Equicurean 2024

Seize the Grey

Marion E. Altieri, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

WELCOME

SALUTATIONS FROM EQUICUREAN: THE SARATOGA MEET 2024!

We hope you were fortunate enough to grab a copy of our Belmont at Saratoga issue. (If not, you can read it online, here: https://issuu.com/ saratogapublishing/docs/eq_belmont_issuu)

It was a first for us, and an exciting challengecreate two Equine issues in 2 months, without losing artistic integrity (or repeating ourselves). We think we accomplished our goals of offering an exciting new version of Equicurean, and giving you a souvenir of the historic first Belmont at Saratoga.

The mighty Arrogate is a Legend in his own right: he elicited gasps at Saratoga Race Course in 2016, when he blew away the competition in the Travers. He ran the fastest Travers in 147 years (no, not a typo), and set a new track record for 1¼ miles at Saratoga. Oh, yes, and he won by 12 lengths.

He went on from Saratoga to take the Breeders’ Cup Classic and the Dubai World Cup, among others, retiring with $17+ Million in the bank.

The big, strapping Pegasus retired to stud, but died too soon at age seven. His progeny to-date have earned $9,820,208, including two classic winners.

One of his lookalike sons, Arcangelo, made history with his trainer, Jena Antonucci: their 2023 win marked the first time in 85 years that a female trainer won the Belmont (Mary Hirsch, 1938, was the first). The team, with masterful jockey, Javier Castellano, went on to win the Travers that August. We think that Arcangelo’s power and focus are evident on our Belmont cover.

Another strapping silver son, Seize the Grey, won the 2024 Preakness; he’s our Summer Cover Boy, and the subject of my essay. (Which may read as a love letter.)

In this issue, we’ll introduce you to the Outriders, and the Starting Gate Crew –two essential vocations, without which racing couldn’t happen. You’ll peek into the Jockeys’ Room, the secret enclave where athletes prepare for races, rest and socialize in-between. You’ll also meet fascinating Women in Racing, and get familiar with the Race Course – including Where to Dine, Where to Park -- and Where NOT to Park.

Thoroughbred racing is our forte, of course -- but we try in each issue to cover different horse breeds and disciplines. This Summer, we’ll introduce you to the beautiful, silent art and sport of Dressage, and the mind-blowing madness of the Mongol Derby. From France and Saratoga to the Steppe of Mongolia – we think we’ll grab your interest, and hold it! (Note: Whether in Mongolia, Saratoga, Saudi Arabia, Japan or Kentucky -- if you ain’t the Lead Horse – the view never changes.)

Welcome to Saratoga; to Equicurean 2024 and welcome to our community, our life, our world.

Have a blessed and joyous 2024 Saratoga meet!

OWNER/PUBLISHER

Chad Beatty

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Marion E. Altieri

MAGAZINE DESIGNER

Kelly Schoonbeck

ADVERTISING DESIGN

Ana Sosa

Kelly Schoonbeck

ADVERTISING SALES

Chris Vallone Bushee

Jim Daley

Cindy Durfey

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Marion E. Altieri

L.A. Berry

Jeffrey Carle

William G. Gotimer, Jr.

Dan Heary

Joe Raucci

L.A. Sokolowski

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Stephanie Cowser

Tom Ryan

Sharon Castro

Coglianese Photos

Dan Heary

Walter Wlodarczyk

Adam Coglianese

Daniella Ricci / Mill Ridge Farm

Chelsea Durand

Susie Raisher

National Museum of Racing NYRA

PUBLISHED BY

SARATOGA TODAY

2254 Route 50 South

Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

518-581-2480

saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com

Equicurean® is brought to you by Saratoga TODAY, Saratoga Publishing, LLC. Saratoga Publishing shall make every effort to avoid errors and omissions but disclaims any responsibility should they occur. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written consent of the publisher. Copyright © 2023. Saratoga TODAY Newspaper.

Photo by Nick Glasser

Photo by Susie Raisher

Cover Photo by ECLIPSE SPORTSWIRE

Photo by Sharon Castro

Race Course Saratoga Race Course

Public Sector the Saranac

Photo by Chelsea Durand

Noted as one of the "Top 10 Sporting Venues In The World" by Sports Illustrated, Saratoga Race Course is one of horse racing's most beloved tracks. With historical ambiance and modern day amenities and style, Saratoga Race Course is the place to find top Thoroughbred horse racing July through Labor Day each year. The 40-day meet draws the top horses, trainers and owners in the world to try their luck at "The Spa."

Saratoga Race Course's 161st racing season

July 11 - September 2

saratoga stakes schedule

Jul 11 Schuylerville

Jul 12 Coronation Cup

Jul 12 Wilton

Jul 13 Diana

Jul 13 Kelso

Jul 13 Sanford

Jul 14 Quick Call Presented by Thoroughbred Retirement Found.

Jul 17 A. P. Smithwick Memorial (Steeplechase)

Jul 17 NYSSS Statue of Liberty Division

Jul 18 NYSSS Cab Calloway Division

Jul 19 Curlin (R)

Jul 20 Coaching Club American Oaks

Jul 20 Lake George

Jul 21 Shuvee

Jul 24 Honorable Miss Handicap

Jul 25 Caress Presented by Albany Med

Jul 26 Amsterdam

Jul 27 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap

Jul 27 Jim Dandy Presented by Mohegan Sun

Jul 28 Bowling Green

Jul 31 De La Rose (R)

Aug 01 Glens Falls

Aug 02 National Museum of Racing Hall Of Fame

Aug 02 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational

Aug 03 Fasig-Tipton Lure (R)

Aug 03 Test Presented by Ticketmaster

Aug 03 Troy Stakes

Aug 03 Whitney (BC)

Aug 03 Saratoga Derby Invitational

Aug 04 Adirondack

Aug 04 Birdstone

Aug 07 Johnstone Mile (NYB)

Aug 08 John Morrissey Handicap (NYB)

Aug 09 Evan Shipman Handicap (NYB)

Aug 09 Union Avenue Handicap (NYB)

Aug 10 Fourstardave Handicap (BC)

Aug 10 Saratoga Special

Aug 10 Galway

Aug 11 Mahony

Aug 14 Jonathan Sheppard (Steeplechase)

Aug 14 Suzie O'Cain (NYB)

Aug 15 Rick Violette (NYB)

Aug 16 Skidmore

Aug 17 Alabama Presented by Keeneland Sales

Aug 17 Lake Placid

Aug 18 Bolton Landing

Aug 21 John's Call (R)

Aug 22 Ballston Spa

Aug 23 Personal Ensign

Aug 23 Smart N Fancy

Aug 24 Ballerina (BC)

Aug 24 DraftKings Travers

Aug 24 Forego

Aug 24 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial

Aug 24 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer (BC)

Aug 25 Albany (NYB)

Aug 25 Fleet Indian (NYB)

Aug 25 Funny Cide (NYB) Presented by Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital

Aug 25 Seeking the Ante (NYB)

Aug 25 West Point (NYB) Presented by Trustco Bank

Aug 25 Yaddo Handicap (NYB)

Aug 28 P. G. Johnson

Aug 29 With Anticipation

Aug 30 Saranac

Aug 31 Flower Bowl (BC)

Aug 31 Prioress

Aug 31 Spinaway (BC)

Sep 01 Bernard Baruch Handicap

Sep 01 Jockey Club Gold Cup (BC)

Sep 02 Harvey Pack

Sep 02 Hopeful

Photo by Amira Chickakly, courtesy of NYRA

bet ting terms:

Win: Your horse must finish first.

Place: Your horse must finish first or second.

Show: Your horse must finish first, second, or third.

Across the Board: Separate win, place, and show wagers of equal amounts on the same horse.

Exacta (box): Pick the first two horses in the correct order. Box it and the horses you select can finish in any order.

Trifecta (box): Pick the first three horses in the correct order.

Box it and the horses you select can finish in any order.

Superfecta (box): Pick the first four horses in the correct order. Box it and the horses you select can finish in any order.

“Boxing” your choices in exacta, trifecta, and superfecta bets makes your wager more expensive

but allows you to win if your selected horses finish in any order! In addition, adding additional horses to your wagers raises the price of your ticket, but gives you more chances to win.

BETS WITH MULTIPLE RACES

Daily Double: Pick the winners of two consecutive races.

Grand Slam: Pick a horse to finish in the top three in three straight races, capped by the winner of the fourth race in the sequence. If there is no show wagering in one of the first three legs, the horse must finish second.

Pick 3: Pick the winners of 3 consecutive races

Pick 4: Pick the winners of 4 consecutive races

Pick 5: Pick the winners of 5 consecutive races

Pick 6: Pick the winners of 6 consecutive races

Champions, Champions more Champions & PART II American Racetracks the of SARATOGA: GrandeDame

In the Belmont at Saratoga magazine, we looked at horse racing in the Spa City from its 1863 inception through the 1940s. (If you missed it, check it out online!)

In this final installment we will dive into Saratoga racing from the fabulous fifties into the present day. BloodHorse Magazine’s definitive poll, ranking the top one hundred Thoroughbreds of the twentieth century, is referred to throughout the article.

Travers Morning 2023

Photo by Susie Raisher

1950’s

Greentree Stables great champion Tom Fool won his maiden race here in 1951. Two years later he romped home in the coveted Whitney Stakes. He became the first of ten of the top twenty American Thoroughbreds of the twentieth century to race at the Spa over the next three decades. Alfred G. Vanderbilt’s Native Dancer made his debut a year later. The gray colt swept all four of his Saratoga Starts. The next year he added the Travers Stakes to his

Photo by Francesco D'Amico

superb resume. If not for a subpar ride by his jockey Eric Guerin in the 1953 Kentucky Derby, “The Dancer” would be in any discussion concerning America’s greatest racehorse of all time. Belair stables Nashua scored in both his starts here in 1955. His rider, The Master, Eddie Arcaro had this to say about him. “Nashua had as much ability as any horse that ever lived.” Enough said. Although not a member of the elite twenty club, he stands at a remarkable twenty-fifth on the list.

1960’s

The fifties were just a taste of championship racing that the sixties and seventies would bring to the Spa. The Saratoga Racing Centennial Anniversary of 1963 was a highly anticipated event. The highlight of the celebration was the appearance of mighty Kelso in that year's Whitney Stakes. He thrilled his legion of fans with an easy score. The late, great racing columnist Joe Hirsch had this to say about the champ, “Once there was a horse named Kelso…but only once.”

Kelso was a tough act to follow. Ogden Phipps had the right elixir with Buckpasser. This magnificent animal was bred for class, looked like class and showed his class over

and over again on the racetrack. He captured both the Hopeful Stakes in 1965 and then the Travers a year later. The swinging sixties had two more champions primed to showcase their tremendous talent at Saratoga. Damascus and Dr. Fager went at each other’s throats on an epic scale in the latter part of the decade. They both appeared here in Spa headliners. Damascus showed his prowess with a 22-length romp in the 1967 Travers Stakes. His tremendous move past the leaders on the backstretch is one for the ages. The Doctor appeared here a year later for the Whitney Stakes. It was just a stroll in the park for this equine masterpiece. His storied career places him in the highest echelon of Thoroughbred brilliance.

Amazing view from the infield lake.

Ogden Phipps and his magnificent Buckpasser in the winners circle 1966 Travers Stakes

1970’s

The racing gods had even bigger plans for championship racing here in the 1970s. It started out with a bang. On second thought it was more like an atomic explosion. Secretariat, who needs no introduction made his Spa debut in 1972. The two-year-old colt easily took all three of his starts here. The big chestnut was on his way. Secretariat would thrill racing fans the world over for the remainder of that year and into his Triple Crown season of 1973. His road to immortality had been paved directly through Saratoga. A year later a bright shining star whose light flickered out much too soon cooked the Spa’s racing surface. Ruffian was her name, and speed was her game. In her lone appearance here, she took the lead like a shot out of a cannon and never looked back. A racehorse of the highest caliber, she died tragically from an injury suffered in a match race against Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure. Although not in the top twenty club, she stands atop all fillies and mares on the BloodHorse list.

Forego, the last of the great handicap champions was entered in the 1977 Whitney Stakes. He was saddled with 136 pounds of weight and a total dislike for the racing surface. It created the perfect formula for the worst performance of his spectacular career.

The year 1978 saw stars rain down on the Spa. In mid-August Triple Crown champion Seattle Slew took center stage in a sevenfurlong allowance race. The superstar breezed home by six lengths. The race was a precursor to the fall classics where the champ put his magnificence on full display.

Five days later these two names that go hand and hand, Affirmed and Alydar, met in the Travers Stakes. The much-anticipated event was the culmination of a rivalry that had lasted over two seasons. Affirmed was the third Triple Crown winner to race here in the decade. Alydar was on track to settle old scores. He had chased Affirmed in all three of the crown events. Over 50,000 fans converged on the grounds to witness it. Unfortunately, a mishap on the backstretch put a damper on the result. Alydar was bumped into the rail by Affirmed while making his move toward the leader. Affirmed drew clear. Alydar desperately regained his stride. He was able to close within two lengths of his historic foe. A stewards' inquiry gave Alydar the pyrrhic victory. They would never face off again.

Artist Bernie Fuchs colorful rendition of Saratoga

Official Program for the 1963 Centennial Celabration

There you have it, an unprecedented ten of the top twenty Thoroughbreds of the Twentieth Century, along with the following notable champions that appeared here over the three decade stretch. How about Gallant Man, Arts and Letters, Gun Bow, Sword Dancer and Ancient Title. Let’s not forget the ladies of the turf. Desert Vixen, Shuvee, Waya, My Juliet and Gamely also strutted their stuff at the Spa during those magical times. The phrase “The Meeting Place of Champions” would be hard pressed to find a better home. The best of their generation have all showcased their talent at the Spa. Since the 1980s we have seen the likes of Holy Bull, Point Given, Ghostzapper, Housebuster, Curlin, Invasor, Slew o’ Gold, Easy Goer, Manila, Fort Marcy, American Pharoah, Zanyetta, Rachel Alexandra and Arrogate race here. They are all Hall of Fame champions.

There are a handful of shrines in the sporting world where America’s best in their field will eventually compete. They have history, tradition and endless tales of victory and defeat. Tennis has Wimbledon. Golf has majestic Augusta National. Baseball has Yankee Stadium, “The House that Ruth Built.” As for “The Sport of Kings” it has fabulous Saratoga, “The Grand Dame of American Racetracks.”

Photo by Chelsea Durand

the BELMONT at saratoga

the Roundup

in history was made... 1665,

as the first organized horse races in America took place at the new Newmarket Course in Salisbury, Long Island. The event was supervised by New York’s colonial governor, Richard Nicolls. In 2024, racing history was made yet-again, when the Belmont Stakes moved to Saratoga Race Course – the oldest Thoroughbred track in America. For four days, The Best of the Best raced on our storied oval. Here’s a snapshot into the historic event:

Saratoga’s own, Jockey Dylan Davis, piloted #5, Drunk on Sake to victory in the very first race of the Belmont Festival of Racing. One for the Home Team!

Photo by Susie Raisher

INTRODUCTION WRITTEN BY MARION E. ALTIERI | PHOTOS BY WALTER WLODARCZYK (UNLESS NOTED)

Frankie Dettori’s flying dismount after winning the 6th at Saratoga on June 7, 2024, on Qatar Racing Inc’s 3YO Army Officer.

Bass Stables’ 3YO, Todd-Pletcher-trained Filly, Audacious broke her maiden in the 6th on June 6, 2024 at Saratoga. All four hooves, off the ground!

Legend Bill Parcells, getting coached in the Saratoga Paddock.

Jockey Jeiron Barbosa is loving Saratoga, and our loyal fans.

Dornoch’s ecstatic owner, former MLB player, Jayson Werth, holds the Belont Stakes Cup aloft in the winner’s circle June 8, 2024.

Thorpedo Anna, showing why she’s probably the best 3YO in America. (Picture of her running FAR ahead of the rest of the field, in front of the Saratoga Clubhouse.)

Todd Pletcher-trained Curlin’s 4YO son, Crupi (#5 on the outside) makes his move in the G1 Suburban on June 8th at Saratoga.

Jockeys enter the Saratoga Paddock.

Fans: Celebrating Horses, Saratoga –and Life!

“Train up a child the way she should go, and when she is old she will not depart from it.” ( Proverbs 22:6)

CONFORMATION

Arcangelo

WRITTEN BY MARION E. ALTIERI

Sometimes, it's about apples and trees.

Many people make a point to bet on Gray horses. Grays comprise only a small percentage of all Thoroughbreds; thus, they stand out when they step onto the track.

Every single Gray Thoroughbred on Earth can trace their color directly to a common ancestor, an Arabian born c. 1712 in England: Alcock’s Arabian. The Gray follows through an unbroken line from Alcock’s Arabian to every Gray in 2024, including Arcangelo. Legendary Trainer, Federico Tesio, observed that Alcock’s Arabian’s influence on the breed was so great, that the stallion should be considered the fourth Foundation Sire.

Photo by Lane's End Farm

Grays come in a variety of shades: sometimes dotted, spotted, or otherwise marked, blending shades of Gray, Black and White. Like the myth of the snowflake, no two Gray Thoroughbreds are exactly alike. (A rare nearexception: the uncanny resemblance of Arcangelo and his Sire, Arrogate. The mighty multimillionaire was named the IFHA Longines’ World’s Best Racehorse for two consecutive years, 2016 and 2017.)

Some people are drawn to Grays, like moths to flame. Hence, Conformation becomes an important factor when choosing a racehorse. (A true lover of Grays might be tempted to buy the horse simply because of the enchanting color.) Conformation – the way in which a horse’s physical construction conforms to established standards -- in concert with Pedigree, are two of the most important factors when bidding or outright buying any Thoroughbred, but especially a Yearling.

(The measuring stick for conformation: a perfect square should be formed by the horse’s legs, back and distance between the hooves. A distasteful thought, but if you can envision a Thoroughbred with its head cut off at the neck—that squareness, or lack thereof, will be revealed.)

Conformation will be studied and respected as a key factor as long as horsepeople keep hope in their hearts, and science on their minds.

Many factors go into the study of conformation: yes, it's about musculature, skeletal structure and mass. But it's the way those physical attributes come together with the spirit of the horse—that one unquantifiable factor—that determines the horse's chances of becoming a Champion. Energy must overcome drag, inertia and gravity, and that is achieved by the mechanical workings of the biological attributes of the horse. Even the fact that horses are unguligrade—they are of a class of animals who walk and run on their toes—is a contributor to the relative perfection of the animal.

Conformation - the way the parts all work together, prepare a horse for doing his job: that of running quickly, with great efficiency. Human beauty is relative— every culture and every individual has standards of beauty that may not jive with those of anyone else. Not so in the equine world. Pedigree is a useful tool, but Conformation is of the utmost importance: Thoroughbreds must be able to run fast, with grace – for grace of movement actually is a factor in the science of winning races. Long, elegant strides are the domain of those who win purses, while jackrabbit runners are far less likely to take the day. This is a most egalitarian concept: a Thoroughbred doesn't win a race because she/he is liked better by the stewards or race announcer. No one votes on who should win—or the Triple Crown would be achieved every year.

A Thoroughbred must cross the finish line first to win a race. Period.

Equine conformation follows a simple principle, that form follows function.

Whether a horse's main function is to run fast in order to win a race, or to escape predators in the wild west—the equine form has been "fearfully and wonderfully made" to accommodate that most basic of instincts.

The machinery that gives a Thoroughbred his locomotion—the self-powered, patterned motion of limbs and other anatomical parts—is vitally essential, from the core. A horse may be appealing to the eye, but if the parts aren't strung together in a way that facilitates smooth action and a long stride—beauty means nothing.

Of course, horses lacking excellent conformation have made monster names for themselves in the sport: Seabiscuit was small, somewhat boney and was over at the knees. The mighty Seattle Slew actually was slewfooted: when he walked, his right-front hoof turned out. He ran straight as a string, but as soon as he walked back off the track, that right hoof turned and faced East. Both Seabiscuit and Seattle Slew established themselves in the Pantheon of Thoroughbred racing, their conformational flaws notwithstanding.

Apples don’t fall far from their trees: not only does Arcangelo look like his late, great Sire – he is similarly big-chested, long-necked and rocks the glutes (engine) that gave him the bounding leap out of the starting gate, and push toward the wire.

Conformation will be studied and respected as a key factor as long as horsepeople keep hope in their hearts, and science on their minds. Conformation is not the only determining factor, but it's the first that buyers notice — and the one that has the most clout when doing the mathematics of physics, that sweet science that is studied by those aiming to win at this sport. This sport - horse racing – the only one that truly offers more intangible rewards than any other athletic endeavor on Earth.

As long as horses and humans have shared the planet, horses have raced each other for money, glory and fun. (N.B.: Weanling Thoroughbreds in a paddock will spend all day racing each other around their space –no saddles, no riders, just racing because it’s fun. They were bred to do it, and they’ll continue to do so, with or without humans tacking them up.)

Their perfectly-conformed bodies and explosive energy are the reasons why car people call it … horsepower

FIRST-TIMERS’ GUIDE RACING SARATOGA

Enjoy your day, and leave the track with more than just lint in your pockets.

WRITTEN

BY MARION E. ALTIERI | PHOTOS BY NYRA/COGLIANESE PHOTOS

Whether this is your first pilgrimage to Saratoga Race Course, or your 1,000th stroll through our prestigious gates, we hope this Guide will help you navigate the oft-confusing waters.

The key word at Saratoga Race Course is, R-E-S-P-E-C-T. There’ll be thousands of fans and employees on any given day, PLUS thousands of HORSES. Respect this place, the people and the horses, and we’ll all get along just fine.

Photo by Chelsea Durand

LET’S START WITH SOME BASICS:

First, when planning your parking strategy, consider a couple of things:

How much do you plan to carry into the track?

How much will you have to drag out at the end of a long, hot day at the races?

Consider lightening your load in the morning, so you don’t faint into your Lobster and Lager at night.

WHERE TO PARK:

Don’t sweat it, there are plenty of options!

Valet, Free and Handicapped Parking: first-come, first-serve. Clubhouse Parking is $10; General Parking is FREE, unless otherwise noted.

Best Bet: Drive onto the Oklahoma Training Track via Potato Chip Lane, off East Avenue. It’s an easy walk to the Union Avenue entrance.

Best Bet 2: Drive around the neighborhood! Many Saratogians open their lawns to offer parking. It’ll cost you, but worth the cheddar. The closer to the Nelson Avenue gate, the more $$. That neighborhood is lovely, as is the area near the Racing Museum on Union.

Where NOT to park:

1) If the sign reads, No Parking—don’t do it. Just don’t. 2) Don’t even think about parking near a barn. Barns are horses’ homes, and workplaces for many people.

BIG, SPECIAL NO-NO:

Oklahoma Wisdom: Just ‘cause you’re parked here, doesn’t give you permission to touch the horses on your way to the Union Avenue gate. Many horses freak out when a plastic bag blows by, now imagine if you or your child tries to touch a horse you don’t know, and that animal bites off your fingers. Don’t blame the horse, her trainer, owner or NYRA. You’ve been warned (and think about it: would you want strangers parking on your lawn, and trying to pet your dog?)

Secretariat. Photo courtesy of NYRA.

OKLAHOMA TRAINING TRACK

SARATOGA RACECOURSE

SEATING:

If you choose the Backyard, you may bring your lawn chair (see rules in the links below). But if you want seats in the Clubhouse, Grandstand, 1863 Club or other spaces with limited seating –contact NYRA’s Ticket Office (see link).

If you wish to dine in the building, on The Porch, Turf Terrace, Club Terrace or other options, click the Dining link for detailed instructions to make reservations.

So, we’ve covered Parking, Sitting and Dining.

Now let’s talk about behavior: horse racing anywhere is a social event, meaning that thousands of strangers are cheek-tocheek in an enclosed space for several hours. It’s Saratoga. It’s Summer. It’ll probably be hotter ‘n Beelzebub’s Kitchen. Here are some words by which to live:

Remember: Alcohol+Heat=Stupidity (and sadly, often = Belligerence). If you must consume alcohol, remember to respect the space and rights of everyone else here.

Prohibited Items: covered, in the links here. An exhaustive list, with good reason. Please read it before you leave home or hotel. Important stuff, all of which can be summed up in one line: If it’s going to invade the space, rights or safety of even one other person or animal – don’t bring it in here.

Visit: nyra.com/saratoga/visit/

Parking (Valet and Free): nyra.com/saratoga/visit/parking/

Tickets: nyra.com/saratoga/tickets/

DRESS CODE:

Yes, in Saratoga there is a Dress Code, for each area (see links). Obviously, the Backyard and Top of the Stretch are more casual, but the bottom line is this: again, respect your neighbors. Just don’t (under-) dress like a big ole’ donkey: no T-shirts with obscene messages (and “I’m with Stupid” was never funny, not even in the 70's). Fishnet tank tops and white socks with sandals may cut it in your home, but really –no one else needs to see that, in my honest opinion.

Last, but surely not least: If you can’t afford to flush it before you come here – don’t bring it through those gates. Please, do buy your Post Parade. Carefully figure your wagers. Conspire with your friends, and plan how you’ll spend those millions when you win. But assume that you’re going to lose anything you bet. That way, if you win only .10 cents on a $2 bet, you’ve come out on top!

Plan well and enjoy your time here. Breathe our clean Adirondack air. Drink in the sweet sound of horses whinnying and take that memory home with you. Hug when you win, shrug when you don’t. Have big fun, be safe, be smart and plan more days at The Most Beautiful Race Course on Earth, in Our Fair City.

Prohibited Items: nyra.com/saratoga/visit/saratoga-track-policies

Dining: nyra.com/saratoga/visit/dining

Guest Services: nyra.com/saratoga/visit/guest-services

Accessible Seating/Tickets:

nyra.com/saratoga/visit/accessible-seating

Featured Food: nyra.com/saratoga/visit/featured-food

Racing Terms You Should Know: pimlico.com/racing-101/Horse-racing-dictionary

SPEAKING OF PARKING

WRITTEN BY MARION E. ALTIERI

PLAY NICELY – OR ELSE.

I bought my new car in January, 2008. Black metallic, with flecks of gold, purple and cobalt in the sun, I named her Mia. Mia the Kia (that’s anthropomorphism, I know). She was just a Kia, but I loved my little car, and took obsessive care of her.

That August, I had several occasions to visit the Horsemen’s Relations Office at Saratoga Racecourse. The late Carmen Barrera was wonderful to me; she always managed to acquire what I asked of her.

Similarly, Felix, the Parking Supervisor on the front of the campus, always let me park right under the tree marked, Owners Parking Only (he knew I’d be no longer than 10 minutes, and the walk from the parking for We, Mere Mortals was a long, long haul). One sweltering August Friday, at Carmen’s office, she was up to her eyeballs in Owners, Trainers, Jockeys. All needed her attention, ASAP. Her assistant kept it flowing, and neither showed one bit of stress: they were professionals.

Finally, after 45 minutes, my business was completed. I sprinted back to my car.

Problem was, Mia wasn’t under the tree.

My heart froze.

Frantically, I looked around: HOW could my car be stolen, under the watchful eye of Felix and his Team? (I didn’t call for Mia, as I would my cat. I did realize that she was a machine, made of steel, wires and chrome).

I decided to walk the entire grassy parking lot, before I would call the Saratoga Police.

Finally, all the way against the castiron fence on Union Avenue, fully 400’ from the parking tree, there sat my car. I dreaded what I’d see: scratches? Dents?

No! Not a dent, no evidence that anyone had messed with my chariot. It was obvious that someone who knew how, had broken into my new car and hot-wired her. I was confused, but there was no one around to ask.

That night, driving around downtown, I spied Felix on Putnam. I stopped, called him over:

“Did you break into my car, hot-wire and move her?”

Felix laughed, shrugged and said, “Well, yeah. An owner needed the space.”

Oh, of course. This is Noo Yawk. That wouldn’t happen in Kentucky, but here…rules can be enforced with a blackjack and a screwdriver.

Moral: Here in Noo Yawk, don’t park where it’s verboten. Ever.

Seize the Grey

Brawny and Graceful, the Steely Preakness Champion is more than just another pretty face. He’s a living reminder of Heroes Past.

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire

QNative Dancer, D. Wayne Lukas and Saratoga!

What do Seize the Grey, Thunder Gulch and Tabasco Cat have in common?

AIs it mere co-incidence, that Native Dancer (The Gray Ghost) is found all over the place in the Pedigrees of the three Thoroughbreds?

Or that D. Wayne Lukas trained Thunder Gulch and Tabasco Cat, and trains Seize the Grey?

Is it just happenstance that Native Dancer is memorialized forever by a beautiful statue in Saratoga, a gift to the City from the late, lovely Mrs. Marylou Whitney and her husband John Hendrickson?

Or that Seize the Grey was bought by MyRacehorse at the Fasig-Tipton Yearling Sale in 2022, just 7/10 of a mile from the statue of his big, silver ancestor?

Synchronicity, man, synchronicity.*

In early June, I had an energizing Zoom with Michael Behrens, Founder and CEO of MyRacehorse, the unique racing partnership that owns Seize the Grey. Michael and I agreed on so many things, including our full-out love of horses and our sport. On Thunder Gulch and Tabasco Cat, Saratoga and the beautiful opportunities for participation in our sport. He believes that racing should be approachable and accessible, and his experiment has succeeded.

WRITTEN BY MARION E. ALTIERI | PHOTOS PROVIDED

Thoroughbred racing has a long history of being an exclusive club. Many people assume that, in order to own a racehorse or even part of one – it’s necessary to be a billionaire. Au contraire! Michael created MyRacehorse precisely to flip that script, of making horse ownership possible for anyone who wants in. So far, MyRacehorse has succeeded: Seize the Grey is owned by 2,570 people, each of whom paid a mere $127 for the privilege and joy of taking the ride on the proverbial back of the huge, grey athlete. Pimlico made special arrangements to accommodate so many owners after Seize the Grey won the Preakness on May 18th (such a joyous celebration, we could feel the energy through our TVs, 160 miles away).

The logo of MyRacehorse is a horse head, but notice: the neck is a road, the path to both Ownership and the journey itself.

“Ownership is the best way to celebrate The Horse –that’s why Ownership is so special.”

i.e., The intimate interaction with Your Horse is a feeling that cannot be replicated by any other business endeavor. You can’t wrap your arms around the neck of your Burger King shares.

Torres, Seize the Grey’s Jockey. Lukas has decades of experience, and Torres is a relative newbie here in the U.S. Behrens noted that two things about Torres sealed the connection between the Jockey, MyRacehorse and Seize the Grey:

”…he’s not only a [gifted] athlete – he’s an amazing young man.”

He made the point that, when Torres and Seize the Grey ride together, it’s “Poetry in motion,” and that the Jockey always looks out for the welfare of his horse. (Ed. note: not all Jockeys can be praised for caring about the welfare of the horses who are entrusted to them, first-and-foremost).

(And not many owners take notice of the integrity and spirits of their jockeys: too many just want “the best,” and a check -- which may not be the best for the horse).

And Lukas! What more can be said about D. Wayne Lukas that hasn’t been written or crowed for decades? Just this: that Michael Behrens was beyond happy when Lukas said he’d love to train Seize the Grey. “He is the perfect Steward” for their son of Arrogate, and descendant of Native Dancer.

STG, Five Months Old, with his Mommy (Mare). Photo credit: Daniella Ricci / Mill Ridge Farm

ALCOCK’S

Legendary Italian breeder Federico Tesio (1869–1954) was the first to research the genetic beginnings of grey Thoroughbreds. Through extensive pedigree studies, he discovered a grey horse in the early 18th Century whose influence was so great that Tesla stated that the horse should be acknowledged as the Fourth Foundation Sire of the Thoroughbred breed.

That horse, Alcock’s Arabian, was the first stallion recognized for his grey coloring in the British General Stud Book, in the early 1700s. His genetic influence spread early, earning him the Leading Sire title by earnings in Great Britain and Ireland in 1728 on the strength of his best son, Crab. Every grey Thoroughbred standing on Earth at this moment traces back directly to Alcock’s Arabian (foaled around 1700, died about 1733), through an unbroken line of ancestors of various shades, from battleshipgrey to near-white (e.g., Tapit, the record-setting sire with a striking nearwhite coat, carries 30 generations of grey ancestors from Alcock’s Arabian, the original source).

So of course, Arrogate, the mighty Champion who banked over $17Million during his career, passed on his steely coat to his two Champion sons, Seize the Grey and Arcangelo.

Without Alcock’s Arabian in their pedigree, both horses would have been horses of different colors. So, now you know.

“He gives the owners the credit, and loves interacting with them”: Behrens pointed out that, on Preakness Day, Lukas did not leave the track until every owner and their family members, who inundated him -- had gotten hugs, autographs, selfies and handshakes. If they didn’t love him before, surely they loved him after.

Just one last question: what might Seize the Grey have to do with my late mother? As Michael and I

Zoomed, I had a feeling. I thought I already knew the answer, so I had to ask. Then I nearly fell over: Seize the Grey was born on my mother’s birthday: April 20th.

She died in June 1995, just before her beloved Thunder Gulch won the Travers. She adored him, and loved Tabasco Cat. She was All Native Dancer, all the time (she would’ve fallen for Seize the Grey, of course).

BABY STG!

Photo credit: Daniella Ricci / Mill Ridge Farm

Seize the Grey, February 2022: The Before Shot Photo credit: Daniella Ricci / Mill Ridge Farm

STG, August 2022 -- The After Shot (HIs YEARLING Conformation photo, on the Fasig-Tipton 'site.)

Credit: Matt Goins/Mill Ridge Farm

Ownership is the best way to celebrate The Horse – that’s why Ownership is so special.

She thought she didn’t understand horses’ pedigrees, but she did. She had researched our family tree, and traced us back to 1066 C.E. Just as I inherited Mom’s brown/black eyes and utter lack of athletic ability, she knew that horses must also inherit traits from their ancestors.

Hair color, ability, focus – all can be attributed to both Heritage (the observable) and Heart (the untouchable).

Seize the Grey inherited so much from the Spirit and Heart of his ancestors, and receives so much from his owners, trainer and jockey: love, kindness and grace.

To borrow from Lord Byron: “[He] walks in beauty, like the night, of cloudless climes and starry skies…”

Arrogate’s majestic son shakes the Earth when he walks, and Heaven responds with a smile.

* Synchronicity: Carl Jung’s theory of Meaningful Co-incidence, that nothing ever is really a co-incidence. All part of a Divine Plan.

Casey Laughter for Racing Dudes

IN HORSE RACING Women

WRITTEN BY MARION E. ALTIERI

Arcangelo's Trainer, Jena Antonucci celebrates winning the Belmont Stakes with Jockey Javier Castellano, June 10th, 2023.

Photo by Sue Kawczynski

PPicture it: you’re about 5’ tall. You weigh approximately 107 pounds, or less. Various adjectives have been applied to you, all your life: “small,” “diminutive,” “Lilliputian.” It’s kind-of annoying.

Now, take your tiny self, and perch atop a 1,100-pound horse. This is one big animal: you needed a leg up to mount the horse (the horse’s shoulder is higher than the top of your head).

On top of Old Smoky, you grip two leather straps, one in each hand. You’re not straddling the horse, legs wrapped securely around the horse’s belly. No, you’re perched, like a frog ready to leap. The irons (stirrups) are really highup, not down as they’d be if you were just sitting on the horse. They’re high, so you really don’t have any option but to frog it.

With all that energy emanating from all those animals and Jockeys, getting to the finish line at all is some kind of miracle. Getting there first is your goal.

The horse is a little antsy, because horses are claustrophobic and you two are in a really small space with another human (an Assistant Starter). It’s close in there, and up to 19 other horses are right next to you. They’re all antsy, too.

Everyone’s on edge except you. You cannot be nervous, you must be focused, for you are the pilot who will safely and carefully thread your horse through the maze of other steeds, all of whom are traveling around 40mph.

The electromagnetic gate blows open. The horses explode out all at once, and you’re on your way. You and your companion are traveling at 40 mph. Mere mortals would be terrified: the odds are very good of falling off or being thrown. This is not a job for the meek.

That steely gaze, the fortitude of heart, is the domain of Jockeys of both genders. Some people who don’t know anything about our sport think that females can’t be jockeys because they’re “weak.” One look at the historic photo of Julie Krone’s back and right gun is proof of the contrary. That is the arm of a warrior, the musculature of a human who’s so strong, she reined in enormous animals who were ten times larger than herself.

Julie Krone, Jacky Davis and Katie Davis are three women who should be admired as role models for the next generation of Jockeys. Little girls can look to them for inspiration and encouragement, as all three women know: being little does not equal being weak.

Julie Krone

Photo by Jerry Casciano

Julie KRONE

What hasn’t been written, or told, about the first woman ever inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga, in 2000? As she recounted in her autobiography, Riding for My Life, she left home in Michigan to move to Florida and begin her career as a Jockey. She knew what she wanted, and her persistence paid off in spades. Her career spanned 23 years, during which time she won over 3700 races, and $90 Million in purses. She broke records, including becoming the first female Jockey to win the Belmont Stakes on aboard Colonial Affair, in 1993. Her other inductions include the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame; the Cowgirl Hall of Fame and the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Auburn, New York.

Julie’s book can be purchased online at Amazon and other outlets. Her story isn’t over, of course: her brilliance and spirit are summed up in this one piece of advice:

“I want this to be a lesson to all kids everywhere,” Krone says. “If the stable gate is closed, climb the fence.”

“I was always grateful to the women who came before me, and I’ve been proud of all who’ve come after. Sure, there were times I could have gotten discouraged. Look at the battles strong women like Kathy Kusner and Diane Crump had to fight just to ride. But no matter what, I always had one thing going for me – I loved my job. There’s no better feeling than being partners with a Thoroughbred, and both of us on a mission.”

- Julie Krone

The Davis Sisters: Apples & Trees

The saying goes that, “Apples don’t fall far from their trees,” and nowhere is that adage truer than in New York’s First Family of Racing: the Davises.

The career choice of Jacky and Katie Davis, along with their brother, Dylan, make their parents proud, every day. They’re three of six children in the family—quite a record, that 50% of the Davis kids are Jockeys! Taking the example of their Father, retired Jockey, Robbie Davis, each member of the trio is making their own mark on the sport of Thoroughbred racing (Robbie became involved with horse racing in his native Idaho at age 17; from there, he came to New York, eventually settling in the greater Saratoga Region. He’s a New York racing legend; his progeny still are building their careers. It’s a blessing to this sport, to see a legacy family all working together, encouraging each other, supporting each other).

In phone conversations with the racing sisters, this Writer learned so much, about each woman: Both were riding horses almost before they could walk. Both love animals passionately. They are nurturers. And both ride every mount with all the commitment of an Evangelist of the Gospel.

Jacky DAVIS

When we spoke on the afternoon of June 26th, the ever-humble Jacky neglected to tell me that she’d just won the fourth at Finger Lakes, only a few moments before our conversation. I wouldn’t have known this, except that she’s a Facebook friend, and a real-world friend of hers had posted a photo, with a congratulations. (Her steed, Banned from Midway, is a granddaughter of both Afleet Alex and Majestic Warrior – even Jacky’s mounts are members of legacy families.)

The athlete revealed that she rides every horse as if the horse is already a Champion: she gives every horse her all, in every race. Dedication like this is rare in the 21st Century.

She generously shares wisdom that she’s gained along her path, the story of which is not-yet finished – by any length. We think that she can best be understood through her own words:

“Just do it, it's going to be the hardest thing you'll ever do in your life. You’re going to cry, be angry, all different emotions sometimes in the same day -but the rewards outweigh everything.”

“You will know if you’re doing it right when the guys treat you the same way as any other rider. that means if they race ride you the way they would the guy next to you, you have their respect as a rider. And if they don't -- KEEP practicing until they do!”

“If you don't like where you are or how your business is, there's so many other tracks in this country: don't be afraid to move to the next one…”

Jacky Davis is as complex as the Universe, yet can be understood simply: Do your best, always.

Be your best, always.

And, to paraphrase Winston Churchill: “Never, ever, ever give up.”

Katie DAVIS

We also spoke that same day in June; Katie was effusive, and expressed her joy at being interviewed for Equicurean (all publicity by honest media are welcome). She shared that she feels blessed to follow in her Dad’s footsteps (or, hoofprints…) She was lively, engaging, honest and real. I could hear her smile over the phone.

She has myriad accolades, and has won a good percentage of her races since she got her Jockey’s license. One highlight of her career happened during the Winter of 2024:

Katie was honored to be invited to Saudi Arabia, to participate in the International Jockeys’ Challenge at King Abdulaziz Racetrack. The turf race was held the night before the Saudi Cup, and featured seven female Jockeys and seven male Jockeys. (Ed. Note: we’ve not-yet seen any American race that has even numbers of female and male Jockeys…)

The Challenge and the race itself was an experience she’ll never forget (until the next time she’s invited, that is).

Articulate and driven, Katie took space on her X wall to remind us that: Hard work is a choice. Attitude is a choice. Discipline is a choice. Doing extra is a choice. Excellence is a choice. There are no shortcuts for success - you must work for it!

Jacky Davis

Photo courtesy of NYRA

Riley McCarthy with the Davis Sisters

Photo by Walter Wlodarczyk

Carol FISHER

Carol Fisher may be the hardest-working, and certainly most-respected, Assistant Trainer in American Thoroughbred racing. She’s Assistant to Dornoch’s Trainer, Danny Gargan, who has nothing but praise for his right-hand woman. Gargan describes her as a “natural talent”; she played a major role in developing the colt.

Her career began when she was 12 or 13, when she started working at a local barn in her native Maryland. She found her way from that barn to the complex, challenging world of Thoroughbred racing, and things changed profoundly for her:

“You have to have a backbone. You have to stand up for yourself,” she said. “You’ve got to be a strong person all-around.”

One thing led to another, as they say, and on June 8th, Carol Fisher walked Dornoch to the Saratoga track, and then into the winner’s circle following his victory in the 2024 Belmont Stakes. No doubt her career is on an upward trajectory; we look forward to hearing and seeing more from the serene horse-gentler, Carol Fisher.

Others We Want to Honor

It’s a pity that it’s so difficult to find photos of other women who work with horses. Those who work with the Assistant Trainers and the horses, themselves, in the backstretch.

The ones who are never seen by the audience on the frontside. Those women who hotwalk horses, and bathe them following their races. The Grooms who are the first line of defense – who comfort and console horses who are ill, or sad, or grieving. Those whose instincts and nurturing spirits are the first to know when a horse isn’t feeling well. The horses can’t speak for themselves, so they have Grooms. But those Grooms, Hotwalkers and Assistants usually aren’t seen, except for the few minutes they walk a horse into the Paddock. If you see a woman at the track who’s with a horse, nurturing that animal – please let her know that you do see her. Working with the horses, hugging and caring for them, is reward enough. But they should know that we, outside their barns, do see them, and appreciate all they do for the star, equine athletes. The horses in their care love them, and we should, too.

"There are no shortcuts for successyou must work for it!"

- Katie Davis

Katie Davis

Photo courtesy of NYRA

Carol Fisher - Dornoch Assistant Trainer

Photo by Coglianese Photos

Jose Ortiz

Photo by Walter Wlodarczyk

TIIE JOCKEYS’ ROOM: A Racing Tradition

WRITTEN

BY

WILLIAM G. GOTIMER, JR.

PHOTOS BY ADAM COGLIANESE (UNLESS NOTED)

Many who attend horse races for the first time find that the synchronization of movement during the racing day is fascinating, while others never wonder. One of the charms of horse racing is that the running of races has not changed very much over the past 200 years. However, like many complicated endeavors, successful execution requires each participant to focus on their distinct role.

The role of race riders begins with their arrival in the paddock in the proper silks. (Silks: jackets and helmet covers that are owned by the horses’ owners, colors that are registered, which identify X horse as belonging to X owner). You may ask, where did the Jockeys get the garb? The answer – the Jockeys’ (Jocks’) Room.

Each racetrack has a Jocks’ Room, which is akin to a sports locker room – the space where athletes prepare and dress for the day’s events. This function has remained largely unchanged. Unlike team sports however, the Jocks’ Room is populated by competitors, not teammates. Big difference there.

Beginning in the morning and throughout the racing day, competitors who have just faced off on the track and those about to race against each other share a close space, where they prepare for the next battle.

Imagine hockey rivals sharing a locker room before and after the game, and between periods – whoa, the tension! Racing tradition is different, however: the riders are expected to remain professional and respectful. With a few notable exceptions over the years, this has been the case.

Unlike other locker rooms, racing athletes spend different amounts of time in the Jocks’ Room throughout the day. While riders with numerous mounts on the card shuffle in and out frequently (spending only enough times to change their silks), other riders with fewer mounts kill time in the Jocks’ Room between their races. Over the years those activities have included ping pong, studying the Racing Form, reading literature and more recently, working out. The steam room – a Jocks’ Room staple - has now been supplemented by workout equipment.

Another difference from traditional locker rooms is the use by both genders. With fewer female riders on a particular circuit, those riders are generally allocated smaller private space. This can be a disadvantage, particularly if there’s no equal access to gym facilities.

Jockey Katie Davis has expressed hope that as new facilities are built at Belmont Park and elsewhere, provisions are made to assure equal facilities for female riders.

The location of the Jocks’ Room at Saratoga Race Course provides excellent opportunities for fans to see their favorite riders upclose. Located far behind the grandstand, the Room is a long walk through the crowd from the unsaddling area after each race.

Katie Davis - Saratoga

Hurrying along a marked lane with valets and security in tow, most riders will engage with fans on the way, signing autographs for kids and engaging briefly with fans. Katie Davis is particularly generous with her time - signing autographs and taking pictures with star-struck children and fans –think, Taylor Swift of Jockeys.

Jockey agent Mike Monroe notes about Saratoga’s Jocks’ Room,

“It’s a friendly, open atmosphere, setting very wide open and many riders spend part of the day outside the room next to the Jocks’ Kitchen. Riders sign autographs and take photos with the fans. They also give the kids goggles used in prior races. It’s just a totally different atmosphere than any other race track in the country. I would honestly say it’s the environment where Jockeys are the most fan friendly.”

NYRA (New York Racing Association) spokesperson Patrick McKenna concurs when he says,

"Part of the magic of Saratoga is the ability to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the best Jockeys in the world as they leave and return to the Jockeys’ Room. The physical location of the Jockeys’ Room at Saratoga is an essential piece of that experience.”

Most

The

DANGER DANGER

IN SPORTS

Over his 25-year NYRA career, Hecter Soler sustained a torn left ACL; a herniated L4-L5; a right shoulder repair; a shattered right elbow -- and more. And Soler is just one of many Starters at the NYRA starting gate.

Welcome to the perilous world of a Thoroughbred Starter.

Before the days of electronic starting gates… "Start at Oklahoma Track" Ca. 1930s

Image by George S. Bolster

Courtesy of National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame

OUS JOB

OUS JOB

AND THEY'RE OFF...

Until about 85 years ago, the waving of a flag, along with the dropping of a rope signaled the start of a horse race. But on July 1, 1939, Texan Clay Puett introduced an invention that would change everything: the electromagnetic gate leveled the playing field, assuring an equal start for all horses.

It also necessitated the need for a gate crew and starters, each of whom would lead a 1000+ pound athlete into a 30”x8’ stall for every race on the card.

All horses are claustrophobic, including Thoroughbreds. Being prey animals, they fear enclosed spaces, so the thought of walking into such a small space, then standing there with two humans while they wait for the magnets to release and the gate to release, is an almost-unthinkable challenge.

WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY DAN HEARY, ECLIPSE SPORTSWIRE

This scenario sounds like a recipe for disaster, and it would be if not for the Starters. Without proper training and the expert, compassionate guidance by Starters, the races could not happen.

The Starters, whose work is rarely noticed by fans in the stands, work together like a well-oiled machine. According to Soler, who came up during Bob Duncan's tenure as Head Starter, “Bobby was the pioneer of safety and progression, in having the horse trust you, so there is no confined fear." (Duncan pioneered a natural horsemanship approach to getting horses into the gate during his 11-year tenure as NYRA's head starter.)

The horse, the

and the starter ready for action in the starting gate.

jockey,

Over the decades, safety protocols have evolved: the crew now is outfitted with protective (flak) vests to cover their vital organs, and headgear (still, every Starter has stories about the time they got kicked in the chest, or broke a leg. Comes with the territory).

While the protective gear is critical, safety ultimately comes down to the instincts of the seasoned Starters. They are true horse-whisperers who establish trust with every horse who approaches the gate.

It is their love of horses, and dedication to providing a safe and positive experience for the horses and jockeys that drives the Starters to risk their lives several times a day, crawling into that claustrophobic space with two other living beings. Their commitment should be noted, and commended, by all who love horses and this thrilling, crazy sport of racing them.

A horse kick carries about 2,000 pounds of force and can spell danger for anyone it its path.

When the starter has done his job and the race begins as fairly as possible, we are left with an empty gate and trails of dust off in the distance as the Thoroughbreds do what they do best…RUN.

Hilda Gurney and Keen performing an extended trot during a dressage test. (SporthorseData image)

Saratoga:

(SporthorseData image)

Where American Dressage Found Its Stride

BEFORE THERE WAS A UNITED STATES DRESSAGE FEDERATION OR NEW ENGLAND DRESSAGE ASSOCIATION, THERE WAS THE AMERICAN DRESSAGE INSTITUTE.

What exactly is dressage (and no, it’s not an exotic wagering term)?

Dressage is one of only three horse sports competed at every Summer Olympics since 1912 (when Equestrian was the domain of cavalry officers). It comes from the French term, dresseur, to train or ‘dress’ a horse and today, as an international riding discipline for citizens and officers alike, it builds strength and suppleness in horses through a six-step ‘Pyramid of Training,’ beginning at Rhythm and progressing over years of training through Suppleness, Contact, Impulsion and Straightness until finally, Collection.

WRITTEN

Hilda Gurney and Keen performing a dressage movement known as the piaffe.

IIn 1976, the American Dressage Institute (ADI) helped field America’s first all-female Olympic Dressage squad – Hilda Gurney on Keen, Edith Master on Dahlwitz, and Dorothy Morkis on Monaco. Coached by Swedish ryttmästare Lieutenant Colonel Bengt Helge Ljungquist, the trio earned the Dressage Team Bronze in Montreal, the first Olympic medal earned by US Olympic Dressage riders since a trip to the podium 28 years earlier to accept Team Silver at the 1948 Games in London.

The ADI began in Saratoga, the epicenter of Health, History, Horses, thanks to the efforts of a handful of dressage enthusiasts who defied the distraction of 1970’s Triple Crown winners to create an educational resource where, as quietly and firmly as an inside leg to an outside rein, they could present a different kind of riding and a different kind of horse.

Saratoga was the perfect equestrian incubator for such a start-up. The 280’ x 80’ indoor Van Lennep Riding Center, installed in 1970 at Skidmore College to replace its Fifty Acres facility at Yaddo, invited the possibility of dressage riders and horses training year-round. On the other side of Broadway, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) that had opened four years earlier (1966) provided a picturesque setting for promotional performances that drew New York Times coverage while spectators felt like they had a seat in Vienna, at the Spanish Riding School, for its Ballet of the White Stallions.

The ADI was determined to demonstrate, in this summer place of great performances, that dressage could be as beautiful a dance between a horse and rider as a Romeo and Juliet ballet for Fonteyn and Nureyev.

Not your average post parade, a Spanish Riding Academy horseman leads a young Lipizzaner stallion in for its dressage schooling (Wikipedia)

DANCING PARTNERS

“The fact that the American Dressage Institute will soon be able to take advantage of the splendid new facility at Skidmore College is of considerable importance to everyone interested in Dressage as a performing art. The Saratoga Performing Arts Center is already famous as the summer home of the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra and New York City Ballet, two of the world’s leading institutions in their fields.

“SPAC has, for the last two seasons, been host to the ADI and its demonstrations of classic equestrian technique -- under the supervision of the most capable Austrian experts, along the lines which make the Vienna Hofreitschule a criterion for the world -- have attracted enthusiastic audiences who recognize the relationship between orchestral music, choreography, and horsemanship,” said Lincoln Kirstein, director of the New York City Ballet and chairman of the ADI.

The inaugural advisory council and officers included 1968 U.S. Olympic Show Jumping Individual Gold medalist, William Clark “Bill” Steinkraus and a 12-person board that included Maine horseman and trainer, Thomas Poulin, and Dr. Max Gahwyler, whose Spanish Riding School connections were invaluable in garnering public interest in dressage.

Tom Poulin (second from left) on Phoebus, performing with dressage riders at a Mozart Music Festival (inspired by the Lincoln Center/NYC event)

The Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria has been giving dressage performances for over 400 years. (Wikipedia)

Poulin tapped into his ballet and movement training and partnered with Maine entrepreneur Robert Thibodeau, whose own experience included successfully running movement-conscious karate and ballroom dance schools, to co-found and teach the first ADI program: Body Control and Discipline for Dressage Riders.

“Who would go to a [dance] studio to learn to ride?” Poulin laughed. “Crazy, right?”

Crazy like a fox: Riders at the barn and barre were expected to train in front of mirrors.

“We’d have them [the students] work in the [dance] studio and then put them on the lunge line [at the barn] and use similar language,” Poulin recalls. “We wouldn’t say ‘Sit up straight.’ We’d say, ‘Lift!’ and they knew exactly how because we had accomplished those exercises earlier in the studio.

“How are you going to control a 1,200 or 1,400-pound horse if you don’t have body alignment? If you don’t know where your body is, if you can’t give coordinated aids, how are you going to control the beautiful animal underneath you?”

The American Dressage Institute gave a nod to its Spanish Riding School support on its cover. (courtesy Skidmore College archives)

With the assistance of another ADI founder, Margarita ‘Miggie’ Serrell, the Body Control program was introduced in 1973 as a sixweek course at Skidmore and the principles of Control were still viable two decades later when Serrell published her own book on dressage fundamentals, ‘Forward and Straight,’ in 1991.

ENTER AT MAX

Meanwhile, ‘Dr. Max’ was a friend of Col. Hans Handler, director of the Spanish Riding School since 1965 when he replaced Col. Alois Podhajsky. Col. Handler had introduced Gahwyler to dressage but never foresaw how igniting one man’s devotion to a discipline would lead to assuring ADI riders the privilege of learning classical dressage from true Spanish Riding School masters.

“We got the greatest teachers on this earth for riders and judges,” Poulin says and Col. Handler himself did the coaching when ADI presented a judges’ clinic in the summer of 1971 at SPAC. It may not have been the halls of Vienna that the haute ecole master called home, but the ADI riding performances entranced Spa onlookers nonetheless.

Including New York Times reporter Ed Corrigan, who wrote in August 8, 1971, “Colonel Hans Handler, director of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, is not an armchair coach. In perfect English, he says that he rides four Lipizzaners every day to keep in form. There are about 60 of the white stallions in various stages of training at the school. Only eight to twelve are used at shows.”

“Right now,” the horseman told the reporter before the SPAC performance, “they are waiting for me in Vienna. Our season starts next month and there still is work to be done. We will have two shows a week. My only regret is that more tourists who come to Vienna can’t watch us. The capacity of our hall is limited to about 1,000.”

SALUTE AND EXIT

Drawing capacity crowds to dressage shows was a distant goal for the ADI but having the director of the oldest and most influential riding school in the world in their corner, plus a place to train and ride, looked like a good start.

“The first essential precondition to realizing success is, I believe, the establishment of a permanent dressage center at which a regular curriculum of systematic training can be made available to those who are not in a position to obtain it privately. The ADI, at last, afford a substantial promise of translating the dream of such a center into reality. I earnestly hope that all horse-minded Americans will give it their fullest possible support,” said ADI council member and US Equestrian Team captain, Bill Steinkraus. But earnestness would not be enough.

Original American Dressage Institute brochure (courtesy Skidmore College archives)

In 1974, the ADI was delivered an inconceivable blow when Colonel Holder suffered a brain hemorrhage at age 61, during an evening performance in Vienna at the Spanish Riding School, and died in the saddle.

Later the same year, Dr. Gahwyler, who succeeded Serrell as ADI president, told the New York Times, “The facilities located on the Skidmore campus were set up to further interest in dressage in this country. They served their purpose. But in a sense the operation was a localized one and that doesn’t make sense any more.

“We have concluded that the most valuable role the ADI can play is as a national teaching organization which can provide the highest standard of instruction to riders and judges, so the United States can establish a position among the top nations in the world in international competition. We hope to work toward this end by conducting dressage seminars and judges forums in as many areas of the country as possible, working in collaboration with various regional and local dressage organizations.”

On June 23, 1974, the New York Times reported, “Dressage Unit Disbands Upstate Training Facility” but that did not thwart the sport from riding forward.

When ADI closed its doors, a window opened for the new (1973) New England Dressage Association (NEDA), which then became a charter-founding member of the United States Dressage Federation (USDF), the only national organization dedicated to dressage. To help the transition Poulin participated in the inaugural USDF annual meeting and spearheaded the merger of ADI and USDF educational systems into one official standard within one organization.

By the time Gurney, Master and Morkis rode into the Olympic arena in Montreal in 1976, ADI had exercised its influence. Gurney had been a threeday eventing rider without much experience in dressage when she and her red-hot 17.2hh Thoroughbred, Keen, started going to Saratoga before the Olympic qualifying season had started, to train at ADI with former SRS rider Franz Rochowanksy, and Colonel Ljungquist.

“It was a tough summer. No American-bred or trained horse had ever made the [Olympic] team. I was told Keen wasn’t the quality needed for international competition. Nobody thought we’d do well,” Gurney said. “I was a public school teacher riding a horse I’d bought for $1,000.” There were no warmbloods in 1970s California so she had shopped Thoroughbred farms until she found Keen, a racehorse who had never raced: “He was too big to fit in the starting gate.”

Early dressage wasn’t quite so glamorous. Tom Poulin and Phoebus riding their test alongside an Illinois cornfield at an early Lamplight Equestrian Center dressage show.

Tom Poulin riding the Hanoverian dressage horse, Sondheim (yes, after the composer). (Courtesy Tom Poulin)

Tom Poulin with Vouvray accepting one of three Lufthansa Trophies he won at Devon over his competitive career. (Courtesy Tom Poulin)

FirstUSDFmeeting – ADI founder Tom Poulin transitioned its dressage educational program into the framework of the new US Dressage Federation. (courtesy of USDF, usdf.org)

So it was “beyond anything” Gurney could have imagined when, after all their ADI homework, the pair were fourth in the Grand Prix and 10th overall, contributing to American dressage’s first trip to an Olympic medals podium in almost 30 years.

It was America dressage making its presence felt in the international arena, just like American Dressage Institute founders believed it could, right from its Saratoga start.

“It is always lovely to learn even more about our own history,” says Myriam Hlatky, who oversees marketing and publicity for today’s Spanische Hofreitschule in Vienna.

“There are still so many facets unknown and stories untold.”

Add this story to that dressage history. Written in the Horse Capital of the World.

Tom Poulin studying dressage in Germany. He applied what he learned about body control from dancing to his riding, and his success drew others to follow suit.

Bill MOTT TRAINER

When Bill Mott was inducted into Racing’s Hall of Fame in 1998 at the age of 45, he became the youngest Trainer ever inducted. Not one to rest on his laurels, one could easily argue that his subsequent career would garner the same honor on its own merit. His totals to date - 4 Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Trainer, Trainer of 10 Eclipse Champions, 15 Breeders’ Cup winners and two Classic winners.

Included in those Champions is two-time Horse of the Year, Cigar. Sent to Mott’s stable as an undistinguished four-year-old, Bill transformed him into an absolute powerhouse racehorse, winning 16 consecutive races at the highest level, and garnering throngs of fans to come watch him run over nine different tracks and two continents. Cigar was inducted into Racing’s Hall of Fame in 2002. Mott’s other Hall of Fame inductee to-date is Royal Delta, the massive daughter of Empire Maker who was a threetime Eclipse Champion, and was enshrined in 2019.

Bill Mott started his career in South Dakota, training horses owned with family members and winning races at the age of 16. In the 1970s, he moved on to become an assistant to Hall of Famer, Jack Van Berg. In 1978, Bill decided to hang his own shingle and opened his public racing stable.

WRITTEN BY JEFFREY CARLE | PHOTOS PROVIDED

He currently holds numerous training titles at Belmont Park, Saratoga, Churchill Downs and Gulfstream Park. Whether training sprinters, routers, youngsters or older horses -- regardless of surface (turf or dirt) -- Bill Mott’s runners are always well-prepared. There may not be another trainer who has navigated the ‘super Trainer’ term with a balance of good, old-fashioned horsemanship as well as Bill Mott. He simply excels in all situations.

This was never more evident than in 2023, when Mott trained three Eclipse Champions: Elite Power (Sprinter), Just FYI (Juvenile Filly) and of course, Cody’s Wish (Older Horse and Horse of the Year) That year marked Mott’s fourth Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer.

The story of Cody’s Wish and his bond with his namesake Cody Dorman, a young man born with WolfHirsrchhorn syndrome, transcended the horse racing / sporting world, radiating out into the hearts of the entire world. When Cody’s Wish entered the winner’s circle after his stirring Breeders’ Cup Mile victory, even the most hardened racetrackers found themselves searching for a tissue.

It was a divine moment, placed in the most-capable hands of the incomparable Bill Mott.

TRAINER D. Wayne LUKAS

WRITTEN BY JEFFREY CARLE | PHOTOS PROVIDED (UNLESS NOTED)

When Seize the Grey crossed the line as the winner of this year’s Preakness, D. Wayne Lukas became the oldest trainer to win a Triple Crown race at the age of 88. Not that winning Triple Crown races was new to Lukas, he has amassed 15 of them: four Kentucky Derbies, seven Preakness Stakes, and four Belmont Stakes, during his Hall of Fame career.

Raised in rural Wisconsin, Lukas graduated with a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Wisconsin. He became a high school basketball coach, spent his summers racing horses in South Dakota, and that’s where his true calling came to light.

Wayne moved to California in 1972, and dominated the Quarter Horse racing circuit. He conditioned 23 world champions, and was inducted into the Quarter Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2007 -- can’t imagine what took so long. With the urging of his son, and top assistant Jeff, the Lukas Stable decided to cross over to the Thoroughbred side in 1978, and the sport hasn’t been the same since. Lukas’ big break came in the 1980 Preakness, when his Codex defeated the Kentucky Derby winner, racing’s darling filly, Genuine Risk. Branded

Seize the Grey

Photo by Susie Raisher

as brash and cocky, Lukas did ruffle some feathers with the more traditional racing world (he brought a corporate style to racing, with hundreds of horses under his care spread out over multiple racetracks).

Throughout his career, his successes are proof that his methods work. Coming out of his perfectly-landscaped, flower box-adorned barns have been 25 Eclipse Champions, the winners of 20 Breeders’ Cup races. Five of his trainees have been inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame. Ironically, with all the success with colts, all five of his inductees have been female: Open Mind, Serena’s Song, Winning Colors, Lady’s Secret and Azeri (her final season, at age six).

Wayne Lukas’ influence is also carried on, with the number of his assistant trainers who have gone on to successful careers of the own. Most notably, fellow Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, along with Kiaran McLaughlin, Mark Hennig, Georger Weaver, Dallas Stewart and Mike Maker.

Even at the age of 88, Wayne can be seen astride his lead pony, escorting his horses to and from the track during morning training. Seize the Grey may look to rebound from his disappointing Belmont with an attempt to capture this year’s Travers. Such a victory would bring Lukas’ Travers score to four, following Corporate Report in 1991; Thunder Gulch in 1995 and Will Take Charge in 2013.

Word to the wise: keep an eye out for Wayne Lukas’ twoyear-olds -- you might catch a glimpse of a future champion.

The Mongol Derby

THE WORLD'’S LONGEST & TOUGHEST HORSE RACE

The Start

WRITTEN BY MARION E. ALTIERI

“

THE START IS WILD! HORSES, REARING AND KICKING THEY’'RE READY TO GO! IT'’S WAY BETTER THAN THE KENTUCKY DERBY!

Event Manager/Media, Erik Cooper, participated in The Mongol Derby as a Rider in 2012.

ERIK COOPER, Event Manager/Media

Q1:One of these things is not like the other. Which is it?

The Travers: 1 1/4 miles

The 2000 Guineas: 1.6km = 1 mile

The Japan Cup: 2,400m = 1.5-ish miles

A:The Mongol Derby: 1,000km = 620 miles

Q2:What has 7,320 legs, is dedicated to a cause, and is prepping right now, for August 7, 2024?

A:500 Nomadic Herdsmen; 100 International Veterinarians, Medics, Event Managers, Media Team Members; 60 Interpreters and Drivers and 1,500 hardy, beautiful, strong, barefoot, wild-hearted — Mongolian Horses.

(above) Veterinary Care

The peoples of Mongolia have a long history, going back at least to the 4th Century BC. The name, Mongol, goes back to at least the 11th Century AD; the mostrenowned Mongol emerged as their leader in the early 1200s. His given name was Temüüjin; we know him as, Genghis Khan.

In the year 1224, the world’s first pony express (messages delivered via relay riders across the vast Steppe) was created under Genghis Khan’s direction. This service brought together Mongolians from across the vast. second-largest landlocked country on Earth (603,909 sq. miles). In 1860, 636 years after the first Mongolian ride, the Pony Express was founded in the U.S., and began to relay mail between St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California.

Mongolia is the de facto Kingdom of the Horse: horses there outnumber humans. It is one of the last places on the planet that still permits the nomadic herding lifestyle, a way of life for hundreds of thousands of people who value their rich history, and treasure their native Horses.

In 2009, a gentleman named Tom Morgan was intrigued by the concept of Khan’s rugged relay horses and their riders. He founded The Mongol Derby, following the original path as closely as possible through the lush, often-challenging Steppe. He and his team (Equestrianists) created this race to challenge themselves and other riders on the ultimate stage: the extraordinary Steppe of Mongolia (they chart the course every year, for conditions change and may alter the possibilities).

And of course, there’s no electromagnetic starting gate out on the Steppe! Morgan has the privilege of dropping the flag, and announcing gleefully, “And…you’re OFF!”

Erik Cooper, Event Manager / Media, observes that “[The start] is wild! Horses, rearing and kicking – they’re ready to GO! It’s way better than the Kentucky Derby!”

In 2024, approximately 46 people from perhaps 14 nations around the world will enter The Mongol Derby, but not all (or many) will finish. Not surprisingly, about 90% of all applicants for the race are women (how many little girls want or have a pony?)

The average is that about 30% of starters will complete the course (that is approx. 13-14 of the 46). One reason for the attrition rate is that, akin to that of Denver, Colorado, the air in Mongolia is thinner than at sea level. Mongolia is one of the highest countries on Earth. The average altitude averages 5,180’.

Guided by Garmin

Mongol Derby Guides on the Way

That said, participants in The Mongol Derby must be medically-approved for the rigorous ride and the challenges they will encounter during the 620 miles.

The Mongol Derby is called The Toughest Horse Race in the World by the Guinness Book of World Records, and with good reason. Unlike the Travers, 2000 Guineas or other modern horse races, The Mongol Derby is not a test for the Horses, but rather, for the riders.

The horses are used to running: while a 40km (25mi) run would kill a 21st Century Thoroughbred, the native Mongolian Horses are vetted and trained for this race. They’re unshod, to avoid potentiallydevastating problems when running through rough terrain, rocks, etc.

This race is designed intentionally to push riders to their limits, both survival skills and their horsemanship. Mongolian horses live semi-wild; therefore, being prey animals, they have retained their sensitivity to anything that offers even a hint of danger (e.g., shiny new raincoats, with noisy zippers and Velcro). Whereas Jockeys enjoy the luxury of wearing silks that belong to their Horses’ owners, Riders in The Mongol Derby must consider every little item of clothing and pack, including how they will interact with their many mounts, during the entire race (packing for the long trip to Mongolia means being careful and thoughtful: once you’re

there, you’re there. No running home to pick up a different jacket!)

SOME INTERESTING NOTES:

Riding Ability: It should go without saying that hopeful applicants must submit a statement describing their riding skills and years of experience.

Weight Limit: Riders must be 85 kgs (187lbs.) dressed to ride and are only permitted to bring a saddlebag with survival gear weighing 5kgs (11lbs.)

Race Strategy: Yes, one must strategize, make a clear-cut plan that includes contingency plans. The race is anything-but riding straight through a field. Riders must be expert navigators, using a map and that Garmin GPS. All riders must be expert navigators, using a map and a Garmin GPS with no clear routes. Precisely because this is not a racecourse (“fun fast, turn left/right”), the possibility of getting lost during the 620 miles is very real. The GPS devices help riders find water sources, including wells in arid areas, and navigate from station to station. Riders also receive extensive navigational training using the GPS, including how to read topographical maps and operate the device. They must also be intuitive horsemen/women, reading and understanding these heretofore unknown (to them) horses, and working with their

horses to get the best out of them (this is not a Rodeo: Cooperation, not domination, is the key word. Riders’ egos must be left back home, in favor of listening to horses and working with them, not against). Winning riders learn quickly how to manage their horses, and clear the veterinary checks along the way.

Vet Checks: Each horse station is about 30-35kms (18.6-21.7mi) apart, when Riders reach the station, they must present their horse to a Veterinarian. Each horse must pulse down to 56bpm within the first 30 minutes, and clear a full health check: good gut sounds, hydration, no lameness etc.

Each horse will be ridden their 25 miles, then their Riders will bid them adieu, and jump onto their next horse (all along the way, Native Herdsmen and their families refresh, rejuvenate and encourage the riders. Not unlike the kind-hearted strangers who hand a biscuit to runners along the way during the Boston Marathon, and throw water in their faces). The Mongolians are known for tremendous hospitality, so they care for each Rider as if caring for their own family member.

So, what does it cost to enter The Mongol Derby?

The entrance fee for 2024 is $14,500 (one need not be a Vanderbilt to enter: rather, most riders put on fund-raisers in their communities, or create a GoFundMe page). If that figure sounds incredible, consider the costs involved: #1: hay, feed and veterinary care for 1,500 horses. That, alone, is an astronomical figure, as anyone in Thoroughbred racing can attest.

Then there’s cash for the Herdsmen, Drivers and their families. Those Native Mongolians who host, greet, feed, water, embrace and nurture the riders along the way.

Certainly not the least: the Mongolian NGO, a pet project of the Equestrianists. Steppe & Hoof does wonderful work on behalf of the Mongolians and their horses. Steppe & Hoof provides veterinary and medical education and support to the horsemen of the Steppe, helping them to preserve their ancient, historic and noble lifestyle.

Please check out their Website, and donate if/as you can: www.SteppeAndHoof.org

PostScript:

The Mongol Derby may be considered to be Leg One of an international Triple Crown of endurance races:

Sister Races:

The Gaucho Derby, in Argentine Patagonia https://equestrianists.com/gaucho-derby/ And, hopefully in the next couple of years – a third leg will take place here in North America!

For more information, or to sign up for The Mongol Derby, 2025 – visit the official site. https://equestrianists.com/mongol-derby/

Facts about Racehorses You Need to Know! 10

by Susie Raisher

All racehorses celebrate their birthday on the same day. Regardless of what date they were born on, each Thoroughbred turns a year older on Jan. 1 in the Northern Hemisphere or Aug. 1 in the Southern Hemisphere, for ease of grouping them by age for racing and training.

An average racehorse weighs around a half-ton (1,000 pounds).

Thoroughbreds can trace their lineage to three “foundation” sires of the 17th century: the Byerley Turk, the Darley Arabian, and the Godolphin Arabian. Each sire was brought to England from the Middle East, and their offspring ultimately resulted in the Thoroughbred we know today.

Racehorse names must be approved by the breed registry. In the U.S. the Thoroughbred registry is The Jockey Club, and each name must follow certain rules, such as maximum number of characters.

The quickest that a 1 ¼ mile race, the “classic” distance of the Kentucky Derby and other marquee races in the U.S., has been completed in is 1:57.16. The record was set on the grass (rather than a dirt course) by a horse named Red Giant at Santa Anita Park in 2008.

Thoroughbred hooves, like those of all horse breeds, are made of the same protein as fingernails: keratin.

A racehorse is born after an 11-month gestation. Foals weigh around 100 pounds and stand to nurse within hours of being born.

A Thoroughbred can top out at more than 40 mph when racing, though they usually don’t sustain top speed for the entire race but try to reserve it for the stretch run before the finish.

Promising (and established) racehorses can sell for millions of dollars. The most expensive Thoroughbred ever sold at public auction was an unraced 2-year-old later named The Green Monkey, who was bought for $16 million but would never win a race.

A racehorse can consume 20 pounds of food or more, plus 13 gallons of water every day. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Photo

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Outriders

SARATOGA’S Daily CHAMPIONS

WRITTEN BY L.A.

BERRY | PHOTOS COURTESY OF COGLIANESE PHOTOS (UNLESS NOTED)

Across from Union Avenue near the Oklahoma Training Track is Barn 43, where Man O’ War was stabled at Saratoga Race Course before the legendary stallion met his one defeat by Upset in the Sanford. Today, it houses the day-to-day champions known as NYRA’s outrider ponies.

What and who are outriders?

And why do we need them?

The short answer is that these mounted racetrack officials are both the escorts of eager racehorses in the post parade and to the winner’s circle, and the cowboys large and in charge of deescalating chaos should a young Thoroughbred break loose on the track.

Outriders also underscore how the horse industry, including horse racing, contributes to the local economies of every one of New York’s 62 counties. For every 100 racehorses, it is estimated that 80 jobs are created, and a 2023 American Horse Council Economic Impact Study concluded (pre-Beltoga) that racing has an economic impact of $3 billion annually to the New York State economy.

“Racing added over 2,000 direct jobs in the past five years,” says New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NYTHA) president, Tina Marie Bond. With a 2025 Belmont Stakes Festival and redeveloped Belmont Park still on the horizon, “Racing will continue to boost local economies and provide jobs for years to come”, including thousands of jobs on the backstretch.

This is one of them.

Right Job, Right Horse

“At every racetrack you visit, you’ll find outriders,” the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame posted to social media after a particularly impressive capture of a loose horse in 2022 at Churchill Downs by outrider Greg Blasi, explaining how many outriders use their own horses, often retired Thoroughbreds themselves.

“These expert riders are tasked with supervising the day’s races and making sure that jockeys and horses all stay safe. They help to guide horses to the starting gate and back to the stable after the race is run. On the rare occasion a horse becomes loose, it is the outrider’s job to catch it and get it under control.

“The partnership between an outrider and horse is crucial,” the post concluded, “as the outrider must trust in their mount while they attempt to grab a loose horse.”

Partnerships like that of Lance Cronk, outrider at Saratoga Race Course for the last 11 years, and his horse, Amos.

“You know that song by Jerry Reed? About the one-armed alligator hunter, Amos Moses?” asks Cronk. The gist of the Cajun classic recounts how Amos could eat his weight in meals and still beat the meanest alligators in the bayou with one arm (‘gators took the other one).

Cronk’s outrider horse is named after that Amos.

Photo by Stephanie Cowser

“He’s a good horse,” the horseman and saddle-maker wryly insists. “He’s just a lot of horse.” In that nonchalant manner only horsemen understand he adds, “He’s savage. If you offend him, he will attack you. Knocked me out once.”

Frankly, chasing loose horses in all-out flight mode is a badass job.

Like the single-minded ferocity in good cutting horses, known as “cow,” that gets them into a steer’s bubble, it takes a special kind of horse to do an outrider’s job and sidle up to another horse, while clocking speeds of up to 35 mph or more and balancing a rider straddled like a polo player across its back.

All in a Day’s Work

An outrider’s day begins by policing the predawn darkness at the Oklahoma Track, where horses out for a morning gallop travel counterclockwise down the center of the track, others jog or jig along the outside rail, and speed-chasing breezers hug the inside. A day of racing doesn’t end until nearly sunset so outriders can use more than one horse, but if you’re in the grandstands in the afternoon, you’ll likely see Cronk and Amos.

“He refused to be a racehorse,” Cronk says. Ironically, the horse that wanted nothing to do with a racetrack now works on one –at more of his own pace. Amos came to Cronk via a friend, who bought and put the finish on his new riding horse. “You spend a lot of time riding these retired young Thoroughbreds and once they figure out their job, they give you all they’ve got.”

Cronk was counting on that one day when a horse went loose one morning over at the Oklahoma Track.

Photo by Stephanie Cowser

Photo by Tom Ryan

“Every time you catch a loose horse, it’s different,” the horseman prefaced. The day had started with bringing Amos in for the morning and leaving him in his stall while Cronk rode another horse at the Oklahoma Track.

“I went back to get my ‘better’ horse (Amos),” he says and just as they reach the warm-up track Cronk sees a racehorse has broken loose, and legs Amos towards the galloping animal.

“We’re set up and ready to catch this horse when I reach down to grab the reins and… Amos starts bucking.

“Now, he’s never bucked on me a day in his life. But he’s bucking now,” he recalls, describing his galloping balancing act of reaching for the other horse’s reins while his own had already cost him an inside stirrup.

“I finally got Amos’ head back up and was still holding on to the runaway.”

Because that is how outriders do it.

“I work with good people. We have outstanding outriders,” Cronk says. “Most outriders love their job and when people work as hard as you do, it makes everything better. We all try to make ‘the catch,’ and that works best when working as a team.”

“I think outriders should receive Eclipse Awards too,” Louisville, Kentucky horse racing fan, Sandy Scott, concluded in response to the NMR’s post. We’re with you, Sandy (and maybe one for the horses, too).

Seeing Red

Outriders don’t wear red vests just to be easier to see from the grandstands – their gear is important and mandatory to their safety. Known as a flak jacket, these are similar to police or military wear and worn to protect a rider’s ribs, kidneys and back, and are worn by jockeys, starters, exercise riders and outriders.

Outriders also never swing a leg over their horse without putting a protective skullcap or jockey cap on to help protect their head from trauma.