Horse racing notes: Without horse in Preakness, Brown still faces busy day

PHOTOGRAPHER: Mike MacAdam

Mechanicville native Chad Brown decided to skip the Preakness with Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher Normandy Invasion, but he’ll still be a busy trainer at Pimlico today, with good shots to win all three of the Grade III stakes that precede the 138th Preakness.

Summer Applause is the slight favorite, at 9-5, on the morning line for the Allaire DuPont Distaff; Samitar is the 5-2 favorite in the Gallorette, with stablemate Pianist the 4-1 co-second choice; and Hardened Wildcat is the second choice in the Maryland Sprint Handicap.

Summer Applause will be making her third start for Brown, off a win in the Grade II Top Flight at Aqueduct and a fourth to On Fire Baby in the Grade I Apple Blossom.

Samitar has been knocking on the door but is winless in her last three starts after having won the Grade I Garden City at Belmont Park in September.

The Gallorette will be her fifth start with Brown as trainer of record since coming to the U.S. from Europe last summer.

She’s coming off a third to Centre Court in the Grade I Jenny Wiley.

Besides Hardened Wildcat, the Maryland Sprint Handicap field includes Poseidon’s Warrior, who upset the Grade I A.G. Vanderbilt at Saratoga last summer at 36-1.

After the three Grade III races, there’s a wide-open field for the Grade II Dixie Stakes on the turf.

Also on the Preakness undercard, Undrafted, owned by Denver Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker, is the 3-1 second choice in the Chick Lang, and Notacatbutallama, who broke his maiden at Saratoga for owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher, is 9-5 in the James Murphy.

SARATOGA JOB FAIR

The New York Racing Association will host a three-day job fair at Saratoga Race Course next month for those interested in working at the 2013 meet.

The meet will run for 40 days from July 19 through Labor Day, Sept. 2.

Interviews will be held at the Carousel near the East Avenue gate from 2 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 13, and Friday, June 14, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 15. Interviews for Shake Shack positions with Union Square Events will be conducted on Friday and Saturday only.

Applicants must be at least 16 years of age with working papers, and prospective pari-mutuel clerks must be 18 years of age or older and have significant cash handling experience in order to apply. All applicants must bring photo ID and social security card or I-9 alternative.

Opportunities are available for: security, white caps (ushers), parking attendants, cleaning, utility workers, turf work and general labor, retail clerks, wait staff, bartenders, cooks, prep cooks, food service helpers, cashiers, porters and barbacks, food service supervisors and counter workers, giveaway helpers (part-time only) and pari-mutuel betting clerks.

Positions are available with NYRA, Centerplate, Union Square Events, Forum Staffing Services, and Pritchard Sports and Entertainment.

For more information, contact the Saratoga employment line at (718) 659-3550 or [email protected]

ADVOCACY DAY

Horse advocates will be in Albany on Wednesday to rally and meet with state lawmakers to encourage the passage of a bill sponsored by Deborah Glick of the assembly designed to prohibit the slaughter of horses for human consumption.

Safe Horse Advocacy Day will start with information stations set up at the Legislative Office Building at 9 a.m., followed by a rally and press conference at 11:30.

The event is supposed to raise awareness of the human and horse safety issues associated with the horse slaughter industry in New York, and educate about the timely, productive alternatives to the horse slaughter industry.