins to Finish the Card
The final two races completed the record-equalling five-timer.
Calling Card won Race 11, a one-mile starter allowance for New York-breds, under Manny Franco.
Maximum Heat then finished the job in the last race.
With Jose Ortiz riding, Maximum Heat was sent off as a strong favourite and won the off-the-turf maiden claimer to give Rice her fifth victory of the afternoon.
Rice said afterwards that days when everything comes together are especially rewarding for her and her staff, who put in long hours behind the scenes.
The numbers told the story.
Five wins from six races in which she had runners, plus a one-two finish in another.
Rice Moves Closer to Chad Brown
Saturday’s results took Rice to 21 winners for the Saratoga meeting through 28 days of racing.
That put her second in the trainer standings, four wins behind Chad Brown.
There is still plenty of racing to come, so the Saratoga training title remains a live contest.
Rice has already shown she can win it.
In 2009, she became the first woman to finish as leading trainer at Saratoga, beating Todd Pletcher by one winner.
Whether she can repeat that result in 2026 remains to be seen, but Saturday gave her challenge a major boost.
Is Scramjet One to Watch?
For those looking beyond the trainer standings, Scramjet may be the most interesting horse to take from the day.
A New York-bred maiden winner in August is a long way from being a serious 2027 Kentucky Derby prospect, and there is no reason to make that claim after one start.
But this is the time of year when new two-year-old names begin appearing every week.
Some disappear from the discussion quickly. Others improve as the distances increase and move into stronger company later in the year.
Scramjet has earned the right to be watched again.
For Linda Rice, though, Saturday was about much more than one promising youngster.
Five winners at Saratoga in a single afternoon put her alongside a very small group of trainers to have achieved the feat.
It may also have put her right back into the race for another Saratoga training title.
