Saratoga Living - 'The Races!' Issue 2021 by saratogalivingmagazine

NAME GAME: HOW SARATOGA’S TOP STAKES RACES GOT THEIR NAMES *{ sugar rose studios’ mini horses have max impact }

TH E CIT Y. THE CU LT U R E. THE LIFE.

JULY AUGUS T 2 021

f o r a e y e th fan e th Free

FLIP Edition!

, BABY!

WE’RE BACK

the races!

back in the saddle:

superfans and their love affair with the track

JOCKEY KENDRICK CARMOUCHE IS SARATOGA-READY ALEX ZHANG’S GORGEOUS GALLERY MICHAEL DUBB, FAITH BUILDER

HOW 2020 CHANGED RACING FOREVER THE RETURN OF PARTY PICS!

plus

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starting gate

f o r a e y e th an f e th contents

fan-cy that Lifelong racing fan Barry Potoker calls Opening Day at Saratoga Race Course a “homecoming”; (inset) Violet Valentina Vickers, whose father is an assistant trainer, loves going to the track.

the races! 2021

PORTRAITS OF SARATOGA’S MOST SERIOUS SUPERFANS

We’re all unique.

BY NATALIE MOORE p h o t o g r a p h y by

Your insurance should be too.

H AN N AH KUZNIA

That’s why our agents have access to so many options. As an insurance agency born and raised in the Capital District, we work to find exactly the right coverage for our friends and neighbors. And, along the way, we’ll probably save you some money.

PORTFOLIO: ALEX ZHANG

SARATOGA RACING RETURNS

BY B R I EN B OU Y E A 35

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BY N ATALI E M OOR E

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AUTO | HOME | BOAT | LIFE

BY N ATALI E M OOR E

STAKES’ NAME GAME BY BRI EN BOU Y E A

MEET THE HALL OF FAMERS BY TOM P EDU LL A

(Potoker) HANNAH KUZNIA

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE FANS

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starting gate

call to the post-erior Todd Pletcher’s horses, ready for their morning workout at the Oklahoma, captured by photographer Alex Zhang.

contents | The Races! 2021

Let’s create health and happiness in your home.

First turn 19 20 20 22 25

FYI: Track Changes Panel: Get Me to the Track! The Other Saratoga: Saratoga, Indiana Power Player: Michael Dubb Made in Saratoga: All Hail the Paper Bag King! 25 Anniversary: Fasig-Tipton’s The Saratoga Sale 26 Government: The Commissioner of Public Works 26 Hot Dates: International Cat Day and International Dog Day

67 saratoga living’s Summer Kickoff Party 68 saratoga living’s Saratoga True Crime Night 70 5 More Summer Soirées

Home stretch 73 77 80 82

Design: Caroline Cardone Burke Hunger: Where’s the Beef? Thirst: Tequila What to Do: Stakes Schedule

Photo Finish

86 #TBT: The Queen of Saratoga

85 Horseplay Crossword: Four-trick Pony Overheard 67

(22) SKIP DICKSTEIN; (67) ALYSSA SALERNO ; (86) KEENELAND

Show, Place, Win!

8 From the Editor 10 From the CEO

here are certain spaces in our homes where we actually create health and happiness. Rooms where water flows and light shines. Enjoy hundreds of bath, kitchen and lighting products in room settings that help you envision them in your home. Experience working displays that allow you to choose with confidence. Frank Webb Home’s friendly experts delight in helping you make these spaces your own. ALBANY 17 Erie Boulevard BALLSTON SPA 1 McCrea Hill Road To find 48 showrooms throughout the Northeast, visit frankwebb.com

ONLY 6 LOTS LEFT!

Abby Tegnelia CEO

Will Levith EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

DIRECTOR OF CONTENT SENIOR DESIGNER

ON THE COVER

SPORTS EDITOR

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS

FASHION EDITOR

EDITOR AT LARGE

EDITORIAL INTERNS

Racing fans Stephanie Cassella, Brittany Furman, Dan Furman and Claire Reinfurt, photographed by Hannah Kuznia exclusively for saratoga living. Shot on location at Saratoga Race Course.

Kathleen Gates Natalie Moore Linda Gates Brien Bouyea Francesco D’Amico Katie Dobies Dori Fitzpatrick Hannah Kuznia Corinne Sausville Susan Gates Carmelina Albanese, Rose Merjos

WRITERS

Karen Bjornland, Tony Case, Field Horne Katie Navarra, Daniel Nester, Tom Pedulla PHOTOGRAPHERS

Kyle Adams, Terri-Lynn Pellegri Susie Raisher

An exclusive New Carriage Home Community from Belmonte Builders

Discover Lake Living in Saratoga Springs Annette Quarrier PUBLISHER

saratoga living is published six times a year by Empire Media Network, Inc. subscriptions: $35 per year (Nonrefundable).

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

SALES DIRECTOR, CAPITAL REGION LIVING

DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER

ART DIRECTOR, MARKETING SALES ASSISTANT

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Walking distance to Fish Creek & Saratoga Lake Close to everything: 4 minutes to Saratoga

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Volume 23, No. 4 Summer 2021 Copyright © 2021 Empire Media Network, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission from Empire Media Network, Inc. All editorial queries should be directed to editorial@saratogaliving.com; or sent to 422 Broadway, Suite 203, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. saratoga living assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions.

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6 saratoga living

⁄ THE RACES 2021

Walking distance to Fish Creek and Saratoga Lake, this new home community of 24 exclusive carriage homes from Belmonte Builders is the highly anticipated final phase of the popular Regatta View neighborhood. Unlike typical townhome communities, each carriage home is designed to mirror a large, single-family home with attractive Craftsman elevations including accents like porches with large columns, vertical siding, and cultured stone. The best part is that there are no interior units. Each carriage home is a premium end unit featuring windows on three sides and a two-car garage.

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Whether it’s for the lake, the track, or a picnic...

F R O M T H E e d i to r

Welcome Back

Will Levith EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

@Mediawill

⁄

8 saratoga living

⁄ THE RACES 2021

@willlevith

HANNAH KUZNIA

f you’ve ever been to a wedding reception—and I’m citing my own as proof— there’s a point in the evening, after all of the speeches and toasts have been given, when the cover band is hitting its stride and the gentlemen on the dancefloor unknot their neckties and tie them around their heads (that actually happens). It’s the moment the party reaches peak-level joy: Everybody’s smiling and dancing and loving life a little more than usual. That’s what I expect it will be like in Saratoga Springs every day this summer, with fans finally filing, en masse, back into Saratoga Race Course on July 15, the Travers returning to its midsummer slot, and downtown coming alive once again. The bars will be packed with high rollers, peeling off hundos from their fat stacks of winnings, tipping the bartenders (and barbacks) handsomely. The sweet sound of a backpatio band, covering “Livin’ on a Prayer,” will once again be lilting through the night air. And most importantly, the mask-less, socially close foot traffic will cover every centimeter of pavement in town. We owe that jubilant feeling—and really, everything that makes the Saratoga track season what it is—to the fans. And it’s all of you, who worship the racing season year in and year out, that we’re paying tribute to in this finally-back-tonormal “The Races!” issue of saratoga living (p. 29). We’re also looking at how COVID helped change racing for the better (p. 38), getting to know the barrier-breaking jockey Kendrick Carmouche (p. 42) and the young woman who has turned horse toys into a successful sidehustle (p. 54). You’ll also get to brush up on your stakes name trivia (p. 58), get to know an angel on the backstretch (p. 22) and wonder at the glorious track photography of Alex Zhang (p. 46). Out of all of those upcoming days, I’m most looking forward to that random night when I happen to be at my parents’ house up near Skidmore College. Dinner will be over, the will of the people Editorial Director Will Levith backdoor open. And that’s when I’ll hear it: The (left) with this issue’s cover stars—Claire Reinfurt, faint sound of music and merriment floating on Stephanie Cassella, Brittany Furman and Dan Furman— the breeze—the sound of Downtown Saratoga, at Saratoga Race Course. awakened. Welcome back.

...we’ve got everything you need in one quick and easy stop! Coffee, breakfast, beverages, snacks, easy food, ice... fill your cooler when you fill up your tank.

FROM THE CEO

One Magical Summer

believe passionately in saratoga living’s mission of celebrating our local community, and until COVID hit, throwing parties was an integral part of the equation. Getting dressed up, having professional photos taken with all of your friends, networking, maybe picking up a swag bag or two—what better way to toast our wonderful town? Last issue, I mentioned that we would be resuming events in June, kicking off summer with a bash at Putnam Place. I was a bit nervous: Would people come? And would they have fun? As it turns out, I greatly underestimated how badly Saratoga was itching to party. A sold-out crowd swarmed into Putnam Place, mingling for the first time in more than a year, decked out to the nines, ready for shenanigans. A friend told me as she walked up the hill towards the club that when she saw the throngs of people, and the amazing aerialists from Karma Studios doing the splits and incredible flips while hanging from the ceiling, “For a moment, I was confused and thought I was in Vegas.” Nope, not Vegas, but Downtown Saratoga Springs. And judging from our first party back (we also had a packed house for a more serious true crime event two weeks later), Saratoga is ready for one heck of a summer. So with that in mind, let’s talk Saratoga Race Course. As I write this, the excitement has reached an absolute fever pitch as we count down the days to Opening Day. And now the pressure is on us to throw a track party that exuberantly celebrates both the importance of horse racing to our special town, and chief of feliz CEO Abby Tegnelia speaking at our resilience, too, which got us through 2020 and saratoga living’s first post-COVID party. into this exciting summer season. Challenge accepted. What are you waiting for? Turn to our party pics pages (yup, they’ve returned!), and be on the lookout (I recommend signing up for our email newsletter on our website and following our social media pages) for an invite to our next bash. Thank you, too, to our advertisers, some of whom we highlight in our “Back on Track” (hooray!) advertising section. Our small businesses are doing some amazing things, and supporting local must remain an important part of our Saratoga ethos. Our small staff pours our heart and soul into every issue of this magazine and our events, and it’s through ticket sales and advertising that we are able to make the magic happen. Thank you so much to everyone in our saratoga living community. Readers, see you at the track.

CEO @abbytegnelia

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⁄ THE RACES 2021

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saratoga living

Back On Track

saratoga living

Back On

Track

You can see it on the smiling faces on Broadway, in the already-out-ofcontrol downtown traffic, and in the hundreds of people that descend upon Caroline Street on Saturday nights: After a year-long-plus pandemic, Saratoga Springs is back on track. This doesn’t just mean that vaccinated folks don’t have to wear a mask anymore, and that Saratoga Race Course will reopen at 100 percent capacity. No. Each and every one of Saratoga’s small business owners is breathing a sigh of relief that the pandemic is over, the people are out and about and Saratoga is finally—finally—getting back to normal. The owners of the businesses listed in the pages that follow have all been patiently waiting for this day, when they can officially announce that their company weathered the pandemic and is all the stronger because of it. These companies—boutiques, designers, salons and more—are open and ready for customers, just in time for Saratoga’s most wonderful time of the year: track season.

Lifestyles owner Heidi Owen West at her trackside mobile boutique.

Style Front-Runner

WHEN IT COMES TO TRACK FASHION, LIFESTYLES’ TRACK POP-UP SHOP IS A SURE BET.

he Lifestyles’ vintage 1964 Shasta camper-turnedpop-up-shop is celebrating its fifth year in partnership with the New York Racing Association (NYRA) with the announcement of a new location: Artists Row just inside the main gate next to the Saratoga Walk of Fame. The Shasta will be at the track for all 40 days of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet selling hats for men and women, wraps, fascinators, clutches and more. Although this is the pop-up’s fifth year trackside, owner Heidi Owen West believes it’s even more important than ever to collaborate as a community this year. “Highlighting our local businesses and creating a space for our brand trackside shows NYRA’s commitment to our local business owners,” she says. “After 2020, this relationship seems more important than ever before.” Growing up in Saratoga Springs, Owen West knows as well as anybody how big a part of the city the track is. “It brings excitement to so many people in town,” she says. “I remember going to the track as a teenager each summer with a group of friends. It was exciting! We would get autographs from jockeys, watch the horses in the paddock area, eat hot dogs and pretzels and people-watch—maybe place a dollar bet on a horse with a fun name to win, place or show. The energy was palpable.” The Lifestyles pop-up shop was created by Owen West to give back to the community she loves. “As a small business

owner, I was constantly asked to donate to local charities,” she says. “I wanted to be able to do more for my community and came up with a business plan to give a percentage of all proceeds from the pop-up shop to not-for-profits in need, sometimes even 100 percent of profits. We do that each year for Shelters of Saratoga, have partnered with the Double H Ranch and Wellspring, and each year at the track we give a percentage of sales to B.E.S.T, the Backstretch Employee Service Team. So for me, the pop-up shop and its location at the track is meaningful in a significant way.” As for track style tips, the fashionista and racing superfan puts comfort first, to ensure maximized fun. “My biggest tip for dressing up at the track is to ditch the heels!” she says, noting that her pop-up’s best-seller is flip-flops for women who can’t handle their stilettos after showing up in too high of a heel. “The ground is uneven, and you’re up and down stairs, on cement and grass. A nice wedge or flat is the key for a day at the track, paired with a breezy linen midi-dress or a floral day dress, and of course, topped off with a hat!” ■

S P ECIAL P R OMOTIONAL S ECTION

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HOT CRISPY OIL

S PE C I A L PR OM OT I ONA L S E C T I O N

Back On Track

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SAVORY PANTRY

Passion. Style. Taste. Savory Pantry is Saratoga’s go-to shop for food fanatics, avid entertainers and cocktail enthusiasts. An ever-changing array of award-winning specialty foods, stylish homewares, well-chosen food and drink books, and racing-themed gifts are all on hand in the Broadway shop, just down the block from City Hall. (The shop ships all over the country, too.)Think of Savory Pantry for custom and corporate giving, and let its knowledgable staff help you, whether you’re throwing a party, or just want to kick back in style.

Back On Track

INTERIOR DESIGNS ATELIER

Hot Crispy Oil, the new “it” condiment sold in 300 retailers coast to coast, was born right here in the Capital Region. The small-batch, hand-made treat comes in a jar with yummy garlic, shallots and chili peppers to stir up and can be added to...well, pretty much anything. (Think bread-dipping and avocado toast-topping, or get creative with pizza, pasta or eggs.) You can buy Hot Crispy Oil online, or check its website’s store locator—Saratoga sellers include Fat Paulie’s, Impressions and Healthy Living—for the seller nearest you. Now available in extra hot, too.

The full-service, high-end Interior Designs Atelier firm provides bespoke design services to private residences, restaurants and commercial properties, in disciplines ranging from traditional to contemporary, and everything in between. Since Interior Designs Atelier collaborates closely with each client and tailors the design to meet his or her individual needs and objectives, the end result is a sophisticated portfolio of spaces that are unique and reflective of the clients’ passions and joys. The firm is not only deeply committed to providing exceptional design and service, but it also sets itself apart by focusing on you—your lifestyle, your dreams and your passions, instead of applying its “style” to your project. Follow Interior Designs Atelier’s designs on Instagram at @interiordesignsatelier!

HOTCRISPYOIL.COM

3 FRANKLIN SQUARE, SUITE 6 518.260.1609 INTERIORDESIGNSATELIER.COM

486 BROADWAY 518.450.1130 SAVORYPANTRY.COM

POSH BROWS AND BEAUTY

LUCIA BOUTIQUE

THE DARK HORSE MERCANTILE

The Saratoga summer is back, and chances are, after a yearlong lockdown, you need something other than sweats to wear. Look no further than Lucia Boutique in the Saratoga Marketplace on Broadway, which carries every item of clothing you’ll need for a day at the races, a concert at SPAC or a night out on the town. Stop in today to browse Lucia’s selection of distressed denim, graphic tees and sun dresses, plus accessories such as jewelry, hats and sunglasses. Shop online and in store!

IMPRESSIONS OF SARATOGA The “Everything Saratoga” store couldn’t be more aptly nicknamed. Impressions is celebrating 43 years of toasting the Spa City with Saratoga- and equestrian-themed gifts, locally made food products and souvenirs. The unique Broadway hot spot is open daily, or visit the shop’s website any time (Impressions ships all over the country). Shop the dog-friendly store’s one-of-a-kind collectibles, gifts, sportswear, home décor and memorabilia, all celebrating Saratoga Springs. 368 BROADWAY 518.587.0666 IMPRESSIONSSARATOGA.COM

454 BROADWAY #8 518.587.7890 LUCIABOUTIQUE.COM

At Saratoga’s Posh Brows and Beauty, eyebrow and eyelash treatments come first—they’re not just an add-on service like at a regular salon. Posh Brows and Beauty is Saratoga’s premier brow and lash salon, located in the heart of downtown and specializing in brow waxing, brow shaping and tinting, microblading, henna brow and brow lamination. Posh also specializes in lash extensions, lash lift and tint, full face and body waxing and customized facials to meet your specific needs. Visit Vagaro.com/poshbrowsandbeauty to book your appointment at Posh Brows and Beauty today.

It’s not track season in Saratoga if you’re not celebrating the longshots that have defied the odds in Spa City history, and what better way to do just that than on a trip to The Dark Horse Mercantile? Throughout the summer, you may even get to meet the shop’s 33-inch-tall mascot, Upset the Miniature Horse! The downtown store offers many exclusive items and collections celebrating Saratoga’s reputation as the Graveyard of Champions, so never underestimate the joy of popping in for a quick browse. You never know what you might find! The Dark Horse is open daily and ships countrywide via its website.

443 BROADWAY, SUITE #6 518.992.9298 POSHBROWSANDBEAUTY.COM

445 BROADWAY 518.587.0689 DARKHORSESARATOGA.COM

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{ first turn }

AT TO R N E Y S & C O U N S E LO R S AT L AW

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FYI

Track Changes

David R. Murphy Cathy L. Drobny GETTING PUMPED FOR YOUR TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO THE Mark R.GSonders E T TO K N O W S A R ATO G A R AC E C O U R S E ’ S T H R E E N E W E S T O S Kessler P I T A L I T Y A R E A S . n BY W IL L L EVIT H Patrick L. Seely, Jr. MichaelHW. E. Meghan Stewart Jones, Jr. R. Keenholts Randolph R. Treece ot only is James E. Hacker the New Thomas J. Higgs Rosemary W. McKenna York Racing David R. Murphy John F. Harwick James C. Knox Benjamin F. NeidlAssociation (NYRA) Patrick L. Seely, Jr. opening Saratoga Race David I.R.Iversen James W. Bendall Meghan Keenholts Course at 100 percent this summer, but Thomas Higgs Julie A.J. Nociolo Kevin S.capacity Mednick it’s also adding a trio of new

E. Stewart Jones, Jr. James E. Hacker David R. Murphy John F. Harwick Patrick L. Seely, Jr. James C. Knox Meghan R. Keenholts E. Stewart Jones Hacker Murphy LLP, founded in 1898, Thomas is one ofJ. Upstate NY’s Higgs Cathy L. Drobny James C. Knox oldest and most respected law firms. We care about our clients and our neighbors. David I. Iversen Cathy L. Drobny Davidus I. Iversen Whether it is in the courtroom or in the community, what drives is theRepresentation satisfaction Brettin: T. Williams Focused Brett T. Williams of helping people who really need it. So when you are looking for an attorney with Julie A. Nociolo Julie A. Nociolo

“hospitality areas”—a.k.a. places other than the Grandstand, Clubhouse and backyard where races can be watched, beers can be downed Malpractice and winning bets Commercial Litigation • Property Tax Disputes • Criminal Defense • Personal Injury • Eminent Domain • Medical credentials and compassion, look no further than E. StewartOF Jones Hacker Murphy LLP. can be placed. COUNSEL: AT TO R N E Y S & C O U N S E LO R S AT L AW OF COUNSEL: Carl Rosenbloom Before you grab a FREE CONSULTATIONS AND PERSONALIZED SERVICE Mark R. Sonders Carl Rosenbloom reservation, here’s a little Michael W. Kessler more information about Mark R. Sonders E. Stewart Jones,Randolph Jr. David R. Murphy F. Treece each new section. W.L.McKenna James E. HackerRosemary Cathy Drobny Michael W. Kessler Focused Representation in: John F. Harwick Mark R. Sonders Randolph F. Treece •Criminal Defense The Spa Patrick L. Seely, Jr. Michael W. Kessler Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Rosemary W. McKenna •Personal Injury Meghan R. Keenholts Randolph R. Treece Verandas •Medical Malpractice Sounds fancy, right? Meet Thomas J. Higgs Rosemary W. McKenna •Commercial Litigation the new Spa Verandas, James C. Knox Benjamin F. Neidl which replace the old, •Real Estate Tax Reduction David I. Iversen James W. Bendall reservation-only picnic Julie A. Nociolo Kevin S. Mednick areas at the Top of the Stretch with six new, partially covered sections. SARATOGA SPRINGS OFFICE Focused Representation in: Each veranda is designed Commercial Litigation • Property Tax Disputes • Criminal Defense • Personal Injury • Eminent Domain • Medical Malpractice 511 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 to accommodate up to 518.274.5820 joneshacker.com 45 guests, and features comfortable lounge OFFICES: Troy, Schenectady, Saratoga Springs & Albany furniture, mounted • joneshacker.com • facebook ALBANY COLONIE TROY 518.274.5820 SCHENECTADY televisions, betting Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. 200 Harborside Drive 99 Pine Street 1659 Central Avenue

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TRACK?

general hospitality (from top) The Tailgate at the Turn drive-up picnic area will be located at the rail adjacent to the 1863 Club (seen at left); the new Spa Verandas accommodate up to 45 guests each.

machines and private access to rail-side viewing where you can watch your big-money pick come charging around the final turn and heads for the big W. While each veranda package comes with admission and programs included, food and beverages must be purchased separately.

Tailgate at the Turn Drive-up Picnic Area Want a day at the races but don’t want to let your Lamborghini Huracán EVO out of your sight? The new Tailgate at the Turn drive-up picnic area offers fans the chance to watch as horses are rounding the first turn, but with a

little twist. The new spot features 16 designated picnic areas where parties of up to six fans can literally drive their car up to a reserved trackside section overlooking the rail adjacent to the 1863 Club. (Each six-person section must be fully reserved.) Fans are encouraged to bring their own food and beverages, but can also enjoy a hospitality tent with large-screen TVs, betting machines and bar service.

Lounge Boxes at The Stretch

The Grandstand just accordioned out a little bit more. The Stretch section will expand to feature an additional 15 lounge boxes located in Section T of the Grandstand. The private area, which is located at the Top of the Stretch, features modern, upscale amenities with views of the field rounding the final turn. Each lounge box seats four to six guests with comfortable bench seating and access to personal tablets. Ticket-holders to The Stretch enjoy exclusive access to a full-service bar, kitchen and concessions, high-definition TVs and video screens, and private restrooms. Fans also enjoy a relaxed dress code there—so you can wear your Metallica T-shirt and enjoy the races.

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saratogaliving.com 19

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{ first turn } PANEL

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Your favorite place to watch the races The rail

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Your go-to type of bet

grand reunion “One of the reasons I love the track is because I always see people from high school and college there,” says Kaita Albanese, an alumnus of Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School and UAlbany. “It’s kind of like a mini reunion.”

A breakfast sandwich from the Trackside Café.

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THE OTHER SARATOGA

reliable manning Manning Service when it opened in the ’40s; (left) the station today.

5 Things to Know About 1 Saratoga, Indiana 2 BY RO S E M E RJ OS

Saratoga, Indiana is a rural town located an hour-and-ahalf northeast of Indianapolis. Though the current population of Saratoga is only 232—a record low

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The most notable business in Saratoga is Manning Service, a gas and service station that has served the community since 1948.

To endear itself to the town, in its very first year of business Manning Service started Saratoga’s annual Santa Day, a holiday festival that features St. Nick himself and is still celebrated today.

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{ first turn } dubb-le duty Horse owner and philanthropist Michael Dubb opened his first backstretch childcare center at Belmont in 2003, following it up with one at Saratoga this year.

P OWER PL AYER

Backstretch Angel HOM E BU ILDING MOGUL AND H ORSE OWN E R M I C H A E L DU B B I S THE G E N E R OUS SOUL BEH I ND TH E NE W STAT E -O F -T H E -A RT FAITH’S HO U SE CH ILDCARE CENTER AT SA R ATO GA R AC E C O U R SE .

BY W ILL LE V IT H

p h otograp h y by SKI P DI C KST E I N

f you see Michael Dubb this summer, Saratoga, pat him on the back. The homebuilding mogul and winner of seven year-end NYRA owner titles is the man behind Saratoga Race Course’s new 4,300-square-foot childcare center, which will serve the children of the track’s workers. Called Faith’s House and located on the Oklahoma side of Union Avenue, the facility will provide childcare services and early education programs for up to 35 infants, toddlers and

preschool-aged children. The facility is divided into sections based on age group, and it comes equipped with everything from cribs and toys to iPads and an outdoor playground. It’ll also be open seven days a week, 5am-5pm, to accommodate the oftnontraditional hours of trainers and backstretch workers. Long Islander Dubb is no stranger to Saratoga, having come here for the racing season since the 1970s. As a teenager, he’d sleep in his dualpurpose landscaping van at night and

go to the track during the day. Soon enough, Dubb’s landscaping business morphed into a building gig, and he eventually founded The Beechwood Organization, which has become one of the largest homebuilding and development companies in New York. Interestingly, Dubb’s career as a horse racing philanthropist predates that of being a horse owner. “When I was still a fan, I met jockey Jerry Bailey, who let me know about a need for daycare,” says Dubb. Dubb founded the nonprofit Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA) in 1998, with the help of some key individuals in the Thoroughbred racing industry—he currently serves as its board chairman—and up went BCCA’s first facility, Anna House, in 2003 at Belmont Park. It was an immediate success: It kept: It kept backstretch families together while they were at the track, as well as became a quasi–future racing personnel pipeline. “We already have graduates from the daycare center,” Dubb says, “who are working on the backstretch.” Even with spectators back in the stands this summer, Dubb sees the opening of Faith’s House as the main event at the track. “Saratoga means so much to me,” he says. “And to actually see Faith’s House come to fruition and know that it will be there for years and years to come, it’s certainly more important than any race that I’ve ever won.”

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irst, let’s get one thing straight: 19th-century Saratoga County industrialist and congressman George “Paper Bag King” West didn’t actually invent the brown paper bag. But he did have just about every other aspect of the invention wrapped up. “He was part owner of a company that purchased promising paper bag patents, so he had early access to the latest methods,” says Timothy Starr, a Capital Region historian who literally

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a starr is born The cover of local historian Timothy Starr’s biography of George West.

wrote the book on West (it’s called The Paper Bag King.) “It was only in the 1930s, long after his death, that local newspapers started claiming he invented the paper bag.” Nonetheless, some of the earliest and best paper bags were, um, made in Saratoga or, more accurately, produced in West’s dozen mills along the Kayaderosseras Creek. West was best known for his “self-opening satchel,” essentially a large grocery bag like the ones now handed out in supermarkets, which replaced more expensive bags made of cotton (ironically, like some of the reusable ones we all carry around today). By 1880, West was making more bags than anyone else in the US, and by the time of his death in 1901, had effectively turned his paper bags into moneybags: He left a fortune that today would be worth a cool $75 million.

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Triple Crown winner sold at The Saratoga Sale to date (American Pharoah’s sale in 2013 made him only the second future Triple Crown winner to be sold at public auction)

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n 1917, Fasig-Tipton, North America’s oldest Thoroughbred auction house, formed an alliance with Kentucky breeders to sell their yearlings during the Saratoga meet. The Saratoga Sale returned in 1918—the year that saw the sale of future Triple Crown winner Man o’ War—and every year after that, save for a handful of mid-century wartime years and, of course, during COVID in 2020. This year’s sale, happening August 9–10, will not only mark the return of the Saratoga Sale after two years, but also the 100th anniversary of the sale itself. We don’t know about you, but we’re sold!

Belmont Stakes winners between 2012-17 that were products of The Saratoga Sale

Yearlings sold at the 2019 Saratoga Sale for $500,000 or more

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Percentage of returns on stud fee at The Saratoga Sale in 2019.

auction figures Horses regularly sell for upwards of a million dollars at The Saratoga Sale.

Sires whose highest-priced (or cohighest-priced) yearling of 2019 sold at The Saratoga Sale

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{ first turn } GOVERNMENT

Commissioner of Public Works

FI N D O U T WHAT SEVEN-TERM COMMISH SKI P S CIR OCCO DO ES TO KEEP TH E CI TY WO R KI N G. BY N ATA L I E M O O R E

ver since the citizens of Saratoga Springs voted to keep the city’s commission form of government intact in November 2020, saratoga living has been focusing on what each of the city’s five commissioners do for Saratoga. In this issue,

we’re getting to know the commissioner of public works. Public works, by definition, deals with the structures and services essential to a city and its citizens. That’s everything from upkeep of public buildings to managing a city’s sewer system.

In Saratoga, the Commissioner of Public Works’ responsibilities include: • Oversight of street and highway maintenance (snowplowing, leaf pickup, sanding/salting) • Maintenance and beautification of the city’s

eight’s great Current Commissioner Anthony “Skip” Scirocco will be seeking his eighth term come November.

buildings and grounds • Maintenance and inventory of the city’s infrastructure • Administration of water and sewer billing • Maintenance and use of Congress Park • Use and rental of the carousel, Canfield Casino and other city facilities • Oversight of the City Engineer’s office Saratoga’s Current Public Works Commissioner: • Anthony “Skip” Scirocco has served as the city’s Public Works Commissioner for nearly seven terms— that’s 14 years.

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hile August may not boast any federal holidays, it is a month in which two very important pet-related occasions fall: International Cat Day (August 8) and International Dog Day (August 26). In time for the paws-itively adorable holidays, saratoga living polled its 27,000 Instagram followers on their favorite dog and cat breeds, and to confirm the ultimate pet-lover’s debate: dogs or cats?

★ DOGS 88%

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VS.

▼ CATS 12%

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Saratoga’s favorit e cat bre e ds

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f o r a e y e th e fan th the races! 2021

A F T E R A Y E A R AWAY F R O M T H E T R AC K , S A R AT O G A R AC I N G FA N AT I C S A R E C H A M P I N G AT T H E B I T TO G E T B AC K T O T H E S PA .

BY N ATA L I E M O O R E p h oto g r a p h y by

HANNAH KUZNIA

CREDIT

hat happens when you take thousands of horse racing fanatics, born and raised on the glory of Saratoga Race Course, deprive them of an entire year’s worth of track-going, and unleash them back into the Wild West that is the corner of Union and Nelson avenues? We’re not exactly sure—the last time this happened was just after World War II. But whatever happens at the track this summer, it’s sure to fall somewhere between complete bedlam and pure magic. It’s those throngs of the faithful— entrance exam the aforementioned hardest-of-the(from left) Stephanie hardcore Saratoga racing fans—that Cassella, Claire Reinfurt, Brittany make a day at the Spa unlike one Furman and Dan at any other racetrack in the world. Furman at the Marylou That electricity you’ve felt building Whitney entrance. up since New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the track could reopen at full capacity? That’s not 5G radiation. That’s the fans, emanating a twoyear-long buildup of excitement that, come July 15, will explode, casting a 29-square-mile blanket of unadulterated bliss over the city for 40 days and 40 nights. Saratoga is back, baby, and let the people on the pages that follow tell you: This year is the year of the fan.

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the races! 2021 t h e ye a r o f t h e fa n

T h e Pi c n i c Pros t takes a special kind of person to get up at the crack of dawn and reserve a picnic table in Saratoga Race Course’s backyard area. Kirsten Lambert is one of those people. “During the week, you can probably get in line at 6am and not be too far back,” she says. “Everybody’s been waiting in line, and the funniest thing is when everybody breaks through and does the run.” They’re running to stake a claim on a picnic table (or several) for that afternoon’s races. The unspoken rule is that if your stuff—tablecloth, cooler, lawn chairs—is on a table in the morning, it’s yours for the rest of the day. This passion for picnicking (among other things) led Kirsten to move her family to Saratoga from New Jersey three years ago, and then open the Phila Street shop Tailgate and Party, which carries everything for the ultimate day at the races, including horse head hats and custom carts to hold all your supplies. “The beauty of being back in the picnic area is that you can hang out there all day,” Lambert says. “What I like is having our whole family cornered in one little section. We just hang out and talk all day.”

The opener he year was 1967, and 26-year-old Al Carter was at Opening Day of Saratoga Race Course. He returned for Opening Day the following year, and the year after that. In fact, he didn’t miss an Opening Day for 53 years—until the pandemic got in his way. The now 80-yearold also witnessed 52 out of the 53 Travers Stakes in that timespan (he left the track early on Travers Day 1979 because of bad weather), and even went to the races every day in a single season. “It was a year that, because they missed some days at Aqueduct, they made them up at Saratoga,” he says. “So they had 27 days straight without even a dark day. I went to every single one of them just to see if it could be done. And I never did it again.” What exactly makes Opening Day so special for Carter? “A friend and I went down to Keeneland maybe 10 years ago,” he says. “I noticed there wasn’t electricity in the air like there was in Saratoga. We were sitting at a bar, and nobody was even talking about the races. When you go to Saratoga, Opening Day Eve is almost like Christmas Eve.”

AL CARTER, who served as the historian for the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in his retirement.

KIRSTEN LAMBERT (at right), owner of Tailgate and Party, with her husband, Philip, and daughter, Kenzie.

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the races! 2021 t he ye a r o f t he fa n

The homecoming king arry Potoker grew up just a few blocks from Saratoga Race Course and could hear the racing announcer from his backyard. “It’s a dreamy sort of thing to be that close, to leave your house and walk right over to the track,” he says. “It was a staple in my life growing up, as it is now.” Ever since then, Potoker has gone to the track as much as possible, even making it there every single day in one season in the late 2010s. (His friends made him a “perfect attendance” certificate with the mayor’s signature on it.) “Every year on Opening Day, I walk to all my spots—all the nooks and crannies that I used to go to as a kid,” he says. “Then I land in my spot, which is the first floor of the Clubhouse. You get to see all these people that you see once a year during racing season. It’s like a homecoming.” So, what did Potoker miss the most last season? “It may sound a little weird—but the sounds and smells of the track. The track has a smell. I love it. This year, I’m most excited to be inside what I call hallowed ground, just…smelling the roses, so to speak.”

BARRY POTOKER, marketing director at Roohan Realty and executive director of the Saratoga Builders Association, has been going to Saratoga Race Course since he was a kid.

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BRITTANY AND DAN FURMAN, owners of Just the Tip Saratoga, with their 3-month-old, Madison.

The S A R AT O G A Sw e e t h e a r ts rittany and Dan Furman met on Travers Day. They also got married on Travers Day. And when they decided to have a baby, it was during the Saratoga racing season that wasn’t—a.k.a. 2020. “I think that’s why we got pregnant,” Brittany says. “We were like, what else are we going to do?” But going to the track isn’t just a summer tradition for the Furmans: It’s also a source of income. “Back in 2014, I had a big win,” Dan says. Then in 2015, he had an even bigger win. “I hit a straight pick five,” he says. “I bet $100. In that day I won $363,000.” Now, Dan and Brittany run the cheekily named Facebook page Just the Tip Saratoga (@justthetipsaratoga), where Dan posts his top Saratoga picks/tips. (In the past, track-goers had to subscribe to see Dan’s picks, but the couple is dialing their business back a bit because of the new baby.) Despite all their financial success at the track, the simple splendor of a day at the races hasn’t been lost on them. “We’ve made so many friends,” Brittany says, “and it’s just so much fun.”

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the races! 2021 t h e ye a r o f t h e fa n

T h e Yo u n g and the Restless hen you’re a kid, you don’t really have much of a say where your parents drag you. And when your parents are racing fans in Saratoga, you’re pretty much guaranteed to spend a handful of late summer days at Saratoga Race Course. That’s certainly true of Brody Santiago, who turns 10 on Opening Day. “I don’t really like seeing people race with horses,” he says. “Nothing really happens, and it’s mostly just grownups.” But there is one redeeming quality about the track for him: spending time with his friend Jovi, whose parents also bring her along with them to the track’s backyard area. Brody’s 5-year-old brother, Gavin, on the other hand, though he was only 3 the last time he set foot on the track’s grounds, remembers the experience fondly. His favorite thing to do? “Watch horses.” So the track might not be as much fun for a kid as, say, the Congress Park carousel or East Side Rec splash pad. But someone ought to tell these two towheads: spending time with friends while watching horses? That’s not a halfbad way to spend a day in Saratoga.

Christine Nappi and her dad, Christopher Nappi

r a e h let’s or it f s n a f the

(left to right) Jackie Southwick, Marina Gordievich, Tatiana Yakimchuk, Diane Meyer

T H E S E S A R AT O G A S U P E R FA N S S U R E D O L OV E A D AY AT T H E R AC E S .

Emery Geiger with the track’s nowretired mascot

Bugler Sam Grossman with Dan and Lisa Keating Amber Walley, Tessa Kordrupal and Alissa Narode

Bowe Victoria Schlansker

Alice Corey

Sisters Courtney and Kendra Astemborski, with their brother, Stephen Astemborski, and wife Caroline

Beth Blumencranz and Dorene Sternklar

Catalina and Russell Mueller (center) with their children, Alicia and Eric (left to right) Brothers Danny, Jimmy, Larry and Doug Ward

Brothers BRODY (at left) and GAVIN SANTIAGO, whose parents bring them to the track’s backyard every summer.

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Dave Feenan

Brady Carruth and Adam Clark

(left to right) Carme Axtmann, Suzanne Kullman, Olaiya Curtis-Morris, Rachael Micelli and Diane Micelli

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(left to right) The late Gino Cortellessa with siblings Len Cortellessa and Pat Geruso circa 2008

Heather K. Lopez (left to right) Mary, Steve, Susie, Sara and Catherine Chamberlin, Mike Geraghty and jockey Jose Lezcano

Olaiya Curtis-Morris, Suzanne Kullman and Diane Micelli

(left to right) Lauren Roeder, Mike Sutcliffe, Kristen Henkel, Lauren Meringolo and Tim Martin

Vincent and Colleen Verro

(left to right) Steven and Jennifer Meglio, Phil and Lori Casciano, and Donato and Victoria Zecchino

Siblings Hannah and Nathan Alexander Catalina Provost and Gloria Ethier

Jockey Mike Luzzi and his wife, Tania

Sisters Giada and Marianna Pastore Shelley Kosek with her grandfather, Stan Kosek, in August 1992

Spencer English with the band Reggie’s Red Hot Feet Warmers

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(left to right) Andrew Bobbitt with daughter Hope and her boyfriend, Andrew Bergen

Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero, Jr. with Lynn Feenan and Ginny Torncello

Jennifer Haley Zeisler (center, in white hat) and friends

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crowded house Jockeys on the NYRA circuit, like Lanfranco “Frankie” Dettori seen here, will finally be able to enjoy the roar of the Saratoga crowds again this summer.

the races! 2021 th e y e ar o f t he fa n

HAPPY RETURNS A F T E R A S P E C TATO R - L E S S 2 02 0 S U M M E R M E E T, S A R ATO G A R AC E C O U R S E I S R E A DY F O R I T S B I G , B R I G H T, F O M O - PAC K E D C O M E B AC K . W H AT PERMANENT CHANGES SHOULD WE EXPECT?

By Brien Bouyea

CREDIT

Spending a summer day at Saratoga Race Course is an experience many, myself included, believe is sheer magic—and one that is to be repeated as many times as possible during the short racing season. Except for last year. Tom Law calls attending last summer’s famously fan-less season “really beyond belief.” The native Saratogian and managing editor of The Saratoga Special Thoroughbred racing newspaper was one of the few reporters given access to the track grounds last season, along with limited New York Racing Association (NYRA) personnel and PPE-ed owners, trainers and jockeys. “It was pretty normal in the morning training hours for the workouts,” he says. “But the afternoons were just bizarre, surreal.”

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the races! 2021 t h e ye a r o f t h e fa n

ow, a year later, after such a long period of uncertainty and rumor, Saratoga racing is ready for its big comeback moment. It’s sure to be “surreal,” as Law put it, but in reverse. Will things simply tip back to the way they were, or should fans expect noticeable transformation amid the hoopla? In terms of the overall track experience, look for a complete about-face from last year. By July 15 Opening Day, Saratogians will be a month into celebrating New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s announcement that the State had reached its 70 percent vaccination threshold— basically, what it needed to fully reopen the State. NYRA wasted no time before announcing that Saratoga Race Course would reopen at 100 percent capacity and drop all COVID protocols, including fans having to prove that they had been fully vaccinated. NYRA did, however, note that unvaccinated fans should continue masking while on the grounds of the track, but it’s unclear how that will be enforced, especially after most places around town stopped even asking vaccination status and giving the CDC spiel within days of the restriction lift. In short, as soon as July 15 rolls around, you’ll once again witness happy throngs of the Saratoga faithful, itching to get through the turnstiles in time for post time, with standingroom-only capacity at race time in the Clubhouse, Grandstand, backyard and at the rail. There are even three new hospitality areas at the track for eager returning fans to hit up: Spa Verandas, Tailgate at the Turn and an expanded section of The Stretch. That said, it will be difficult to forget last season’s height of eeriness: watching Saratoga favorite Tiz the Law win the Travers Stakes without the thundering roar of the crowd reverberating through the ancient Grandstand as he pulled away in the stretch. But not everything that happened during COVID was a pockmark on Saratoga’s racing experience— and we’ve got the numbers to prove it. Enter, mobile betting apps. After fans were forced last year to hit up their smartphone to key in bets, it’s looking like they'll remain loyal to this fast style of wagering, which is good news for the sport’s economy. Apps such as NYRA Bets, XpressBet, TwinSpires and DRF Bets were already popular options in pre-pandemic times of course, but 2020 gave them a long-

needed oomph forward. Expect that to continue—maybe, in some cases, to the detriment of live tellers (some bettors may not want to give up touch-free all that easily). Even as fans nationwide have started making their way back to the track, the majority of betting handle has continued to be funneled through mobile platforms, further advancing racing’s uncharacteristically tech-forward trend. This year’s trio of Triple Crown legs was a great example. Although there were only 11,238 fans in attendance at the 2021 Belmont Stakes because of COVID guidelines, the day’s 13-race card generated all-sources handle of a whopping $112.7 million, a record for a year without a Triple Crown winner. (At the time of the Saratoga announcement in midJune, NYRA had also fully reopened Belmont Park.) The Kentucky Derby, which had 51,838 fans at Churchill Downs (the race usually draws more than 150,000), had all-sources handle of $233 million, near pre-pandemic standards. Of that, TwinSpires, which is Churchill’s official online wagering partner, handled $62.7 million, a record for the platform. And overall handle on the 14-race Preakness Stakes card also set a record, at $113.4 million, the first time total handle on the card exceeded $100 million, up 13.6 percent from the previous fullcard record of $99.8 million in 2019. Preakness attendance, which usually exceeds 120,000, was capped at just 10,000 this year. But will Saratoga, known for its rabid, in-person fanbase, follow that national trend? The betting apps are expected to remain popular, and NYRA will continue to deliver a first-class TV broadcasting product for those who don’t end up attending this year’s meet in person. But fans are expected to return to Saratoga in droves, enjoying the fortuitous timing of the State’s full reopening following the pandemic, and thus zero fan restrictions versus this year’s Triple Crown races. “I did consider myself fortunate to have the access I did last year, but I hope to never see Saratoga like that ever again,” Law says of having literally stared into the Saratoga void. “The racing was great and all but, predictably, it lacked the energy Saratoga has always provided. I covered all the Triple Crown races this spring, and the thing just about everyone asked me about was how things were going to be at Saratoga this summer. There’s a great buzz about Saratoga, and people seem eager to get to the track and support it. I can’t wait.”

It will be difficult to forget last season’s height of eeriness: watching Saratoga favorite Tiz the Law win the Travers Stakes without the thundering roar of the crowd reverberating through the ancient Grandstand as he pulled away in the stretch.

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AN ARTIST’S LIFE:

THE COLLECTION OF HENRY KOEHLER

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 AT 11AM HUDSON, NEW YORK W W W. STA I R GA L L E R I E S .CO M

the races! 2021 th e y e ar of th e fan

KENDRICK CARMOUCHE JUST MADE HEADLINES A S O N E O F T H E O N LY B L AC K J O C K E YS TO EVER COMPETE IN THE KENTUCKY DERBY—AND NOW HE HAS HIS EYE ON A STELL AR S A R AT O G A S E A S O N .

BY B R I E N B O U Y E A

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BRIEN BOUYEA

Kendrick’s Calling

nlike most of his peers, a teenaged Kendrick Carmouche already knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life. While other guys his age were worrying about their biology homework or learning to drive, young Carmouche was already a professional jockey— and a damned good one at that. On April 27, 2000, only a couple of months after his 16th birthday, Carmouche found himself in the winner’s circle for the first time, aboard Earl n Erin at Evangeline Downs in his home state of Louisiana. From that point onward, Carmouche’s schooling took place at the racetrack only. “Man, I remember it like it was yesterday,” Carmouche says. “You get that first win, and it makes you hungry for more. It’s crazy to think back on it—I was so young, but I had to be a grown man out there. I learned to be a professional at a young age, and I was ready for the challenge. Riding was the only thing I wanted to do.” More than 20 years later, the adult Carmouche knows a thing or two about winning. Over his career in the saddle, he jock of all trades Jockey Kendrick Carmouche raced at Louisiana and the Mid-Atlantic tracks before going all-in on New York in 2015.

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BRIEN BOUYEA

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how to ride,” says Carmouche. “He The best riders are in New York, and taught me balance on a horse, how that’s where I wanted to be. I knew I to use my hands, pacing. Most of all, could ride at that level. All I’ve ever he taught me how to be a pro, how asked for is opportunity, and I’ll do to work hard, how to treat people what it takes to make the most of it.” the right way. The riding knowledge Hall of Fame trainers Steve was important, but the other stuff Asmussen, Mark Casse, Todd was more important.” Pletcher and Bill Mott are among Although he found early success the many who have given riding in Louisiana, Carmouche didn’t Carmouche mounts in recent stay there for long. Just a few days years. He’s looking forward to before he turned 17, Carmouche this summer’s Saratoga Race moved to the Philadelphia area Course meet, where he’s had solid and began competing at the Midsuccess. “Saratoga is all about the Atlantic tracks. He eventually top horses and the top jockeys,” became the leading rider at Parx says Carmouche. “Everyone wants mount reiner Kendrick Carmouche, seen Racing near Philly, where he won to be a part of it, because the here with trainer Derek Ryan at Saratoga, has seven riding titles. Seeking the spotlight is on [you] every day. been offered mounts by Hall of Fame trainers opportunity to move into the big The competition brings out the Todd Pletcher and Bill Mott in recent years, too. leagues, Carmouche made the best of you.” Carmouche takes decision to ride in New York in 2015 and hasn’t looked back. absolutely nothing for granted. “I’ve worked hard to “It was the best decision for my career, but like everything get to the point where I can ride in races like the Kentucky else, I had to earn it and prove myself again,” Carmouche Derby and be successful at a place like Saratoga,” he says. “I had to earn the trust of the trainers and show them says. “It’s like getting off the bench and into the big game. Once you’re in, you never want to go back.” that I belonged and that I would not be outworked by anyone.

PUT

has garnered more than 3,400 wins with earnings of more than $120 million. And just this year alone, through May, he was ranked 11th nationally out of 922 jockeys in purse earnings, with more than $5.5 million. The 37-year-old jockey is now in the prime of his career and is regarded as one of the premier riders in the country. A consistent performer on the New York Racing Association circuit over the past few years, Carmouche earned his first Grade 1 victory with True Timber in last year’s Cigar Mile at Aqueduct and went on to become the meet’s leading rider. This spring, Carmouche made history by piloting Bourbonic to a stunning victory in the Wood Memorial at odds of 72-1 to earn his first ride in the Kentucky Derby—making him just the fourth Black jockey to have a Derby mount in the 21st century, and the first since Kevin Krigger in 2013. Even more telling: When fellow Louisiana native Marlon St. Julian competed in

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the 2000 Derby, it marked the first time a Black rider had had a mount in the race since 1921. Although Bourbonic ended up finishing 13th in the Derby, Carmouche understands the significance of his presence in America’s most prominent horse race. “As a Black rider earning my way into the Derby, I hope it inspires a lot of people—people of all colors—because my road wasn’t easy to get there and I never quit,” he says of being one of only a handful of Black jockeys in the racing world, both currently and historically. “What I’ve been wanting all my career is to inspire people and make people know that it’s not about color. It’s about how successful you are in life and how far you can fight to get to that point. I really believe anything can be accomplished if you want it bad enough and are willing to do the work.” Hailing from the jockey hotbed of Louisiana—which has produced a string of Hall of Famers, including Calvin Borel and Kent Desormeaux, among others—Carmouche wanted to follow in the footsteps of those legends, as well as his father, Sylvester, who won more than 1,300 races during his riding career. “I learned everything from my dad about horses and

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kentucky bourbonic After piloting Bourbonic (pictured) to victory in the Wood Memorial at odds of 72-1, jockey Kendrick Carmouche earned his first ride in the Kentucky Derby.

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art before the horse Photographer Alex Zhang’s horse images are often used as reference photos for painters such as Jessica Leonard, whose work can be seen at Spa Fine Art on Broadway during racing season.

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CREDIT

By Natalie Moore

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ast summer’s Saratoga Race Course season was a bummer for all manner of racing fans. Not only were spectators not allowed on the track grounds, but they also couldn’t set foot on the Oklahoma Training Track, unless they were considered “essential personnel.” That didn’t stop Clifton Park– based photographer Alex (Wei) Zhang and a group of likeminded horse racing fans and photographers from showing up early to watch the horses train from outside the Oklahoma’s fence on East Avenue, and, eventually, devise a plan to get themselves inside it. “Most of us were frustrated that we couldn’t get in,” says Zhang of his experience last year at the Oklahoma. “So we said, ‘Let’s just buy a horse!’” That was the beginning of East Ave Racing Stable, which, named for the oklahoma’s state Jockey Jose Ortiz after a race; (opposite, clockwise from top left) multiple Grade 1– winning horse Midnight Bisou with her groom at the Oklahoma Training Track; jockey Irad Ortiz at the Oklahoma; trainer Kerry Metivier hot walking a horse after a workout on the Oklahoma; Mary Keiser’s pony, Kenny, working at the main track.

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partnership’s fence-side roots, owns the 2-year-old filly Vallelujah. This year, though the Oklahoma remained closed to spectators up until June 26, it opened back up to owners in May, so every person who owned even a small percentage of Vallelujah, Zhang included, had a free pass to the morning workouts.

“Most of us were frustrated that we couldn’t get in. So we said, ‘Let’s just buy a horse!’ That was the beginning of East Ave Racing Stable.”

n engineer at GE Global Research in Niskayuna by day, Zhang first got into photography about 10 years ago. His true passion is wildlife photography, but he hasn’t had as much time to pursue it since having children. “For wildlife, you have to spend a lot of time finding the animals and then waiting for them,” he says. “But horses? Because the track is there, they’re always

stable for two (from top) Melanie Giddings at Jeremiah Englehart barn; exercise rider May Rivas at Jeremiah Englehart; (opposite, from top) a barn goat watching over the horses at Rudy Rodriguez barn at the Oklahoma track; Alex Zhang (far left) and the other East Ave Racing Stable owners at their trackside spot on East Avenue.

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OUTDOOR LIVING DESIGN & BUILD EXPERTS

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racing for impact Jockey Luis Saez leads the pack at Saratoga; (opposite) exercise riders (from left) Jorgekoki Balbuena, Pablo Gallegos and Gazuel Cruz from the Chad Brown team.

there. It makes it a lot easier for me.” And Zhang sure does make it look easy, effortlessly capturing the beauty of horses on the track, in their stables and even at horse shows and polo games. (You can see more of his work on his Instagram, @alexzhangny.) His favorite place to shoot? The Saratoga backstretch. “You can see what’s actually happening behind the scenes and how the people work on the horses and interact with their horses,” he says. “You get to know and meet a lot of people. Every time I walk to the backstretch, I pretty much know someone. I know so many people by now and can see all their smiling faces.” This summer, Zhang should be able to shoot his own horse on the main track at Saratoga. (East Ave Racing’s partners and trainer Robbie Davis plan on racing Vallelujah when she’s ready.) But Zhang certainly won’t stop going to the Oklahoma after Opening Day. “I just love, on quiet mornings, the sound of horses running,” he says. “The way they move, going 40 miles per hour—you never get tired of it.”

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Miniature Magic

model citizen Recent Emma Willard grad Effie Levenson customizes model horses to look just like her clients’ real horses; (inset) one of her airbrushed creations.

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EFFIE LEVENSON IS PERSONALIZING THE MODEL HORSE GAME.

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sugar high (from top) Levenson started out making accessories for model horses; Sugar Rose Studios’ headquarters; a model horse whose head and legs Levenson resculpted.

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f you go to the website of German toymaker Schleich, you can order horse figurines in dozens of breeds and in all different poses. The company, whose model horses are smaller than those of popular American brand Breyer, carries everything from a standing American Saddlebred gelding, in brown with a black tail and mane, to an allblack, trotting Hanoverian mare. The one horse Schleich doesn’t carry? A model of your horse. That’s where 17-year-old Saratogian Effie Levenson comes in. A lifelong horse lover, Levenson used to play with model horses when she was a kid but forgot all about her collection until she saw one at a Tractor Supply store about two years ago. Riding a wave of nostalgia, she decided to buy it. When she got home, she poked around the internet a bit and was surprised to find several Instagram accounts dedicated to the miniature horses and their accessories. She began making her own tiny horse blankets and repainting horses, which she had done a bit as a child, and eventually started altering the actual figurines themselves. She posted her creations to her Instagram account, and they were an immediate hit. “Initially, I wasn’t planning on selling anything,” she says. “But I got so many people saying ‘Can I buy this? Can I buy this?’ Eventually I was like, well, maybe I can start selling my stuff.” Just over a year later, Levenson is now the owner of Sugar Rose Studios (sugarrosestudios.com), a company that ships model horse products all over the world, boasts more than 26,000 Instagram followers and operates a wildly successful YouTube channel, where Levenson talks about all things model horses. Sugar Rose’s main commodity? Schleich horses that the teenager customizes, using an airbrush or acrylics, to look exactly like a customer’s own horse. Customers send her a photo, and Levenson helps them pick an existing Schleich horse that resembles the photo. She then gets to work repainting the horse, as well as sometimes changing its mane, tail or entire pose. She does the latter by sawing or sanding off the Schleich horse’s limbs or even its head (!) and replacing them or it with limbs or a head she sculpts herself from a self-hardening clay. “It’s pretty challenging,” she says. “You’re trying to get the anatomy to look exactly like a real horse, so it takes a lot of practice.” For a business (and founder) so young, the obvious question is: What comes next? First up is college. Levenson will be a freshman at RPI this fall, where she plans to double major in biology and business management. As for Sugar Rose, she’s not sure how much time she’ll be able to devote to the business while she’s in school, but says the brand definitely isn’t going anywhere. And will she ever take her sculpting to the next level—i.e. sculpt an entire model horse from scratch? “I would like to once I get better at it,” she says. “That’s something I’d like to work towards.”

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Alabama Stakes The oldest

The Name Game H O W S A R AT O G A ’ S T O P S TA K E S R A C E S G O T T H E I R N A M E S .

By Brien Bouyea

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Y O U R

P E R S P E C T I V E

Bernard Baruch Handicap

t’s Opening Day at Saratoga Race Course, and you’re handicapping the afternoon’s pair of featured races, the first two of the 76 stakes that will be contested here this summer. Along with the Schuylerville Stakes, which was first run in 1918, day one of the Saratoga meet also features the Quick Call Stakes, named not for the expeditious use of a rotary telephone, but rather one of Saratoga’s most beloved racehorses. How much do you know about Quick Call? And how much (be honest!) do you really think about any race’s origin story before locking in your trifecta bet? Whether you admittedly don’t think about it much at all, or maybe you think you know but would love to be surprised by learning little-known insider info, this article has you covered. But first, let’s finish Quick Call’s story. From 1987-90, Quick Call was a Saratoga “horse for the course,” winning nine races at the track, including consecutive editions of the prestigious Forego in ’88 and ’89. When he retired in ’92, Quick Call had raced 86 times and won 16 times, finishing in the top three in half of his starts with earnings of more than $800,000. Along with having a Grade 3 stakes race named after him, Quick Call, who was 35 when he died in 2019, also received a rare Saratoga honor: Earlier this year, he was given a memorial headstone in Clare Court on the track’s backstretch. Only three other horses—Fourstardave, Mourjane and A Phenomenon—have received one there. While many of Saratoga’s stakes races have been given blindingly obvious names—see Albany, Lake George, Troy, Yaddo, Skidmore and the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame—a number have tougher-to-intuit ones. Here are their stories.

Contested at Saratoga since 1961, the Bernard Baruch is named in honor of the financier, philanthropist and statesman who served as an advisor to presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt. A racing fan and Thoroughbred owner, Baruch was featured on the cover of Time magazine three times. He continued to advise on international affairs until his death at the age of 94 in 1965.

Birdstone Stakes First run in 2011, the Birdstone recognizes Marylou Whitney’s 2004 Travers Stakes winner of the same name. A small horse who thwarted the Triple Crown hopes of Smarty Jones at Belmont, Birdstone won a memorable edition of the Travers that summer. As he crossed the wire in victory, the track was shrouded in near darkness as a powerful thunderstorm descended on Saratoga and created a surreal scene. Birdstone, who now resides at Old Friends in Kentucky, also broke his maiden at Saratoga. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Jim Dandy Stakes Jim Dandy

NYRA

sweet home Royal Delta winning the 2011 edition of the Alabama Stakes, which was named for the home state of prominent sportsman William Cottrell.

F R O M

stakes race for 3-year-old fillies in America, the Alabama was first run in 1872 and won by Woodbine, who was owned by August Belmont I. The race was intended to be named after prominent sportsman William Cottrell, of Mobile, AL, but he was a modest individual who requested it be named after his home state instead. Cottrell’s most famous horse was Buchanan, winner of the 1884 Kentucky Derby. The Alabama has been won by Hall of Famers such as Miss Woodford, Beldame, Top Flight, Go for Wand and Royal Delta.

won only seven times in 141 races, but he earned his spot in Saratoga lore by shocking Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox in the 1930 Travers at odds of 100-1. His other major career highlight also came at Saratoga with a victory in the 1929 Grand

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Spinaway Stakes The oldest race for 2-year-old fillies in America, the Spinaway was first run in 1881 and was named for the champion juvenile filly from the year beforehand. Owned by George Lorillard, Spinaway won seven races in 1880, defeating males each time. Sadly, an injury ended her career prior to her 3-year-old run, but her early retirement earned her a stakes named that year in her honor.

Union Hotel Stakes at 50-1 odds. The Jim Dandy has been Saratoga’s traditional prep race for the Travers since 1964.

John Morrissey Handicap Inaugurated in 2004, the John Morrissey pays tribute to the undefeated bareknuckle boxing champion who established Saratoga racing in 1863 and went on to serve as a Congressman and New York State senator. Morrissey was a Saratoga stalwart who also built the Club House in Congress Park, which is nowadays called the Canfield Casino.

Saratoga’s most famous race was named after the track’s first president, William R. Travers, who co-owned the horse Kentucky, the inaugural Travers winner in 1864. A stockbroker and society wit, Travers was one of the most popular sportsmen of the 19th century. The Travers is the oldest race for 3-year-olds in America and has been won by 24 horses in the Hall of Fame.

Sanford Stakes The only

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loss Man o’ War ever suffered took place in the 1919 Sanford. The race is named for the Sanford family of nearby Amsterdam. (Pictured at left is one of the most prominent Sanfords, Stephen, who served in Congress.) In Saratoga’s early racing days, the Sanford horses were often walked to the racetrack all the way from the family’s farm 27 miles away. The Sanford’s most famous winners include Secretariat, Affirmed, Regret and Tom Fool.

Whitney Handicap

(Travers portrait) BRIEN BOUYEA; (Whitney) LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

known as the New York Turf Writers Cup, the steeplechase fixture will be run for the 79th time this year with a new name, honoring arguably the greatest jump trainer in history. The titular Sheppard, who announced his retirement earlier this year, owns just about every record among steeplechase trainers. He was the overall leading trainer at Saratoga in 1984 and 1985 and won the Turf Writers Cup a record 15 times.

(Morrissey Portrait, Sheppard) BRIEN BOUYEA; (Sanford) NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

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Many assume the Whitney Handicap is named for the “Queen of Saratoga,” Marylou Whitney. That’s only partially correct. First run in 1928, the race was actually named in honor of the entire Whitney family (Marylou, not yet a Whitney, was 3 at the time), one of the most prominent families in racing and American history. Three generations of Whitneys—William Collins Whitney (pictured at left), Harry Payne Whitney and Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney—all competed in their stable’s famous Eton blue and brown colors at Saratoga. Meanwhile, John Hay Whitney and Helen Hay Whitney led the powerful Greentree Stable, which was later overseen by Joan Payson Whitney. Marylou Whitney carried on the traditions of her late husband, Cornelius, until her death in 2019.

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vivid memory of American Pharoah involves the morning before the 2015 Travers. Thousands of fans poured into Saratoga Race Course merely to catch a glimpse of the first Triple Crown champion in 37 years as he galloped around the iconic oval. Overall, the horse with the ethereal gait produced nine victories in 11 starts with $8,650,300 in earnings.

Jack Fisher The 57-year-old Fisher

is the only steeplechase trainer to surpass $1 million in earnings in a season, accomplishing the feat five times.

BRIEN BOUYEA

his year’s racing Hall of Fame class is greatness personified (and equine-ified). The formal induction ceremony will take place on August 6 at 10:30am at Fasig-Tipton’s Sales Pavilion and also include that of the class of 2020, which was postponed due to the pandemic. Here’s a closer look at the inductees.

conducted with Pletcher’s mother, Jerrie, in 2010, she recalled that her son would consume one horse magazine after another as a child. In other words, from an early age, everything revolved around his ambition to train Thoroughbreds. And his passion has never waned. To date, the famed trainer has garnered a record seven top trainer Eclipse Awards and 60 individual meet titles (14 at Saratoga), and trained 11 Eclipse-winning horses. He’s also pocketed two Kentucky Derbies, three Belmont Stakes and 11 Breeders’ Cup scores. And at press time, he already had 95 wins in 2021.

two men and a bay stallion This year’s racing Hall of Fame inductees (clockwise, from left): Triple Crown winner American Pharoah; trainer Todd Pletcher; and steeplechase trainer Jack Fisher.

American Pharoah My most

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Todd Pletcher In an interview I

…and Don’t Forget the 2020s! With the pandemic forcing the cancellation of Hall of Fame ceremonies last August, the class of 2020 will also get their day in the sun. Those inductees include trainer Mark Casse, jockey Darrell McHargue, horses Tom Bowling and Wise Dan, and Pillars of the Turf Alice Headley Chandler, J. Keene Daingerfield, Jr. and George D. Widener, Jr.

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Saving Face: A Cut Above the Rest

t’s common knowledge that only the strongest barbershops survive in the Saratoga market—and Saving Face Barbershop’s co-owner Jeremiah Cregan, is well aware of that fact and ready to rise above it. “There is no shortage of great barbers in Saratoga,” he says. “But we’re lucky enough to have some of the best barbers around on our team.” “I chose Saratoga, because it is so different and unique from other cities in New York. It’s also rich with history and the barber profession. I thought Saratoga would be an awesome fit for the barbershop.” It turns out Cregan’s been spot on. At Saving Face, it’s not just about all the amazing haircuts, shaves, beard trims and facial treatments the barbershop offers its customers, young and old. “Saving Face is always trying to better the community,” says Cregan. “I believe every business has a duty to give back to a community that gathers daily in their business.” Take its grand opening, for instance, when it provided locals with a full day of free haircuts, and its barbers donated all their tips to Saratoga Bridges. The barbershop has also sponsored a local little league team. Saving Face is also in the communitybuilding business, too. “We have a tight-knit community at our shop,” says Cregan. “A lot of people will stop in just to say hello or see how things are going that day. I feel extremely grateful that we’ve been able to build a solid foundation and offer a place where people feel comfortable coming into our business. We are focused on being family friendly.”

Of course, you can’t build a community unless you have customers that keep coming back, and that hasn’t been a problem for Saving Face. “We try to make the experience as enjoyable as possible, from the moment you walk in ’til the moment you walk out,” Cregan says. “You can count on getting your haircut from a barber who takes their craft seriously and wants to showcase their work to the best of their ability.” Cregan’s just being modest; Saving Face is unquestionably a cut above the rest in Saratoga. ■

Saving Face Barbershop’s co-owner, Jeremiah Cregan (at right), along with his staff, is trying to build a community both in and outside of the small business.

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JU N E 3 AT PU TN A M PL AC E

aratoga came ready to party! After more than a year of mask-wearing, sitting six feet apart from one another and general non-merriment, revelry officially returned to Saratoga on June 3, when saratoga living celebrated the city’s great post-COVID comeback at our Summer Kickoff event and issue release party at Putnam Place. Sponsored by Good Karma Studio (whose aerialists dazzled the room with a gravity-defying performance), Stress Fracture (whose mobile stress relief room was parked outside for mid-party smashing), and Daley’s on Yates (which served up an Italian dinner of chicken piccata and eggplant parmesan), the event was everything we hoped it would be (and more!). Oh, and did we mention the pizza from Whitman Brewing, the smoothie bowls and lemon bar bliss balls from BARE Blends, the stacked sandwiches from Fat Paulie’s Delicatessen, the ice-cold brew samples from Northway Brewing Co. and the Garland Nelson Trio, who kept guests movin’ and groovin’ into the night? Yeah, it was a pretty epic night.

The stars of saratoga living’s Summer issue cover: Trinity Mouzon Wofford and Issey Kobori.

Tara Doherty, Abby Tegnelia, Jacqualin Ross, Carly Connors and Abby Ingraham

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subscribe@saratogaliving.com

518.584.7500

Putnam Place’s Chad Stevens serving up the signature drink: “Orange You Glad It’s Not 2020.”

Brittany Woodward, Mike Young, Anthony Crisafulli, Daniela Massaroni, David Massaroni, Nick Massaroni, Connor Meehan and Logan Hotaling

Aerialists Alyssa Ladzinski and Jessica Lubin from Good Karma Studio

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALYSSA SALERNO

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show, place, win! SA RATOGA’S HOT T EST T ICKETS

Emcee Marcella Hammer with Abby Tegnelia

Panelist Tobi Kirshmann with Brenda DeGregory, Kristen Doyle and Tricia Hinkle

Podcasters Josh Hallmark, Lance Reenstierna and Tim Pilleri

saratoga living’s

Saratoga True Crime Night

J U N E 17 AT P U T N A M P LAC E

ivestreamed true crime podcaster collabs, a panel of real-life crime scene investigators, a mugshot photo booth and a side of Italian food? All that and more was on the table on Thursday, June 17 when saratoga living hosted its first-ever Saratoga True Crime Night at Putnam Place, a mini-conference organized in partnership with Palette’s True Crime Club. Podcasters Lance Reenstierna and Tim Pilleri from Crawlspace and Josh Hallmark from True Crime Bullsh** were joined on a panel by Drs. Christina Lane and Christopher Kunkle, cofounders of The College of Saint Rose’s Cold Case Analysis Center, and forensic scientist/criminalist/genetic genealogy expert Tobi Kirschmann from Saratoga’s DNA Investigations. The topics du jour? Sheila Shepherd, whose murder is Saratoga’s oldest unsolved mystery, and Suzanne Lyall, a UAlbany student who went missing in 1998 and has never been found. The conversation, moderated by Marcella Hammer, focused on the future of crime scene investigation, the ethics behind true crime as a genre and victims’ families’ rights. The night reached a bittersweet highpoint when Mary Lyall, Suzanne Lyall’s mother, spoke to the audience about the heartbreaking aftermath of her daughter’s disappearance.

Appetizers by Old Daley Custom Catering

Wine from 19 Crimes was sponsored by the Wine & Liquor Shop of Malta

Saratoga True Crime Club member Liz Zack

Members of Palette’s Saratoga True Crime Club surround founder Marcella Hammer and DNA Investigations’ Tobi Kirschmann. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MEGAN MUMFORD

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show, place, win! SA RATOGA’S HOT T EST T ICKETS

Saratoga Automobile Museum’s Spring Auto Show MAY 1 5 • S A R ATO GA SPA STAT E PA R K

Saratoga Preservation Foundation’s Historic Homes Tour Porch Party

The Saratoga Senior Center’s Music and Mingling

JUNE 8 • 550 WATERFRONT

The Dake Foundation for Children’s Child’s Play JUNE 10 • S ARATOGA NATIONAL G O LF C LUB

Saratoga Pride’s Pride Crosswalk Ribbon Cutting J UNE 3 • SPRING STREET

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⁄ THE RACES 2021

(Auto Show) DUSTIN LANTERMAN; (Senior Center) ARTHUR GONICK; (Porch Party) LAUREN KIRKHAM PHOTOGRAPHY; (Pride) SUSAN BLACKBURN

J UNE 1 7 • NO RTH B ROA DWAY

Photos from Capital Region Gives Back & Saratoga Race Season 2020

delicious and memorable delicious and memorable delicious and memorable WEDDING FAVORS & GIFTS

WEDDING FAVORS & GIFTS WEDDING FAVORS & GIFTS

home stretch: design

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Fully Customizable Many Flavor Options 484 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, New York Fully Customizable Many Flavor Options 484 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, New York Weddings@SaratogaOliveOil.com Perfect for Your Wedding, Rehearsal, (518) 450-1308 Weddings@SaratogaOliveOil.com FullyPerfect Customizable Many Flavor Options (518) 450-1308 484 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, New York for Your Wedding, Rehearsal, Bridal Shower or Any Special Occasion! www.SaratogaOliveOil.com Weddings@SaratogaOliveOil.com Perfect for Your Wedding, (518) 450-1308 Bridal Shower or Any SpecialRehearsal, Occasion! www.SaratogaOliveOil.com Bridal Shower or Any Special Occasion! www.SaratogaOliveOil.com

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Equine Design Time

PURDY’S Discount Wine & Liquor

70–72 Congress Plaza, Saratoga Springs

518.584.5400

CAR OLI N E CAR DON E B U R KE OF TOP R AI L I N T E R I OR S B R I N G S HE R LOVE OF HOR SE S AN D E QU E ST R I AN -I N SPI R E D DE SI G N TO T HI S T I ME LE SS E N T RY WAY. p hoto gr aphy by E LI ZAB E T H HAY N E S

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paintings, make perfect accents for a decorative table. Bonus points if the lamp’s base is a horse!

3. Trad it ional Art work Oil paintings of dogs or horses, historic racing prints or black-and-white photos are all right at home in any classic, equestrianinspired home. Get the look: Scene from a Steeplechase: Another Hedge by Henry Thomas Alken from Encore Editions (similar styles also available at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame)

4. Bold Acce nts Bronze table lamps with dark-toned shades, silver picture frames or trophies, as well as small framed oil

Get the look: Horse and Jockey Boy Lamp from Scully & Scully (available at Impressions of Saratoga)

5. Easy Floorcoverings This specific runner is perfect for a home with children or dogs, or any household that tracks in a lot of dirt. I own a similar one and throw it right in the washing machine any time it gets dirty. Get the look: Blue Heron Stripe Woven Cotton Rug from Annie Selke

1 . Sat u r at e d Colo r s This historic wallcovering, the pattern of which dates back to the 19th century, weaves together a range of jewel tones that inspired the palette for the rest of the house. The bold use of color in the entryway creates a historical atmosphere in this newly constructed home. Get the look: Maison Braquenié “Le Grand Corail” wallcovering from Pierre Frey

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74 saratoga living

2. En gl i s h A n ti ques Classic British antiques fit perfectly in a horsey home. They might be a bit out of style right now, but I will always be a fan: Antiques add a patina of age you simply can’t achieve with modern furnishings. Get the look: Custom English Oak Console Table from 1st Dibs

⁄ THE RACES 2021

Caroline Cardone Burke, an interior designer and principal at Saratoga-based Top Rail Interiors, has been creating equestrian-themed interiors for over 15 years. With a background in architecture, she believes a well-designed room begins with thoughtful materials, and that Saratoga has a Victorian/Adirondack/equestrian style all its own.

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CAPITAL REGION COOK-OFF:

Where’s the Beef?

CHEYENNE COHEN

AT S H AK E S H AC K AT SARATO GA RACE C OU R SE AN D NEX T D O O R K ITC H EN & B AR IN B - S PA—T HAT ’ S W HE R E .

love shack Shake Shack’s burgers, fries and milkshakes were an instant hit when the NYC-based chain opened a location inside Saratoga Race Course in 2010.

othing spells Saratoga racing season like paying your admission fee, clicking through the turnstiles and making a beeline for Shake Shack. Now that the burger joint, which was created by restauranteur Danny Meyer and originated in New York City, is a mainstay at the track, there’s no avoiding its magnetic pull. But wait one gosh darn minute here! Shake Shack isn’t the only burger in town—not by a longshot. In this installment of Capital Region Cook-off, we’re pitting Shake Shack’s classic Shack Burger against the equally to-die-for Next Door Burger, a creation of Chef Jeff Strom, which Capital Region carnivores travel by the carful to devour at Ballston Spa’s Next Door Kitchen & Bar. Which burger lands itself in the winner’s circle? Get grillin’ and tryin’!

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We’re in Good Company

Shake Shack The Shack Burger INGREDIENTS

4 4 4 8 1

hamburger potato buns tbsp unsalted butter, melted pieces green leaf lettuce quarter-inch slices ripe plum tomato lb. very cold ground beef, divided into 4 pucks ½ tsp salt and pepper (Shake Shack keeps a mix ready-made at all times) 4 slices American cheese 4 tbsp ShackSauce ½ cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise 1 tbsp Dijon mustard ¾ tsp Heinz ketchup ¼ tsp Kosher dill pickling brine pinch of cayenne pepper INSTRUCTIONS

• First, make ShakeSauce: Mix ingredients in a small bowl and stir well until combined. • Heat a cast-iron griddle over mediumlow heat until warm. Meanwhile, open the hamburger buns and softly brush the insides with the melted butter. Place the buns buttered side down on the griddle and toast until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer buns to a plate. Spoon the sauce onto the top bun. Add a piece of lettuce and two slices of tomato. • Increase the heat to medium and heat the griddle until hot, 2 to 3 minutes. • Evenly sprinkle a pinch of salt & pepper on top of each puck of meat. • Place the pucks on the griddle, seasoned side down. Using a large, sturdy metal spatula, firmly smash each puck into a 1/3-inch-thick round patty. Pressing down on the spatula with another stiff spatula helps flatten the burger quickly. Evenly sprinkle another big pinch of salt and pepper mix. • Grill the burgers, resisting the urge to move them, until the edges beneath are brown and crisp, and juices on the surface are bubbling hot, about 2½ minutes. Slide one of the spatulas beneath the burger

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⁄ THE RACES 2021

WORLD’S BEST HOSPITALS 2021

jam-boree The secret ingredient in Next Door Kitchen & Bar’s burger is a slathering of housemade bacon jam.

to release it from the griddle and scrape up the caramelized browned crust. Use the other spatula to steady the burger and keep it from sliding. Flip the burgers. Put the cheese on top and cook the burgers 1 minute longer for a medium inside temperature. Cook more or less depending on your preference. • Transfer the cheeseburgers to the prepared buns and enjoy.

Next Door Kitchen & Bar The Next Door Burger INGREDIENTS

8 oz. beef burger patty (locally sourced from Kilcoyne Farms) brioche burger bun 1 ½-inch slice beefsteak tomato 2 tbsp bacon jam 5 pounds bacon, cut into 1-inch cubes cut into 1-inch cubes 5 yellow onions, julienned 11/2 cups brown sugar 3/4 cups sambal chili paste 5 cups coffee 11/2 cups Sherry vinegar

11/2 cups Maple syrup 1 tbsp ground black pepper salt to taste 2 tbsp garlic aioli 5 egg yolks 1 clove garlic 1 cup roasted garlic 2 tbsp Dijon mustard juice of 2 lemons 3 cups blended oil warm water pinch of cayenne pepper salt and pepper to taste INSTRUCTIONS

• To make bacon jam (recipe yields 1 gallon), render bacon in a large saucepan. Add onion and caramelize. Add remaining ingredients and let simmer for two hours. Purée in a food processor, working in batches. • To make garlic aioli (recipe yields 5 cups), add egg yolks, garlic, roasted garlic, Dijon mustard and lemon juice to a food processor and work until smooth and fluffy. Slowly stream in the oil, forming an emulsion. Add warm water if aioli becomes too thick. Season to taste with salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. • Grill the burger patties to desired doneness, transfer to buns, top with tomato, bacon jam and garlic aioli. and serve with French fries and a pickle.

One of only 6 hospitals in New York to achieve this ranking.

Saratoga Hospital has been named one of The World’s Best Hospitals 2021. This is a distinction earned by just six hospitals in all of New York State, and we are the only community hospital recognized in the state. That places us in really good company: The Mount Sinai Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian, NYU Langone Health, North Shore University Hospital, and Strong Memorial Hospital. Saratoga Hospital is the only Capital Region hospital to make the list. According to Newsweek, those that merit the World’s Best designation “stand out for their consistent excellence, including distinguished physicians, top-notch nursing care and state-of-the-art technology.” Newsweek publishes the World’s Best list in part to help readers “feel confident as you make a critical choice about medical care.” Yes, we are incredibly proud of the recognition. It is testament to our entire staff, who come to work every day committed to the care we provide our patients, and our community.

SaratogaHospital.org

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82 Church Street Saratoga Springs, New York, 12866 518.581.0023 saratogasignature.com

Just steps away from Broadway. Come see what you’ve been missing.

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or the most part, tequila is either a you-love-it or you-hate-it sort of drink. Those who don’t care for margaritas—or licking salt off their hand, slugging an ounce of fire water and biting directly into a lime, for that matter—typically claim they don’t like the spirit. If that’s you, now’s the time to forget everything you thought you knew about tequila. The Mouzon House and mixologist Kaitlyn Pedinotti have completely reinvented the tequila cocktail with three drinks for Saratoga's many cocktail connoisseurs. Here’s how to make them:

Strawberry Rhubarb Sparkler

Blood Orange Añejo Fashioned

Tequila Verde

We love to utilize what’s growing in our garden as much as possible. Right now, we have a bunch of basil and cilantro, which really complement this slightly spicy, herbaceous margarita. You can always use more or less jalapeño, depending on your heat preference! Freshly juiced citrus is key to making this cocktail shine. INGREDIENTS

Tequila Verde

One Tequila, Two Tequila… MOUZON H OUSE’ S KAI TLYN P E DI N OT T I HAS TH REE DI VERSE TEQUILA C O C KTA I LS F O R YOU TO TRY AT H OME T H I S SU M M E R .

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⁄ THE RACES 2021

2 sprigs cilantro 5-6 basil leaves 1 inch-long piece lemongrass ½ jalapeño 1 oz fresh lime juice 1 oz fresh lemon juice 1 oz agave 11/2 oz tequila INSTRUCTIONS

• Muddle herbs, lemongrass, jalapeño and agave in cocktail shaker. (You can also blend them in a blender with the citrus and strain in a mesh strainer.) Add the rest of the ingredients and shake with ice. Strain into a glass of ice (with a salt rim, if you’d like!) and garnish with fresh herbs.

Strawberry Rhubarb Sparkler

Local grower Gomez Veggie Ville has the best.strawberries right now, and Juniper Farm provides the rhubarb for this mojitolike cocktail. It’s also great with mezcal or rum, or you can leave the booze out for a refreshing mocktail. INGREDIENTS

1 oz rhubarb simple syrup ½ cup agave ½ cup water ½ cup chopped fresh rhubarb (about 1 stalk chopped into ½-inch pieces) 2 strawberries 3-4 mint leaves 11/2 oz fresh lime juice 11/2 oz tequila club soda or seltzer INSTRUCTIONS

• First, make the simple syrup. Combine agave, water and rhubarb in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off and cool fully. Strain, cover and keep refrigerated for up to two weeks. • Next, muddle the strawberries, mint and simple syrup. Add lime juice and tequila and shake with ice. Pour over ice and finish with club soda. Garnish with mint and strawberry.

Blood Orange Añejo Fashioned

This drink is a twist on the classic old fashioned and is the perfect summer cocktail for bourbon drinkers looking to branch out. The blood orange adds a sweet tartness, and the añejo, a light smokiness.

authentic wedding day storytelling for the lovers and the dreamers hannahluxphotography.com

Historic Photographs of Saratoga Springs The George S. Bolster Collection

INGREDIENTS

2 blood orange slices 2 dashes Angostura bitters 2 dashes orange bitters (optional) ¼ oz agave 2 oz añejo tequila INSTRUCTIONS

• Muddle orange slices, agave and bitters. Add tequila and ice and stir. Pour over ice and garnish with an orange twist and brandied cherries.

Thousands of historic images of Saratoga Springs are available for purchase Custom sizes and finishes available Fast turnaround on special orders

The Canfield Casino in Congress Park www.saratogahistory.org 518.584.6920

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Stakes Are High

FRIDAY, JULY 16

• Grade 3, $150,000 Forbidden Apple SATURDAY, JULY 17

• Grade 1, $500,000 Diana • Grade 3, $150,000 Sanford SUNDAY, JULY 18

• $120,000 Coronation Cup WEDNESDAY, JULY 21

• $100,000 Rick Violette

SUNDAY, AUGUST 1

• Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4

• $150,000 NYSSS Statue of Liberty Division • $120,000 Shine Again

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6

FRIDAY, JULY 23

• Grade 3, $150,000 Lake George SATURDAY, JULY 24

• Grade 3, $200,000 Caress • Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks SUNDAY, JULY 25

• Grade 3, $200,000 Shuvee WEDNESDAY, JULY 28

• Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap • $150,000 NYSSS Cab Calloway Division • $100,000 John Morrissey Handicap

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SPECIAL

SATURDAY, JULY 31

• Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap • Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green • Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy

• $120,000 Birdstone

• Grade 1, $150,000 A.P. Smithwick Memorial • $100,000 Stillwater

82 saratoga living

• $120,000 Curlin

THURSDAY, AUGUST 5

THURSDAY, JULY 22

THURSDAY, JULY 29

the races! 2021

FRIDAY, JULY 30

• Grade 3, $120,000 Quick Call • Grade 3, $150,000 Schuylerville

• $120,000 Alydar • Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame • Grade 3, $200,000 Troy SATURDAY, AUGUST 7 WHITNEY DAY

• $120,000 Fasig Tipton Lure • Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls • Grade 1, $500,000 Test • Grade 1, $1 million Whitney • Grade 1, $1 million Saratoga Derby Invitational SUNDAY, AUGUST 8

• Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack • $120,000 Fasig Tipton De La Rose • Grade 3, $700,000 Saratoga Oaks Invitational

⁄ THE RACES 2021

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25

• $120,000 John’s Call

THURSDAY, AUGUST 26

• $120,000 Riskaverse

Saratoga Quality Hardware

FRIDAY, AUGUST 27

• $250,000 Albany • $200,000 Fleet Indian • $200,000 Funny Cide • $200,000 Seeking the Ante • $150,000 West Point • $150,000 Yaddo Handicap

110 Excelsior Avenue Saratoga Springs

SATURDAY, AUGUST 28 TRAVERS DAY

high stakes Code of Honor winning the 2019 Travers Stakes. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11

• $100,000 Evan Shipman Handicap • $120,000 Mahony

THURSDAY, AUGUST 12

• $100,000 Saratoga Dew Handicap

• Grade 2, $400,000 Ballston Spa • Grade 1, $600,000 Forego • Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial • Grade 1, $500,000 Ballerina • Grade 1, $600,000 Personal Ensign • Grade 1, $750,000 Sword Dancer • Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers SUNDAY, AUGUST 29

• $120,000 Better Talk Now WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1

FRIDAY, AUGUST 13

• Grade 3, $150,000 With Anticipation

SATURDAY, AUGUST 14

• $120,000 P.G. Johnson

• $120,000 Tale of the Cat • Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap • Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special SUNDAY, AUGUST 15

• $120,000 Galway

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18

• $120,000 Bolton Landing THURSDAY, AUGUST 19

• Grade 1, $150,000 Jonathan Sheppard • $100,000 Union Avenue Handicap FRIDAY, AUGUST 20

• $120,000 Skidmore

518-584-9180 SaratogaQualityHardware.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3

• $120,000 Lucky Coin

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4

• Grade 1, $600,000 Flower Bowl • Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup • Grade 2, $250,000 Prioress • Grade 3, $200,000 Saranac SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 5

• Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 CLOSING DAY

• Grade 2, $200,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap • Grade 1, $300,000 Hopeful

KATIE DOBIES

THURSDAY, JULY 15 OPENING DAY

SUNDAY, AUGUST 22

• $120,000 Summer Colony

ENDAR

e don’t usually promote the destruction of our magazine, but feel free to tear out this page and use it to schedule your Saratoga Summer. What’s on tap for this first fan-filled Saratoga Race Course season in two years? Another stakes schedule armed to the teeth with 76 stakes worth $21.5 million, that’s what.

• Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama • Grade 2, $200,000 Lake Placid • $120,000 Smart N Fancy

GET OUT YOUR CALENDARS, SARATOGA: THERE ARE SO MANY GOOD STAKES FOR FANS TO SALIVATE OVER WHEN CHOOSING WHICH TION RACES TO ATTEND (LIVE!) THIS SUMMER. n BY WI LL LE V I T H EDI

Start with Quality...

SATURDAY, AUGUST 21 ALABAMA DAY

{ horseplay }

SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION

The Log Jam

The Brook Tavern

pen for lunch and dinner 363 days a year, The Log Jam Restaurant specializes in expertly prepared seafood, steaks, prime rib, lamb chops, lobster, signature sandwiches and the area’s most satisfying salad bar, as well as featured chicken, pork and fresh fish entrees. And then there’s the atmosphere: Upon entry to the log cabin building, you might think you walked into an Adirondack logging camp were it not for the aromas of sizzling steaks. Reservations are highly recommended. 1484 US 9, LAKE GEORGE

ocated just steps from the historic Saratoga Race Course, The Brook Tavern, from the owners of The Wishing Well Restaurant, offers a nightly selection of fresh cold-water oysters, creative salads, Certified Angus cuts of beef and a rotating list of craft beers and cocktails. Outdoor seating is available. Visit thebrooktavern.com to view the menu, or order online for takeout.

139 UNION AVE., SARATOGA SPRINGS

518.871.1473

518.798.1155

Osteria Danny

un by Executive Chef Danny Petrosino and his wife, Patti, Osteria Danny specializes in Italian-American cuisine with an emphasis on simplicity and creative development. As such, the menu is updated frequently to encompass new culinary concepts and locally sourced ingredients whenever they are available. Although the menu is continuously evolving with the creative will of Chef Danny, original recipes remain a pivotal influence in the dishes that Osteria Danny produces. 26 HENRY ST., SARATOGA SPRINGS

518.423.7022

Whitman Brewing Company

aratoga’s newest brewpub made a splash when it took over the old Saratogian building on the corner of Lake and Maple avenues, and was still hot a year later when it was ranked in the top 10 best new breweries in the US by USA Today. These days, in addition to its regular Wednesday–Sunday lunch and dinner hours, Whitman Brewing is serving brunch in its taprooms on weekends from 10am–2pm, and has cans available to go in both the taproom and the adjoined Walt Café.

20 LAKE AVE., SARATOGA SPRINGS 518.682.3602

Four-trick Pony BY N ATA L I E M O O R E

ACROSS 1. Molten rock 5. Horned Frogs of Ft. Worth 8. Member of the Episcopal clergy 13. Poems 14. ___ the day (beachy pun) 15. Make amends 16. Black Beauty, for one? 18. Lights made with element No. 10 19. Vegan’s no-no 20. Word in two constellation names 21. Gin and lime juice 22. “I told you!” 23. Wireless connection letters 24. Pronoun preceding majesty 25. The back fourth of Black Beauty? 31. Stop after the ER, maybe 33. Fish that spells a man’s name backwards 34. Coworker or classmate 35. South Asian garment 36. Tablets that don’t dissolve 38. Onetime Cusco resident 39. Rangers goalie Shesterkin 40. Cyst membrane 41. Web 42. Black Beauty at an AC/DC concert? 47. Where you may find a phalanx

“She’s a spectacularlooking nun.” -AMSTERDAM

48. Unaccounted for, for short 49. Yard-maker 52. Garfield, for one 56. Race units 57. Philadelphia to Pittsburgh dir. 58. Direction from a first-base coach 59. Black Beauty after smoking pot? 61. Old gaming console 62. Defeat 63. Walkie talkie user’s word 64. Rosetta Stone, for one 65. Letters after a dentist’s name 66. Entertain lavishly

DOWN

1. Rich sources 2. Old saying 3. Edge 4. Query 5. More curt 6. Home, in Havana 7. Do drugs, informally 8. Disappear 9. Thing in a list 10. Not quite cold 11. Actress Hathaway 12. Take a break 14. Kinda 17. Where to binge The Handmaid’s Tale 21. It follows “Mean” in a movie title 24. Pay attention to 25. Odd trait 26. Educate 27. Suggest 28. Philosopher Descartes 29. Church division

15 18 21

25 36

40 44

30. B-ball stat 31. Shakespearean villain 32. Gator’s relative 35. Madam’s counterpart 36. “Your connection ___ private” 37. Entry-level library position 43. Type of type 44. High-end watches

45. Correct 46. Bachelorette party accessory 49. Start a tennis point 50. At a movie’s filming 51. 19th century equipment manufacturer John 52. Onetime Russian emperor 53. German tennis player Oscar

54. Breakfast, lunch or dinner 55. Sportscaster Champion 56. Said Saratoga had the country’s oldest racetrack, perhaps 59. Texter’s “Happy Birthday!” 60. Exclamation made after being hit in the stomach

ANSWERS ON saratogaliving.com SEARCH: CROSSWORD

overheard “You don’t want to back into a urinal.” –FROG ALLEY BREWING CO.

“Other than Pornhub and Kony 2012, I can’t think of anything.” –DOWNTOWN SARATOGA

“I want to be a merman, but I’d have to start kissing fish.” —BURNT HILLS–BALLSTON LAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT

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#TBT

Long Live the Queen of Saratoga!

queen break Marylou Whitney, Saratoga’s greatest benefactor, playing the ponies at Saratoga Race Course in 1977.

nd just when you thought you’d read an entire magazine about the Saratoga racing season without a single mention of the late, great Marylou Whitney, you came upon this page. Two years after her passing, the Spa City is preparing for the first full “real” Saratoga season (one with in-person fans) without Marylou. Sam Grossman, the bugler who plays the “Call to the Post,” at Saratoga, remembers running into Whitney at charity events. “She always came over and thanked me,” he says. “Here I am, at some godforsaken place a 9pm at night, still in my costume, and she always came over and thanked me. She was nice all the time.” Though the Queen of Saratoga may be gone, her legacy lives on in that kindness she showed so many Saratogians, whether it be the track bugler or you. You are missed, Marylou.

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KEENELAND LIBRARY THOROUGHBRED TIMES COLLECTION

BY NATA LIE MOORE

⁄ THE RACES 2021 Witt-SaraLiving-8.5x10.375-2021-Ad.indd 1

6/11/21 11:25 AM

Saratoga Living - 'The Races!' Issue 2021

Articles inside

FYI: Track Changes

From the Editor