It was an incredibly difficult weekend for horse racing at Saratoga. Emotions were as raw as they’ve ever been, particularly over the soul-crushing breakdown of Maple Leaf Mel as she was just a few strides from winning the Test Stakes. Incidents like that make us fundamentally question the sport we all love so much.

This week on Rail Talk, Joe Bianca and Jon Green held an informal therapy session to cope with the devastating losses of Maple Leaf Mel, Ever Summer and Sopran Basilea at Saratoga. They also gave appreciation for how, through tragedy, the outpouring of support for the fallen and their affected caretakers displayed the best of this community, and hoped that kind of love will help light the way forward.

We still found time to smile and laugh, too, discussing the Whitney Stakes, analyzing the electrifying results of Fasig-Tipton Saratoga and struggling to remember how our yearling naming contest worked, even as we announced the winner.

Let us know if there’s anything you need to say in the wake of this heartbreaking week. We’ll bring you on the show.

You can find Rail Talk on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and subscribe to receive new episodes in your inbox at RailTalkMedia.com. Thanks as always to our sponsors, Fasig-Tipton, Taylor Made and The Green Group.