It was a tumultuous week in North America with cancellations across the country due to extreme heat. Opening day at Saratoga went on as scheduled on Friday, July 3, and opening day at Ellis Park was postponed until Saturday, July 4.

There were a total of 33 stakes races over the fourth of July weekend in North America, highlighted by five graded stakes at Saratoga. Stellar performances from 2-year-olds highlighted changes in the juvenile division while the Belmont Oaks and Belmont Derby shifted the leaderboard among sophomores.

Uncover more statistics at Equibase

Jose Ortiz continued his dominant year over the holiday weekend, leading all jockeys by North American earnings last week with $845,925 from six wins (22%). On opening day at Saratoga, Ortiz won three races, including the Wild Applause Stakes aboard To a Flame, and finished second in the Schuylerville Stakes. On Saturday, Ortiz had just one win but finished in the money in all four graded stakes races. He finished the week with two wins on Sunday, including a victory in the Grade 3 Kelso Stakes aboard Mi Bago in a dead heat with Zulu Kingdom. Ortiz became the second jockey to surpass $21 million in 2026 North American earnings and is now just $55,280 behind his brother Irad.

Zulu Kingdom finished in a dead heat for first with Mi Bago in the Kelso Stakes under Flavien Prat for trainer Chad Brown. A 4-year-old ridgling by Ten Sovereigns, won the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes at Keeneland to start the year before finishing third during the Belmont Stakes Festival of Racing at Saratoga in June. He pushed his 2026 earnings to $422,625 with the Kelso Stakes win, which puts him 59^th overall and 17^th among older males.

There were a couple of impressive 2-year-olds who showed significant potential over the weekend at Saratoga in the Schuylerville Stakes for fillies and the Grade 3 Sanford Stakes.

On Friday in the Schuylerville Stakes, Harper’s Corner dominated by 5 ¼ lengths at odds of 12-1 for trainer Cathal Lynch. Harper’s Corner, a Speaker’s Corner filly, is now 2-for-2, winning her first two career starts by a combined winning margin of 13 lengths. With $138,200 in earnings, Harper’s Corner now ranks third among juvenile fillies. She completed six furlongs on the dirt in 1:09.96, 1.28 seconds faster than males going the same distance in the Sanford on Saturday and tied for the highest Equibase Speed Figure earned by any 2-year-old this year with a 95.

Booked, a 2-year-old Yaupon colt bred in Indiana, became the new leader in the 2-year-old male division following his six-length win in the Sanford Stakes on Saturday at the Spa for trainer Steve Asmussen. Booked broke his maiden at Saratoga on June 7 by 1 ¾ lengths following a second-place finish in his career debut at Churchill Downs in late April. With two wins and a third, Booked now has $204,520 and sits on top of the earnings leaderboard in the 2-year-old male division.

Kensington Lane wins Belmont Oaks (Eclipse Sportswire)

The Grade 1 Belmont Oaks and Belmont Derby led to some movement in both the overall and 3-year-old divisions. In the Belmont Oaks, Kensington Lane shipped in from the Curragh in Ireland to win at odds of 23.33-1 in front-running fashion for trainer Donnacha O’Brien. Despite making her North America debut in the race, Kensington Lane already ranks in the top 100 overall and 15^th among 3-year-old fillies with $330,000 in 2026 North American earnings.

In the Belmont Derby, Title Role also shipped in from across the pond to win his first and only start in North America with a narrow victory in a thrilling finish. He picked up $412,500 in earnings from the win, moving into 63^rd overall and 25^th among 3-year-old in North America.

The highest earned Equibase Speed Figure of the week came from the Suburban Stakes Presented by Subourbon Life at Saratoga, where pacesetter Phileas Fogg earned an incredible 120 for his 10-length romp.

A couple hours following the Suburban, history was made across the country at Los Alamitos in the Grade 2 Great Lady M Stakes. Sweet Azteca, a 6-year-old Sharp Azteca mare, became the first and only horse to win the Great Lady M three times. Sweet Azteca set the Los Alamitos track record with her win in the 2024 Great Lady M and bettered that record in the 2025 Great Lady M when she covered 6 ½ furlongs on the dirt in 1:14.32, a record that stands.

Last week’s top trainer by earnings — Mark Casse: 4 wins, $517,192

Last week’s top jockey by earnings — Jose Ortiz: 6 wins, $845,925

Last week’s top Equibase Speed Figure in a graded stakes — Phileas Fogg: 120

North American leaders lists for horses, jockeys, trainers and owners are available on equibase.com and you can filter the data to view by a wide variety of categories including age, sex, surface and race type.