I love the Yaddo. A quintessentially Saratoga race, it’s named for the artists’ colony that lies just east of the track, so close that residents can (allegedly) hear the race calls. While the mansion is off limits to the public, visitors can wander the grounds and the gardens free of charge. I’ve whiled away many…
On Saturday, the weather was gorgeous (it may have been only the second day since before July 20th that it didn’t rain); the Old Spa was packed; and the card featured full-field, frequently good betting races with some competitive finishes. And if you weren’t happy with the product in front of you, you could turn…
What are we fretting about these days? Rain. A lot of it. Every day. On turf or off? Who’s scratched? How am I supposed to bet this race? My feet are wet again. We’re grumbling about too many turf sprints and not enough older horses. We’re bemoaning the lack of horses who can capture our…
Photo credit to Jessica Chapel at Railbird A year later and a few inches taller, the 6th grade Texas Titans, an A.A.U. basketball team who brought a 75-5 record to Saratoga, made it 76 – 5, beating the jockeys 49 – 32 in a game that for three quarters was much closer than the score…
On Monday morning, I sat in the upper level of the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion and watched as three humans and three horses were inducted into the Hall of Fame. I was touched, as I wrote on Tuesday, by the humanity and the humility of the event; as several publications have noted, the unplanned theme…
Indian Blessing (part of her, anyway) and John Velazquez, before she demolishes the field in the Test. Any Limit and happy Cornelio Velasquez, following their underdog win in the Honorable Miss. If you’re keeping track, that’s two Allen Jerkens winners as the longest price in the field. Evening Attire, working out on Sunday morning. At…
First of all, thank you so much to everyone who wrote, commented, and wished me luck in my OTB TV appearance yesterday. I think that I made it through without making an utter fool of myself, and I definitely made it through without throwing up, so I figure that’s a success. Thanks, too, to Seth…
A few weeks ago, when I compared Diva Day at Belmont with Women’s Day at Saratoga, commenter John S. responded with the following: Might I suggest “Men’s Day”? A long table, right next to the bar, where I canbuy a variety of after shaves, cigars, porn mags, power tools, handguns, fishingrods, handcrafted whiskies and also…
Jessica Chapel of Railbird and I have been invited to appear on Call to the Post with Seth Merrow of Equidaily tomorrow (Monday) at 9:45 am on the Capital OTB channel. Capital Region residents can watch on Time Warner cable channel 12; those outside the region can view the program (and all other Capital OTB…
Sunday’s feature at Saratoga is the Fourstardave Handicap, a Grade II race at a mile and a sixteenth on the turf for three year olds and up. It’s named for one of Saratoga’s most beloved equine citizens, the gelding who won stakes races here for five consecutive years and who won a race every year…
Brooklyn Backstretch 