On Wednesday afternoon, I saw a video on Twitter that spanned the newly renovated ground floor of the clubhouse at Saratoga Race Course, and my jaw dropped. I may have actually winced. I felt a little sick. I had seen photos of the new Jim Dandy Bar, relocated and expanded, and they didn’t elicit much…
If you’re above a certain age, you’ll remember that phrase as the iconic tagline in advertisements for Blackglama furs, a campaign that began in the late 1960s and ran for nearly 50 years, associating the fur company’s products with glamorous stars like Bette Davis, Rita Hayworth, Gisele Bundchen, and Janet Jackson. The idea was that…
Heady words, from a man who should know. Roberts writes about the history and architecture of racetracks, recently collaborating with the New York Racing Association and the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation, creating an inventory of Saratoga’s buildings and landscape. With Isabelle Taylor, he publishedThe Spa: Saratoga’s Legendary Racecourse, an architectural history of the track that…
Day after day, week after week Saratoga attracts what few racing meets do: a big crowd every day. Arguably the most popular racing meet in the country, Saratoga appeals the casual fan and the serious gambler, to families and crowds of friends out for a day of socializing and gambling. Though little of Saratoga remains…
Saturday, March 13 (all times approximate) 1:30 Depart greater New York area with summer roommate for whirlwind (nearly literally) Saratoga trip in search of perfect summer rental. Encounter driving rain and vehicle-shaking winds as we wend our way up the Taconic Parkway. 3:00 Confirm with parents dinner plans, synchronized to permit maximize race watching. 5:30…
Brooklyn Backstretch 