NYRA CEO DAVID O’ROURKE STILL HAS HOPE FOR FANS AT THE TRACK *{julie krone’s favorite first}
JULY AUGUST 2020
T HE CIT Y. THE CU LT U R E. T H E LIFE. #collectorsedition
Special
FLIP Edition!
the races! 2020
saratoga living exclusive GREG MONTGOMERY’S STUNNING 2020 TRAVERS POSTER REVEAL! saratogaliving.com | @saratogaliving
HOW THIS YEAR’S TRIPLE CROWN ISN’T (GASP) UNPRECEDENTED BY BRIEN BOUYEA
TOASTING ASPECIAL SARATOGA SUMMER BY NATALIE MOORE
DOC SEVERINSEN’S BIGGEST HORSE RACING REGRET BY WILL LEVITH
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JULY • AUGUST 2020
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the races! 2020
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inside the races! 2020
JULY • AUGUST 2020
46
Jockeying for the Top BY
BRIEN BOUYEA
54 5 Questions with
Female Jockey Icon Julie Krone BY
WILL LEVITH
56 Summers of Silence BY
BRIEN BOUYEA
58 Can’t Stop that
presenting a
saratoga living exclusive
Saratoga Summer Feeling BY
NATALIE MOORE
ON THE COVER
Saratoga Coppertop, the official 2020 Travers poster by GREG MONTGOMERY. The image, produced from a series of photographs taken at Saratoga Race Course in 2019 by his wife, PAULA ROSENBERG, was provided exclusively to saratoga living, courtesy of the artist.
64 Saratoga’s
Welcome Sign BY
KAREN BJORNLAND
68 Trainer James Bond’s
Secret Weapon BY
NATALIE MOORE
70 The Other Kind of
Horsepower
FEATURES 37 Game of Crowns BY
BY WILL LEVITH PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATIE DOBIES
BRIEN BOUYEA
74 Doc Severinsen’s
42 Sackatoga’s
Darkest Derby Day
Second Coming BY
BY
BRIEN BOUYEA
12 Letter from the Editor 14 Letter from the CEO
the front 19 It’s True “We Think”: We’re the Best Race Course 19 The Numbers: The Traves Stakes 20 Power Player: NYRA’s David O’Rourke
22 Buy This!: Horse Lovers 24 Where Are the Thoroughbreds Now? 26 Ride-Along: Saratoga Springs’ Mounted Patrol Unit 28 Anniversary: Man o’ War 29 Panel: 2020 Vision 30 Callback: John Imbriale 31 Hot Date: “I Love Horses Day”
32 A BLACK-AND-WHITE MESSAGE TO SARATOGA
the Back 76 Gorgeous: (Horse) Spa City 80 Style: Horseshoes 82 Calendar: 2020 Saratoga Race Course Stakes Schedule
WILL LEVITH
84 Hot Chef: The Brook Tavern and The Wishing Well 86 Thirst: Racing City Brewing 89 Play: Crossword 89 Overheard
the END 90 Saratogians of the Month: Marianne Barker and Maddy Zanetti of Impressions
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saratoga living 422 Broadway, Suite 203 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Volume 22, No.4 July • August 2020 Copyright © 2020 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.
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Witt-SaraLiving-8.5x10.375-Ad.indd 1
6/18/20 4:54 PM
Building
from the editor
Well, I Hear You Went Up to Saratoga...
Community
ou could play the song a million times, and I’d never get sick of it. I’m talking about Carly Simon’s 1972 hit single, “You’re So Vain,” which might just be the greatest jilted lover kiss-off in rock history, eventually soaring to No.1 on the Billboard charts. Simon later revealed that the song’s sonic backhand was directed at actor Warren Beatty, whom she’d had a brief relationship with in the ’70s. Why all of this ink spilled on a 48-year-old pop song? As any proud Saratogian knows, “You’re So Vain” is the highest-charting single to ever namedrop the city and its famous racetrack. So sings Simon in her pitch-perfect poison pen letter: “Well, I hear you went up to Saratoga, and your horse naturally won/Then you flew your Learjet up to Nova Scotia to see the total eclipse of the sun.” Someday, some enterprising young journalist will sift through the track’s attendance records and land an exclusive with Beatty to figure out just what day he happened to be at the track and which horse he bet on that landed in first. Maybe there’s even a local airport logbook that could offer some tidbits about a certain Learjet that taxied out the following day for Canada? At the heart of all this is the fact that the song helped put Saratoga on the map, introducing it to a whole new legion of fans. And during this first summer, at least since I’ve been alive, during which there will likely be no spectators in the stands at the track, it’s that much more important that the real fans of Saratoga—us locals and any tourists who happen to swing through town—show up. What do I mean by that? So what if you can’t physically be at the track? Be there in spirit! Find ways to watch the races online or on a big-screen TV at a local restaurant or bar. Figure out how to bet on your smartphone. Patronize the shops and boutiques you’ve always walked by but never dropped into. And dust off that fancy hat or three-piece suit, invite some friends over and have a socially distanced “day at the races” soirée. (Find 10 more ideas to make the Saratoga summer an unforgettable one on p. 42.) We’re also digging into this year’s Travers Stakes and how it will play a larger role in a once-in-a-lifetime Triple Crown hunt (and local colt Tiz the Law's chances at glory); ranking the Spa’s top contending jockeys; and chatting with the New York Racing Association’s president and CEO about his hopes for this strangest of seasons. Oh, and of course, we landed the track’s most iconic artwork—Greg Montgomery’s latest, eyes on the prize Editorial Director Will Levith at the greatest Travers poster—exclusively on our cover. photo shoot for his story on p. 70 about We’re not going to let a global pandemic put a damper a priceless Ford Mustang Boss headed on our plans. After all, Saratoga is and always will be the for auction later this summer. summer place to be.
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14 saratoga living
⁄ JULY • AUGUST 2020
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letter from the ceo WELCOME BACK
Diving Into a New Saratoga Summer
J
ALBANY
ust as the magazine you’re reading now gave me purpose during the darkest moments of lockdown, kept my mind busy and tested the limits of my exhaustion during our busiest times, it also forced me out of the house when the shutdown was finally lifted. Like most people, I was apprehensive about getting back out to the restaurants, even if they were practicing the proper safety protocols. But when Carly Connors, my partner in crime at the Saratoga Automobile Museum, one of saratoga living’s nonprofit partners, insisted we meet in person, how could I say no? I walked over to the Adelphi, reached my table without touching a thing, and then indulged in perhaps the best meal of my life. Sparkling rosé and who knows what I ate–all I remember is that a professional made it, and it wasn’t one of the same things I was so sick of making myself. More importantly, Carly and I brainstormed for hours about this unique Saratoga Summer, and what we could do—what we all could do—to make it one for the history books. We toasted our town’s creativity and spirit, and planned our follow-up meeting to see how many of our ideas we could implement and how fast we could do it. (Stay tuned!) As I write this, saratoga living is just finishing up its coverage of the Belmont Stakes. Though the race was fanless, cheering on hometown hero Tiz the Law was about rosé all day CEO Abby Tegnelia as invigorating as this year has gotten. The night before, (right) and Carly Connors toast to a saratoga living did an awesome panel discussion on the unique Saratoga Summer at the Adelphi; day’s races, and the Triple Crown in general, with our partners (left) Saratoga’s Tiz the Law running in at NYRA Bets. I woke up Saturday really excited for a day of the 2020 Belmont Stakes. racing, even if the stands were empty as I watched on the large TV on a friend’s sprawling deck. I bet on Tiz, and did some light betting on other races on what I thought was a pretty good card. I doubled my money, so I’m feeling lucky–and I'm betting that this year’s Saratoga Summer is going to be a great one, and one that we’ll never forget.
CEO @abbytegnelia
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⁄ JULY • AUGUST 2020
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the front
ON SALE NOW THE FIRST EDITION
it’s true (we think)
We Know We’re the Best
MONOPOLY GAME ®
T H E T RAVERS STAK ES J UST HAS TO B E T H E O L D EST...S O MET H ING .
A GAME WE ALL CAN WIN.
BY NATAL IE MO O RE
The iconic family game is now all about the City of Saratoga Springs. For the first time ever, this authentic, Hasbro-produced classic is completely customized to celebrate our cherished city. Just like the original, you will enjoy buying, selling and building real estate, but this time with familiar and beloved businesses, destinations, and attractions you know so well. Discover the funny and quirky “Saratogaisms” as you marvel over the unique qualities that make our city world-class.
I
n horse racing, an industry in which being the best could net you millions of dollars in purse money and eventually, stud fees, it only makes sense that the competition to be the best would extend beyond the actual flat track itself. And for some, including Saratogians, “the best” is synonymous with “having been around the longest.” A quick Google search of “oldest stakes race in America” turns up
Get yours today! Quantities are limited! This collectible first-edition game is available for purchase at:
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Visit ATCCF.org for participating retail locations
06/2020 © Adirondack Trust Company Community Fund
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This first edition City of Saratoga Springs MONOPOLY® game was made possible by the sponsorship of generous community members and businesses. Proceeds from the game sales will benefit the ATC Community Fund and their Lend-A-Hand Grant program.
America, dating back to 1860. A few sources, including Affirmed: The Last Triple Crown Winner, a book by Lou Sahadi, claim that the Travers is the oldest continuously run stakes race in the country. And a search result from saratogaracetrack.com, a website run by Mannix Marketing, which is not affiliated with the New York Racing Association or Saratoga Race Course, claims the Travers is the oldest major Thoroughbred horse race in America, period. A little bit of homework, however, reveals that neither of these “facts” about the Travers is exactly true. There were several years around the turn of the 20th century when the race didn’t run, and the Phoenix—though it may not be as “major” as the Travers—is certainly older, having been run for the first time in 1831 (the first Travers wasn’t until 1864). But—and this is the biggest but for old town road The Travers may anyone looking to claim not be the oldest Saratoga’s famed Travers stakes race ever, but is the best—the Phoenix several different it is for 3-year-old is for horses three years answers. The Belmont is Thoroughbreds. and older. The Travers, on the oldest of the Triple the other hand, according Crown races, dating to Brien Bouyea, the communications back to 1867, but the Kentucky Derby, director for the National Museum which came about eight years later, of Racing and Hall of Fame and is the oldest continuously run race saratoga living’s sports editor, is in the US. The Phoenix Stakes is indeed the oldest stakes race in the older than both but has had some country specifically for 3-year-olds. significant gaps in its history. Canada’s Queens Plate is the oldest So, there you have it: The Travers continuously running race in North is, unequivocally, the best.
ATCCF.org
23
Number of Hall of Famers who have won the Travers
7
Number of fillies that have won the Travers (none since 1916)
THE TRAVERS STAKES
3
Number of 2017 Triple Crown race winners that raced in that year’s Travers (none of them won)
2
Number of winners of the 2012 Travers: Alpha and Golden Ticket finished in a dead heat
11
Number of years older the Travers is than the Kentucky Derby
151
Number of years the Travers will have been contested, after its 2020 running
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saratogaliving.com 19
the front power player
David’s Goliath Dilemma
N YRA’S PR E S IDENT AND CEO DAVI D O’ R O U R KE I S STA RIN G DOWN A SARATOGA RACI N G SE ASO N W ITHOU T FA N S—BUT STILL SEES A LIGH T AT THE E N D OF TH E TUNNEL.
W
hen the New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced at the end of April that Saratoga Race Course would likely weather an entire summer season without spectators, it was really the organization’s only play. NYRA’s President and CEO David O’Rourke had no other choice but to acquiesce to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s statewide ban of large crowds at so-called “attractive nuisances.” By mid-May, the governor had announced that New York’s racetracks could open on June 1, without fans, and O’Rourke immediately sprang into action. NYRA, which oversees Saratoga, Belmont Park and Aqueduct Racetrack, began offering COVID tests to all of its employees
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20 saratoga living
⁄ JULY • AUGUST 2020
we’re not completely and backstretch saving race NYRA’s ruling out the possibility workers and putting President and CEO of fans attending.” into place a battery David O’Rourke is still That should be music of health and safety holding out hope that to Saratogians’ ears. protocols. Belmont fans will be allowed And O’Rourke knows, Park opened days later inside Saratoga Race Course this summer. maybe better than without a hitch. anyone else at NYRA, With Belmont’s fourwhat a win, however small, at Saratoga week meet now complete, O’Rourke could mean for his organization and has the mammoth task of doing it all the city. O’Rourke first became familiar over again in Saratoga, beginning on with NYRA as an outsider, helping July 16. And the stakes here couldn’t guide the organization through be higher. While some racing fans Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2006. At the may have already written this off as time, NYRA had a prickly relationship Saratoga’s lost summer, O’Rourke is with New York State, contending still holding out hope that fans, most likely in a limited capacity, will be able that the long-delayed casino project to attend the races at Saratoga. “We at Aqueduct, which needed state have to see how the health situation approval, had driven the company trends and of course, we will be towards insolvency. Less than two following the direction of the governor years later, NYRA emerged from and the state,” O’Rourke says. “But bankruptcy and had a new agreement
NYRA
BY BRIE N BOUYEA
with the state as the operator of the triumvirate of racetracks through 2033. Although it didn’t make big headlines, NYRA also hired O’Rourke as its director of financial planning. Fast forward a little more than a decade, and O’Rourke is just over a year into his tenure as president and CEO, having worked his way up through NYRA’s ranks, first landing the role on an interim basis in January 2019 and having officially been appointed two months later. “I came onboard at NYRA from the financial side of the business, and it fascinated me,” he says. “Racing is unique in the way the sport is tied to the gambling enterprise. I wanted to develop an understanding of how every aspect of the business and sport fit into and related to the much larger package. But I also got into the game and absolutely loved it. The sport captivated me. I got to Saratoga and didn’t want to leave. There’s nothing like it.” Although racing has had its challenges—especially now, amidst the pandemic—O’Rourke believes NYRA has a prosperous future ahead of it. “You can’t stand still in an entertainment industry,” O’Rourke says. “You constantly have to be developing all aspects of your product and making sure you are delivering something your customers want and that you can grow.” To that point, NYRA has amassed an enviable footprint on TV, with national coverage on Fox and NBC Sports. So even if only dribs and drabs of fans end up experiencing live racing at Saratoga this summer, a potentially historic audience could find the track on TV. “We’ve positioned ourselves well,” says O’Rourke. “With the times we are in, it becomes even more essential to have a top television presence.” Just how many fans might squeak through the turnstiles at Saratoga this summer is still very much up in the air. But at least there’s a chance. “We obviously want fans at our races, especially at Saratoga, because it’s the best racing in the country,” says O’Rourke. “So hopefully things continue to trend in the right direction.”
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the front
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C
ome midJuly, Saratoga Springs is usually overflowing with tourists who spend their time, when they’re not at Saratoga Race Course, dining and shopping downtown. This summer has been a decidedly different one, with boutiques on Broadway getting much less foot traffic due to COVID-19
concerns and a projected fan-less track season. Now, more than ever before, Saratoga shop owners are relying on local business to make it through the summer season. Celebrate the season (even if we can’t watch the races in person) with one of these equine items for you, a loved one or your fourlegged friend. 3
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22 saratoga living
⁄ JULY • AUGUST 2020
Saratoga Saddlery & International Boutiques saratogasaddlery.com $29.95
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Wear a tribute to the aptly named Upset, the only horse to ever beat the legendary Man o’ War (at Saratoga, no less). 2. BUCAS ZEBRA SWEET ITCH TURNOUT The Cheshire Horse cheshirehorse.com $219.95
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the front
BRICKS AND MORTAR
2017 HALL OF FAME STAKES WINNER
Shadai Stallion Station Hokkaido, Japan
WILL’S WAY STAY THIRSTY
2011 TRAVERS STAKES AND JIM DANDY WINNER
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Full-service facility including breeding, breaking and training of horses
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1996 TRAVERS STAKES AND 1997 WHITNEY HANDICAP WINNER
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SHANGHAI BOBBY
2012 HOPEFUL STAKES WINNER
Local forever home for retired racehorses
Arrow Stud Hokkaido, Japan
Famous stud farm on the island
GOLDEN TICKET 2012 Travers Stakes winner (dead heat)
Questroyal North, Stillwater, NY
Decades-old breeding, boarding and racing facility less than 30 minutes from Saratoga
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1999 WHITNEY HANDICAP WINNER
Karacabey Stud Bursa, Turkey
Stud farm for retired Thoroughbred champions
E VE R WO N D E R WH ERE SA RATO GA RACE COURSE’ S TOP HORS E S RETI RE TO? ( H IN T: IT’S U SUAL LY K EN TU CKY!) H ERE ARE TH E C U R R E N T WHEREABOUTS OF S O M E OF THE SPA’ S MOST FAM O U S CHA MPIONS. BY BRIE N BOUYEA
POINT GIVEN
2001 TRAVERS STAKES WINNER
Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY
235-year-old farm that houses many retired champions, including Funny Cide, who brought much glory to Saratoga
BIRDSTONE
2004 TRAVERS STAKES WINNER
Gainesway Farm, Lexington, KY
Thoroughbred horse breeding business formed by John Gaines, founder of the Breeders’ Cup
KEEN ICE
2015 TRAVERS STAKES WINNER
Calumet Farm, Lexington, KY
Iconic Thoroughbred breeding and racing operation
RACHEL ALEXANDRA
SONGBIRD
Stonestreet Farm, Lexington, KY
Timber Town Farm, Lexington, KY
2009 WOODWARD STAKES WINNER
2016 ALABAMA STAKES AND COACHING CLUB OF AMERICA STAKES WINNER
Iconic, open-to-the-public farm (Rachel’s the current star!) that breeds Thoroughbreds at the highest level
Stables specializing in Thoroughbred yearling preparation and racetrack rehabilitation
FROSTED
LADY ELI
Darley’s Jonabell Farm, Lexington, KY
Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm, Lexington, KY
2016 WHITNEY HANDICAP WINNER
Darley’s is global, allowing Frosted to jet-set to Australia each fall
2017 DIANA STAKES AND BALLSTON SPA STAKES WINNER
Final resting place of Triple Crown legend Seattle Slew
INVASOR
2006 WHITNEY HANDICAP WINNER
Haras Cuatro Piedras Canelones, Uruguay
Farm near where the 2006 Breeders’ Cup and 2007 Dubai Cup champ was foaled in Argentina
FLOWER ALLEY
2005 TRAVERS STAKES AND JIM DANDY STAKES WINNER
Wilgerbosdrift Stud Piketberg, South Africa
Farm that holds the record for breeding the highest-paid yearling in South African history
LEMON DROP KID 1999 TRAVERS STAKES AND 2000 WHITNEY HANDICAP WINNER
Lane’s End Farm, Versailles, KY
Thoroughbred horse breeding farm that’s been in business for more than four decades
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the front
ride along
Mount Up!
saratoga living GOES BEH IN D THE S CE N E S WITH TH E SARATOGA SP R I N GS MOUNTED PATROL. BY KATI E NAVARRA
I
don’t know about you, but seeing a mounted police officer directing traffic outside of Saratoga Race Course or holding court along Broadway in the summer is something that could easily make my day— anyone’s for that matter. So, when saratoga living approached me about doing its next “Ride Along,” with a Saratoga Springs Mounted Patrol unit officer, my first reaction was, “Of course! I’m a rider myself.” But I really didn’t know what exactly mounted police officers do. Could they make arrests just like their carbound colleagues? Did they
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wield the same power as a Canadian Mountie? Or were they an elaborate PR stunt for the police department in a horse town? It turns out that Saratoga’s mounted officers are, in fact, sworn officers of the law, who can make arrests, although, logistically, it’s difficult to do so on horseback. The mounted unit is used particularly for crowd control, and being on horseback gives officers a unique vantage point for spotting potential trouble before it happens—that an officer on foot might not be able to see. The unit consists of five officers, who, when not riding a horse, are
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either on foot or in a patrol car. The police rent stable space for their horses from a private horse owner on Ruggles Road in Saratoga— but they’ve been on the lookout for a permanent home where they can someday host public tours, educational activities and training sessions for other mounted patrol units. Now, because we’re still in the middle of a pandemic—and mounted police officers don’t really have a “set” schedule—I wasn’t able to ride along on an actual police horse. But I was invited to the unit’s stables and barn for a personal introduction to horses King Tut and Apollo. MEETING OFFICER BARRETT • 11am The first thing I did upon meeting Officer Glenn Barrett was offer him my hand to shake, which he abruptly, and rightfully, declined. Admittedly, it’s been months since I’ve reported a story in person, and it was a reminder of how COVID-19 has changed things. Officer Barrett slid open the back barn door and explained to me that King Tut, a gigantic, 20-yearold Percheron—a breed of draft horse—was rescued by a family in Utica, who later donated him to the Saratoga Springs Mounted Patrol unit. Apollo, on the other hand,
is a retired Standardbred racehorse, thriving in a second career. SNACK TIME • 11:15am Off-duty officer Caitlin Freshwater arrives with five pounds of carrots. The five officers in the unit share daily responsibilities for feeding, watering and caring for the two horses. The officers have specific shifts, but the horses don’t follow set schedules. King Tut and Apollo might start with an officer when the 4pm shift begins, or they might not be called on until hours later. They might work twice in the same day or have a few days off in between. The decision to deploy a mounted officer depends on the time of year, types of activities going on in town and crowd sizes.
11:15am
TLC TIME • 11:30am Care for the animals is a priority. Both horses’ hooves are painted with a conditioning polish for protection. The officers have a full traveling medical kit should the horses need treatment while on duty. The horses are groomed, saddled at the barn and
A Tradition of Excellence & Trust Since 1969
11:30am
loaded into a trailer when duty calls. Hay, grain and water are packed for breaks.
(Officer Barrett) KATIE NAVARRA; (mounted officers) COURTESY OF SARATOGA SPRINGS MOUNTED PATROL
horse force Being on horseback gives Mounted Patrol officers a unique vantage point for spotting trouble before it happens.
A MOMENT’S NOTICE • 12pm The horses have ample time to rest in between shifts, so they are ready to go at a moment’s notice. Every shift is different. Officers pick a starting point based on reports from the day and the need. This spring, patrols were sent along city streets and neighborhoods to bring joy to local residents who had been stuck at home due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. During recent trips, kids have exchanged “air high-fives” with officers, and an elderly resident told Officer Freshwater that seeing her and the horses was the first time she’d seen anyone in two weeks.
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BEST THING I SAW: Even though King Tut and Apollo have an important job to do, they are spoiled just like my own horse, Bella, is. They enjoy plenty of treats and frequent visits from the officers to make sure they are healthy and happy. WORST THING I SAW: Nothing. These beautiful horses are probably the best PR the police force could ask for, especially when stopping traffic on Broadway so Saratoga’s other beloved summertime animals, the ducks, can safely cross. THE BOTTOM LINE: Even though most of the mounted police officers had never ridden a horse before joining the unit, one thing was apparent: They’ve all come to love the animals. How couldn’t they? 18 Park Avenue, Clifton Park (518) 371-5762 • pastapane.com
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the front panel
2020 Vision
F IVE H O RS E RAC ING EX PERTS W EIG H IN O N T H IS Y EAR’ S UNUSUAL SAR ATOGA SE ASON . DESCRIBE SARATOGA’S UPCOMING SEASON IN THREE WORDS OR LESS.
roaring twenties The Travers Stakes trophy is named after legendary racehorse Man o’ War, who got revenge on his former rival in the 1920 edition of the race.
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The fan experience is second to none. I have such a love affair with the fans at Saratoga, and I’m really gonna miss that.
Unique, serene, reflective
Tiz the Law
It allows some of the laterdeveloping 3-year-olds an opportunity to participate.
Interacting with the fans on the track.
Exciting, hopefully fans
Rinaldi
Big-time; it’s wide open.
My friends. The roar of the crowd. The excitement that is generated. only at Saratoga.
Safety, hope, success
Swiss Skydiver and Tiz the Law
We get to witness Derby contenders racing at Saratoga.
Interactions with the diverse connections and workers. who reunite each year in Saratoga.
Sad but excited
Dr Post has tons of possibilities.
There will definitely be an asterisk.
The hope, energy and excitement.
H. James Bond Thoroughbred trainer (Bond) BRIEN BOUYEA; (Nugent) LAWRENCE WHITE; (Wood) KATIE DOBIES
WITH OVER 30YRS OF EXPERIENCE WE ARE YOUR GARAGE DOOR EXPERTS
It’s going to be the Triple Crown with the asterisk, because it’s so odd to start with the Belmont and to shorten the distance to a mile and an eighth.
New York Racing Association TV analyst
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING AND HALL OF FAME
CUSTOMER SERVICE IS OUR PRIORITY
Maggie Wolfendale
WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT THE “NORMAL” SARATOGA SEASON?
Tiz the Law—he’s a legitimate contender.
Retired Thoroughbred trainer
100 Years of War
HOW WILL THE DISRUPTED SEASON TRANSFORM THE TRIPLE CROWN?
Very unusual
Gary Contessa
anniversary
ou might recall that last year marked the 100th anniversary of Man o’ War’s shocking defeat at Saratoga; he lost his first and only contest in his 21-race career here, and to a horse named (wait for it) Upset. This year, though, is somewhat of a happier centennial for fans of one of the greatest racehorses of all time. One hundred years ago this August, Man o’ War came out victorious in Saratoga Race Course’s most significant race, the Travers Stakes, this time, turning the tables on his nemesis, Upset, in record-breaking fashion. His record time of 2:014⁄5 stood for more than four decades, and today, Mid-Summer Derby winners have their names inscribed on the Man o’ War Cup, the official Travers trophy. Man o’ War would go on to yet more fame and glory, besting Triple Crown winner Sir Barton by seven lengths in a one-on-one battle at Ontario’s Kenilworth Park two months later. But, Saratogians will always remember the story of a wonder horse whose journey to redemption played out right in their backyard.
WHAT HORSE ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT THIS YEAR?
Georgie Nugent NYRA board member
Joe “Woody” Wood Amateur handicapper
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the front Saratoga WarHorse
hot date: july 15
call me maybe
Old Friends (FRANCESCO D'AMICO)
...And He’s Off!
AFTER MORE TH AN F O U R DE CA DE S AT N YR A , J O H N I M B R I A LE STEPS INTO TH E LEAD AN N O U N C E R R O LE F O R SA R ATO GA’S P OT E N T I A LLY FAN-LESS SE ASO N . n BY B R I E N B O U YE A
responsibility to have this job in New York,” says Imbriale, who grew up in Queens and graduated from St. John’s University. “There is a long tradition of great race callers here. To follow the likes of Larry Collmus, Tom Durkin and Marshall Cassidy is something I certainly don’t take lightly.” Imbriale was calling the races at Aqueduct Racetrack earlier this year when the sport was shut down in New York for more than two months because of the COVID-19 outbreak. When racing resumed at Belmont Park in early June, Imbriale was a bit jittery about his first call back. “Not only was it the first race in two-and-a-half months, but it was the first sporting event in New York since the shutdown. I’ll tell you that around 1:20pm that day, when that first race was complete, it was a big relief.” Saratoga has always been special
to Imbriale, and he is eagerly anticipating stepping up to the mic at the Spa. “Saratoga means a lot to me on many fronts,” he says. “My children grew up here in the summers. The racing is the absolute best, but it’s more than that. The town, culture, restaurants, atmosphere— it’s all part of an experience I really treasure. I’ve been coming here professionally since 1980, and even before that, I was here. I’ll never forget being in the infield in ’78 for Affirmed and Alydar [in the Travers Stakes]. A lot of great Saratoga memories. I’m looking forward to some new ones.” Speaking of memories, what stood out to Imbriale about that first call he made 41 years ago? “Not a whole lot, actually,” he says. “It was pretty much a blur. Just glad I survived it, but it did start me on a wonderful journey.”
IF YO U LOVE H O RS ES , C O NS ID ER D O NAT ING TO O NE O F T H ES E AREA AF T ERCARE C H ARIT IES O N T H E B IG DAY. BY VIC TO RIA MANG EL L I
second career in eventing, polo and dressage. NEW VOCATIONS RACEHORSE ADOPTION PROGRAM, Gansevoort newvocations.org New Vocations offers former Old Friends At racehorses rehabilitation Cabin Creek services, transitional training and placement into a loving home.
EQUINE ADVOCATES, Chatham equineadvocates.org Equine Advocates rescues equines that are headed for slaughter or are living in abusive situations and lets them live out their lives in peace.
OLD FRIENDS AT CABIN CREEK, Greenfield Center oldfriendsatcabincreek.com Old Friends strives to provide a dignified retirement and peaceful, nurturing forever home to all retired racehorses.
HEADING FOR HOME RACEHORSE RETRAINING/ADOPTION CENTER, INC., Saratoga Springs headingforhomeadoptionhorses.org Heading for Home helps retired racehorses transition into a viable
SARATOGA WARHORSE, Saratoga Springs, saratogawarhorse.org Saratoga WarHorse assists veterans struggling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder through unique experiences with retired Thoroughbreds.
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NYRA
J
ohn Imbriale’s career with the New York Racing Association (NYRA) began more than 40 years ago when his uncle saw an advertisement in the New York Daily News for a contest that would provide the winner with the opportunity to call a race and earn a spot in NYRA’s press office. “The ad was about the size of a postage stamp,” Imbriale says. “They got down to three people who got a shot at doing it, and then there I was calling a race—July 25, 1979…third race, I believe. I started in the press office on November 5 that year. I’ve had quite a run.” After serving in numerous roles at NYRA, including television production and hosting responsibilities, calling races and handling simulcast feeds for the three NYRA tracks, Imbriale took over as the organization’s full-time race caller in January. “It’s an honor and a great
gentleman caller John Imbriale got his start calling races after winning a contest to do just that in New York City in 1979.
National ‘I Love Horses Day’ Is Coming
ACTT NATURALLY, Greenwich acttnaturally.org ACTT Naturally—the acronym stands for Aftercare Continued Thoroughbred Training—helps former racehorses transition into productive new careers, bonding with veterans, first responders and teenagers.
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saratogasignature.com
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A Black-and-White Message to Saratoga saratoga living I S ST R I V I N G TO BE ON THE RIGHT S IDE O F THE CITY ’ S HISTORY. BY WILL LE VITH
A
s a kid growing up in Saratoga, a town that is more than 90 percent white and just two percent black, I was largely oblivious to what my skin color meant in the grand scheme of things. For my colleague, Art Director Steve Teabout, who grew up 40 minutes southwest of Saratoga in Amsterdam, though, it was constantly on his mind. “When I was younger, it was really, really hard for me, because my father was African American and my mom was white,” he says. “I would get racism from white people, being called the typical racial slurs; and sometimes, from other black people, I would get told that I wasn’t black enough. It wasn’t until high school where I felt really comfortable in my own skin, that I had the best of both worlds.”
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The son of a former slave, jockey Isaac B. Murphy, who competed between 18761895, was inducted into Saratoga’s National Racing Hall of Fame in 1955.
Jockey Willie Simms, who often raced in Saratoga during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes twice each and the Preakness once.
and OK, granted, [Floyd] didn’t have a clean record or rap sheet, but he was in handcuffs and wasn’t resisting.” As for the officer being down on Floyd's neck for eight minutes, Teabout says, “That was the straw that broke the camel's back.” In his mind, the protests have already begun effecting positive
change. “I have a cousin who lives really close to our [Saratoga Springs] offices, and he says he sees people protesting out there just about every day,” he says. “That’s a step in the right direction.” From Empire Media Network’s perspective, the BLM protests couldn’t be more “Saratoga.” They align with our city’s values of inclusivity, something that’s historically been part of its nature. Most relevant to this magazine, black jockeys were landing mounts at Saratoga Race Course as early as the 1880s; and five of them—Shelby Barnes, Anthony Hamilton, Isaac B. Murphy, Willie Simms and Jimmy Winkfield—have been enshrined at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. In recent
Empire Media Network Art Director Steve Teabout and his three sons (left to right) Tyrelle, Jalen and Dillon, at Jalen’s high school graduation in Newark, NY.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING AND HALL OF FAME
In just a handful of months, Saratoga— and to a greater extent, the entire world—has sprung into action on the topic of race relations. Yes, there’s a global pandemic still going on out there that has forced us to make a number of personal sacrifices, but the real ones need to come from our hearts. Many of us have done this by marching in Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, which first erupted worldwide in the wake of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer on Memorial Day. Prominent city leaders, including the mayor and commissioners of finance and public safety, have marched in BLM protests; and a Saratoga Springs Police Department officer was even photographed kneeling with and embracing protesters. While Teabout says he was never personally harassed by police officers in his hometown, he does say that the Floyd murder is “eye-opening, because you see something like that happen,
years, local racing fans have cheered on black jockey Kendrick Carmouche, who was ranked No.11 in the jockey standings at the Spa last summer. Other examples of Saratoga’s ethos of inclusivity include the opening of Hattie’s Chicken Shack in 1938, one of the first black-womanowned businesses of its kind in the region; Caffè Lena booking a black man as its first headliner in 1960; and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center choosing Harry Belafonte, a noted Civil Rights activist, to be its first nonclassical performer in 1967. By the time this issue comes out, the Capital Region should be well into phase four of the state’s reopening plan. While many COVID-19 restrictions
will still be in place for months to come, here’s to hoping that the peaceful protests continue and protesters’ voices continue to be heard. Above
all else, it’s our goal at Empire Media Network to support this wonderful community. Black lives truly do matter to us—and they should to you, too.
the
races!
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pretty in pink Tiz the Law (in pink) barreling toward victory in the Belmont.
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W H AT T H I S Y E A R ’ S N O N T R A D I T I O N A L T R I P L E C R O W N L A N D S C A P E L O O K S L I K E , H O W S A R AT O G A F I T S I N T O T H E M I X A N D W H Y T H E R E ’ L L B E N O N E E D F O R T H AT A S T E R I S K . ANNETTE JASKO
ALBANY OFFICE 4 Executive Park Drive (near Stuyvesant Plaza)
• Meet in-person • Interact via Zoom • Speak on the phone
By Brien Bouyea ⁄
saratogaliving.com 37
the races! 2020
NYRA
running on empty The spectator-less stands at Belmont Park on June 20, empty due to COVID-19 concerns.
t’s unusual, no doubt. Here we are in July, with only one Triple Crown leg having been run (the Belmont Stakes on June 20), and the fans have gone wild—with negative chatter, instead of cheering. This, despite the fact that it’s a global pandemic that’s forced racetracks to go spectator-less all summer, touching a nerve among the horse racing faithful, who live for rooting for (and betting on) their favorites from jam-packed stands. Some have even called for the series to be marked by an asterisk (à la Barry Bonds’ home run record), denoting that this year’s Triple Crown is somehow not the real McCoy. But don’t let the
curmudgeons ruin it for you: This won’t be the first time in history that the Triple Crown races have seen changes in scheduling, order or distance. Not by a longshot. First, a quick refresher on how this year’s Triple Crown schedule unfolded. The traditional three legs— the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, run in that order— started being rescheduled as early as March 17, when the pandemic first hit. The Derby was moved from the first Saturday in May, where it’s sat since 1946, to September 5; followed by the Preakness, traditionally the middle jewel in the crown, to October 3; and finally, the Belmont, which was not only shortened from 1½ miles to 1⅛ miles (something that hadn’t been done since 1925), but also moved to late June, making it the first leg of the Triple Crown for the first time in history. Not a single gussied-up fan set foot inside Belmont Park to watch Tiz the Law take the race in commanding fashion—even the horses’ owners. (Tiz the Law, who is owned and trained at Saratoga’s Sackatoga Stable, became the first New York–bred horse to win the Belmont since 1882, by the way.)
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Despite this fact, in late June, Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY, announced that it would be allowing a limited number of fans in to watch the Derby. (It’s unclear whether Maryland racing officials will follow suit at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD, in early fall.) If Tiz the Law takes the Derby and there is a Triple Crown on the line, it'll go down in Baltimore and become perhaps the most significant race in the Maryland Jockey Club’s 277-year history. Or, if the Derby swallows up the Thoroughbred, then the Preakness will likely be relegated to a diminished profile, with the prestigious Breeders’ Cup World Championships being run a month later at Keeneland in Kentucky. It’s a lot to digest—and not even half the story. Given that the Triple Crown races are normally in the books by the time Saratoga Race Course opens in midJuly, this year, the historic Travers Stakes, which usually runs in late August, has been shifted to August 8 to become a qualifying race for the Derby. The New York Racing Association’s (NYRA’s) original plan had been for the Travers to run on August 29, but with the Derby shifted to the following weekend, moving the Travers became a necessity to ensure the race’s relevance. It would’ve also been out of the question for any of the elite 3-year-olds to participate in the Derby down in Louisville just one week after running at Saratoga. Now that the Travers is a Derby prep, it will be worth 100 qualifying points for the winner towards the Derby, which is capped at the 20 entrants who have amassed the most qualifying points. Another race on Saratoga’s schedule, the Peter Pan Stakes, will be worth 50 Derby points to the winner. The Peter Pan is traditionally held before the Belmont at the Elmont track, but has been moved to Saratoga and will run on Opening Day. So, what does the Triple Crown field look like right now? Tiz the Law’s victory in the Belmont earned him 150 qualifying points, the most in the Derby prep series, while second-place
All one needs to do is take a closer look at the variations to the Triple Crown that played out prior to Churchill Downs’ executive Matt Winn aligning with the leaders at Pimlico and Belmont to form a cohesive schedule for the series in the 1930s.
horse swap Two vintage Kentucky Derby Day programs, one each from 1935 and 1936, both Saturdays, although prior to 1946 the race was run on every day other than Sunday.
finisher Dr Post received 60 points, likely enough for him to crack the Top 20. The Louisiana Derby, Florida Derby, both divisions of the Arkansas Derby, the Santa Anita Derby, Blue Grass Stakes and Haskell Invitational are all worth 100 points to the winner, essentially guaranteeing a berth in the Kentucky Derby. Races worth 50 points to the winner include the Fountain of Youth, both divisions of the Risen Star, the Gotham, Tampa Bay Derby, San Felipe, Rebel, Matt Winn, Shared Belief and Ellis Park Derby. There are other races this summer offering qualifying points, including the Ohio Derby (20 points), Los Alamitos Derby (20), Indiana Derby (20) and Pegasus Stakes (20), all run in America; and the Japan Dirt Derby (40) and Ireland’s Ballysax Stakes (30), contested abroad. For the traditionalists complaining that a Belmont-Derby-Preakness Triple Crown is no Triple Crown at all, the proof is in the pudding: All one needs to do is take a closer look at the variations to the series that played out prior to Churchill Downs’ executive Matt Winn aligning with the leaders at Pimlico and Belmont to form a cohesive schedule for the series in the 1930s. Before then, the three races were simply individual events and not part of any bigger picture, as they were when Sir Barton won all three in 1919. That year, he won the Derby on Saturday, May 10; the Preakness on Wednesday, May 14; and then squeezed in a victory in the Withers 10 days later, before taking the Belmont at 1⅜ miles on June 11. Sir Barton was never referred to as a “Triple Crown winner” during his racing career, and his name faded into history until other horses began receiving glory for winning the same series of races. The Triple Crown concept didn’t rise to prominence until Gallant Fox swept the three races in 1930. He won the Preakness first, on May 9; then the Derby eight days later; and the Belmont on June 7. He was the first horse to be tagged a Triple Crown winner. Five years later, Gallant Fox’s son, Omaha, won all three races within the month of May.
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the races! 2020 belmont perk Jockey Manny Franco celebrating Tiz the Law’s win at Belmont Park on June 20.
y late grandfather, Van Ladd, was a lifelong Schenectadian, who graduated from Union College in 1938. According to family lore, he was able to pay for college only after his mother won big at Saratoga Race Course. I can’t help but think that that’s why he always had an affinity for the place: He particularly loved buying and framing the annual Travers Stakes posters by Saratoga artist Greg Montgomery. They probably served as a reminder of the true magic of the track. Montgomery’s series dates back to 1986, when poster bards he was still a student at Albany’s College of Travers poster artist Saint Rose. He’s made a poster every year since, Greg Montgomery, including the one on this magazine’s cover, entitled with his wife, Paula Saratoga Coppertop, for the season during which Rosenberg, who the track will probably be closed to spectators. The snaps the photos that posters are actually a family affair: His wife, Paula are used as the basis Rosenberg, takes photographs at the track the prior for his artwork. season; and Montgomery pieces a concept together from a menagerie of her images. The poster itself is created using the Adobe program FreeHand—and Montgomery says he draws inspiration from artistic heroes like British travel poster artist Henry George Gawthorn. “The impetus for this particular poster came during the racing season last year,” says Montgomery. “NYRA had put a year’s worth of construction and many millions of dollars into a new building at the racetrack, and we thought it would be a good idea to chronicle that in some way.” The building he’s referring to is the 1863 Club, located next to the Grandstand. Now, about this year’s poster image: The scene shows the literal conduit between the track’s 1863 Club and the Grandstand—“the bridge from old to new,” as Montgomery puts it. What you see unfolding on the poster is pure fiction, though, with real models. The horse in the foreground, making his way from the Paddock to the track, is eventual 2019 Travers winner Code of Honor, with Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez aboard. (The original photo the drawing is based on wasn’t taken on the path but in the Paddock.) And see the couple at the fence—the man in the cream-colored suit and the woman in the black dress? That's Montgomery and his wife. The man in the white suit next to them? Their contractor, whose look they thought was perfect. Ordinarily, the Travers poster has its annual unveiling at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. But this year, you get to see it first on saratoga living’s cover. Hey, maybe someday this issue will be as worthy of a frame as Montgomery’s posters have always been.
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triple jump Despite some fans calling for an asterisk to be added to this year’s Triple Crown series, each leg has been contested on a number of different days throughout history, as is denoted on this Preakness Day program from 1973.
Although fans have become accustomed to the Derby being held on the first Saturday in May—and this year’s September run might seem like it came out of left field—the race has actually bounced around the calendar quite a bit. In fact, the Derby has been held on every day of the week other than Sunday. It has been run on Monday eight times, Tuesday nine times, Wednesday 11 times, Thursday four times and Friday twice. The race was also held once in April (1901) and once in June (1945). The Preakness has that much more of a jumbled history. The race has been contested at seven different distances and been held at three different tracks. After running from 1873-1889 at Pimlico in Baltimore, it was shifted to Morris Park in Westchester County in 1890 and run under handicap conditions: The 5-year-old Montague won the race, becoming the only horse other than a 3 year old to win one of the classics. The Preakness then went on hiatus for three years before being held at the old Gravesend Track in Coney Island from 1894-1908. It then returned to Pimlico, where it has been run ever since. In
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T H E STO RY B E H I N D G R E G M O N T G O M E RY ’S S T U N N I N G 2 0 2 0 T R AV E R S P O S T E R . BY WILL LEVITH
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both 1917 and 1922, the Preakness and Derby were held on the same day. The Belmont’s history is also highly inconsistent. The race was first held at Westchester County’s Jerome Park in 1867, which was won by the great filly Ruthless, and remained there until 1890 when it was relocated to Morris Park. That year, a colt named Burlington made headlines by winning the race on June 10 and earning $8,620 for his owners, the Hough Brothers. The Belmont was the fourth race on the card that day, two races after Montague won the Preakness Handicap and netted $1,215 for owner James Galway, who ironically ran his
horses under the name of Preakness Stable. Another oddity in the Belmont’s history was the 1895 running, which was held in November “under the jurisdiction of the Westchester Racing Association” because the New York Jockey Club “closed out its affairs,” according to an old NYRA media guide. That edition was won by Belmar, who raced for Galway’s Preakness Stable and also, ironically, won the Preakness earlier in the year. The Belmont moved to the new Belmont Park in 1905 and has been held there ever since, with the exception of 196367, when it took place at Aqueduct while Belmont was undergoing renovations.
So yes, this year’s Triple Crown is going to look a lot different—but the changes to the series aren’t unprecedented. The Triple Crowns won by Sir Barton (1919) and Gallant Fox (1930) were different than those won by Whirlaway (1941) and Citation (1948), and American Pharoah (2015) and Justify (2018). Each Triple Crown winner has a unique set of circumstances and story to tell—and has completed one of the rarest feats in sporting history, a coveted trifecta only 13 horses have ever achieved. Will Tiz the Law join this exclusive club in 2020? Maybe. And will he require an asterisk? At least the way history tells it, no.
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Sackatoga’s Second Coming B E L M O N T ’ S B I G W I N N E R ( A N D H O M E T O W N H E R O ! ) T I Z T H E L AW T H R U STS H I S LO C A L OW N E R S H I P G RO U P B AC K I N TO T H E S P OT L I G H T — A N D I S N O W B E I N G P O I N T E D T O WA R D S T H E T R AV E R S .
tiz the season Sackatoga Stable’s Tiz the Law (center, with white bridle), with jockey Manny Franco aboard, running in this year’s Belmont Stakes, which was the opening leg of the Triple Crown for the first time in history.
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NYRA
By Brien Bouyea
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the races! 2020 him the oldest trainer to ever win the race. “To win Triple Crown races in two different years—not many people can say that,” says Sackatoga managing partner Knowlton, who watched the Belmont at Pennell’s Restaurant in Saratoga Springs, because owners were not allowed to attend the race due to COVID-19 concerns. When asked what it was like to win the Belmont Stakes with a New York–bred, he says, “It’s tremendous. We buy New York–breds—that’s our game—and we don’t spend a lot of money. We’ve been with Barclay Tagg for 25 years, and I keep telling everybody Barclay doesn’t get a lot of big horses or opportunities, but when he does, he knows what to do. We had a great and amazing day. Tiz delivered for us.” Barring any setbacks in magine winning the lottery tagg, you’re it (clockwise, from left) Tiz the Law training, Tiz the Law will be twice. That’s the sort of is the first New York–bred horse to win the Belmont featured in the 151st Travers longshot, fairytale ride Jack since Forester in 1882; with Tiz the Law’s Belmont win, at Saratoga Race Course, Knowlton and Sackatoga Barclay Tagg became the oldest trainer to ever win the which this year has been Stable are on right now. race; Sackatoga Stable managing partner Jack Knowlton rescheduled to August 8. The Seventeen years after the watched the Belmont from Pennell’s Restaurant, because owners weren’t allowed to attend the race. race will also mark the onegutsy gelding Funny Cide year anniversary of Tiz the took the racing world by storm Law’s first career win there. The Travers will offer the budding and won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, Tiz the superstar the opportunity to win another prize coveted by the Law delivered the small Saratoga Springs–based partnership Sackatoga partnership that Funny Cide was unable to secure. and trainer Barclay Tagg their missing Triple Crown jewel with In August 2003, Saratoga was buzzing with Funny Cide mania a tour de force performance in the Belmont Stakes on June approaching the Travers—even Stewart’s Shops got in on the 20. A day later, Tagg revealed what he had planned next for action with a “Funny Cide Pride” ice cream flavor—but the fan the sensational New York–bred son of rising sire Constitution. favorite came down with a respiratory infection the week of “I’ve never won the Travers, and I want to win it,” says Tagg. the race and was unable to compete in the Midsummer Derby. “It’s very important to me.” Purchased for $110,000 at the Fasig-Tipton New York Bred Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Derby was Yearling Sale just a few furlongs from the track, Tiz the Law rescheduled to September 5 and the Preakness to October has won five of his six career starts, including four graded 3, making the Belmont—which was also pushed back two stakes, with earnings of $1,480,300. For Sackatoga, which weeks to the 20th, the first leg of the Triple Crown for the campaigns only a select few horses per year, Tiz the Law first time in the history of the series. Tiz the Law won the race, has provided another affirmation that anything is possible impressively, by 3¾ lengths, covering the 1⅛ miles in 1:46.53. in racing. For Tagg, who won his first race as trainer in It was the first time the Belmont had been carded at nine 1972 but had been without a Grade 1 win in the eight furlongs since 1894, and with the win, Tiz the Law became the years prior to having Tiz the Law in his barn, it is evidence first New York–bred to cross the finish line first since Forester in 1882. Tagg’s victory was also a special one: at 82, it made that hope springs eternal in this game.
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(Tiz the Law and Tagg) NYRA; (Knowlton) SUSIE RAISHER
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1 JOSE ORTIZ 2019 SARATOGA STATS:
Jockeying for the Top T H E 1 0 J O C K E Y S T O WAT C H T H I S S U M M E R AT S A R AT O G A . story and photography by
BRIEN BOUYEA
he jockey colony at Saratoga Race Course is regarded by many racing experts as the deepest and most talented in all of North America. The competition to be among the elite at Saratoga in 2020 will be as fierce as ever, with multiple Eclipse Award winners and members of the Hall of Fame facing off. Here are the 10 riders we think have the best shot at glory this summer.
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60 wins (21 percent); $5.4 million earnings The 2017 Eclipse Award winner nabbed his 2,000th career win in June. The 26-year-old native of Puerto Rico has three Breeders’ Cup wins to his credit, and won the 2017 Belmont Stakes. He led all North American jockeys in wins in 2016 and in earnings in 2017. He was also the leading rider at Saratoga in 2016, 2017 and 2019.
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JOEL ROSARIO 2 0 1 9 S A R AT O G A S TAT S :
IR AD ORTIZ, JR.
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2 0 1 9 S A R AT O G A S TAT S :
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53 wins (19 percent); $4.8 million earnings The two-time reigning Eclipse Award winner—Jose’s older brother—has more than 2,500 career wins at the age of 27. A winner of nine Breeders’ Cup races and the 2016 Belmont Stakes, Ortiz has led all North American jockeys in both wins and earnings each of the past two years. He garnered leading rider honors at Saratoga in 2015 and 2018.
J AV I E R CASTELL ANO
LUIS SAEZ 2 0 1 9 S A R AT O G A S TAT S :
2 0 1 9 S A R AT O G A S TAT S :
39 wins (22 percent); $4.2 million earnings The Venezuela native is a four-time Eclipse Award winner and a 2017 Hall of Fame inductee. He’s also the winner of 12 Breeders’ Cup races and is a two-time Preakness Stakes winner. At the age of 42, he has more than 5,200 career wins and ranks second of all time in earnings with more than $345 million. He was leading rider at Saratoga in 2013 and 2014, and has won the Travers Stakes a record six times.
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37 wins (17 percent); $3.8 million earnings Rosario has won more than 2,900 career races, including 11 Breeders’ Cup races, the Kentucky Derby, Dubai World Cup and two editions of the Belmont Stakes. The 35-year-old native of the Dominican Republic ranks 14th overall with career earnings of more than $219 million. His Saratoga wins include the Alabama, Fourstardave, Jim Dandy, Whitney and Woodward, among others.
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36 wins (13 percent); $3.7 million earnings The 28-year-old Panamanian has more than 2,400 career wins and has ranked in the top 10 among North American jockeys in both wins and earnings each of the past four years. At Saratoga, Saez has won the Travers, Diana, Fourstardave, Go for Wand, Hopeful, Schuylerville and Test, among others.
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JUNIOR A LVA R A D O
JOHN VELAZQUEZ
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23 wins (15 percent); $2.1 million earnings The 34-year-old native of Venezuela has won more than 1,700 races, including Grade 1s such as the Flat Out, Moreno, Strapping Groom and Preservationist. Alvarado’s wins at Saratoga include the Whitney, Woodward, Forego, Saratoga Special and Honorable Miss, among others.
21 wins (16 percent); $3.4 million earnings Velazquez was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012, and at age 48, has more than 6,100 career wins and is the all-time earnings leader with more than $417 million. The two-time Eclipse Award winner has also won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes twice each as well as 16 Breeders’ Cup races. Additionally, he’s a five-time riding champion at Saratoga; set the track’s career wins mark in 2013, with his 694th victory; and has notched a pair of Travers wins to boot.
7 JOSE LEZCANO 2 0 1 9 S A R AT O G A S TAT S :
22 wins (13 percent); $1.9 million earnings The 35-year-old Lezcano, who hails from Panama, has won more than 2,700 races with earnings of more than $145 million. A winner of three Breeders’ Cup races, Lezcano has ridden Hall of Famers Royal Delta and Wise Dan. At Saratoga, he has won the Alabama, Ballston Spa, Diana, Fourstardave and Lake George, among others.
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the races! 2020
MANNY FRANCO 2 0 1 9 S A R AT O G A S TAT S :
17 wins (7 percent); $1.9 million earnings The 25-year-old native of Puerto Rico has already won more than 1,300 races with earnings of more than $85 million. Franco won his first Breeders’ Cup race in 2019 and has ranked in the Top 10 among North American jockeys in earnings each of the past four years. He also led the overall New York Racing Association standings in wins in both 2018 and 2019. And just this past June, he won the 2020 Belmont Stakes aboard Triple Crown frontrunner Tiz the Law.
9 (TIE)
RICARDO S A N TA N A , J R . 2 0 1 9 S A R AT O G A S TAT S :
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17 wins (10 percent); $2.1 million earnings The Panama native, who attended the prestigious Laffit Pincay, Jr. Jockey School there, broke into riding in North America in 2009 at the age of 16 and has already won more than 1,400 races with purse earnings of more than $75 million. He won his first Breeders’ Cup race in 2019. At Saratoga, he’s won the Forego, Fourstardave, Jim Dandy and Amsterdam, among others.
J
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ockey Julie Krone had a different kind of glass but history is going to happen here, whether there are fans ceiling to bust through than Billie Jean King, here or not. What…? Lindsey Vonn or Alex Morgan did—because at [interrupts] I predict there’s going to be a listening area, least for the latter three, there were women’s where people can hear the races being called, and I bet you versions of their sport (tennis, skiing and soccer, people start setting up spots where they can go to the races if you’re keeping track). Since its inception, and listen to them all day. Because I used to love that. I used horse racing has largely been a male-dominated to drive by the track and be like, “What’s happening?” I’d roll sport, with only a little more than 10 percent of jockeys being down my window to see what race it was. I think they’re going women. But beating the boys at their own game wasn’t much to make a designated area for those hardcore racing people of a problem for Krone throughout her decorated career. who want to hear the races live. Especially, the stakes races. Krone, who grew up in Eau Claire, MI, caught the jockey bug Turn the speakers towards the [road] and let us get a little of at 14, won her first race at 16 and, shortly thereafter, became that Saratoga sound, man. a veritable winning machine. Besides scoring riding titles at Monmouth Park, Belmont Park and Gulfstream Park, among You have an interesting relationship with Saratoga. You’ve others, Krone became the first woman in history to win a Triple won a lot here—but you also took a nasty spill here in Crown race, taking the 1993 Belmont Stakes aboard Colonial 1993 aboard the filly Seattle Way. Can you speak to that Affair; the first to win a Breeders’ dichotomy a bit? Cup race in 2003; and the first to I’ve never told anybody this story be inducted into the horse racing before. I became allergic to the Hall of Fame in 2000. (That’s only titanium and stainless steel—all the tip of the iceberg.) the hardware that was holding my In recent years, she’s worked leg together [after the spill]—and as a racing broadcaster, and last I had to have it all removed. So, summer launched her own Junior when I had it removed, I had some Jockey Camp, about 40 minutes downtime, and I was in Saratoga. I east of Saratoga in Cambridge, walked to the top of the stretch and NY, serving as a host and I pretended that I was on Seattle instructor (this year’s camp is on Way and rode my race all the way to hold due to the COVID-19 crisis). the wire. And then, at the wire, I laid And just this past May, Krone down on the grass and looked up saratoga living C H AT S W I T H announced that she’d be working at the sky for a little while, thinking T H E H O R S E R AC I N G L E G E N D. as an agent to 28-year-old woman about my life and how much I loved BY WILL LEVITH jockey Ferrin Peterson, whom she Saratoga, and then I got up and met at Del Mar Racetrack and has walked off the track. high hopes for (Peterson’s also an acupuncturist and veterinarian). You have all these firsts in your career. First woman in the saratoga living caught up with the Hall of Famer from Hall of Fame, first woman to win a Triple Crown race and her home in California. onward. Which of your firsts is the sweetest? Multiple win days, without a doubt. There’s nothing like when it You’re a legend here in Saratoga. What is it all comes together. One day, I rode four races at Monmouth about this town that sets it apart from all Park, got in a car, drove to the helicopter pad with my other racing towns? jockey clothes on, got flown to Belmont, had a little bite It’s like if you fell asleep and dreamed of a to eat and a little rest, rode the last four races, and I town where everybody loves racing—you got won five races that day and I had three seconds. I got to eat racing, talk racing, sleep racing, watch in my car that night in Monmouth to drive home, and I racing and listen to racing. There’s nothing looked at the steering wheel and thought, “This is so that Saratoga doesn’t have that you want. Even anticlimactic! Now, I have to drive a car?” when you’re relaxing, you can go to Lyrical Ballad Bookstore and thumb through old What would be your message to a young racing books. girl with the dream of becoming a jockey? The drive has to come from somewhere so It’s going to be a tough season at deep inside of you. Nobody can tell you “no,” Saratoga this year without spectators— and you have to have the biggest ego. You have to really be strong to be a jockey. And really know your horses.
5 Questions for
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NYRA; (opposite) NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING AND HALL OF FAME
Julie Krone
special k Jockey Julie Krone has garnered a number of historic firsts, including being the first woman to win a Triple Crown race and the first woman enshrined in horse racing’s Hall of Fame.
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I N 1 5 6 Y E A R S , S A R AT O G A R A C E C O U R S E H A S G O N E C O M P L E T E LY D A R K O N LY S I X T I M E S .
BY BRIEN BOUYEA
no horse town This year won’t be the first time Saratoga Race Course has had no fans; in 1896, 1911-12 and 1943-45, the track was shut down entirely.
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(opposite) LIBRARY OF CONGRESS; (Winner’s Circle) NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING AND HALL OF FAME; (Belmont) NYRA
Summers of Silence
arring an unexpected turn of events, the gates at Saratoga Race Course are scheduled to be closed to the public this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Spectators or not, though, there will still be live racing at the Spa beginning on July 16, stretching all the way to September 7. But you might be surprised to learn that there were six summers in the track’s 156year history when the track saw not a single race run. (In other words, somebody had it off a lot worse than you did.) Since organized racing debuted in Saratoga during the Civil War, with the track opening in 1864, various circumstances have led to it being shuttered. Here are the six times Saratoga’s summer went completely dark.
1896 The dark summer of 1896 was in large part the result of rancor toward the track’s management, which eventually led to a downswing in race dates offered by The Jockey Club. The 1890s were unquestionably the worst period in Saratoga’s racing annals. Beginning in 1892, the notorious Gottfried Walbaum was in charge, and his leadership led to a rapid decline in the prosperity and reputation of the track. Many of Saratoga’s established stakes races were either dropped from the schedule or had their purses significantly reduced. Walbaum’s favoring of cheaper races led to many of the sport’s most distinguished stables avoiding Saratoga entirely. Also, there was rampant speculation that races were being fixed. For example, there was much conjecture about the legitimacy of the results during a day in 1895 when horses owned by Walbaum won the first four races on a card. Walbaum also angered Saratogians by tinkering with the race times and drew the ire of downtown merchants by adding services at the track that competed with their livelihood, including a barber shop and a printing press. Things got so bad during 1895 that the track closed after 28 days instead of the scheduled 40. According to The New York Times, attendance was a paltry 400 on August 5. It was announced on Closing Day, August 23, that there would be no racing at Saratoga in 1896. Walbaum and his associates rejected the dates proposed by The Jockey Club, stating that there weren’t enough exclusive to Saratoga. The track reopened in 1897, with Walbaum in a reduced role, and three years later, William Collins Whitney led a partnership group that purchased and revitalized the track and restored its reputation.
silent treatment A scene from this year’s spectator-less Belmont Stakes; (top) Saratoga Race Course’s overgrown Winner’s Circle during World War II.
1911-12 The track was again shuttered in 1911 and 1912. New York Governor Charles Hughes spearheaded an anti-gambling crusade that resulted in the Hart-Agnew Law and eventually the Executive Liability Act, which eliminated any form of betting and effectively shut down New York racing. In October 1912, a decision by a State Supreme Court justice led to racing’s return. Judge Townsend Scudder of Nassau County ruled that the liability law could not be enforced, paving the way for the return of bookmakers and racing in 1913. 1943-45 After the 1912 season, Saratoga racing went on uninterrupted until World War II,
when travel restrictions forced the track’s dates to be shifted to Belmont Park from 1943-45. Saratoga’s mayor at the time, Addison Mallery, fought for the local track to retain the race dates, arguing that Saratogians could walk to the races and that there would be ample local support for a summer meeting. While his efforts to open the track during the war were in vain, racing did finally return to Saratoga on August 5, 1946, with a crowd of more than 15,000 on hand for the sport’s triumphant return.
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I long distance relationships Saratogian Austin Bayliss (sixth from left) hosted a socially distanced Kentucky Derby party for her family and friends back in May.
Can’t Stop the Feeling
AT T E N T I O N : S A R AT O G A’ S S U M M E R HASN’T BEEN CANCELED! HERE'S A 10-STEP GUIDE T O C E L E B R AT I N G I N Y O U R O W N B A C K YA R D .
B Y N ATA L I E M O O R E
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t’s the Friday before the Alabama Stakes, and Saratogian Patrick Poirier’s out-of-town friends and family are descending on the Spa City. His Saratoga friends also have people coming to town, and that night, they all go out for dinner and drinks, staying out a little too late for what the following morning has in store. Regardless, a few brave souls rise with their 5:30am alarms and head to Saratoga Race Course to reserve a coveted table in the backyard picnic area. (It’s a tacit track rule that if your stuff is on a picnic table, it’s yours for the day.) They head back home for a mid-morning nap and to pack their coolers full of sandwiches and pasta salad for the day ahead. The whole gang walks over to the track together, so they don’t have to deal with parking, and they spend the afternoon in the picnic area watching the races and placing small bets. From there, they migrate to the Horseshoe Inn Bar & Grill and eventually downtown to keep the party going. The next morning, they grab brunch before the out-of-towners head back home. It’s a weekend anyone who’s a fan of the track would be familiar with, and one Poirier and his friends have dubbed their annual “Friends and Family Weekend.” But this year, for the first time in the six years Poirier has lived in Saratoga, it’s looking like the weekend won’t be possible, at least not in the way he and his friends and family are used to. Back in April, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced that racing would be taking place at Saratoga this season, but likely without fans in attendance, due to the COVID-19 crisis. So, what to do? If the races are being run at the track, can we find a way to still have the traditional Saratoga Summer experience? The short answer is yes. The long answer is going to take a little explaining. Here’s a step-by-step guide to making the most of this exceptional Saratoga season.
course correction Since the track will likely be closed to spectators this summer, Saratogian Patrick Poirier (second from left) is considering making alternate plans for his annual “Friends and Family Weekend.”
STEP 1:
FIND A HOME BASE With Saratoga Race Course most likely closed to spectators this summer, you’re going to need a new space for your friends and family to congregate. If that space is your own backyard, as it was for Saratogian Austin Bayliss when she hosted a socially distanced Kentucky Derby party back in May, perfect. If you have a larger party, like Poirier’s crew, you may need to look elsewhere. “We’ve talked about renting an Airbnb, and maybe doing a blow-up projector screen,” he says. With fewer tourists coming to Saratoga this summer,
there will certainly be an abundance of available Airbnbs and rentals, so it’s definitely an idea to consider.
S T E P 2 : R E N T/ B U Y A T V Speaking of blow-up projectors, they’re probably not the best move for an outdoor party, as you’ll have a tough time seeing the screen in any sort of sunlight. Outdoor TVs are going to be a better bet, says Philip Hazapis, the vice president of Hippo’s Home Entertainment Center in Albany. “There are some outdoor TVs that are meant for absolute direct sunlight, so they can be anywhere,” he says. “And then there are some that are meant for a three-season room or an enclosed porch where it’s kind of inside and it’s kind of outside.”
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party central In June, Kristen Lambert opened her Saratoga shop Tailgate and Party, which carries everything you’d need for an at-home races-watching party, in June of this year.
STEP 3:
G E T PA R T Y S U P P L I E S Since the track will likely be closed to spectators, that means you don’t
have to lug chairs and coolers all the way to the picnic area. But it does mean you have to stock up on your own party supplies. A great place to start is Tailgate and Party, a new shop that opened on the corner of Caroline and Henry streets in Saratoga in June. “I have all the supplies you’d need to officially tailgate or picnic,” says owner Kirsten Lambert, a Saratoga racing fan who moved to the Spa City last year. “So, every kind of cooler, big cornhole
STEP 4:
MAKE IT AUTHENTIC Derby party hostess Bayliss is the queen of themed parties, and she’ll tell you firsthand that you don’t need to be at the track to have a proper day at the races. Her party included dressto-impress fashion, betting on the simulated Derby that ran on national
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Hippo’s carries two brands of outdoor TVs—Séura and SunBrite—as well as outdoor speakers from Sonance that can be placed throughout the yard and mounted on the outside of the house for surround-sound race-watching. Or, you could just rent a TV.
games, a lot of the outside equipment you would need—tables and chairs and things like that.” Lambert’s store also carries traditional party supplies, such as paper plates and napkins, as well as a variety of party games. And, if you’re planning to party pretty hard, be sure to pick up one of her hangover kits.
bags for the burgers, fry boats and TV, a call to post (played by her friend dome shake cups.” and Senior Director of Artistic Planning at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Chris Shiley, on the trumpet) and a STEP 5: merch “giveaway,” like Saratoga Race C R E AT E A M E N U Course does several times a Part of the Saratoga experience year. “We feigned running is the food, so tailor your out of gifts, because party’s menu to your they always run out,” favorite track snacks. Bayliss says. “For Shake Shack is an Opening Day, my obvious choice (see: daughter has a little Bayliss’ party), as playhouse cottage the Saratoga Race in the backyard, and Course location is we’re making it our the chain’s only one own Shake Shack. in Upstate New York, austin’s powers We’re going to but you don’t have Homemade serve knockoff to settle for make-yourhorseshoe cookies Shake Shack fries, own milkshakes—in 2017, from Austin Bayliss' burgers, shakes the fast-food titan released its Derby party. and Chicago dogs, first cookbook, entitled Shake which used to be on their menu but Shack: Recipes & Stories, complete they took off for some unthinkable with 70 authentic Shake Shack recipes. reason. We went all out and ordered the If shakes and burgers aren’t your thing, signature cardboard trays, parchment order out from one of the Saratoga
eateries that have popular stands at the track, such as Hattie’s or Ben & Jerry’s. And don’t forget a big, cold pitcher of Saratoga Sunrises!
STEP 6:
PICK YOUR CHANNEL Live racing is offered on a few channels, but for Saratoga races, NYRA TV’s Saratoga Live program, aired on Fox Sports, FS1, FS2 and the MSG Network, is all you need. NYRA TV’s coverage provides views of the races better than those of the Grandstand, as well as expert commentary and interviews with the sport’s top trainers, jockeys and owners. Watching the races on TV might not even be that big of a change for many fans: “We’ve always hung out in the picnic area anyways,” says Poirier of his past years at the track. “We’ll go out front for a few races to catch the horses right in front of us, but a lot of times we’ve just watched the races on the televisions that are back there.”
the races! 2020 in some capacity, and the Horseshoe Inn Bar & Grill, another racing season favorite, has been open since mid-June. “We’re gonna have six TVs outside,” says Horseshoe co-owner Brandon Drellos. Other bars and restaurants, such as Prime at Saratoga National and Racing City Brewing, will also be open and airing televised coverage from Saratoga Race Course on race days.
press time, the details of the evening weren’t finalized yet, but LifePath was planning on having an online auction, social media challenge, raffle and wine pull, per the organization’s director of marketing and special events, Maria Jones. Tune in to the event, scheduled for August 28, and consider making a contribution to those charities that aren’t having fundraisers this year.
STEP 9:
SUPPORT A GOOD CAUSE A huge part of the Saratoga season experience is the social scene, and while several organizations have chosen to cancel their annual fundraisers, as is the case with the Saratoga Hospital Gala, others have postponed them until later in the year or opted to take them virtual. One such organization is LifePath (formerly Senior Services of Albany), whose annual Travers Wine Tasting is moving from the Lodge at Saratoga Casino Hotel to the web. At
DAVE FEIDEN
“There are offshore and other enterprises that are not legitimate, and in many cases, illegal,” Brown says. “You want to stick to brand names, because otherwise, you’re just sending your money into the void. The logical place for nyra banks The NYRA beginners in Saratoga to Bets app is the logical play would be through place for beginner NYRA Bets.” Most ADWs bettors to play the even offer some sort of STEP 7: ponies, says professional signup bonus; NYRA Bets, DOWNLOAD A horseplayer Jerry Brown. for example, has a deposit BETTING APP match of up to $200. Even if you’re not a big gambler, betting apps are a great way to make STEP 8: your afternoon a little more interesting. K E E P T H E PA R T Y G O I N G But which one to choose? NYRA Bets, While the track will likely be closed to TwinSpires, TVG and Xpressbet are the spectators, Saratoga restaurants will be four major Advanced Deposit Wagering open for business, even if only at 50 (ADW) sites that have apps, says Jerry percent capacity (per the governor’s Brown, a professional horseplayer and orders), so hit the town after the last race founder of Thoro-Graph, a wagering of the day. Siro’s, the historic after-track platform and horse data resource hangout for Saratoga’s highest rollers, for bettors. The No.1 thing to look for is planning to open its outdoor area whenSaratoga_Living_POLY_Pure_7.2.2-155F_RevA.pdf choosing an ADW is credibility: 1 6/25/20 1:12 PM
of selling in Saratoga,” Seitz says. “So we might go ahead and celebrate that next year.”
BOTTOM LINE:
There’s no denying that Saratoga is going to look a lot different this summer, but that doesn’t mean we—locals and tourists alike—can’t enjoy it. And it certainly doesn’t mean the magic of the Saratoga ground siro Siro’s, the historic epicenter of after-track season is lost forever. “We’re revelry, is planning to open in some capacity this summer. making alternate arrangements STEP 10: to see people, be with people, TUNE IN TO THE SALES “Normally, our sales are open to the but still take in the atmosphere of the Another racing season tradition that public, but we’re not sure if that’s going track to support that culture of Saratoga Saratogians will be missing out on is to be the case this year,” says Anna Springs,” Poirier says. “I hope the people Fasig-Tipton’s Saratoga Sale, typically Seitz, Fasig-Tipton’s client development that come up from New York City or out held at the auction company’s George and public relations manager. Either of state to do the track stay involved with Street location in early August. This way, the sale will be livestreamed on the the culture that they’ve come up to see every summer. I hope they still come year’s auction has been combined with company’s website, fasigtipton.com, up and spend the time in Saratoga and Fasig-Tipton’s July sale and New York– and those interested in purchasing a support the local economy because for bred sale into one mega-auction taking Thoroughbred will be allowed to bid place in Kentucky September 9-10. online. “It would’ve been our 100th year us who live here, it’s our livelihood.”
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Saratoga’s Welcome Sign H O W T H E N AT I V E D A N C E R S TAT U E B E C A M E T H E C I T Y ’ S G AT E WAY. BY K AREN BJORNL AND p h o t o g r a p h b y F R A N C E S C O D ’A M I C O
I bronze bombshell Saratoga’s Native Dancer statue is the city’s version of the “Welcome to Las Vegas” or “Hollywood” sign.
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t’s a greeting fit for a world-renowned racing town. As you drive down Union Avenue, past Saratoga Race Course and the line of mighty Victorians, you’ll find, at the foot of the grand boulevard—or the top of Congress Park, depending on your vantage point—a majestic bronze statue glinting in the summer sun. Depicted is Hall of Fame racehorse Native Dancer, with fellow Hall of Famer Eric Guerin aboard, beckoning you in with the simple message: “Welcome to Saratoga Springs.” The larger-than-life statue serves a dual purpose as both the gateway to the Spa City—it’s our “Welcome to Las Vegas” or “Hollywood” sign—and as a shrine to the late Marylou Whitney, the iconic philanthropist and socialite known native saratogian Hall of Famer as the “Queen of Saratoga,” who gifted it to us. Eric Guerin aboard Native Dancer in The flesh-and-blood Thoroughbred, Native Dancer, Saratoga Race Course’s Winner’s Circle. also known as the “Gray Ghost,” was both a champion racehorse and star of the nascent television age in the early 1950s. Owned by Alfred G. Vanderbilt—a relative of Marylou’s second husband, Cornelius “Sonny” Vanderbilt Whitney—Native Dancer went four for four in stakes race wins at Saratoga in ’52 as a 2-yearold, a record that went unmatched for 65 years. The following year, he won two legs of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, before heading to Saratoga to triumph in the Travers Stakes. Afterwards, Native Dancer even got his moment in the sun on the cover of Time magazine. Marylou and her husband, John Hendrickson, commissioned the statue in 2015 to celebrate Saratoga’s centennial, with the bronze sculpture completed by equine artist Gwen Reardon. The finished product was positioned in its place of honor and dedicated in the pocket-sized Centennial Park, which was renamed Marylou Whitney Park in honor of Saratoga’s fallen Queen shortly after her death last July. Today, flowers surround the statue, plumes of water shoot up around it from small fountains, and lights keep it aglow at night.
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“Mrs. Whitney and Mr. Hendrickson made a very special contribution [to the city],” says Saratoga Springs Mayor Meg Kelly of the statue. “It’s a place they designed and created themselves, and in just a short time, it’s become one of our most popular landmarks, a place that everyone who visits us hears about and makes a special trip to see.” This strange summer, when the horses will likely run without spectators to watch them, one can only hope that Marylou Whitney Park will continue doing its essential job of welcoming in tourists, less than a mile from the historic track. “That special place is part of the legacy she leaves us,” says Mayor Kelly. And it’s that legacy that will be there next year, welcoming those same fans back.
(Hendrickson and Whitney, Reardon) LAWRENCE WHITE
gift horse (from top) John Hendrickson (center) and Marylou Whitney at the Native Dancer statue dedication in August 2015; equine artist Gwen Reardon with her statue; the statue sits in what is now Marylou Whitney Park at the top of Congress Park.
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the races! 2020
James Bond’s Secret Weapon
RINALDI
T H E H . J A M E S B O N D –T R A I N E D R I N A L D I I S R E A DY F O R T H E 2 0 2 0 S E A S O N . BY N ATA L I E M O O R E
By The Numbers:
3
Number of owners Rinaldi has
1
Number of hours he trains a day
7
Number of days he trains a week
6-7
Number of hours he rests a day
20-25
Number of gallons of water he drinks a day
15
Number of quarts of grain he eats a day
W
hen we asked Saratoga-based Thoroughbred trainer H. James Bond what horse he was most excited about this year for our racing experts panel on page 29, he didn’t even need to think about it. “Rinaldi,” he said. In four starts, the 4-year-old bay gelding by Posse and Dynamite Cocktail, a daughter of Dynaformer, has excelled for the Bond Racing Stable, winning both the New York Stallion Stakes (NYSS) Spectacular Bid at Belmont with 10-1 odds and the NYSS Cab Calloway at Saratoga Race Course, in which he nearly doubled his career earnings to $173,640. (Not bad for a weanling purchased for $5,000.) This year, Rinaldi will likely be teamed up with jockey Luis Saez, who rode the horse to both his victories in 2019. “I’m looking for some New York–bred stakes races going one mile on the grass,” says Bond about his plans for the 2020 season. He’s pointing the horse toward the West Point Stakes, a $150,000, 11⁄16-mile turf race scheduled for September 4 at Saratoga. Even if we can’t be there in person, we’ll be glued to our TVs, cheering on this home-town horse. circle of friends Rinaldi and his connections, including jockey Luis Saez and trainer H. James Bond (front row, standing sideways in the blue jacket) in the Winner’s Circle after the 2019 NYSS Cab Calloway.
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210 CAREER STATS YEAR
STARTS
2019 4
FIRSTS
SECONDS
2
0
THIRDS
EARNINGS
EARNINGS PER START
1 $185,640
$46,410
PEDIGREE
Silver Deputy ♂ Posse ♂ Raska ♀ RINALDI ♂ Dynaformer ♂ Dynamite Cocktail ♀ Tutu ♀
Deputy Minister ♂ Silver Valley ♀ Rahy ♂ Borishka ♀ Roberto ♂ Andover Way ♀ Corwyn Bay ♂ Luck’s Fancy ♀
Amount, in dollars, spent on new shoes for him every month
150
Daily cost of his care, including vitamins and supplements, in dollars
1,025
His weight, in pounds
47
His top speed, in miles per hour
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meet the old boss Saratoga Automobile Museum trustee Ken Salamone has been offered $10,000 for the car’s battery alone—the original, nonfunctioning collector’s item sits in the Mustang’s trunk; (OPPOSITE) Salamone with his prized Grabber Blue 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429, which is sitting in his man cave/garage in advance of September’s Saratoga Motorcar Auction.
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The Other Kind of Horsepower S A R AT O G A A U T O M O B I L E M U S E U M T R U S T E E K E N S A L A M O N E I S PA R T I N G WAY S W I T H H I S U LT R A - R A R E 1 9 7 0 F O R D M U S TA N G B O S S AT T H I S Y E A R ’ S S A R AT O G A M O T O R C A R A U C T I O N . BY WILL LEVITH p h o t o g r a p h y b y K AT I E D O B I E S
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hen you pull up Ken Salamone’s driveway in Diamond Point on Lake George, the closed garage doors at the end of it look pretty unassuming. In fact, from the outside, it appears to be your ordinary two-car garage, the type that might be connected to a reasonably sized house. On the other side of those nondescript doors, however, is something that can only be described as having been stripped from a Bruce Springsteen song. There’s a vintage Hemi up on a car lift; various Ducatis and an Aprilia kickstanded and waiting for a rev-up; two wall-mounted electric guitars, a full drum kit, keyboard and amplifiers in the back corner; and the star of the show, a Grabber Blue 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429, with a black interior, which Salamone is putting on the block at this year’s Saratoga Motorcar Auction that is set for September 18-19 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). (By the way, that’s only the top floor of the garage; a bottom level reveals several other highend metallic treasures stacked snugly into a four-car garage.) A lifelong car enthusiast and amateur mechanic, Salamone is a trustee at the
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Saratoga Automobile Museum and will be offering up his Mustang as one of the key lots in the September auction. It could realize as much as $300,000-$350,000 when the hammer falls, per the Auto Museum’s Auction Director, Bill Windham. Salamone is only its fourth owner; he was preceded by NASCAR driver Bill Elliott, construction mogul Eddie Vannoy and finally, Dana Mecum, the famed car auction founder, whom he bought it from in 2011. “The latest on the registry is that there are 11 Grabber Blues known to exist with a black interior,” he says. “That was one of the buying points for me.” Salamone even has the car’s original, non-functioning battery in the trunk—something that collectors have offered him $10,000 for alone. With all that pricey metal and horsepower in his garage—and a sprawling, multihouse lakefront compound-in-the-making on the other side of it—you’d half expect Salamone to be a flesh-and-blood horse guy, too. Not so. “I do not own any horses,” he says. “I fell off a horse once when I was young, and they scare me.” But local horse fanatics can get off their, um, high horse: Salamone’s a big fan of Saratoga Springs and its historic racetrack. “We go to the Travers—we love Saratoga,” he says. He won’t be going to any races this year, obviously. He’s got his own dandy to place at SPAC, show to the masses and hopefully, get a winning bid for.
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the races! 2020 Doc’s life, told me that he vouches for Doc and the story. And the trumpeter himself has told a similar version of the story to other journalists, including one at the Courier-Journal, the newspaper of note in Louisville where the Kentucky Derby is run. So I’m going to take him at his word.
E
JOHNNY CARSON’S L E G E N DA RY B A N D L E A D E R , DOC SEVERINSEN, TELLS saratoga living A B O U T T H E TIME HE CAME THIS CLOSE TO OWNING A KENTUCKY DERBY WINNER.
arlier this year, while working on a story about Caffè Lena’s 60th anniversary, I reached out to a number of music legends about their time performing at the venue. One was 92-year-old Doc Severinsen, famed Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson bandleader and BY WILL jazz trumpeter, who had played there with his band, the San Miguel Five, the summer of 2019. I found an email contact on Doc’s website, fired a note off into cyberspace and figured I’d never hear back. Then, one weekend morning, months later, I got a call from an unfamiliar New York City number. Suspicious, I let it ring a few times and then picked up. “HELLO?” said a gruff, older man’s voice on the other end of the line. Assuming it was spam, I chickened out and hung up. Minutes later, the same number called and
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left a voicemail. It turned out that I’d hung up on none other than the legendary Doc Severinsen, and that he was interested in talking to me for my story. We later connected, and though his quotes about Caffè Lena never made it off of the cuttingroom floor, it was a seemingly fantastical tale that he told me LEVITH about his days as a racehorse owner in California and coming close to owning the winner of the 1989 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, Sunday Silence, that piqued my interest. The interview sat in my recorder until recently. And now, you get to hear it yourself. A word of warning: I can’t independently confirm this story— the horse breeder that Severinsen refers to passed away a long time ago. But recent saratoga living cover star Kevin Bright, a friend of Severinsen’s who filmed a documentary on
(Severinsen and Carson) COURTESY OF DOC SEVERINSEN
Doc’s Darkest Derby Day
You have a long history of being a lover of horse racing. Have you ever owned a Triple Crown race-winning horse? No. But I’ll tell you how close I came. I had a friend, Albert Yank, who would get 25 or so Thoroughbreds before a big sale—some of them he bred himself, some of them he would buy. He had a lot of big-time horses. So, I went by his farm one day at Hollywood Park, and they were having a sale of 2-year-olds in training. Yank said [mimicking a Southern accent], “Well, my friend, it’s good to see you.” I said, “How’s it going?” He said, “Well, my friend, I have for you the next Kentucky Darby winner.” I’d bought a lot of racehorses from him, and I said, “Oh really.” He said, “Now, before I bring this horse out here, I’ll tell you right now, he looks pretty shitty, because he was in an accident in a trailer, and he got scuffed up, and he’s mean as cat shit and twice as nasty. But let’s get serious here. I got your Darby horse this year.” And I said, “No kidding.” He says, “I’m going to bring him out and show him to you.” And he brought him out, and everything he said was true: He was ugly, mean and sickle-hocked in the back. This was against the law, and it still is, but Albert said, “Now, my friend, because I want to do you a nice thing here, I am going to let you have this horse for $50,000 right this minute. The worst that could happen is somebody wants to pay a quarter of a million for him, and you just made yourself blue sunday (from top) Sunday Silence, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Doc Severinsen had the chance to purchase for just $50,000; Severinsen (left) and Johnny Carson; (opposite) Severinsen has been celebrated as one of America’s top jazz trumpeters for more than half a century.
$200,000 and didn’t have to leave the premises.” I said, “Well, that sounds pretty good.” He said, “Every year you buy some piece of shit, and you come moaning to me that he didn’t win any races. This horse, I’m telling you, is going to win the Kentucky Darby.” I said, “Well, my business manager and my wife are getting after me about spending money on racehorses.” He said, “It’s up to you, my friend. Here’s your Darby horse.” I said, “You know what, Albert, I’m going to go get lunch, and when I come back, we’ll talk some more.” He said, “That’s fine with me.” Of course, I didn’t go back. On the day of the Kentucky Derby, and this would’ve been a year later, I’m in the kitchen cooking, and I know the Derby’s about to come on, so I sit down and turn it on. My wife [at the time] was in the kitchen, and she didn’t want anything to do with racehorses or the racetrack or anything. The race starts, and I go over to watch it, and I said, “That horse is going to win this race!” And he won the race. My wife said, “What’s the deal?” I said, “I had a chance to buy that horse for $50,000, and I didn’t do it because I thought you were going to be pissed off at me!” She said, “Did you bet on it?” I said, “Yes, of course, I did! I had $1,000 dollars on him.” She said, “Do you mean to tell me, you knew that much about that horse, and you only bet $1,000?” Well, I’ll tell you, there’s still a hole in the roof right where I went through it. Everything I told you was the god’s honest truth. What was the horse’s name? Sunday Silence. I’ll tell you, he won the Derby, he won the Preakness and he lost the Belmont by a lip. They had to take a picture at the end, and it looked like it might be a dead heat. Now, I’m holding my fingers apart, and that can’t have been more than three quarters of an inch. Then, they sold the horse to a bunch of Japanese guys for $6 million. I get sick to my stomach every time I think about it. [Editor’s Note: The sum paid for Sunday Silence to stand stud in Japan was actually $2.5 million for a 25 percent stake and then $7.5 million for the additional 75 percent stake. In other words, sorry, Doc.]
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the back Gorgeous ⁄
mane man Saratogian Stowe Burke, a veterinarian and fourth generation horseman, runs the only vet-owned-andoperated therapy center in the Northeast.
(Horse) Spa City
OF C OU R S E , TH ERE’ S A LOCAL S PA J UST FOR H ORSES. BY K AREN BJ ORNLAND photo g r a phy by ROB SPRI NG
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S
aratoga Springs’ healing Just like humans, horses need rehab spa waters aren’t just after surgery and injuries, and at Burke for people—they’re for Equine, the animals recover at the racehorses, too. At Burke only vet-owned-and-operated therapy Equine Inc., a therapy center in the Northeast that offers an center at Top Rail Farm, AquaPacer (the treadmill), ECB Cold Thoroughbreds are Saltwater Spa (exactly what it sounds pampered in a special like), an exercise track and “spa barn” where 24/7 veterinary care. massage in they move their legs Top trainers such as a saddle underwater on a treadmill Todd Pletcher, Jimmy Burke Equine is a full-service and soak their bones Toner, Kiaran McLaughlin, therapy center in a saltwater Jacuzzi. Christophe Clement, Bill for Saratoga’s top “They all seem to enjoy Mott, Jimmy Jerkens, Nick equine athletes. it,” says Stowe Burke, a Zito and Peter Pugh have veterinarian and fourth all sent their superstars generation horseman, who lives and to Burke, and during track season, works at the 104-acre farm on Hutchins anywhere from 40-50 horses can be Road, near the Saratoga Spa State Park. there at one time. But four-legged
patients check in all year round, and not only racehorses. Burke says they see Standardbreds, show horses and barrel racers, too. When saratoga living visited in June, there were 32 horses on the peaceful, woodsy property, being cared for by masked workers (due to the lingering COVID-19 crisis), who hauled buckets and pushed wheelbarrows amid tall trees and tidy white barns. When it’s spa time, a horse walks for 15-20 minutes in the water-filled AquaPacer, which in the winter is heated to 75 degrees. “The same company also makes a machine—a smaller version—for humans, that’s used after surgery, especially knee surgery,” Burke says. During the cold spa treatment, a horse stands in 35-degree saltwater for 10 minutes to reduce inflammation. “What I love about my job,” says Burke, “is that I get to see the horses from the point of diagnosis and injury all the way to the point where they return to their intended function. And then I get to be with my family on my family farm, Top Rail Farm, one of the last working farms in the City of Saratoga Springs.” In a house on a hilltop, Burke lives with his wife, Caroline,
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the back Gorgeous ⁄ trotting water Burke Equine Owner Stowe Burke, along with Shannon Frame, assisting a horse in the AquaPacer machine.
a Skidmore College graduate and owner of design firm Top Rail Interiors, and their children, Minnie and Henry. Farming is in his DNA: Growing up, the Saratoga Springs High School grad spent weekends and summers at
the farm with his grandfather, Bobby Burke, a show jumping Hall of Famer. Down the hill, horses go to the spa early in the morning, so visitors don’t get to see them in the water. But a 9am visit may include a short walk to
the half-mile track that circles through a forest. On this sunny morning, Burke watches closely as three horses jog with their exercise riders. The shade keeps their blood pressure down, he says. “The horses just love it, and it keeps them less stressed.” At 10am, as saratoga living’s visit was drawing to a close, Burke donned a riding helmet, pulled fringed leather chaps over his jeans, and headed to the track. “I’ll get on each horse that’s here at some point,” he says. “This way I can be sure of their recovery.” The satisfaction that comes from being hands-on in the healing process is why he runs a rehab center for horses. “It’s amazing,” he says, “that an animal so big and strong will allow us to interact with them like they do.”
A DAY AT THE RACES
YOUR EVENT HOSTS
WITH PRIME AT SARATOGA NATIONAL
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RESERVED TABLES AVAILABLE ON RACE DAYS • 12:30PM - 6:30PM | LOCATION • OUTSIDE TERRACE Call to Reserve • 518-306-2330 • www.golfsaratoga.com • 458 Union Avenue Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
Package Includes Reserved Table With Premier Televised Views & Audio Of Simulcast Races From The Saratoga Race Course - Post Time 1:00pm • Table Reservation is guaranteed from 12:30pm - 6:30pm Reserved Or Logo’d Signage On Table Complimentary Glass Of Prosecco & “Lite Fare” Bite Upon Arrival To Table | Complimentary Coffee, Decaf & Tea Throughout The Day | Prime Lunch & Cocktail Menus For Purchase Designated Waitstaff To Order Food & Beverage | Premium Cigars For Purchase - Designated Smoking Areas Photo Opportunity At The Original “Saratoga 150 Anniversary Gate” Available NYRA Bets Cards For Purchase & Use On Your Personal NYRA Bets Account | Sponsorships Available - Coming Soon | *Ask About Price for Full Meet Reserved Tables -- Tables Can Be Reserved In Advance Under These Terms -• Not Valid During Dark Days - Monday & Tuesday • Pre-Pay Table Fee And Food & Beverage Deposit (Minimum) • Cost • $50 Per Seat | Includes $30 Per Person, Food & Beverage Credit Credit Card Will Be Charged At Time Of Reservation.
Happy Feet
LIK E EVERY ELITE ATH L ETE, THORO U G H BREDS WEAR DIFFERENT KI N DS O F S HOES. BUT NOT ALL H ORSES H O E S ARE CREATED EQUAL. BY KATI E NAVARRA
omg, shoes An aluminum horseshoe called a “spider plate” is used to help stabilize a horse’s hooves.
A
ll athletes swear by their own particular performanceboosting sneaker. Take LeBron James, Mike Trout or Serena Williams: They wouldn’t dream of lacing up for the basketball court, baseball diamond or tennis court without their signature pair. So would it surprise you to learn that Thoroughbred racehorses are also massive shoe-heads? The most popular horseshoes are called “plates,” which attach directly to the horses’ hooves (or “feet”)—and the most popular plates are the lightweight aluminum kind. Certain horseshoe manufacturers such as Victory, Kerckhaert and Thoro’Bred are the go-to brands for trainers, with their logos stamped into the edge of each shoe (some even carry as much
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80 saratoga living
prestige as the Nike swoosh does on its sneakers). Shoe manufacturers sell plates in traditional horseshoe shapes, but it’s up to experts, or “platers,” to bend and shape the shoes to a horse’s specific needs, creating the ultimate custom fit. Just like human athletes, horses can also sometimes have injuries or conditions that require a shoe with more support. After Triple
Crown winner American Pharoah bruised his left front foot, for example, a half-plate was used to protect the injured part of one of his hooves. Here’s a look at the different types of shoes racehorses wear to win.
BAREFOOT Horses can sometimes go barefoot, although most racehorses wear shoes to protect their hooves from being worn down. FOOT FACTS: Lexington’s Keeneland Race Course used a kinder-on-the-feet synthetic Polytrack surface for eight years, leading to many shoeless horse victories.
ALUMINUM PLATES Nearly all flat track racehorses within the last 40-50 years have worn aluminum plates. Aluminum is one-third the weight of steel, and the lighter metal shoe causes less fatigue on its wearers’ feet. FOOT FACTS: In 2019, Code of Honor won the Travers Stakes wearing aluminum shoes.
PLASTIC SHOES Metal shoes are nailed onto a horse’s hooves, whereas plastic shoes, made of polyurethane, are glued on. FOOT FACTS: Mucho Macho Man won the 2013 Breeders’ Cup wearing plastic shoes.
SHOCK ABSORBERS footloose Some trainers forgo shoes on their prized Thoroughbreds altogether.
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Both aluminum and steel shoes can include synthetic pads to provide extra cushion and support to equine athletes. (Fun fact:
the game’s afoot Some champion horses, such as 2013 BC winner Mucho Macho Man, prefer plastic shoes.
Curtis Burns of No Anvil, LLC developed the Polyflex plastic shoe locally, in the garage of his Saratoga home.) For horses with a heel injury, a blended poly/ aluminum shoe offers its wearer more cushioning. FOOT FACTS: Sarasota County is one Thoroughbred that prefers this type of shoe, because he has the horse’s equivalent of athlete’s foot. Due to the added hoof structure, he has pulled off wins in several races at Gulfstream Park.
TRACTION CONTROLLERS Some tracks allow “turn downs,” where the heels of the horse’s shoe are bent downward for more grip; most tracks, however, have banned calks, which provide traction, because when used incorrectly, they can lead to injuries. FOOT FACTS: The weather determines what, if any, traction control is used. Rain can make tracks muddy, so platers will add “stickers” to give better traction. Race track officials often announce the usage, so bettors can use that information when wagering.
CURTIS BURNS/NO ANVIL, LLC
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the races! 2020
• GRADE 1, $350,000 COACHING CLUB AMERICAN OAKS • Grade 2, $150,000 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame SUNDAY, JULY 19
• Grade 2, $150,000 Lake Placid
SUNDAY, JULY 26
• Grade 2, $150,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap
WEDNESDAY, JULY 29
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• $85,000 John Morrissey Handicap
FRIDAY, JULY 17
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• $85,000 Union Avenue Handicap • $100,000 Perfect Sting SATURDAY, AUGUST 15 ALABAMA DAY
FRIDAY, AUGUST 7
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 1 WHITNEY DAY
FRIDAY, JULY 24
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• GRADE 1, $250,000 ALFRED G. VANDERBILT HANDICAP • Grade 2, $200,000 Ballston Spa
• GRADE 1, $750,000 WHITNEY HANDICAP • GRADE 1, $500,000 PERSONAL ENSIGN • GRADE 1, $300,000 H. ALLEN JERKENS MEMORIAL • Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green • $200,000 Caress
SATURDAY, AUGUST 8 TRAVERS DAY
• GRADE 1, $1 MILLION TRAVERS STAKES • GRADE 1, $300,000 BALLERINA HANDICAP • GRADE 1, $300,000 TEST • Grade 3, $200,000 Troy • Grade 3, $150,000 Waya SUNDAY, AUGUST 9
• $85,000 Alydar
SUNDAY, AUGUST 16
• $500,000 Saratoga Oaks Invitational WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19
• $85,000 Bolton Landing
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20
• GRADE 1, $100,000 NEW YORK TURF WRITERS CUP • $85,000 Tale of the Cat FRIDAY, AUGUST 21
• $85,000 Skidmore
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22
• GRADE 1, $400,000 FOURSTARDAVE HANDICAP SUNDAY, AUGUST 23
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FRIDAY, AUGUST 14
THURSDAY, AUGUST 6
• $100,000 NYSS Cab Calloway Division
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• Grade 3, $100,000 Schuylerville • Grade 3, $100,000 Peter Pan
THURSDAY, AUGUST 13
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5
• $85,000 Summer Colony
FRIDAY, JULY 31
• $100,000 Coronation Cup
THURSDAY, JULY 23
THURSDAY, JULY 16 OPENING DAY
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12
• Grade 2, $150,000 Adirondack
THURSDAY, JULY 30
WEDNESDAY, JULY 22
• $85,000 Lubash
SUNDAY, AUGUST 2
• $100,000 Birdstone
BILLY FRANCIS LEROUX
SATURDAY, JULY 18
SPECIAL
2020 Saratoga Race Course Stakes Schedule
ENDAR
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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26
holy mitole Horse of the Year Mitole winning the 2019 Forego Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.
• $85,000 Mahony
THURSDAY, AUGUST 27
• $100,000 NYSS Times Square Division • $85,000 Smart N Fancy
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
• Grade 3, $100,000 With Anticipation
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28
• Grade 3, $100,000 Lake George SATURDAY, AUGUST 29
• GRADE 1, $500,000 SWORD DANCER • GRADE 1, $300,000 FOREGO • Grade 2, $150,000 Amsterdam • Grade 3, $100,000 Saranac SUNDAY, AUGUST 30
• Grade 3, $125,000 Shuvee
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
• GRADE 1, $500,000 WOODWARD HANDICAP • Grade 2, $200,000 Glens Falls • Grade 2, $200,000 Prioress • Grade 2, $150,000 Jim Dandy SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
• GRADE 1, $250,000 SPINAWAY • Grade 2, $150,000 Honorable Miss Handicap • $85,000 Lucky Coin MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 CLOSING DAY
• GRADE 1, $250,000 HOPEFUL • $85,000 Lure
Hot Chef Tavern, to put together picnic boxes for home entertaining during a potentially fan-less track season. The idea is that Saratogians still deserve the thrill of picknicking in the track’s backyard area or Picnic Paddock, even if they can't be at the actual track. “There’s this tradition of waiting in line at the track with coolers,” Brown says. “Since we can’t picnic at the track this year, we wanted to provide a convenient way to entertain at home. We hope our picnic boxes bring some sense of normalcy.” Brown gave saratoga living the inside scoop about the boxes, which can be purchased for pickup at The Brook Tavern.
30 Lake Avenue, Saratoga Springs | 518-583-2626 | makemefab.com
under the tuscan sun The Brook Tavern is known for its delicious, bistrostyle fare, which Executive Chef Patrick Brown wanted to capture in his new Party Packs, which include the Tuscan option shown here. The insta-party kits are made for a crowd and are perfect for summer picnics and house parties.
Life’s a Picnic
B R O O K TAV E R N C HEF PAT RIC K B R OWN B OXE S U P T H E T RAC K’ S P I C N I C PA DDO C K T RAD IT IO N.
A
BY A B BY T E GN E LI A
Small Town Feel Big City Taste
Happy Hour 4-6pm Nightly Features
30 Lake Avenue І Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 І 518– 539-3474 І www.30lake.com
nyone who’s dined at The Wishing Well knows its walls are packed with Saratoga Race Course memorabilia, thanks to owner and horse racing fan Bob Lee. What you may not know is that the restaurant’s staff has a long history of going to the track together. It’s that longtime racing fandom that inspired Patrick Brown, executive chef of both The Wishing Well and The Brook
Tell us about your Party Packs. We have three kinds. The BBQ one has baby back ribs, sweet potato salad, jalapeño cornbread and a cold drumstick to heat up yourself. There’s a seafood option with Old Bay spice peel-and-eat shrimp, dill potato salad, jumbo lump Maryland crab, Maine lobster tails and chopped vegetable salad. And the Tuscan Party is a charcuterie board with salami, soppressata, cheddar, mozzarella, cornichons, olives and grilled vegetables with crackers; plus quinoa salad, tunastuffed cherry tomatoes with capers; and our popular pork and beef meatballs, with red sauce and grilled bread. Those meatballs–and the smoked baby back ribs–are both popular dishes at The Brook Tavern, so were no-brainers. The seafood option is an homage to The Wishing Well.
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All three of those options sound like quite the day-at-the-races party! Everything is simple so you’re not stuck in the kitchen; you can be with your guests. The prices are per person, with a four-person minimum. Are you offering any complementary drink options? We serve wine and beer to go, plus cocktails by the pint or quart. We have a Grey Goose Lemonade; Patrón Coconut Margarita; Blackberry Mojito, with white rum; and Kentucky Mule, with Town Branch bourbon and ginger beer with lime.
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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Off-Track Brewing
I
R ACIN G CI TY BREWI NG I S MAKING SU R E T H I S SA R ATO GA S U M M ER STAYS ON TRACK. n BY M O R GA N F E C H T E R
t’s hard to imagine a Saratoga summer without long days spent at Saratoga Race Course. The New York Racing Association’s (NYRA’s) announcement that Saratoga’s racing season will likely be held without fans in attendance (we’re still crossing our fingers for a miracle!) was
a tough blow for the Spa City, but all hope for a fun summer season isn’t lost: Area bars and restaurants are stepping up to replace the track as the new “it” gathering place. One such establishment is Racing City Brewing Co., whose name gives away just how deeply ingrained horse
racing is in the family-owned venture. Owners Tony and Debreen Oliva originally started coming to Saratoga on Travers weekend with their kids, but that turned into a full week the next year, and a month the year after that. “By the fourth year, we owned a house right in town,” says Debreen. “We couldn’t get enough of it.” It’s that same sense of loyalty that the Olivas are hoping will continue bringing fans back to Racing City Brewing this summer. The brewery, which has been located just outside Downtown Saratoga on Excelsior Avenue since its opening in 2018, is the perfect venue to generate a core group of regulars for socially distanced viewings of the races. With a large outdoor space and a 23x14foot TV screen, guests will be able to enjoy the electric race day atmosphere and watch their favorite horses on the big screen, making bets from their smartphones. Racing City Brewing will, of course, have its full selection
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of house-made beers racing heart With a (numbered and color-coded 23x14-foot TV screen and like racehorses) available, as enough space for socially well as wine, cocktails and distanced seating, Racing nonalcoholic beverages, City Brewing may be the which can be ordered online “it” place to watch the races this track season. and picked up at the bar—no contact necessary. At press time, the kitchen was closed, but the Olivas were hoping to establish relationships with local restaurants, so guests could have food delivered there. The brewery is also already accepting table reservations via Square for major stakes weekends. Debreen says she’s thankful for the resounding support from the community during the COVID-19 crisis, and is looking forward to Racing City’s chance to bring the races to fans despite this nontraditional Saratoga summer: “We obviously want to do our part to give back, and also provide what we provide best, which is great beer, good wine and a fun time.”
The Maverick Hour | Sundays 5pm
89.1/88.7 | wmht.org
wextradio.org
architecture, interior design & construction management
Saratoga Springs, NY | Troy, NY 518.587.7120 | phinneydesign.com
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A Day at the Races BY N ATA L I E M O O R E
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overheard SOMETHIN’ TO TALK ABOUT...
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49. The Travers being moved to early August and Saratoga being closed to spectators 53. J. R. R. Tolkien book, for short 56. Geology verb 57. More slippery, in the winter 59. Part of POV 60. Sunni, for one 64. What the horses at Saratoga will be, as of July 16 67. Compete 68. Mascot for a fraternal order 69. The PRC’s Zedong 70. ___ Bo (exercise technique) 71. Possessive adjective 72. It comes before Vegas 73. GA airport 74. Official lang. of Jamaica 75. Popping, as a party
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8. TV add-on that’s become a verb 9. Like a stinky cheese 10. Fragrance 11. Let go of 12. Hot ___ (cocktail) 19. Rooster 20. Word before snap or feet 22. Fence entry 26. Involuntary shake 28. Gem of many colors 29. ___ and void 30. Ariel’s lover 31. The UFC’s sport 32. Charged particle
33. Response after trying a new food, perhaps 36. Censored “damn” 37. Impulse 38. “Famous” cookie maker Wallace 41. In the style of 42. COVID-19 info authority 48. Some binary code numbers 49. Star ___ 50. 2001: A Space Odyssey actor Dullea 51. Make
52. “___ I help you?” 53. Written defamation 54. Home of the World Equestrian Center 55. Summertime disease carriers 58. Tomato type 59. Helicopter-like aircraft, for short 61. Bad to the bone 62. Bank headquartered in NYC 63. ACT, for one 65. Rebellion leader Turner 66. Frat party necessity
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ACROSS: 1. It makes your URL seen by Google 4. Meas. of inflation? 7. It regulates your Rx 10. Towards the stern of a ship 13. Sixth sense, for short 14. HOFer Mel 15. Mean, abbr. 16. Animated 2011 film about a macaw 17. It’s slower than 4G 18. Arrogate’s 2016 Travers time at Saratoga, for one 21. ___ shui 23. Sunburn salve 24. Having a hemispherical roof 25. Upstairs’ upstairs 27. Lord’s counterpart, in Medieval times 28. Someone who only watches racing at Saratoga has one of these 34. Make into baby food 35. Cow’s utter? 36. Pop singer ___ Lipa 39. Two-time Oscar winner Mahershala 40. Cheese’s partner, briefly 43. It lives on a farm 44. Humerus location 45. Corp. alternative 46. It precedes Yeller and MacDonald 47. Type of drum or endangered animal
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saratogaliving.com 89
the total package Maddy Zanetti (left) and Marianne Barker worked tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 lockdown to hand-deliver Porch Packages throughout the community.
Zanetti have hand-delivered or mailed out hundreds of them—they had an even greater impact on lifting the community’s spirits. saratoga living caught up with Impressions’ two owners to learn just how much their new venture did for their business and customers.
Packaged With Love IM PR E S S IONS OF SARATOGA OWNE R S M A R I A N N E B A R KE R A N D M A D DY ZANETTI TH OUGH T UP A WAY TO C R E AT I V E LY GE T THE IR PRODUCTS TO TH E PUBL I C DU R I N G C OV I D-19. BY N ATAL I E MOORE n p h otogr aph y by KAT I E DO B I E S
W
hen the pandemic forced Saratoga businesses to temporarily close their doors back in March, it didn’t take long for Marianne Barker and Maddy Zanetti, co-owners of Impressions of Saratoga, to jump into action. Just days after closing their Broadway gift shop, the pair put together their first two Porch Packages—linen bags filled with assorted goodies from the store that customers could have delivered directly to the porch of their choice. Flash forward to mid-June, and there is now a total of 27 Porch Package options, with themes that range from “Graduation” and “Snack Attack” to
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“Coffee Lover” and “Breakfast in Bed,” listed on impressionssaratoga.com. (While each package comes with a set list of items, all are customizable.) Barker and Zanetti are even offering a “Saratoga Morning Workout” package, complete with everything you’d need for a morning at the Oklahoma Training Track—even though the Oklahoma isn’t open to the public this summer—and plan on putting one together with Saratoga Race Course merchandise for the potentially fan-less track season. While the clever Porch Packages ensured that Impressions had a steady source of income throughout the pandemic—so far, Barker and
Marianne, tell us about what goes into the Porch Packages? We discovered a whole bunch of new products—local ones—that we didn’t know about prior to this. And the community really stepped up to support us, because it was a product that they were like, “This is kind of cool—I’m supporting local.” What was it like selling these special, customizable packages without seeing customers in the store? You’re on the phone one on one, and it creates such an amazing connection. It’s exhausting; it’s just been Maddy and me for most of that time, and honestly, I went home so tired every day. But you just have this great feeling, like, “Wow, I really feel like I helped somebody today.” Maddy, any favorite Porch Package delivery stories? We have one customer who called and ordered Porch Packages and would say, “Just deliver them randomly around town.” One of the houses that we left one at, I [later] ran into [the woman who lives there] and she was like, “I can’t believe you guys left that Porch Package.” The day that we left it, she was having an awful day—she had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. She went out on her porch, and there was this random package sitting there, and she was like, “It was like you guys knew to put it on my porch.”
We are clearing the path to a cleaner planet. Our researchers go all in to get the hard stuff done — from climate change to renewable energy, sustainable architecture to clean water. Learn more at dearworld.rpi.edu
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