The Dutrow stable is tucked into a shady corner of Horse Haven, not far from where racing began in Saratoga in 1863, on a farm near what would become the Oklahoma training track. A sign with a big red D emblazoned on a field of black adorns the side; horses and humans walk under the…
The first dark day is in the books, and we’ve got another gorgeous day at Saratoga on tap. Week 1 featured great racing, beautiful weather, and encouraging handle and attendance numbers. Here’s hoping for more of the same as we kick off Week 2… Wednesday, July 23 At the track… Early post time of 12:25;…
He arrived late. His luggage was lost. He rode in borrowed boots. He got sick. He had to leave early. But it was worth it. “100 percent,” said Frankie Dettori of his weekend trip to ride for the first time at Saratoga Race Course. “It was always my ambition to get here,” he said Monday,…
At two opening week appearances, NYRA executives presented a rosy picture of New York racing over the last year. CEO and president Chris Kay and senior vice president of racing operations Martin Panza met with the media last Wednesday afternoon and with the public last Wednesday evening at the annual meet preview hosted by the…
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…
Saratoga Race Course kicks off its premier summer meeting this afternoon in Saratoga Springs, New York, the racing world descending on the small upstate city for seven weeks of high-class racing. Opening weekend will see four graded stakes races, among them the Sanford Stakes, being run for the 100th time. The race is named for…
A year after his first experience with the intense scrutiny that comes with the opening of the Saratoga Racecourse meet, a more confident, knowledgeable, and experienced Chris Kay once again invited members of the media to discuss the racing season and the future of the New York Racing Association. Kay took over as NYRA president and CEO…
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…
Growing up in Saratoga Springs, New York and working summers at the town’s historic Thoroughbred track, Hans Theisen saw first-hand the nightmare that parking can be when tens of thousands of visitors descend on the small upstate city, all intent on getting a prime parking spot to attend the day’s racing. Thirty years later, he…
Brooklyn Backstretch 