The poor Triple Tiara. It’s been poked and prodded and tweaked and changed multiple times in the last half century; it might be the Rodney Dangerfield of Thoroughbred racing. Even the trainer whose filly might become the first Triple Tiara winner in 18 years isn’t that excited about it. In fact, Kiaran McLaughlin indicated that he…
Noooooooo…the meet is half over! And this list of upcoming events is getting shorter…perhaps most depressingly, now I’m posting about events that will take place while I’m back at school! But I will resolutely push those thoughts away, choosing instead to focus on the glory of this morning at Saratoga, which was perfection, and the…
I’m getting to be quite a fan of these little racing industry gatherings that happen from time to time, and pretty regularly in Saratoga. So far this meet I’ve attended a Racing Commissioners International meeting on medication and the Albany Law School Racing & Gaming Institute (both taking place on Tuesdays, the only dark day…
Shortly before I came to Saratoga this summer, I sat down with NYRA president Charlie Hayward to talk about what racing fans might expect to see here this summer: what if any changes had been made, whether the track would look any different, what improvements visitors might expect. The short answer, as I wrote here,…
If mid-meet fatigue hasn’t gotten you hiding under the covers, you’ve got plenty of ways to expend that extra energy…and maybe some charity dollars, too? Tuesday, August 9: Tonight, the Economic Opportunity Council will unveil its fourth exhibition of photography by Latino immigrants, “Vision: A look at life behind the scenes,” sponsored by the EOC’s Latino Community Advocacy Program. The…
“Sean Avery’s a sweetheart.” No, that wasn’t NHL commissioner Gary Bettman commenting on one of his league’s highest profile players. That was John DeStefano after his horse won yesterday’s Grade 1 Vanderbilt Handicap. Oh, sure, the human and the equine have a few things in common. Both have had time on the sidelines, the hockey…
Happy Whitney Day! Whitney is a name as associated with Saratoga Race Course as Travers is; Travers helped found the track and was the first president of the Saratoga Association, giving his name to Saratoga’s flagship race in the track’s second season. The Whitney influence came later: William C. Whitney became president of the Saratoga…
It’s Tuesday, and we’re taking a bit of a breather…from the track at least. I’m spending today at Albany Law School’s Racing & Gaming Institute, presenting on Thoroughbred retirement and listening to panels talk about OTB and medication and racing legislation. But with no Saratoga racing to occupy our time today, here’s a look at…
Saratoga has not been kind to Allen Jerkens lately. In 2009, he went winless at the Spa; last year, his lone win came near the end of the meet, on the day before his son Jimmy won the Travers with Afleet Express. So it was with relief, joy, and more than a little nostalgia that…
This year’s Belmont Child Care Association party in Saratoga brings together two of my favorite things: care for the children of the backstretch workers and appreciation for those who take care of retired racehorses. This year the BCCA honors Fasig-Tipton and Blue Horse Charities. Blue Horse Charities was founded in 2001 by John Hettinger, who…
Brooklyn Backstretch 