As I post this, it’s once again gray and wet in Saratoga, but we got some respite from the rain this week, with a couple of beautiful Saratoga mornings and warm, sunny afternoons. We also got news that wonder-filly Wonder Gadot will likely make her next start in the Travers on August 25. We don’t…
With four days down, 36 to go, I hope that you’ve already banked both some fun and some gambling profits. The weather hasn’t been at its finest, but here’s hoping some vintage, crisp Saratoga air finds its way to use this week. Still working on the calendar of events for the whole meet, and with posting…
Hello! Welcome back! It’s here! Summer at Saratoga–and we’re off! I hope that you’re as excited as I am to get back to the beloved Spa–my hometown and one of the places where my heart resides. As always, there’s a lot going on, both on the track and off, and we’ll keep you up to…
Happy 10th anniversary to the Brooklyn Backstretch Charity League. It’s taken several forms over the year, inspired by the Saratoga Special Derby fantasy league, run by Brian Nadeau, way back in the days of yore. Last year we raised just under $1,900 for racing charities across the country, donated by our top three finishers with the…
At the bottom of the post, you’ll find events that happen daily. Thanks for reading this summer. I hope that you found events you might not have otherwise heard of, learned something about Saratoga or horse racing, discovered a cause or charity that you want to support. If you have suggestions for how to improve…
Daily/weekly events are listed at the bottom of this post. Thursday, August 24 At the races Stakes races: Grade I, $150,000 New York Turf Writers Cup, four-year-olds and up, 2 3/8 miles on the turf (steeplechase) $100,000 Riskaverse for three-year-old fillies, 1 mile on the turf Taste NY, wines, ciders and spirits in the Saratoga…
Note: Daily/weekly events are listed at the bottom of this post. Monday, August 14 At the races Stakes races: $100,000 Saratoga Dew for New York-breds fillies and mares, three years old and up, 1 1/8 miles on the dirt Low Roller Handicapping Contest: The contests will be held on Sundays and Mondays in the Lower Carousel near…
Wednesday, August 9 At the track Stakes races: $100,000 Quick Call for three-year-olds, 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf Saratoga Handicapping Challenge: This one-day contest will guarantee a minimum first-place payout of $10,000; at stake, too, is one entry to the 2018 Belmont Stakes Challenge and two entries to the National Handicapping Champion, to the…
Welcome to year nine of the Brooklyn Backstretch Kentucky Derby charity league! Last year we raised more than $2,300 for racing charities across the country, and as we did in 2015, we awarded donation money to the top three finishers, resulting in significant donations to Akindale Thoroughbred Rescue and Old Friends at Cabin Creek, thanks to…
They say that there’s no place like home for the holidays, but when you work at the racetrack, going home—wherever that may be—isn’t always an option. The difficulty of taking time away and of making small paychecks stretch can make this season not quite like the jolly, lavish scenes that we see splashed across televisions…
Brooklyn Backstretch 