Week of July 26 Wednesday, July 26 Stakes races: Grade II, $200,000 Honorable Miss, fillies and mares three years old and up, 6 furlongs on the dirt Military Appreciation Day. All veterans and active duty military get into the grandstand free with military ID, and local service members and veterans will be in the winner’s…
The final first of Saratoga 2016 was not one that we looked forward to. This summer, we celebrated pinhooker Andrew Motion’s first Saratoga yearling sale, and trainer Ray Handal’s first Saratoga win, and trainer Lacey Gaudet’s first Saratoga starter. And then we waited. Not for a first, but for a next, to see if trainer…
Old Saratoga, famed as a resort long before the civil war, has come back into her own. A few years ago Saratoga’s obituary notices were being written. Today the most successful season of her history came to an end. This [closing day] afternoon differed from no other Saturday of the meeting. There were the same…
“For try as their builders and sponsors may try to duplicate or even approach duplication of the picturesque Saratoga track and its incomparable atmosphere, there is only one Saratoga. New tracks may come, some of them stay and some of them go, but Saratoga goes on forever. And it will continue to exist and prosper…
It is an easy thing to have an affair with Saratoga. One knows at the onset that it will last only a week, the month of August at the most, before return to the cares and responsibilities of everydayness. But for a fleeting time, problems of a troubled world seemingly are arrested while the racing…
Monday, August 8 At the races Stakes races: $100,000 New York Stallion Series Cab Calloway Division for three-year-olds, 1 mile on the turf Low Roller Handicapping Challenge. Take your shot with a $40 buy-in ($30 goes to your own live bankroll, $10 to the prize pool). Registration begins at 11 am near the Fourstardave Sports Bar…
We’ve been spoiled. Over the last few years, the rain has avoided Saratoga like a gambler avoids an overbet bad favorite, but over the last few days, the wet stuff has descended like punters on a Pletcher firster. We’ve been off the turf for two days, and Tuesday isn’t looking much better. Fortunately, there’s plenty…
How about that Diana? Will admit that I was rooting for Recepta (how could I not, after writing about her trainer?), and she sure seemed to run too good to lose…but Dacita got there by that tiny nose. What a way to kick off opening weekend. And how lucky are we not only to see…
Brooklyn Backstretch 