Though most of the New York racing world’s attention is focused upstate at Saratoga, the good folks at the New York Times are making sure that we don’t forget about our cousin in Ozone Park, where the slot machines continue to whirr, even though racing has left the Big A for the summer. On July…
James Marvin made his first posthumous appearance at Saratoga Race Course in the fourth race on August 9, 2008. It is unlikely, though, that that was Marvin’s first appearance at the track known as the Old Spa. Marvin was born just outside Saratoga in 1809, moving to the Spa City in 1828. Within three years,…
Panelists at Wednesday night’s annual Saratoga meet preview at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame spoke with optimism about this summer’s racing season while acknowledging the challenges and uncertainty facing New York racing. Saratogian turf writer Michael Veitch, trainer Dale Romans, Saratoga native and jockey agent Matt Muzikar, and jockey Rosie Napravnik,…
“Very soon.” That is when, according to the State Racing and Wagering Board, the report from the task force investigating the breakdowns at Aqueduct this past winter will be released. The task force began its work in March, and when I spoke with task force chair Dr. Scott Palmer in April, he indicated that the…
If you have any energy left after a day at the track, you’ll find no shortage of racing-related (and other) events at which to spend your time—and your money—on Saratoga evenings. Here’s the first in a series of weekly posts about what’s going on in Saratoga. Wednesday, July 18: The National Museum of Racing offers…
Let’s hope that Sunday’s open house at Saratoga is not a harbinger of things to come. Perhaps due to a less-than-pleasant weather forecast (a forecast that it never occurred to me to check), the crowd seemed smaller—though no less enthusiastic—than other years, or perhaps more people were concentrated inside, where I didn’t spend much time.…
We’re not supposed to root in the press box. We’re not supposed to cheer in the winner’s circle. These are the rules, and they are good ones. Saturday was not necessarily a day that lent itself to cheering, one of those days in which the electrons seemed all out of order. Hot, hot, hot: Saturday…
Happy Independence Day! On this day when Americans celebrate life, liberty, and the pursuit of a Pick 6, going to the races seems as much a part of Fourth of July tradition as fireworks and hot dogs, with tracks across the country open for business and celebrations. A working vacation in the Bluegrass will keep…
I was gutted to hear this news this morning. Some bad news hits harder than others, and this one, for some reason, hit hard. Earlier today, I was thinking about Sagamore Farm as I remembered writing about Bed o’Roses, the Alfred Vanderbilt/Sagamore filly who champion 2-year-old filly in 1949; the race named for her will be…
The race now known as the Dwyer began life in 1887, as the Brooklyn Derby. It was run at the Gravesend track in Brooklyn, a track that the Dwyer brothers, Phil and Mike, had helped to bring into existence in 1886. Phil and Mike were Brooklyn butchers, their shop at the corner of Atlantic and…
Brooklyn Backstretch 