AROUND THE TRACK Maragh notches 1st Spa win since 2014

By Sam Blum

“At one point I maybe wasn’t going to be able to ride again at Saratoga. It makes you feel very accomplished for all the hard work I put in and all the time and effort to try and make myself healthy and into a jockey again. It’s very rewarding.”

SARATOGA, N.Y. » Two days after another injury scare, jockey Rajiv Maragh registered his first winning ride at Saratoga in three years.

Maragh, who was crushed by a horse he mounted in a July 2015 incident, was taken to the hospital on Wednesday after a scare in the starting gate. He was fine, though, by Thursday. And he won his 11th mount of the Saratoga meet riding Big Mara. The winner paid $4.80.

“It’s really amazing,” Maragh said after the win. “At one point I maybe wasn’t going to be able to ride again at Saratoga. It makes you feel very accomplished for all the hard work I put in and all the time and effort to try and make myself healthy and into a jockey again. It’s very rewarding.” congratulations from different directions.

“He especially liked the grass,” Engelhart said. “We’re very happy he’s training well. We got the money, we’re thrilled.”

Barclay Tagg goes backto-back

After recording only six wins in 69 starts to begin to the 2017 calendar year, Tagg saddled winners in both the sixth and the seventh races at the Spa. Flattermefabulous, owned by Sackatoga Stable won at 3-1 odds in the sixth race. In the seventh, Tale of S’avall won to pay $21.40. It was just the second and third race for Tagg in the Saratoga meet this year.

After the win, a large crowd of people associated with the stable crowded for photos in the winner’s circle.

Tagg has been racing horses since the 1980s. When asked if getting his first Saratoga win ever gets old?

“It only gets old if you have a slow meet,” he said with a laugh. all