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T H E CIT Y. TH E CU LT U R E. T HE LIFE.
’s edi or
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*{we got u: the only calendar you’ll need this season!}
JULY AUGUST 2019
on \[ ti
THE 2019
POWER LIST the races!
TODD ALMIGHTY Mr. Pletcher Lands On Top Of Our First-Ever Saratoga Horse Racing Power List. (ONLY 13 OTHERS MADE THE CUT) photography by
SUSIE RAISHER exclusively for saratoga living
THE TRAVERS AT 150 BY BRIEN BOUYEA
THE CRAZIEST MOMENTS! JIM DANDY’S UPSET FOR THE AGES! WE KNOW WHO’LL WIN THIS YEAR!
THE FUTURE OF RACING:
A STUNNING TRACK PORTFOLIO
BODE MILLER! JOE TORRE! QUEEN ELIZABETH!
THE MAKING OF SEABISCUIT CAN’T-MISS GALAS! BIGGEST RACES! COOLEST TRACK GIGS!
THE WOMEN
(AND OTHER CELEBRITY OWNERS)
JOCKEY SILKS! SARATOGA’S HORSE SCULPTURES! HORSES PLAYING SOCCER!
BY BILLY FRANCIS LEROUX
&
The Barber Who Loves Horse Racing BY RICHARD PÉREZ-FERIA
saratogaliving.com
Todd Pletcher dominates the sport of horse racing, laying waste to his competition and setting records aplenty along the way. P. 47
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inside july | august 2019
54 THE FUTURE OF RACING: THE POWERHOUSE WOMEN 60 THEY’RE JUST LIKE US! BY K E L S E Y F R E DR I C KS A N D N ATA LI E MOOR E P O RTR A I TS BY M O RG A N R E LY E A
{ THE TRAVERS } saratoga living exclusive
36 THE TRAVERS STAKES AT 150 BY BRIE N B O U Y E A
42 AND THE WINNER IS... PREDICTIO N S F RO M J OE “ WO O DY ” WO OD, BRIEN BO U Y E A , M IC H A EL V EITC H A N D DA N I LL M A N
44 TRAVERS SHOCKER: WHEN JIM DANDY DID THE IMPOSSIBLE BY BRIE N B O U Y E A
{ THE PEOPLE }
Not Just A Luxury, A Lifestyle
BY B R I E N B O U Y E A
70 TERRY FINLEY: WEST POINT THOROUGHBREDS’ SURE BET
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72 IS JONATHAN SHEPPARD HORSERACING’S ANSWER TO BASEBALL’S JOE DIMAGGIO? STO RY A N D P H OTO G R A P H Y BY B R I E N BOU YE A
RELAXATION LOUNGE STEAM ROOM & SAUNA FACIALS MEDICAL SPA TREATMENTS MASSAGE THERAPY HAIR SPA NAIL SALON MAKEUP ARTISTRY YOGA & MEDITATION CLASSES
74 JIMMY WILSEY: HOW THIS JOCKEY FOUGHT HIS WAY BACK FROM HOMELESSNESS BY L I SA M I TZ E N
77 TERENCE COLLIER: GOING ONCE... GOING TWICE... BY TO M P E DU LL A
{ THE HORSES }
47
THE 2019
saratoga living
POWER LIST
introduction by
RICHARD PÉREZ-FERIA
78 RELIVING MAN O’ WAR’S SHOCKING DEFEAT AT SARATOGA BY B R I E N B O U Y E A
80 AMERICA’S GOT TALENT: EQUINE EDITION BY N ATA L I E M O O R E
82 THE RACEHORSE SANCTUARY BY K A R E N B J O R N L A N D
86 GREEK TO THEM: HORSES IN MYTHOLOGY BY N ATA L I E M O O R E
92 SCULPTED BEAUTIES BY K A R E N B J O R N L A N D P H OTO G R A P H Y BY F R A N C E S C O D'AMI CO
98 THOROUGHBREDS’ SECOND ACT IS A WINNER BY K ATI E N AVA R R A
100 THE BEAUTY IN OUR MIDST P H OTO G R A P H Y BY B I LLY F R A N C I S LE ROU X
106 NEW YORK SENATE HEARING HIGHLIGHTS POLARIZING OPINIONS ON HORSE RACING BY M AT T H EGA R T Y, DAILY RACING FORM
SUSIE RAISHER
68 DAVE ERB: LIVING LEGEND
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16 MVP 18 From The Editor 20 Digital
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23 Saratoga By The Numbers 23 #lovewhereyoulive 24 Pop Culture: Horses In The Zeitgeist 26 Movies: How Saratoga Brought Seabiscuit To Hollywood
28 Culture: The Art Of The Travers 32 Interior: A Beautiful (Equine) Saratoga Summer
COME VISIT US AT OUR NEW LOCATION:
118
the back 132 sl Calendar Special Edition: “The Races!”
{ THE BIZ } 108 8 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT JOCKEY SILKS BY NATALIE M O O RE
112 WANNA MAKE A BET? BY WILL LEVIT H PHOTOGR A P H Y BY B ILLY FR A N C IS LEROU X
114 MAKING BANK AT THE RACES
136 Horse Travel: Melbourne 140 Food: 15 Church 142 Drink: Putnam Place 145 Saratoga After Dark 156 Star Gazing: Lions
140
And Horses, Oh My!
159 Play: Crossword Puzzle 159 Overheard
BY WILL LEVIT H
118 WELLINGTON HORSES, REDISCOVERED BY K AT IE NAVA RR A PHOTOGR A P H Y BY ELEN A LU SEN T I
124 FLOWER POWER AT THE TRACK BY K AREN BJO RN L A N D PHOTOGR A P H Y BY B ILLY FR A N C IS LEROU X
the end 160 *Saratogian Of
The Month: Joe “Woody” Wood 160
(Wellington) ELENA LUSENTI; (Seabiscuit) FRANCESCO D’AMICO; (Food) TERRI-LYNN PELLEGRI; (Wood) KATIE DOBIES
33 My Saratoga Home: The Horses
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SPORTS EDITOR
’ve been to several of the greatest racetracks in the country for both professional reasons and personal enjoyment, but there’s only one Saratoga Race Course. I’ve always been intrigued by the track’s incomparable history and its cultural importance locally, nationally and globally. I never set out to become an author, but a couple of years ago, I just had to tell the story of Saratoga racing’s founding father, John Morrissey, in my first book, Bare Knuckles And Saratoga Racing: The Remarkable Life Of John Morrissey. With Saratoga’s most famous race— the Travers Stakes—celebrating its 150th anniversary this summer, I couldn’t have lived with myself had I not contributed something notable to mark the occasion. So I just co-authored my second book, The Travers: 150 Years Of Saratoga’s Greatest Race, with my friend and fellow racing historian Michael Veitch. Whet your appetite for the big race with some exclusive excerpts from my book in this issue. And I'm sure I'll see you at the one-and-only Saratoga Race Course on Travers Day, too. Now, our incomparable season of splendor is upon us. Enjoy it. I know I will.
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s it was happening, it was such a non-event, such a nothingburger, that the moment wasn’t even noted by me in any significant manner; but, just a few short weeks ago, I touched a horse for the first time in my life. And I really loved it. Standing in “Tap,” awardwinning racehorse trainer Todd Pletcher’s barn at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY, while chatting easily with the living legend and, yes, lovingly stroking the neck and face of one of his beautiful prized Thoroughbreds, my mind suddenly flooded with impossibly happy memories of other notable firsts I’ve been able to accomplish thus far in my fortunate, colorful life. And just how many of those firsts have occurred over the past year-and-a-half as a new resident of Saratoga Springs. Where to begin? The first time I attended Opening Day at Saratoga Race Course…The first time I placed a bet on my own at the track…The first time I walked onto the paddock on race day...The first time I stood in the Winner’s Circle and smiled for a photograph with a victorious stakes race jockey at my side…The first time the horse I wanted to win actually won going away…The first time I felt like I truly belonged to this proud community. And on and on it’s gone. And on and on it goes. todd squad One of my true thrills just happened standing next to legendary horseracing trainer, Todd Pletcher, in his barn at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY.
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B O T O X B O T O X
Refresh. Revive. Recover. Rejuvenate. ARTHUR GERUNDA
first
As life’s clock ticks by sightly faster with every passing year, I now force myself to slow down my experiences just long enough to be able to acknowledge them and to more fully appreciate these key moments, even as they’re happening in real time. That, in turn, has inextricably upped the ante on my happy meter. The faster the images that matter to me fly by, the slower I’m reacting to them. It may actually be working. I’ve always been that guy—that New York City guy—who considered “nature” something I saw on the Discovery Channel. Sad but true. The very idea of touching a horse, let alone riding one, had never even entered the realm of the possible for me. I mean, more than half of my friends living in Manhattan, as I was for decades, didn’t even drive a car; why would any of us ride a horse? But standing there in Todd Pletcher’s surprisingly tidy barn surrounded by more than a dozen of his stunning, shiny ponies, I realized I was posing the wrong question: It’s not why would I ever ride a horse, but, rather, why wouldn’t I want to ride one? For the vast majority of people reading this, full on incredulity must be the pervasive emotion they’re feeling. I mean, how many fully realized adults in Saratoga, of all places, have really never touched a horse in their lives? I mean, I’m quite aware that I’m the outlier here. But, here’s where I try to catch up with the rest of the civilized world, even a little bit. I vow to share my late-in-life epiphany with any and all who’ll listen: Horses are extraordinary creatures, here to be revered, championed and loved. If only we could all look at one another and believe the same to be true. I know! Why don’t we make that a first we all can share together?
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Saratoga Springs' year-round performing arts and community events center.
T H E C A L E N D A R Our curated list of the can’t-miss events, Monday through Sunday, in Saratoga Springs and The Capital Region, as well as select events in Hudson, Rhinebeck and New York City (Thursday mornings)
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S A R AT O G A A F T E R D A R K Our weekly roundup of all the galas, soirées, charity events and fundraisers, with photo galleries from each (Thursday afternoons, in season) T H E M U S T- R E A D L I S T Our list of the top five saratogaliving.com stories you may’ve missed from the website last week (Friday mornings) Plus, we’ve also added a special bimonthly e-blast called T H E H O T L I S T , which comes out on the release day of saratoga living’s print edition, with links to some of the new magazine’s top features.
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Oklahoma Training Track June 6, 2019, 7am
Off Broadway
T H E O K L AH O MA T RAC K S ERVES AS A T RIAL RUN F OR T HE MAI N E VE N T. Just after sunrise on a Thursday morning in early June, the Oklahoma Training Track was quiet and calm. Horses and jockeys loped around the track at a leisurely pace, stretching their legs. Though I couldn’t get to the Whitney Viewing Stand—that’s only open on weekends—I enjoyed the opportunity to slow down and see the Saratoga Springs’ famed sport with a cool breeze, and not another soul around. –KYLE ADAMS , PHOTOGRAPHER
saratoga by the numbers S A R AT O G A R A C E C O U R S E + B E L M O N T PA R K
350
The land area, in square acres, of Saratoga Race Course’s grounds
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The land area, in square acres, of Belmont Park’s grounds
1.125
The length, in miles, of Saratoga Race Course’s main track
1.5
The length, in miles, of Belmont Park’s main track
1839
The number of horse stalls at Saratoga Race Course
1830
The number of horse stalls at Belmont Park
72,745
The record for one-day attendance at Saratoga Race Course, recorded on August 11, 2007
120,139
The record for one-day attendance at Belmont Park, recorded on June 5, 2004
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saratogaliving.com 23
the front art of a champion Eugène Delacroix’s Horse Frightened By Lightning; (right) Franz Marc’s The Large Blue Horses.
pop culture
Horses In The Zeitgeist THE S E BE AU TIFUL BEASTS H AVE ALWAYS I N HA BITE D A MERICA’ S IMAGINATI ON. BY HA N N A H SACKS
The March 13, 1971 cover of The New Yorker features an illustration of seven horses and jockeys, each in a different color, neck-and-neck in a race. Time’s June 11, 1973 cover features Triple Crown winner Secretariat, in his racing garb, with the cover line, “Super Horse.”
Secretariat is a 2010 film based on the true story of the eponymous Thoroughbred, who rode to Triple Crown glory in 1973.
mag world Magazine covers have long been a horse’s best friend; (left) HBO series Westworld features artificial intelligencedriven horse robots.
MOVIES Black Beauty is a 1994 film based on the same-named 1877 novel written by Anna Sewell. The film follows the life of Black Beauty, an English horse, and is narrated by none other than the horse himself.
Another book-turned-film is 1979’s The Black Stallion, which is adapted from Walter Farley’s 1941 book of the same name. The movie follows a boy, shipwrecked on a deserted island, who befriends a stallion. (Westworld) HBO
MAGAZINES The October 2016 US edition of Harper’s Bazaar features model Gigi Hadid in a white and blue lace dress accompanied by a white horse with the cover line “Unbridled Style.”
TELEVISION Gunsmoke, which aired from 1955-75, was one of the longest-running, prime-time series in television history,
focusing on gritty Marshal Matt Dillon (James Arness) keeping the peace in Dodge City. His favorite mount? A horse named Buck. Mister Ed was an iconic American sitcom that aired from 1961-66 and followed Wilbur Post and his talking horse, Mister Ed. Westworld is a hit sciencefiction series on HBO set in
a futuristic Wild West theme park inhabited by cowboys and horses that look exactly like the real McCoy but are, in fact, complex, artificial intelligence-driven robots. ART One of Pablo Picasso’s masterworks, Boy Leading A Horse, hangs in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
A classic of the Romanticism era, French artist Eugène Delacroix’s Horse Frightened By Lightning was completed nearly a century ago and currently hangs in the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest. Famed German painter and printmaker Franz Marc’s 1911 painting The Large Blue Horses leaves nothing to the imagination, as it, quite obviously, showcases two large blue horses.
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How Saratoga Brought Seabiscuit To Hollywood
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oscar race The movie poster for 2003’s multiple Oscar-nominated film, Seabiscuit; (opposite) Tobey Maguire (left), playing jockey John M. “Red” Pollard in the film.
THE SPA CITY SHINES IN THE EQUINE CLASSIC. BY DAV I D F EL D
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he leaves have begun to fall, dusting Saratoga Race Course in swatches of red, orange and yellow. Off the track, under an awning, Charles and Marcela Howard chat about racehorses’ spirit and courage. Across Union Avenue at the Oklahoma Training Track stables, jockey Red Pollard is hot walking a racehorse. This isn’t some equine daydream; I’m watching Seabiscuit, the 2003 movie filmed partly in Saratoga Springs, which is based on Lauren Hillenbrand’s nonfiction account of the rise to fame of Seabiscuit, the champion racehorse who rocketed to celebrity status during The Great Depression after beating the 1937 Triple Crown winner, War Admiral. Given the crucial role Saratoga played in Seabiscuit’s story—he was purchased for $8000 after a pair of wins at the Spa— it made sense that the film’s producers chose our historic racetrack as one of its filming locations. Film crews descended on Saratoga in the fall of 2002, shooting at prominent Spa City landmarks such as the Canfield Casino, Oklahoma Training Track and, of course, Saratoga Race Course. “When they’ve been restored or
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expanded, the structures and the buildings have been done with historical integrity,” then-Executive Vice President of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce Linda Toohey told the Associated Press of the Saratoga filming locations. “So short of taking some television monitors out, there was very little film crews had to do to make the city look historic.” Toohey, in her dual role as Saratoga County Film Commissioner, helped scout locations in the city for filming, traversing the area with camera in hand, snapping thousands of photos of the city’s scenery and architecture. Michael Blowen, founder of Old Friends Farm, a Thoroughbred aftercare organization that has a location just outside of Saratoga in Greenfield Center, also played a part in the making of Seabiscuit. He made a small cameo, as a loser at the racetrack, and a horse from his farm was one of eight who portrayed Seabiscuit himself. Blowen describes his time as an actor as “cold and boring,” though he says, “I would've done it a million times over.” I think I can safely say that Saratoga would’ve hosted the Seabiscuit film crew a million times over, too.
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the front picture perfect Artist Greg Montgomery has been producing his popular Travers posters since 1986; (opposite) Montgomery’s poster for the 2019 Travers Stakes.
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The Art Of The Travers GRE G MONTGOMERY TAKES A B R U SH TO SA R ATO GA’S n
BY B R I E N B O U YE A PAULA ROSENBERG
M O ST IMPORTANT RACE.
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LET’S FIND THE PERFECT WINDOWS TO MATCH YOUR BUDGET & STYLE. ‘The Travers Cup’
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© 2019 Art & Design / Gregory R. Montgomery and Paula Rosenberg
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All Rights Reserved
’ve had the pleasure of knowing artist Greg Montgomery and collaborating with him professionally for almost a decade, but his presence in my life dates back to the 1980s when I was a kid growing up in Saratoga County. Like many families, the Bouyea clan made annual appearances at Saratoga Race Course during the summertime, and our house’s decor featured several of Montgomery’s early entries in his nowfamous Travers Stakes poster series, which has been going strong since 1986. Montgomery’s Travers series has become so popular and coveted that it isn’t unusual to see the inaugural year’s poster commanding as much as $25,000 on the secondary market—if one of these gems becomes publicly available (for
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some reason my parents still refuse to pass that family heirloom along to me). Montgomery never imagined he’d even be a part of Travers or Saratoga lore. In fact, he admits he knew little about Thoroughbred racing or its traditions in the Spa City when he produced that first poster back in ’86. “I was studying at The College of Saint Rose in Albany and needed an idea for a project when I came across a small poster that was promoting something called the Travers Stakes,” says Montgomery. “I asked what it was, and the guy in the store went on and on about its history and how big of a deal it was. I thought that if it was so important it needed something significant to symbolize its relevance. Here I am almost 35 years later still doing these posters!” A portion of Montgomery’s series highlights some of the more memorable moments from Travers past, including Holy Bull’s thrilling 1994 victory, M A R K
T H O M A S
ME EN N ’’ S S A AP P PA PA R RE EL L M
M A R K
T H O M A S
M ME EN N ’’ S S A AP P PA PA R RE EL L
This track season, be a winner in Mark Thomas clothing
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post(er) time (from left) Montgomery’s 2012 poster featuring Alpha and Golden Ticket; 2016’s featuring Arrogate; (opposite, from left) 1994’s featuring Holy Bull; 2004’s featuring Birdstone.
Birdstone’s dash through the dark in 2004, the unforgettable dead heat between Alpha and Golden Ticket in 2012 and Arrogate’s recordsetting romp in 2016. Others hat-tip the serene, scenic splendor found only at Saratoga Race Course: the iconic roofline, the historic paddock, the distinct infield gazebo, the legendary Oklahoma Training Track and Union Avenue’s horse crossing. “There’s so much beauty that’s distinctly Saratoga and vital to what I do each year,” Montgomery says. “Otherwise, it’s just horses on a track, and that can happen anywhere. Saratoga is one of a kind, which is what I try to convey.” I can’t wait for the next edition. Can you?
the front interior
A Beautiful (Equine) Saratoga Summer
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OH , H OW WE LOV E O U R H O R SE -F I LLE D H O M E S. BY BEVERLY TRACY
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MY SARATOGA HOME: THE HORSES Equine design abounds inside.
TOM STOCK: OPPOSITE PAGE: (The Canter Inn, Tracey Buyce) TRACEY BUYCE
n Saratoga Springs, I can’t help but feel like we’re blessed. Horse racing has made our lovely city a globally important destination, and visitors from all over the world flock here each summer to experience our historic racetrack and take part in the equestrian lifestyle. Front-and-center in all of this? The aesthetically powerful horse. For many of us—including yours truly—we not only live out our passion for horses in our local equestrian-inspired restaurants and bars, but also inside our Saratoga homes, which are filled with equine moments that serve to both beautify and pay homage to our racing city roots. Horses show up as the subjects of fancy, gold-framed oil paintings and rustic bronze statues; on lovely, detailed needlepoint pillows; and in oversized, framed, black-and-white photos from the expert eyes of local horse photographers such as Tracey Buyce. Our master bedrooms feature horse-inspired linens, and horse designs grace the linen hand towels in our powder baths and cashmere blankets and throws on the backs of our sofas. Not to mention the horseshoes we hang above our doors—which some say are for good luck, but I say are just a simple way of leveling-up your decor. Don’t forget those brightly painted jockeys that greet our guests by our front walkways—or the equine decanters we use to pour a little extra scotch into our guests’ glasses. And for those of you looking for a more subtle way to incorporate a horse-themed style into your Saratoga home, consider adorning it with a stirrup-inspired lamp, framed Travers Stakes poster (great if you’re on a budget) or a jockey silks-inspired pillow. Whether you’re looking to spruce up your Broadway Victorian, Fifth Avenue home, luxe downtown apartment or sprawling horse farm, horse-themed designs are a timeless, easy way to let your Saratoga style shine. I’ll never get tired of equine design—or the fact that it rhymes.
(clockwise from top left) Tracey Buyce; David and Sheila Cabano; Stephanie Reppas; The Canter Inn; Allyson Marie; Susan Daniels; Sean Noonan; Dan Herkel.
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(top from left) Debby and Peter Copeletti; Erin Madden; Donna Brothers; (middle from left) Nicole Buck; Tina and Murray Levith; Mike and Nancy Ketchen; (bottom from left) The Inn At Five Points; Tina Derrico; Anthony Iavallo.
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religious experience Javier Castellano aboard Catholic Boy, the winner of the 149th Travers Stakes in 2018.
THE TRAVERS STAKES’ BIG BIRTHDAY BOY, DO WE HAVE THE BOOK FOR YOU!
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NYRA
BY BRIEN BOUYEA
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saratoga living EXCLUSIVE
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THE
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TRAVERS: 150 Years of Saratoga’s Greatest Race excerpts from the new book by
BRIEN BOUYEA
and
MICHAEL VEITCH
August 18, 1962 – Jaipur The 1962 Travers Stakes is deservedly held in high esteem one of the most exciting races imaginable,” commented the among the greatest thoroughbred races contested during New York Times. “When they turned into the stretch, Jaipur the 20th century. Jaipur and Ridan furiously bounded out of gradually moved into the lead, and, according to all pre-race the gate in near rhythmic lockstep, calculations, it appeared that he was immediately engaging each other in home free. The general belief had it THE a thrilling confrontation that tested that Ridan could not go the distance. the talent and heart of the two fierce He confounded the figures, though, competitors. Neither standout colt by showing a most courageous rally 150 Years of Saratoga’s was willing to relent even the slightest approaching the wire. For an instant Greatest Race advantage to the other throughout a he seemed to head Jaipur, and there mesmerizing journey of a mile and a were many who insisted that he won. It quarter around the historic Saratoga took a sharp examination of the photo oval. At the conclusion of the grueling to authenticate Jaipur’s triumph.” and exhilarating race, Jaipur had won Jaipur provided the fourth victory by a nose in 2:01 3⁄5, eclipsing the in the Travers for both owner George stakes record that dated back to 1920, Widener and his 78-year-old trainer, when Man o’ War won the Midsummer Bert Mulholland. Shoemaker, who BR IEN BOU Y EA | M ICHAEL VEI TCH Derby in 2:01 4⁄5. earned his second Travers win, said: In the Travers, Ridan broke from the “I felt I had him right on the wire, but inside, with Jaipur right alongside in it sure was close.” Jaipur never won post position two as the 3-5 favorite. another race after the Travers. The Ridan was the 5-2 second choice. following year, he finished second in “With Willie Shoemaker riding Jaipur and Manuel Ycaza piloting the Palm Beach Handicap. The horse four lengths in front of Ridan, the crowd of 26,183 fans had the privilege of witnessing Jaipur at the wire was none other than Ridan. Foreword by Javier Castellano
SKIP DICKSTEIN
’ve been going to the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course since I was a kid, but only a few years ago did I start thinking about it in a historical context. The centuries-old Saratoga fixture, first contested in 1864 during the Civil War and the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, is the oldest major Thoroughbred race in America, predating even the big three: The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness Stakes and The Belmont Stakes. Let me put that into perspective for a second: The Travers is 11 years older than the Derby, 9 years older than the Preakness and 3 years older than the Belmont. Numerous immortals of the sport—23 Hall of Famers, including Man o’ War, Whirlaway, Native Dancer and Damascus, among others—have enhanced their legacies by winning the race long known as the “Midsummer Derby.” As the Travers crept closer to its milestone 150th running this year, I began to dig into its one-of-a-kind history. I quickly realized it wasn’t going to be feasible to chronicle something this vast as a solo endeavor, so I pitched the idea of a Travers anniversary book to my friend Michael Veitch, one of the most wellrespected racing writers and historians in the country. Michael was enthusiastic about the project, and soon, we were off to the races. In the end, the research was fun, the writing was a challenge and our trip down Travers memory lane was a rewarding experience. Michael and I were fortunate to have the assistance of renowned Travers alpha males In the 2012 Travers Stakes, Alpha poster artist Greg Montgomery for our and Golden Ticket finished in a rare dead heat, horse racing’s version of a tie. little history project. Greg has been documenting the Travers and the beauty of Saratoga since 1986 and has illustrated many of the race’s iconic moments. Some of the greatest editions of the Travers—and not coincidentally some of our favorites—have been brought to life through Greg’s artwork. As we look forward to the 150th running of the Travers on August 24, here are some excerpts from our book, The Travers: 150 Years Of Saratoga’s Greatest Race. Most racing historians consider the 1962 Travers showdown between Jaipur and Ridan to be the event’s signature renewal. (Michael and I both agree.) Let’s take a look back at the landmark Midsummer Derby and some outstanding recent runnings of the mighty Travers. And, of course, happy 150th Travers, Saratoga.
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But the race wasn’t the cakewalk many had predicted. Street Sense’s jockey, future Hall of Famer Calvin Borel, knew his mount would have to be ready with a top effort. On the day he won the Jim Dandy with Street Sense, Borel also won an allowance by six lengths aboard a horse named Grasshopper. The son of Dixie Union made a strong impression on Borel, who said Grasshopper was “the one he was most concerned with” heading into the Travers. With temperatures in the mid-90s on a steamy day at the Spa, Street Sense sat close to the pace in third early in the Travers as Grasshopper and C P West traveled one-two through early fractions of :23.68 and :48.18. On the backstretch, Grasshopper made the lead under Robby Albarado, clocking three-quarters of a mile in 1:12.43. Borel began to work on Street Sense as they hit the quarter pole. The Derby winner started to roll with a two-wide move and hooked up with Grasshopper for a thrilling stretch drive. Grasshopper grinded along the rail and was not willing to concede anything to the 1-4 favorite. Street Sense, however, responded by displaying the heart and talent that made him a champion. It wasn’t easy, but Street Sense eventually inched his way past Grasshopper. Borel took a little look over his left shoulder and knew he had the race won in the closing strides. Street Sense hit the wire a half-length in front. In giving trainer Carl Nafzger and owner Jim Tafel their second Travers victory, Street Sense covered the distance in in 2:02.69 before a Spa crowd of 38,909. “I had him measured all the way,” Borel said. “He’s got to the point where he does what he has to do, he does what I ask him to do, and as long as he keeps doing that, it’s fine with me.”
August 20, 1994 – Holy Bull
As Birdstone hit the wire, the storm hit the track. But for winning Holy Bull hadn’t convinced everyone he was a great racehorse owner Marylou Whitney, the wild weather did nothing to diminish by the time he arrived at Saratoga for the 1994 Travers Stakes. her joy. “This is a dream come true,” Whitney said. “I think the One of his naysayers was a notable figure, D. Wayne Lukas, gods came out and did this to sort of congratulate him.” trainer of rival Tabasco Cat. Holy Bull was coming into the Birdstone’s trainer, Nick Zito, said the timing of the storm was Travers riding a three-race win streak — comprised of the fortunate. “God did me a favor again today, as usual,” Zito said. Metropolitan Handicap, Dwyer Stakes, and Haskell Invitational “It didn’t really rain until the race was run. If it had come earlier — by a combined 14 lengths. Lukas, however, was skeptical of and they would have sealed the track, we would have scratched.” the big gray colt who was owned and trained by Jimmy Croll, Lion Heart, the race’s 5-2 favorite, set a relatively slow pace saying: “Look at Holy Bull’s record under a microscope. Who of :242⁄5 seconds for the quarter-mile and :49 flat for the halfwas second when he won the Dwyer? Nobody can tell you.” mile. Once he hit the top of the stretch, however, Lion Heart Lukas entered Commanche Trail in the was spent and Birdstone drove to the Travers as a rabbit in hopes he would hook front. Ridden by Edgar Prado, the son of Holy Bull into a speed duel to the benefit Grindstone flashed past stablemate The Entering the Travers of his late-running Tabasco Cat, winner of Cliff’s Edge to come home in 2:02.45. “I was after a workmanlike the Preakness and Belmont. Commanche hoping the lights at the wire wouldn’t spook Trail did what was expected by delivering him,” said Prado, who won five races on the prep victory in the Jim sizzling early fractions. Holy Bull stayed card. “That was the only thing I was thinking Dandy Stakes, Street close to the pacesetter under Mike Smith in the back of my head. My horse just kept Sense appeared to be in and had a daunting task on his plate when going. I’m very happy for Nick. There was top form. But the race he took the lead with a half-mile to go. thunder in the sky and thunder in my horse.” At this point, the rabbit was cooked, and The Travers was Birdstone’s first start wasn’t the cakewalk the Midsummer Derby was a two-horse since he shocked the racing world by many had predicted. race between Holy Bull and a determined depriving Smarty Jones of the Triple Crown fighter named Concern. in the Belmont Stakes at odds of 36-1. After Withstanding a furious stretch run from the Belmont, Zito, Prado, and Whitney all Concern, Holy Bull showed he had the heart to match his talent. expressed a degree of sorrow that Smarty Jones and his legion Refusing to let his opponent by, Holy Bull hit the wire a neck of fans had been denied the Triple Crown, but the Travers in front to win this contentious Travers before an electric Spa celebration was nothing but blissful for Birdstone’s connections. crowd of 46,395. “He did it the hard way. It showed he’s all “I got soaking wet,” Zito said. “I told everyone I felt like Gene heart,” said Croll, who then took aim at Holy Bull’s skeptics, Kelly. I was singing in the rain. We were all singing in the rain. including Lukas. “They thought he didn’t have the breeding to We were ecstatic. I can’t describe how I feel.” go a mile and a quarter. They said he couldn’t go around two Birdstone raced once more after the Travers, finishing seventh in turns. They thought he could win only on the lead. They had a the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Lone Star Park in Texas. He suffered rabbit up front and a closing horse chasing him at the end of a a bone chip during the race and was retired with five wins from mile and a quarter. Well, he did what he had to do. He answered nine starts. Sent to Gainesway Farm in Kentucky, Birdstone got all the questions. … Wayne better get a new microscope.” off to a remarkable start at stud, siring Kentucky Derby Mine That Bird and Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird, who also went on to add a victory in the Travers en route to an Eclipse Award.
August 25, 2012 – Alpha and Golden Ticket
August 28, 2004 – Birdstone
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Street Sense proved he was game for a street fight in the 2007 Travers Stakes. A champion juvenile who was the first Kentucky Derby winner to contest the Travers since Thunder Gulch in 1995, Street Sense was an overwhelming favorite to win the 138th running of the Midsummer Derby. Entering the Travers after a workmanlike prep victory in the Jim Dandy Stakes, Street Sense appeared to be in top form.
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August 25, 2007 – Street Sense
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Birdstone’s Midsummer Derby dash through the darkness was a scene unlike any other in the celebrated history of Saratoga Race Course. The 2004 Travers Stakes proved to be one of the storied race’s most memorable editions thanks to a determined little colt and the wrath of a mighty thunderstorm that turned a tranquil summer afternoon pitch black in a matter of moments. The torrential rain and lightning, however, held off just long enough for Birdstone to successfully navigate his way around the Spa oval for a 2½-length victory before a crowd of 48,894.
Travers Stakes tradition dictates the colors of the winning owner’s silks be painted on a canoe in the Saratoga infield lake and remain there until the next edition of the Midsummer Derby. After the 2012 Travers, two canoes had to be painted in the respective colors of mighty Godolphin Racing and the upstart Magic City Thoroughbreds. They were placed side by side — just like Alpha and Golden Ticket were at the wire in the 143rd running of the Travers. A late rally by Alpha put him on even terms at the finish with longshot Golden Ticket, delivering the first official dead heat in the history of the Midsummer Derby. In 1874, Attila and Acrobat finished in a tie in the Travers, but they were made to race again to decide the matter, with Attila the victor. Alpha was the second son of 2006 Travers winner Bernardini to earn a victory in the Midsummer Derby, following 2011 winner Stay Thirsty. Alpha broke his maiden in his career debut in 2011 at Saratoga and had victories in the Count Fleet Stakes, Withers, and Jim Dandy to his credit when he was entered in the Travers. Golden Ticket, meanwhile, arrived at Saratoga with only one win in nine starts. Little was thought of the dark bay son of Speightstown leading up to the Travers, which he entered following a layoff of 112 days.
Both Alpha and Golden Ticket had good starts in the Midsummer Derby racing near the pace before Golden Ticket opened a one-length lead with a furlong remaining. Alpha used a furious closing kick to hit the wire in tandem with Golden Ticket. Several minutes passed before the subdued crowd of 46,528 saw the tote board change from “photo” to “dead heat.” “I’ll take a dead heat,” said Kiaran McLaughlin, trainer of Alpha. “At the sixteenth pole, I thought we were second best. I didn’t think we were going to get there.” There were winner’s circle presentations for each set of connections, as well as a joint gathering to celebrate the historical result. “It couldn’t work out better,” said Ken McPeek, Golden Ticket’s trainer. “It would have been a heartbreaker for either one of us to lose.”
August 27, 2016 – Arrogate A devastating gray storm by the name of Arrogate came seemingly out of nowhere on a sun-splashed Saratoga afternoon during the 2016 Travers Stakes. The 48,630 in attendance for the 147th running of the Midsummer Derby will never forget the one-of-a-kind display of brilliance they witnessed. In less than two minutes, Arrogate went from unknown commodity to Spa legend with a performance for the ages. Unproven and overlooked, the big son of Unbridled’s Song turned the Travers into a mesmerizing spectacle of freakish talent. Unleashed in the stretch by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, Arrogate uncoiled his long legs and decimated an overmatched field en route to a 13½-length victory in track-record time of 1:59.36. In winning at odds of 11-1, Arrogate smashed General Assembly’s previous stakes and track mark for 1¼ miles that had stood since 1979. The performance was as dominant as any in the rich history of Saratoga racing. “I was amazed how he lengthened his stride and opened up,” Smith said. The result provided a degree of redemption for Arrogate’s Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who was disheartened at Saratoga a year earlier when Triple Crown winner American Pharoah was shockingly defeated in the Travers. “Last year you probably could have poured me out of a shot glass,” Baffert said. “We were pretty dejected. I felt bad for the horse. The horse got beat. He ran hard. ... He ran his heart out. So we were sitting here and it was just emotional. The whole town came out to see him do something like Arrogate did today. ... I’m just glad to be back here with another chance at it. And my horse ... what he did today is pretty incredible. He looks like a superstar in the making. I think the fans will remember watching a horse like this, because I know, when I see performances like this, they’re very rare.” Brien Bouyea and Michael Veitch are the authors of The Travers: 150 Years of Saratoga’s Greatest Race. The book is now available at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, various bookstores throughout the region and at traversbook.com.
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tacit consensus Tacitus (No.2) winning this year’s Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racetrack back in April.
AND THE TRAVERS WINNER IS… TA C I T U S J U S T M AY B E T H E H O R S E T O B E AT I N T H I S Y E A R ’ S M I D S U M M E R D E R B Y.
Maximum Security “Simply the best three-year-old out there! I bet him on Kentucky Derby Day—but had my winning trifecta stripped because of the disqualification. If he goes in the Travers, look for him to win by at least five lengths.” –JOE “WOODY” WOOD Master Barber at Woody’s Barbershop and amateur handicapper
Tacitus “I’ll put my money on Tacitus from the Bill Mott barn. He ran a solid fourth in the Derby (elevated to third via the DQ) and would’ve likely won the Belmont Stakes given a better trip.” –BRIEN BOUYEA saratoga living Sports Editor and Communications Director at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
Tacitus “I’ll select Tacitus, who performed well in the Triple Crown events for trainer Bill Mott. He’s in good hands with Bill and always seems to deliver a solid race. It just might be Tacitus’ turn on Travers Day.” –MICHAEL VEITCH Saratoga horse racing historian and author
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–DAN ILLMAN Executive Producer/Host, DRFTV
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“Tacitus had a less-than-ideal trip in the Kentucky Derby, when he was forced wide before coming with a good late run, and he couldn’t have been any wider in the Belmont Stakes while Sir Winston rode the advantageous inside lane. The well-bred Tacitus is definitely due a good trip or two, and he just might get one in the Travers Stakes this summer at Saratoga.”
ADAM COGLIANESE
Tacitus
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I TRAVERS SHOCKER!
WHEN JIM DANDY DID THE IMPOSSIBLE HOW THE LONGEST OF LONGSHOTS PULLED O F F T H E G R E AT E S T O F U P S E T S . BY BRIEN BOUYEA
would’ve loved to have been a railbird at the 1930 Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Sure, it would’ve been a dream come true to see legends such as Man o’ War, Whirlaway and Native Dancer in the flesh, but in terms of Saratoga racing lore, nothing would’ve compared to witnessing the remarkable and unexpected feat Jim Dandy pulled off on that August afternoon some nine decades ago. This one was a whopper. That year’s Travers saw a sea of racing fans at Saratoga Race Course. The New York Herald-Tribune reported a record crowd of 50,000, although other sources were more conservative. They came from far and wide to see Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox take on Whichone, whom he'd beaten in that year's Belmont Stakes. A product of William Woodward’s Belair Stud, Gallant Fox was favored at 1-2 odds, with Whichone at 7-5. The two others in the field were afterthoughts. Sun Falcon was dismissed at odds of 401, while Jim Dandy was considered hopeless at 100-1. There was national radio coverage, one of the earliest live broadcasts of a horse race, and New York Governor (and future US President) Franklin D. Roosevelt was in the crowd, as well as retired heavyweight boxing champion Gene Tunney. Heavy rain the night before turned the track into a quagmire. The rain continued into Travers morning and more showers followed in the afternoon. To help accommodate the massive crowd, Saratoga Race Course’s infield, which hadn’t been accessible to the general public for years, was opened following the running of the Beverwyck Steeplechase. do you believe in miracles? Jim Dandy shocked all in attendance at the 1930 Travers Stakes when he won at 100-1 odds.
At the outset of the featured race, all the horses broke well, with Gallant Fox taking an early lead on the outside. Whichone stayed close and provided constant pressure. The race soon became the showdown everyone anticipated, as Gallant Fox and Whichone battled on the front end with the longshots falling well behind. Gallant Fox led at the mile marker, but the deep mud was taking its toll. Turning for home, Whichone forced the exhausted Triple Crown winner wide. The timing was right for Jim Dandy to move on the leaders. With the favorites struggling, the horse seized the opportunity with an all-out charge along the rail. While Gallant Fox and Whichone appeared anchored in the mud, Jim Dandy skipped through the slop and began to draw off in astonishing fashion for an eight-length victory. “The cheering died,” reported The New York Times. “Then it resumed, for no one believed Jim Dandy could stay in front. But Jim Dandy kept going farther and farther away and won in a gallop, with jockey Frank Baker looking back to see what was happening.” All these years later, it’s impossible to make sense of the results. Jim Dandy was winless in ten starts the year prior to the Travers. He finished a dismal eighth of nine in a minor race at Saratoga only eight days earlier, and his seasonal earnings at the time amounted to just $125. But perhaps Jim Dandy shouldn’t have been completely dismissed, considering the conditions. The prior year, he won the Grand Union Hotel Stakes at Saratoga at odds of 50-1. The track that day featured similar conditions to his Travers victory. He was said to have “eggshell hooves,” which bothered him on fast tracks. The soggy mud, however, seemed to have acted as a restorative elixir for this greatest of longshots. Jim Dandy raced until the age of 12. He was retired in 1939 after 141 starts. He won only seven of them and finished last in more than half of them. In 1964, the New York Racing Association introduced the Jim Dandy Stakes to pay homage to the mud-loving miracle Travers winner. A little piece of advice: never count out the longshots. I sure don’t.
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POWER THE 2019
W
e’ve really done it this time. s For the first time in our 21-year history, saratoga living has accomplished what no other local media outlet has ever dared to try: We’ve created—and ranked(!)—a stellar list of the most powerful individuals impacting horse racing in Saratoga Springs right now. It’s a roster of familiar and perhaps not-so-familiar names, who not only share an unquestioned love for the Sport of Kings, but also come to land on this historic list because of one all-important word: influence. s So, if power is influence—and we say it absolutely is—then this inaugural 2019 saratoga living Power List is exclusively comprised of the men and women who have the greatest impact on horse racing in the Spa City. s saratoga living asked a panel of local horse racing experts, historians, editors and writers to recommend the trainers, owners, jockeys and other influencers who make the summer meet in Saratoga an absolute must for all racing aficionados. s We know any ranked list will inspire conversation, debate and even a little bit of what were they thinking? (to say nothing of the perceived “snubbed” list); but, no matter. saratoga living is, as always, proud to represent our city and our city’s signature sport. We’re ready for any feedback that may come our way. It’s OK; passion is required for all of Saratoga’s wondrous offerings, the track very much included. s Without further ado, we present the first annual 2019 saratoga living Power List. It’s quite a list; but, hey, it’s quite a sport.
LIST
—RICHARD PÉREZ-FERIA EDITOR IN CHIEF
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he had his first stakes win in New York when Jersey Girl won the Astoria at Belmont. Pletcher quickly established himself as a star on the rise, and has burned bright ever since. With one of the largest stables in racing, Pletcher has had to effectively manage the numerous day-to-day tasks of the business side of the sport, while also never failing to maintain complete focus on the horsemanship required of his craft. Few
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trainers—if any—approach Pletcher’s mastery of this delicate balancing act. Two years from now, Pletcher becomes eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame. He’s considered a lock to be elected on the first ballot. A few hours after the morning induction ceremony at Fasig-Tipton, it’s a sure bet that the trainer will be across the street at the racetrack in a familiar spot: the Winner’s Circle.
TODD PLETCHER (TR AINER)
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2.
IRAD ORTIZ, JR. AND JOSÉ ORTIZ
SUSIE RAISHER
(JOCKEYS)
SUSIE RAISHER
Award-winning Thoroughbred Trainer Todd Pletcher sits atop saratoga living’s inaugural Power List for a number of key reasons, the most obvious being that he dominates in the sport of horse racing, laying waste to his competition and setting records aplenty along the way. It’s what he does—both nationally and here at Saratoga Race Course. A native of Dallas, the 52-year-old trainer extraordinaire has reigned supreme in the Thoroughbred game for more than two decades, and there’s no indication his prime will end anytime soon. Some more evidence of Pletcher’s dominance? He’s the all-time leader in purse earnings by a trainer (more than $375 million as of mid-June); has been awarded a record seven Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Trainer and a record 13 leading trainer titles at Saratoga; has won leading trainer in North America honors by earnings 10 times; has set the record for most stakes wins (100) and graded stakes wins (57) in a single year (2006), surpassing the previous marks set by his former boss, D. Wayne Lukas; has won 2 Kentucky Derbies, 3 Belmont Stakes and 10 Breeders’ Cups; and has garnered 33 total meet training titles in New York. His list of accomplishments literally goes on and on. Pletcher earned his first win in January 1996 at Gulfstream Park in Florida with Majestic Number. He’s amassed almost 4800 more wins since then and counts many of the most powerful owners in the sport among his clients, including Mike Repole, WinStar Farm and Starlight Racing, among countless others. At Saratoga, he has been masterful in preparing his horses for success in the most prestigious events. He can list the Travers, Whitney, Alabama, Woodward, Sword Dancer, Hopeful, Personal Ensign, Ballerina and King’s Bishop among his Grade 1 conquests here. And he’s hoisted the trophy for several of those events on multiple occasions. Pletcher began showing an interest in horses as a child. His father, Jake “J.J.” Pletcher, trained both quarter horses and Thoroughbreds and now runs a training center in Florida where many of Todd’s young runners get an early education before joining the big barn. After high school, Pletcher graduated from the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program. He then apprenticed with Lukas, a Hall of Fame conditioner with 14 Triple Crown race wins to his credit. After nearly seven years with Lukas, Pletcher began his own journey when he landed his trainer’s license in late 1995. Some two years later,
Imagine if National Basketball Association superstar LeBron James had a younger brother who was just as good at basketball as he was. Apply that concept to Thoroughbred racing, and you have the reality that is the Ortiz brothers. Irad, 26, and José, 25, natives of Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, have combined for more than 4000 wins and purse earning of close to $300 million in less than a decade. In 2017, José won the Eclipse Award, the Belmont Stakes and topped all North American riders with more than $27.3 million
in earnings. In 2018, it was Irad’s turn for the Eclipse and the earnings title with more than $27.7 million in purse earnings (he won the Belmont in 2016). The brothers have reigned supreme at Saratoga for the past four years. Each has a pair of riding titles here, and the brothers have finished 1-2 in the standings each of those years. At press time, the Ortiz brothers were both in the top three in purse earnings, nationally, once again and appear primed for another sensational summer at Saratoga.
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3.
6.
BARBARA BANKE
DAVID O’ROURKE
(S T O N E S T R E E T S TA B L E S ’ O W N E R )
(N E W Y O R K R A C I N G A S S O C I AT I O N ’ S CEO AND PRESIDENT) An integral member of the New York Racing Association (NYRA) management team since 2008, David O’Rourke, 45, was named CEO and President in March after serving in the position on an interim basis since January. O’Rourke first joined NYRA as director of financial planning before becoming chief revenue officer and vice president of corporate development. During his tenure at NYRA, O’Rourke has played a major role in the development of NYRA Bets, a national wagering platform now available in 30 states, and the expansion of NYRA’s television broadcasts, Belmont Park Live and Saratoga Live. He’s also led NYRA’s strategy and investment in cloud-based video streaming technologies, including the innovative NYRA Now app. O’Rourke is a member of NYRA’s Board of Directors and serves the racing industry in a variety of roles with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Thoroughbred Racing Associations of America (TRA) and the Management Committee of the Equibase Company. NYRA recently unveiled Saratoga Race Course’s newest luxury accommodations, the 1863 Club, and many changes are expected at NYRA’s metropolitan tracks, Belmont and Aqueduct, in the coming years. All eyes will be on O’Rourke to see how he charts the course during this most crucial time for New York racing.
4.
5.
JOHN HENDRICKSON
CHAD BROWN
( N AT I O N A L M U S E U M O F R A C I N G A N D H A L L O F F A M E P R E S I D E N T, R AC E H O R S E OW N E R )
With three straight Eclipse Awards, the 40-year-old Mechanicville native is on the short list of the most successful trainers in the game, along with Pletcher, Bob Baffert, Steve Asmussen, Mark Casse and Bill Mott. In winning his second training title at Saratoga in 2018, Brown set a track record with 46 wins, breaking the previous mark of 40 that he shared with Pletcher. He’s surpassed $20 million in purse earnings each of the past four years and earned his first Triple Crown race win in 2017, when Cloud Computing took the Preakness. At press time, Brown was second nationally in purse earnings and sixth in wins. A Cornell University graduate and former assistant to Hall of Famers Claude R. “Shug” McGaughey III and Bobby Frankel, Brown appears loaded for another run at the top of the standings at Saratoga this summer.
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(Brown) DORI FITZPATRICK
(T R A I N E R )
A former member of NYRA’s Board of Directors, Hendrickson, 54, was elected the museum’s president in 2017 and has spearheaded a revitalization of the institution. Introducing an innovative online program called Foal Patrol—which spotlights in-foal mares during their pregnancies via live webcam— Hendrickson has increased the museum’s national visibility exponentially. He’s currently leading a $20 million campaign to transform the Hall of Fame into a revolutionary interactive experience. A native of Alaska, Hendrickson is also an owner of a prominent racing stable with his wife, the iconic Marylou Whitney. The couple has been integral in promoting and preserving the legacy of Saratoga racing and supporting the track’s approximately 2500 backstretch workers through the annual Saratoga Backstretch Appreciation program. Hendrickson was a key figure in convincing NYRA to spend more than half a million dollars to renovate a pair of dormitories that house many of the workers near the Oklahoma Training Track.
One of the most successful stables in the racing world, Stonestreet was established by Banke and her late husband, Jess Jackson. Stonestreet has campaigned some of the most accomplished racehorses of the 21st century in Hall of Fame members Curlin and Rachel Alexandra, as well as champions such as My Miss Aurelia, Good Magic and Lady Aurelia. Banke’s Lexington-based Stonestreet Farms has also emerged as a force in the sport’s sales business. Furthermore, Jackson’s involved in numerous organizations within the sport, including the National Museum of Racing and the Breeders’ Cup. (A graduate of UCLA and The UC Hastings College of Law, Banke is a former land use and constitutional law attorney, who spent more than a decade arguing cases before the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals.) Outside of the realm of horse racing, Banke and her late husband co-founded Jackson Family Wines. In addition to the flagship Kendall-Jackson brand, Jackson Family Wines includes two dozen top wineries in California and maintains a global presence of top vineyards and wineries in France, Italy, Australia and other locations around the world.
7.
SETH KLARMAN
( K L A R AV I C H S TA B L E S ’ O W N E R ) Besides graduating from Harvard Business School and being the CEO of the Boston-based Baupost Group, one the world’s largest hedge funds, 62-year-old Seth Klarman, who grew up near Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, has been one of racing’s top owners for more than a decade, campaigning his horses under the name Klaravich Stables. Many of Klarman’s horses are owned in partnership with William Lawrence, an Albany native. The aforementioned Cloud Computing, who was trained by Chad Brown and won the 2017 Preakness Stakes, is one of Klavarich’s horses.
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ANDY SERLING
( N E W Y O R K R A C I N G A S S O C I AT I O N HANDICAPPER) A staple of NYRA’s broadcast team for more than a decade, the highly opinionated Serling, 57, is regarded as one of the top handicappers in the game. Serling, who was born in New Jersey and grew up in Saratoga, has been an integral presence on the popular TV programs Belmont Park Live and Saratoga Live. He also hosts NYRA’s Talking Horses program and its Across the Board podcast. With more than 26K followers, Serling’s Twitter handle (@AndySerling) is one of the most followed in the sport and offers regular insight during the Saratoga racing season and throughout the year for all NYRA tracks. Before working in the racing industry, Serling traded options on the floor of the American Stock Exchange and was a professional horseplayer. He brings a combination of cockiness and humor to his job along with the ability to clearly explain complicated handicapping concepts to an audience that ranges from novices to expert horseplayers.
9.
MAGGIE WOLFENDALE
( N E W Y O R K R A C I N G A S S O C I AT I O N PA D D O C K A N A LY S T ) One of the most recognized women in horse racing, Wolfendale is the daughter of respected Maryland-based trainer Howard Wolfendale and the wife of emerging New York trainer Tom Morley. A third-generation horsewoman,
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11.
ANGEL CORDERO, JR.
10.
BOBBY FLAY
( H A L L O F F A M E J O C K E Y, A G E N T )
( R AC E H O R S E OW N E R , C E L E B R I T Y C H E F )
Known as the “King of Saratoga,” Cordero, 76, won a record 14 leading rider titles at Saratoga Race Course—including 11 in a row—and is regarded as one of the greatest jockeys in history. Arguably the most popular figure in Saratoga racing history, Cordero is a multiple Eclipse Award winner, who won six Triple Crown races. He continues to be a major presence at Saratoga as the agent for Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez and Manny Franco, one of the sport’s top young riders. A native of Santurce, Puerto Rico, Cordero was one of the first three track superstars honored in the Saratoga Walk of Fame at the racetrack in 2013. Cordero has helped Velazquez, who is also a Hall of Famer, become the sport’s all-time leading jockey in purse earnings with more than $400 million to his name. With Cordero booking their mounts, Velazquez and Franco are both among the top ten riders in the country so far in 2019.
Speaking of food, a powerhouse in the field of culinary arts and a staple on the Food Network, Flay, 54, burst on the racing scene in 2010 when his horse, More Than Real, won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Flay has since become one of the sport’s most visible owners and a top ambassador for the game. In 2016, Flay was a part-owner of Belmont Stakes winner Creator, and has also campaigned Grade 1 winner Dame Dorothy and bred graded stakes winner America. Along with being a successful owner and breeder, Flay served on the New York Racing Association board from 2012 through 2018. He’s also served on the Breeders’ Cup board and delivered the keynote speech at a National Museum of Racings Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
12.
(NEW YORK THOROUGHBRED BREEDERS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR) Hailing from a family that’s been involved in New York racing for more than a half-century, Cannizzo has been instrumental in the impressive development of the state’s Thoroughbred breeding program. Since joining the New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB) in 2008, Cannizzo has been a powerful advocate for the racing and breeding industry in the state’s contentious political environment. Cannizzo regularly represents New York breeders and horsemen at state hearings and is on the Board of Directors for both NYRA and the New York Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund. He’s also an advisory board member of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. A graduate of Le Moyne College, Cannizzo worked in business development for Lockheed Martin, Dell and Microsoft prior to joining the NYTB.
13.
POWER LIST: HALL OF FAME
JEFFREY CANNIZZO
DANNY MEYER
( S H A K E S H AC K F O U N D E R )
(Meyer) FINANCIAL TIMES
8.
Wolfendale joined the New York Racing Association (NYRA) in the fall of 2010 and quickly earned a reputation as one of the sport’s top analysts. An expert on horse conformation (the evaluation of a horse’s body/bone structure and more) and a meticulous student of the game, Wolfendale’s views from the paddock are essential tools for horseplayers before they head to the betting windows at Saratoga Race Course. Along with her broadcasting career, Wolfendale remains active in the training aspect of the sport, working with her husband’s horses in the barn and galloping on the track. She’s also spent time retraining retired racehorses to take on new careers. Prior to working for NYRA, Wolfendale graduated from Towson University with a broadcasting degree and worked for both the Maryland Jockey Club and Colonial Downs in Virginia.
(Cannizzo) PHOTOS BY Z
The stables has also been a heavyweight at Saratoga Race Course in recent years, topping track standings in earnings in 2017 and 2018 and in wins each of the past three years. According to Equibase, Klaravich Stables and its extended partnerships have earned more than $50 million in purses since 2006. Outside of racing, Klarman is also a minority owner of the Boston Red Sox and has named some of his horses, including Fenway Faithful and Yawkey Way, in honor of his Red Sox connection.
One of New York City’s most celebrated restauranteurs, the 61-year-old Danny Meyer might have some Saratogians scratching their heads as to his inclusion on this list. But bring up his signature business, Shake Shack, and it’s a no-brainer. Shake Shack is, without question Saratoga Race Course’s most popular, lengthy-queued eatery. With its NYC flagship founded in 2001, the upscale “roadside burger stand” was a sizzling hit from the get-go and has since gone nuclear, popularity-wise, with more than 200 locations all over the continental United States and in far-off reaches such as China, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Singapore. Sure, Saratoga Race Course is steeped in tradition and history. But in with the new, we say. And by that, we mean a ShackBurger, cheese fries and vanilla milkshake.
MARYLOU WHITNEY
( R AC E H O R S E OW N E R / B R E E D E R , 2 0 1 9 H A LL O F FA M E I N D U C T E E ) Known as the “Queen of Saratoga,” Marylou Whitney has been a successful horse owner and breeder since the early 1990s. Following the death of her husband, Cornelius Vanderbilt “Sonny” Whitney, in 1992, Whitney began blazing her own trail in the racing world. For Marylou Whitney Stables, her homebred Bird Town ran the fastest Kentucky Oaks ever in 2003 and her Birdstone won both the Belmont and Travers the following year. The latter later sired a Kentucky Derby winner (Mine That Bird) and Belmont winner (Summer Bird) in his first crop as a stallion. She’s also a member of The Jockey Club and an Eclipse Award of Merit recipient. This summer, Whitney will receive the ultimate horse racing honor, when she’s inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Pillar of the Turf.
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THE FUTURE OF RACING THE
POWERHOUSE
WOMEN saratoga living ASKED FIVE INCREDIBLE FEMALE PROFESSIONALS IN THE
HORSE RACING INDUSTRY HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT WORKING IN A PREDOMINANTLY MALE SPORT, AND HOW IT’S IMPACTED THEIR CAREER. HERE’S WHAT THEY SAID.
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KATHRYN SHARP CLAIM TO FAME: Co-founder and director of marketing and strategic partnerships for horse racing’s first industry-wide convention and festival, Equestricon, and owner and breeder via AJ Suited Racing Stable.
“When our team was filling out our speaker roster for Equestricon, we were disappointed at how difficult it was to recruit enough women in executive roles who could represent major industry organizations. There are a number of incredible women in these posts, but not as many as I’d like to see. While this discrepancy isn’t unique to horse racing, and we can and should do better, I’m encouraged by the many remarkable women shaping the future of the sport every day.”
QUOTE:
ALICIA HUGHES CLAIM TO FAME: Director of communications at the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), who spent more than two decades as a horse racing journalist.
“On the whole, my career has been a very positive experience, as I feel my knowledge and work ethic has been recognized and respected by the majority of my peers. While there will always be those who think they can get away with belittling and/or objectifying women, I’m proud to work alongside many men who are suitably horrified by such behavior and many female colleagues who respond to such adversity by fighting back with their words and their ability.”
QUOTE:
ABIGAIL ADSIT CLAIM TO FAME: Thoroughbred trainer with more than 728 career starts, 90 wins, 77 places, 114 shows and $3,336,772 in earnings.
“Being a woman in this male-dominated sport has made me stronger as an individual. There have been many times that I’ve shaken my head at the fact that as a woman, I’ve had to jump through ten more hoops than my male colleagues. Over the years, I’ve learned that being a female in a predominantly male sport has required intelligence, integrity and expertise in my training, along with a good bit of humor.”
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PENELOPE MILLER
MORAN PHOTOGRAPHY
QUOTE:
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NICOLE RUSSO CLAIM TO FAME: Journalist at The Daily Racing Form, with a decade of experience in horse racing journalism.
“I’ve been very lucky to have come behind some trailblazing women in general sports writing, who paved the way for women to be given fair access, even though those issues definitely still rear their heads, and to have also come behind some women who knocked down walls in turf writing, including Jennie Rees. I’m now conscious of trying to be a role model for upcoming female sports writers, and I hope to always show them that you can bring your authentic self to work.”
QUOTE:
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PENELOPE MILLER CLAIM TO FAME: Senior manager of digital media for The Jockey Club’s digital platform, America’s Best Racing,
who’s worked on breeding farms in Florida, Kentucky and Australia, as well as at Tampa Bay Downs.
MOLLY MCGILL
QUOTE: “I think women still have a long way to go until they’re occupying the same amount of space as
men in this sport; we’re still outnumbered in press boxes, shed rows and board rooms. However, I see more women working as professionals in the sport of racing as the years go by, and I hope these women will serve as role models to young women who want to make their careers in the Thoroughbred industry.”
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BODE MILLER
THEY’RE JUST LIKE US!
I
SO, WHO ARE THE CELEBRITIES WHO OWN THOROUGHBREDS?
CREDIT
CREDIT
B Y K E L S E Y F R E D R I C K S A N D N ATA L I E M O O R E p o r t r a i t s b y M O R G A N R E LY E A e x c l u s i v e l y f o r saratoga living
T H E O LY M P I C G O L D M E D A L S K I E R I S LO O K I N G TO R E VO LU T I O N I Z E T H E H O R S E R A C I N G I N D U S T R Y.
’d much rather play sports than watch them. That said, it’s hard to ignore the greats in the sports I do like to play, such as Olympic gold medal-winning beach volleyball duo Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor and powerhouse downhill skier Lindsey Vonn. Horse racing, though, I’d rather watch than play—I don’t know how to ride a horse, and if we’re talking “play” as in “playing the ponies,” I’ve never bet more than $2 on a race. But I’m content to watch the horses thunder around Saratoga Race Course, as well as to watch the sport from afar, year-round, as my job at saratoga living sometimes requires. And in all that watching, I’ve taken special notice when a familiar face enters the horse racing arena. Case in point: Bode Miller, the world-famous Olympic gold medalist and two-time overall World Cup champion downhill skier. It came to my attention that Miller, who’s also a generous philanthropist, had become interested in horse racing before his skiing career ended in 2017. He’d co-owned 2012 stakes winner Carving with Jill Baffert, the wife of two-time Triple Crownwinning, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, and owned shares in a number of other horses trained by Baffert. The Bafferts had actually named their son after Miller, as well as their 2012 Kentucky Derby runner-up, Bodemeister. In 2015, Miller purchased a barn of his own at Fair Hill Training Center in Northeast Maryland, where he’s since been overseeing an operation that he believes is revolutionizing horse training. In a 2017 interview on syndicated TV show In Depth with Graham Bensinger, Miller spoke of how his forwardthinking barn differs from traditional ones, highlighting that his includes a horse treadmill, hyperbaric chamber that helps horses heal after races, an air filtration system, paddocks for the horses to run around outside in and an equine nutritionist. In short, at his barn, horses are treated like athletes, not animals. Miller then takes Bensinger to Bob Baffert’s barn at Santa Anita Park, which is darker, dirtier and has lower ceilings and less air flow. “These are the most elite athletes in the world, and it’s crazy that this is how they’re trained,” Miller tells Bensinger. “This is how they live. They’re in their stall 23-and-a-half hours a day. I’ve been in Bob’s ear for 15 years telling him what he should be changing…and he laughs it off. His argument is ‘I win all the big races,’ and you can’t deny that.” Even though Baffert’s point is a valid one, it’s hard not to see the tremendous value in Miller’s vision. There’s even a chance horse racing fans could see Miller competing against top trainers such as Baffert in the future, but as he told the Thoroughbred Daily News, he would only get his training license once his kids were a bit older. “I don’t want to disrupt horsemanship as it stands, I just want to add to it and change it a little bit,” Miller tells Bensinger. I, for one, will be cheering for those changes, when (and if) they happen, from the sidelines. —NATALIE MOORE
QUEEN ELIZABETH II Forget about “The Sport of Kings.” When it comes to this horse owner, it’s “All Hail the Queen.” Queen Elizabeth II of England has been an avid racing lover since she was a teenager, and at 93, her horses have won more than $9.7 million in purse money. She’s had 23 winners at the Royal Ascot, Great Britain’s most prestigious race.
JOE TORRE Legendary New York Yankees manager and baseball Hall of Famer Joe Torre fell in love with horse racing in 1996, when he and then-bench coach Don Zimmer went in on a few bets at Pimlico Race Course and came out $600 richer. Since then, Torre’s owned several horses, including Vineyard Haven, whom Torre and trainer Bobby Frankel bought for $250,000 and sold for $12 million, as well as Homeboykris, who tragically died shortly after winning a race on Preakness Stakes Day in 2016.
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STEVEN SPIELBERG Iconic filmmaker Steven Spielberg’s directing credits include blockbusters such as Jaws (1975), Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981) and Jurassic Park (1993)—as well as the six-time Oscar-nominated War Horse (2011). With the latter in mind, it shouldn’t surprise you that Spielberg co-owned 2003 Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher Atswhatimtalkinbout. Sounds like his horse needed better directing.
BO DEREK Actress/animal activist Bo Derek and her late husband, John, once owned as many as 22 horses on their 46-acre ranch in Santa Ynez, CA. Following John’s death in 1998, Derek served on the California Horse Racing Board, where she worked to enhance Thoroughbred safety, and last year joined the board of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. Her autobiography is entitled, Riding Lessons: Everything That Matters In Life I Learned From Horses.
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BING CROSBY You know you’ve made it in horse racing when they name a race after you. The Bing Crosby Stakes is a Grade 1, $300,000 race run yearly at Del Mar Racetrack, where the race’s namesake, the late singer and actor Bing Crosby, served as a founding member of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. His song, “Where the Turf Meets the Surf,” was inspired by the California horse racing hub.
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Great personal success has always been achieved through listening, collaboration and leadership.
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For 1980s hip-hop superstar MC Hammer, horse racing once seemed to be a hobby that was “2 legit 2 quit.” In 1991, Hammer’s horse, Lite Light, took first place at the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, and a year later, his Dance Floor won the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park. By 1996, though, his horse racing career ground to a halt when he filed for bankruptcy.
TERRY BRADSHAW Following a four-time Super Bowlwinning career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw turned his attention to quarter horses. For two-and-ahalf decades, Bradshaw’s company, Terry Bradshaw Quarter Horses, has been breeding and raising a range of horses at Bradshaw’s Circle 12 Ranch in Thackerville, OK. Bradshaw has also dabbled in Thoroughbred racing, having been part-owner of the Todd Pletcher-trained Mission Impazible, who finished a disappointing ninth in the 2010 Kentucky Derby.
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Professional football isn’t the only sport New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees competes in. He’s owned horses as a partner in the Donkey Island Racing group, and in a 2012 claiming race, claimed the horse Siempre Mio away from former Los Angeles Lakers superstars Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, who were part-owners.
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TOBY KEITH A couple of years after country superstar Toby Keith released his eponymous debut album, he and his father, Hubert Covel, who’d always loved going to Remington Park in Oklahoma City, bought a horse, Jack Branch, together. Keith was hooked after the horse won its first race. He bought another horse and then eventually a farm. Now, two decades later, Dream Walkin’ Farms’ horses have over 5000 career starts and more than $14.2 million in career earnings.
RONNIE WOOD It seems Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood has gotten at least some satisfaction from his fascination with horse racing. His ten-year-old horse, Sandymount Duke, whom Wood bred himself, was a candidate for this year’s Grand National, one of the world’s premier steeplechase races, but he ultimately didn’t run.
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DAVE ERB, LIVING LEGEND
T H E O L D E S T- L I V I N G K E N T U C K Y D E R B Y A N D B E L M O N T S TA K E S - W I N N I N G J O C K E Y H A S Q U I E T LY B E E N O U R N E I G H B O R F O R D E C A D E S .
ow has the oldest-living jockey to win a Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes fared in retirement? When I spoke with 95-yearold Dave Erb this past June, it was clear that he was keeping himself busy: He’d been enjoying maintaining his farm in Greenfield Center (just a few miles from Saratoga Springs), where he’d been living since 1988; and he’d been playing golf as many as four times a week, weather permitting. You’ve got to wonder, though, if the folks with the tee time behind him know how famous the man ahead of them really is. Growing up in the tiny town of York, NE, Erb dreamed big. Really big. “I wanted to win the Kentucky Derby,� he told me. And, well, Erb went out and did just that. “I’m one of the lucky ones,� he says. “I had a great horse that day.� Erb’s dream came true in 1956, when he piloted Needles, a future Hall of Fame inductee, to victory. (After the Derby win, Erb and Needles appeared together on the cover of Sports Illustrated.) Needles then finished second in the Preakness before winning the Belmont to claim two-thirds of the coveted Triple Crown. Erb rode other standouts during his career in the irons, too. He piloted Hall of Famer Swoon’s Son in 21 of his 22 career races, including wins in the American Derby, Arlington Handicap and Clark Handicap, among others. Erb was also aboard Hall of Famer Swaps when he set a world record for 1 1/16 miles on dirt at Hollywood Park in 1955. After retiring in 1960, Erb went on to become a successful trainer, conditioning the champion two-year-old colt Hurry to Market. Erb stepped away from the sport in ’88, when he and his wife, Lenni, moved to Saratoga County. And despite still following racing and making the occasional trip to Saratoga Race Course, it’s all peace, quiet and retirement for him...though I can’t even begin to imagine how someone who won the Derby or Belmont could ever find true quiet after hearing the thunder of hooves—and those crowds.
man in full (clockwise, from top) Dave Erb at Arlington Park in 2009; Erb and 1956 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Needles on the cover of Sports Illustrated; Erb and Needles after their Kentucky Derby win.
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(on horse) CHURCHILL DOWNS; (with microphone) TOM FERRY
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BY BRIEN BOUYEA
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horse trade West Point Thoroughbreds creates and manages racing partnerships, in which anyone can invest in racehorses; (inset) West Point Thoroughbreds’ President and CEO Terry Finley, who got the name for his company from the US Army’s military academy where he earned his degree.
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’ve driven down Route 9 from Wilton countless times on my way to Saratoga Springs and had no idea I was whizzing past the headquarters of horse racing royalty. Just off the road and up the street from Maple Avenue Middle School sits West Point Thoroughbreds (WPT), a racing partnership manager and creator, which in less than three decades, has won its partners 840 races—11 of which were Grade 1 stakes races—including a coveted Kentucky Derby, which it took home aboard Always Dreaming in 2017. In total, WPT has garnered its partners more than $50 million in purse money. Not a bad ROI, right? If you’re trying to understand what WPT does, think of it as a horse racing hedge fund. It purchases untested yearlings and two-year-old horses at auction, then builds and manages groups of investors, who buy fractional “shares” in each horse. These partnerships or “syndicates” could be made up of trainers, racing insiders, experts or just about any Saratogian who has the disposable income to buy in. (Obviously, there’s a minimum investment cost, and that can vary from horse to horse.) And just like playing the stock market, the more horses you invest in, the better your chances are of winning big. Sounds like an easy moneymaking equation, right? Not so, says Terry Finley, West Point Thoroughbred’s President and
“I had a strong sense that there was nothing else out there that would even come close to igniting my passion and my enthusiasm like the horse racing business.”
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BUYING ‘SHARES’ IN A WINNING HORSE HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER. BY JEFF DINGLER
TIBOR SZLAVIK
CEO, who founded the company in 1991 in Cherry Hill, NJ. “We struggled to make our mark for a lot of years,” he says. Make that 16 in total: WPT didn’t have its first Grade 1 stakes win until 2007. Growing up in nearby Levittown, PA, Finley was the youngest of seven children, getting the horseplaying bug early from his “racing nut” father. Then, during an eight-year stint as an artillery officer in the US Army—hence the “West Point” in his company’s name, where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering—Finley founded WPT. Three years later, he retired from the military and went all in on his dream business. “I had a strong sense that there was nothing else out there that would even come close to igniting my passion and my enthusiasm like the horse racing business,” Finley says. Nowadays, the 55-year-old makes his home in Saratoga—literally within eyeshot of the track. And despite those early setbacks, following his passion has paid off exponentially. In addition to that Derby win, which Finley describes as “life-changing,” WPT now has five offices dotting the country, including its headquarters in Saratoga. WPT has also worked with some of the biggest names in racing throughout the years, including legendary jockey Richard Migliore (a.k.a. “The Mig”) and his son, Joe, who’s a Partner Associate at the company. At this point in his career, Finley has nothing but positive things to say about WPT’s future. “Our partnership statistics just keep getting better,” he says. “I’m more pumped and motivated about this game than I’ve ever been.” Now that I know a little bit more about WPT, I have a foolproof idea: a saratoga living syndicate! Who’s with me?
WEST POINT THOROUGHBREDS’ SURE BET
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IS JONATHAN SHEPPARD HORSE RACING’S JOE DIMAGGIO? F O R S T E E P L E C H A S E A N D T H E T U R F, T H I S T R A I N E R ’ S H A R D T O B E AT. STO RY A N D P H OTO G R A P H Y BY BRIEN BOUYEA
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ike many Saratogians, I like to gamble a bit at Saratoga Race Course. For decades, horseplayers have been rewarded with solid ROIs when they wager on Thoroughbreds trained by Jonathan Sheppard. Whether it’s over the jumps in a steeplechase race or on the turf, Sheppard has always been a solid play at the Spa’s betting windows. How good has Sheppard been? Well, he owns a seemingly unbreakable Saratoga record. Judge for yourself. If Chad Brown, the reigning Eclipse Award winner and Saratoga Race Course’s leading trainer in 2018, were to be able to best Sheppard’s record, he’d have to still be conditioning racehorses at a high level in the year 2055. In fact, between now and that summer 36 years away, Brown would need to win at least one race every year at Saratoga. Sheppard’s record? He trained at least one winner at Saratoga Race Course every year from 1969 the wonder years through 2015, a 47-year run of Jonathan Sheppard trained at least one consistent excellence. winner at Saratoga Although not as heralded in Race Course from the annals of sports history as, 1969 through 2015. say, the New York Yankees’ Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak or Baltimore Oriole Cal Ripken Jr.’s 2632 consecutive games played, Sheppard’s run should certainly be in that prestigious company. The streak came to an end in 2016, but Sheppard still remains one of the top steeplechase trainers in the country (he ranked second in the National Steeplechase Association’s 2019 standings in both wins and earnings through May) and is looking forward to returning to the Saratoga Winner’s Circle this summer. “Saratoga is always an experience I enjoy,” says Sheppard, a 78-year-old native of Ashwell, Hertfordshire, England. “Everyone wants to win at Saratoga, and I’m no different. I’ve got a few good ones in the barn that should be competitive there this summer, and hopefully, we’ll get our picture taken a time or two.” Sheppard, who was inducted into the racing Hall of Fame in 1990, has won more than 1000 jump races and more than 3300 overall races in a career that began in 1965. He has purse earnings of more than $86 million and no plans of retiring anytime soon. “I still enjoy it,” he says. “As long as I’m capable and the challenge still excites me, I’m going to stay on the ride. The game’s been really good to me.”
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HOW THIS JOCKEY FOUGHT HIS WAY BACK FROM HOMELESSNESS JIMMY WILSEY’S R E M A R K A B L E STO RY F I N D S I TS HAPPY ENDING—BY A NOSE. BY LISA MITZEN
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he first time I met Jimmy Wilsey was in the fall of 2017. A talented, well-respected Thoroughbred exercise rider and jockey, Jimmy had last competed at Saratoga Race Course seven years prior. I remember it being a particularly cold morning—and it wasn’t at a place you’d expect to meet a talented sportsman: We were at Code Blue Saratoga, the city’s homeless shelter, where he was staying as a guest. That morning, I was there as a volunteer, serving breakfast, and I couldn’t help but wonder how a professional jockey could end up in a homeless shelter in Saratoga, a city globally famous for horse racing. This past spring I reached back out to Jimmy, and he was kind enough to share his story with me—and by extension, you. It turns out that he’d grown up in Saratoga and been fully entrenched in the horse racing community since he was a little boy. His father, Dan, had been a successful harness jockey in the 1970s and ’80s and had taught his son, from an early age, the hard-scrabble life that comes with being part of the horse racing community. Jimmy had to be up at the crack of dawn to do barn chores, such as feeding and watering horses—even in the dead of winter in zero-degree weather. It was tough work— and it made every other job on the planet seem easy to Jimmy.
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y the age of ten, Jimmy had made up his mind that he wasn’t going to follow in his father’s footsteps in the harness world, but rather, set his sights on racing Thoroughbreds. Thankfully, his father embraced his son’s dream, and through his father’s connections, Jimmy started riding Thoroughbreds almost immediately. By ninth grade, he was riding so well that high school became an afterthought—and he asked his father if he could drop out to pursue his jockey’s license, so that he could ride full time. Naturally, his father had some reservations about the idea, but following a heavy discussion, he agreed and signed his son’s paperwork. Jimmy was now on the path to greatness. For the next three decades, Jimmy worked as a freelance exercise rider and licensed jockey, gigging for many of the top trainers in the industry, including Todd Pletcher and Gary Contessa. In addition to racing at Saratoga, Jimmy picked up
“What kept me coming back was the excitement of getting
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mounts at Belmont Park, Finger list in the industry, Jimmy chose Lakes Racetrack and Aqueduct not to ask for help. So, for the Racetrack, among others. What first time in his life, he became kept him coming back for more? homeless, slipping deeper into I asked him. “It’s the excitement depression and starting to drink of getting on a horse and taking heavily. “I hit rock bottom,” he told it into the gate while it’s rearing me. When it got too cold outside up,” he said. He had a special to bear, he decided to enter Code place in his heart for his home Blue. Although he remembered turf at Saratoga Race Course, the staff being wonderful, he even though he never won a race found himself having a bit of an there. Jimmy’s career was going out-of-body experience there: gangbusters throughout the ’90s He looked at other guests and and first decade of the aughts. thought, “I don’t belong here.” He’d come a long way from those And after some much-needed days of doing barn chores in the self-reflection, Jimmy knew that bitter cold; he was now spending he had to stop drinking to get his his winters in Ocala, FL, returning life back together. He worked hard to Saratoga every summer for the on his sobriety and recalled that the comeback kid Talented exercise rider big racing meet. the staff at Code Blue had been and jockey Jimmy Wilsey worked his way out of In the summer of 2017, just a incredibly supportive, celebrating homelessness in Saratoga Springs. few months before I first met him, each sober day with him. He was Jimmy was renting a motel room 54 days dry when he was finally in town in advance of the Saratoga meet, unsure of when he’d able to leave Code Blue, this time, with a job and a place to need to return to Florida. That July, he was dealt a bad hand: stay. As soon as he saved up enough money, he took the bus Just before the beginning of the meet, he was badly burned back down to Florida and never looked back. on his leg while helping fix a friend’s car. It was so bad that it prevented Jimmy from riding. “I was like a fish out of water,” hese days, Jimmy lives near his mother in Florida and he said. Though his finances began to dwindle because of has continued to maintain his sobriety. He’s gotten his mounting medical bills and that motel room, Jimmy kept a himself back into “jockey shape,” as he describes positive outlook, hopeful that he’d be able to ride before the it, working as an exercise rider and doing what he’s end of the meet. He was healing quickly, and just as the meet always known and loved. When I asked Jimmy if he planned began winding down, Jimmy was riding again. Phew. to race again, he said, hesitantly, “I’ve been thinking about But about three weeks later, catastrophe hit again, and this it.” At the end of the day, Jimmy told me that he doesn’t let time, it was a devastating blow. While crossing the road in the brief time he spent at Code Blue define him; it was just Wilton, Jimmy was hit by a car, and the injuries he sustained one in a series of “stepping stones” that helped him get his were so severe that he was, once again, unable to ride. This life back together. “Code Blue asked me no questions,” he time, he spiraled into depression. With his livelihood and said. “They just gave me what I needed to get through the earnings on hold—not to mention a whole new pile of medical worst time in my life.” I came away from our conversation bills to pay—it wasn’t long before Jimmy couldn’t afford his inspired—and I hope that someday, maybe, we’ll get to motel room. Despite having a loving family and deep contact see Jimmy Wilsey race again at Saratoga.
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on a horse and taking it into the gate while it’s rearing up.”
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GOING ONCE… GOING TWICE…
F A S I G -T I P T O N ’ S P R I M A R Y A U C T I O N A N N O U N C E R , T E R E N C E C O L L I E R , I S A R O C K S TA R . N O , R E A L LY.
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BY TOM PEDULL A
cheers, to a well-styled & fully-lived life.
FASIG-TIPTON PHOTO
437 broadway | saratoga springs | www.unionhallsupplyco.com
faced a quandary in profiling Terence Collier, Fasig-Tipton’s director of marketing and primary auction announcer, not to mention its longest-tenured employee: Even though Collier has helped build the Saratoga Springs outpost of the worldfamous Thoroughbred auction house into one of the premier marketplaces for Thoroughbred buyers and sellers the world over, what I found most intriguing about him had nothing to do with racing and everything to do with his strong, elegant voice. Growing up in Kent, England, Collier had a way with words from an early age. As a teenager, he was the lead vocalist in an early iteration of the rock band that would become the ’70s-hit-recordproducing Vanity Fare. In fact, his version of the band was good enough to serve as a warm-up act to The Rolling Stones. But he tells me he’s not interested in reliving his past life as a rock star. “I’m trying to forget that,” he says. What he’s most proud of? His work for Fasig-Tipton, which he started more than four decades ago, and with the auctioneer’s key Saratoga Sale, which he rates “as important as any Thoroughbred auction in the northern hemisphere.” This year, Fasig-Tipton’s annual Saratoga Sale and New York Bred Yearlings auctions occur on August 5-6 and August 11-12, respectively, with an additional Saratoga Fall Sale (of broodmares and weanlings) on October 15, all taking place at the Humphrey S. Finney Sales Pavilion on George Street in Saratoga. Now 71, Collier’s the signature voice of the Saratoga auctions— and he’s not just reading from a script; he’s very much up to speed on what he’s selling. “We look at pretty much every yearling that’s on those grounds in those four days of select sales,” he says. “So I’ve got an overall impression of the yearling’s value as an individual and in its pedigree.” His meticulousness, combined with the relationships he’s developed in the high-risk, high-reward industry, make him a compelling figure when he takes the auctioneer’s stand. “In our minds, and in the minds of most people, he’s certainly the best sales announcer in the world,” says Boyd T. Browning, Jr., Fasig-Tipton’s president. After talking with him, I still wasn’t satisfied; I wanted to know more about Collier the lead singer versus Collier the announcer. And that’s when he dropped this morsel on me: Anyone from the horse’s mouth can see him in action beside At 71, Fasig-Tipton’s Terence pianist Roger Moss at Siro’s at the Collier is the world’s best sales conclusion of sales nights. “I’ll catch announcer, according to the you by the side of the piano,” he auction house’s president. promised. I’ll be there, Terence.
war is hell Legendary horse Man o’ War lost his only race to a horse named Upset (pictured) at Saratoga Race Course.
RELIVING MAN O’ WAR’S SHOCKING DEFEAT AT SARATOGA I T ’S T H E 1 0 0 T H A N N I V E R SA RY O F T H E G R E AT E S T R A C E H O R S E ’ S O N LY D E F E AT. BY BRIEN BOUYEA
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ccasionally, when I’m researching horse racing Pettingill finally dropped the starter’s flag. Man o’ War, history, I come across conflicting accounts of who had drawn next to the outside, lost valuable ground famous events. Separating fact from fiction early. Some reports said he was sideways at the start; can often prove difficult, because some of others, that he was completely facing the wrong way. horse racing’s greatest stories have become Man o’ War’s jockey, Johnny Loftus, was also criticized exaggerated and romanticized over time, for his role in the lone defeat. Scrambling to make up the and that “fictional” account has become early lost ground, Loftus took his mount to the inside but the official story. One such infamous race— was pocketed along the rail. The rider eventually made that in which Man o’ War lost the only race in another questionable maneuver, falling back to escape his star-studded career—deserves a fresh set of the wall of horses that had him pinned inside. Man o’ War eyes a century later. was then guided back outside and finally found running Considered by many historians to be the greatest daylight. Once in top gear, he came charging through racehorse of them all, Man o’ War put together an the stretch like a freight train, but there was simply too illustrious 21-start career. And his one loss took place much ground to overcome and his grand effort was in 100 summers ago at Saratoga Race Course, an vain. At the finish, Upset lived up to his name and the astonishing result that significantly contributed to the large Spa crowd was left in disbelief. Placing the blame popular mythology of the track being a “graveyard of of the result squarely on Loftus, The Thoroughbred favorites.” There’s been a century’s worth of conjecture Record didn’t pull any punches, commenting that Man o’ surrounding the landmark event, but what can’t be War was “abominably ridden.” disputed is the fact that Man o’ War crossed the finish line a diminishing half-length behind Harry Payne Whitney’s Upset in the Sanford Memorial Stakes on August 13, 1919. For the only time in his career, the mighty Man o’ War tasted the bitterness of defeat. Although it was still early in his career, Man o’ War was already being hailed as a wonder horse by the press that summer. His numerous headlines in newspapers memorial day Upset defeating Ten days later, again at Saratoga, Man o’ throughout the country rivaled Man o’ War in the 1919 Sanford War shrugged off the Sanford result and those of era icons Babe Ruth Memorial Stakes at Saratoga. easily defeated Upset in the Grand Union and Jack Dempsey. Eleven Hotel Stakes. A week after that, he romped days before the infamous in the Hopeful Stakes by four lengths on Saratoga’s Closing running of the Sanford, Man o’ War pushed his record to Day. Providing ammunition to conspiracy theorists, Loftus six wins without a loss by taking the United States Hotel and Upset’s jockey, Willie Knapp, were both denied Stakes in his Saratoga debut, while carrying 130 pounds. licenses in 1920 by The Jockey Club and never rode Upset finished second. Man o’ War was again saddled again. No explanation was ever given for the blackballing, with 130 pounds in the Sanford, 15 more than Upset, and leading many to speculate that the riders had somehow was an 11-20 favorite to make it seven in a row. conspired to hijack the Sanford. Both Loftus and Knapp What actually happened in the Sanford has been denied the implications to their graves. marred by the passage of time, differing contemporary Man o’ War went on to win all 11 of his races as a 3 accounts and even race-fixing speculation. One year old in 1920, including a record-setting victory in element of the story that has generally been agreed the Travers Stakes. Upset, meanwhile, did little of note upon is that a substitute starter, C.H. Pettingill, had during the remainder of his career. But what a moment trouble maintaining order and struggled to line up the in the sun he had on the grand Saratoga stage a field prior to the race. This was in the era before the century ago! I can’t help but root for the underdog from starting gate, and the horses were positioned behind time to time. That’s what horse racing’s all about. a flimsy, webbed barrier. After several false starts,
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ike millions of television viewers in America, I’ve been hooked on more than a few reality talent shows in my day. The Voice? Yep. American Idol? The OG. The SingOff? I take most of the credit for the discovery of Pentatonix. There’s one thing that the winners of every season of every one of these shows has in common: They’re human. Sure, humans are talented—they can sing and dance and do magic tricks and make puppets look like they’re talking. But what about other mammals? That’s why I’d like to get in front of the reality show producers at NBC and pitch the sure-to-be smash hit of 2020: America’s Got Talent: Equine Edition. When they inevitably accept, I’ll be ready with this lineup of all-star horse contestants.
you can lead a horse to soccer... In equine soccer, or “hoofball,” horses with riders on their backs kick a giant ball around and score goals.
AT YOUR SERVICE
You’ve seen service dogs helping out people with disabilities, but what about service horses? Revised regulations to the Americans with Disabilities Act now allow miniature horses to be individually trained and perform tasks for people with disabilities. For some, service horses are even preferred over service dogs, since they live longer (up to 35 years), are able to provide more stability for those struggling with mobility or balance issues, don’t shed or trigger allergies and are, generally, less hyper than dogs.
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(soccer) EQUI-SPIRIT-TOYS.COM
CREDIT
CREDIT
T H E S E U N B E L I E VA B L E H O R S E S A R E M U C H M O R E T H A N O N E -T R I C K P O N I E S . BY N ATA L I E M O O R E
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NUMBERS GAME
More than a century after it was proven that “Clever Hans,” the horse that could do math, was actually just reading the involuntary body signals of his owner to answer complex questions, a study has shown that horses, can, in fact, count. Well, at least to three. When researchers dropped apples one by one into two buckets—three in one, two in the other—they found that 11 out of 13 horses went for the bucket with more apples in it.
HORSE ON CANVAS
equine excellence “Clever Hans” could read his owner’s body signals to answer math problems; (top) Shadow is a service horse that was trained at Paws 4 Life in Arizona; (bottom) Justin is a Friesian horse from Indiana that loves to paint.
A painter was born the day that Justin, a Friesian horse from Columbus, IN, took his owner’s whip and began drawing with it in the sand. His owner, Adonna Combs, encouraged him to pursue his passion by giving him a brush, paint and a canvas. The rest was history. Justin’s paintings are colorful, abstract works that incorporate sweeping brushstrokes and hoofprints. They’re available for purchase on artistichorses.com and range in price from $75-$800.
GOALLLLL!!!!
AMERICA’S GOT TALENT: EQUINE EDITION 80 saratoga living
soccer, except it’s horses, with riders on their backs, who kick the ball around and score goals.
Natural horsemanship training often uses a large inflatable ball as a desensitizing tool, so when Wisconsin resident Terry Fenwick wanted a new way to keep horse training fresh and fun, he started America’s Equine Soccer League (AESL). Equine soccer, or “hoofball,” has the same rules as
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TH E
THE SAR ATOG A-BASED THOROUGHBRED RETIREMENT FO UNDAT IO N S ETS O UT TO ENS URE EVERY R AC EH O R SE
RACEHORSE SANCTUARY
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BY K AREN BJORNL AND
JENNIFER L. STEVENS
out to (happy) pasture The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation cares for 650 horses at 18 facilities across the country.
LIVES A FULL , HAPPY LIFE AF TER THEIR R ACING CAREER.
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feeling their oats Thoroughbreds generally race for five or six years but can live for more than three decades.
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mare Supurb Suprize (now Emma) and 8-year-old dark bay Uptown Joe (now Joey)—once dubbed “The Forgotten Four”—have now been welcomed as special guests to Saratoga Springs’ Bloomfield Farm this summer. This past May, when I first met the foursome, they were still pretty skinny, but they’re on the mend and should be back in the 75- to 100-pound range and muscle-pumped soon enough (likely by the time you read this story). The Found Four, as they should now be known, are eagerly awaiting visitors to pet them and feed them treats. Their gracious hosts are locally renowned polo aficionados and Bloomfield Farm’s owners, Will and Tabitha Orthwein (Will’s the head coach of Skidmore’s polo club). “We wanted to support a program that gives horses second or third chances,” says Tabitha. That program, in part, turns Bloomfield into TRF’s Saratoga Summer Farm, a place where interested parties can visit a crop of the nonprofit’s rescues and learn some valuable lessons about what the organization does. The pair will also be hosting a string of four Open Barn events, July 22-August 26—as well as fundraisers at the Saratoga Winery (August 20) and the Saratoga Spa State Park (August 31). Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Saratoga, TRF is a national nonprofit, whose primary mission is to save lower-level racehorses from neglect, abuse and slaughter after their racing careers are over. The oldest and largest such organization in the country, it cares for 650 horses at 18 facilities. Thoroughbreds generally race for 5 or 6 years before retirement—but surprisingly, can live to the age of 35. “We keep a horse for life,” says Stevens. The Found Four might be the new kids on the block, but Quick Call, who won nine races at Saratoga Race Course and has a Saratoga stakes race named after him, is the foundation’s star boarder. The 35-year-old lives at Wallkill Correctional Facility in Ulster County, one of TRF’s seven Second Chance Farms, where prison inmates have the opportunity to take part in equine care and stable management programs. Back in Bloomfield’s quiet, green pasture, Stevens has high hopes for the four survivors she’s introduced me to. “We think these horses are all adoptable,” she says. Stevens also predicts that the Saratoga Summer Barn will attract hundreds of visitors this year. “People want to be near the horses,” she says. “They want to touch them. Saratoga is a horse town: the more people can connect with horses, the better.” Agreed. Hey there, Candyman. I haven’t forgotten about you. I’ll see you again this summer— with another carrot in hand.
JENNIFER L. STEVENS
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f Candyman could talk, his story would make you cry. I got all teary-eyed when Jennifer Stevens, national director of development and communications at the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF), told me what happened to him. The 12-year-old gelding and one-time racehorse known as Candyman E, who competed at Saratoga Race Course, along with three other retired Thoroughbreds, had been rescued from neglect on a Hudson Valley farm in March. “They were starved,” says Stevens. “You could feel their ribs. And they were afraid. You could see it in their eyes.” The quartet of horses, which also included 8-year-old bay gelding Call the Iceman (now Icey), 13-year-old bay
GREEK TO THEM:
HORSES IN MYTHOLOGY
C ’ M O N , W H O D O E S N’ T LOV E A P O W E R F U L C E N TA U R ? B Y N ATA L I E M O O R E
paint him like one of your french girls Pegasus is perhaps the most famous mythological horse and appears in this painting, entitled Perseus Delivering Andromeda, by French artist Nicolas Bertin.
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’ve never known any real horses. Sure, I’ve seen Thoroughbreds up close in the Saratoga Race Course paddock, and I have a faint memory of riding a pony at a family friend’s farm when I was young, but the horses I know best aren’t exactly horses at all: There’s
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Chiron, the centaur (half-horse, halfman), headmaster of Camp Half-Blood in the Percy Jackson books; Buckbeak, the hippogriff (half-horse, half-eagle), which Harry Potter rides in Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban; and Pegasus, Hercules’ flying steed in the
eponymous 1997 Disney movie. Horses—and horse hybrids—have popped up in legends and myths for almost as long as there’ve been legends and myths. From Longma, the winged horse with dragon scales of Chinese mythology, to the many iterations of the
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creature feature The hippogriff is a legendary creature that’s half-horse, half-eagle.
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unicorn, all the way up to Thestrals, horselike beings created by J.K. Rowling that can only be seen by those who’ve witnessed death, it’s safe to say humans have, and have always had, some sort of deep-rooted connection to the horse. The ancient Greeks had a particular fascination with horses, with the animals depicted in literature, art and religion— and used for travel, war and even racing. Much like today, horses were a symbol of class. “Horses were an important aspect of Greek life in general, and they’re very much associated with the aristocratic class,” says Leslie Mechem, lecturer of classics at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs. “Mythology really only deals with aristocrats; every day, common people weren’t a part of it.” These days, our “mythological” horses are the legends of Thoroughbred racing— Secretariat, Man o’ War and Seabiscuit— and ones that have recently won the Triple Crown or Travers Stakes. And you don’t have to be an aristocrat to enjoy them each summer at Saratoga Race Course. But as much as I love a trip there, my favorite horses will always be the ones in those fantastical, too-good-to-be-true books and movies from my childhood.
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statue of imitations One of three metal horse statues outside the Hilton Garden Inn on South Broadway; (opposite) one of the remaining artist-decorated fiberglass horse statue installations at the Saratoga Springs Visitor Center.
SCULPTED BEAUTIES S A R AT O G A’ S A H O R S E S TAT U E TOWN, TOO. BUT YOU ALRE ADY KNEW T H AT, D I D N ’ T Y O U ? BY K AREN BJORNL AND FRANCESCO D’AMICO
photography by
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welcome committee (clockwise, from top left) The carousel in Congress Park is home to 28 carved horses; the “Welcome To Saratoga” statue on the corner of Union Avenue and Circular Street, featuring Native Dancer; a statue in front of Empire State College; (opposite, clockwise from top left) the iron horse in front of the Skidmore Apartments; the driftwood horse created by Rita Dee at Prime at Saratoga National Golf Club; the Skidmore Apartments’ statue; the horse outside of Saratoga Race Course.
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ack in the 1980s, the only horse statue I remember there being in Saratoga Springs’ city limits was a perky pony on the roof of a diner. Now we’ve got four-legged neigh-bors (sorry, couldn’t resist), all over town. Famous racehorses started popping up in the 1990s: first, the statue of Sea Hero in the paddock at Saratoga Race Course, then Seabiscuit at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Saratoga adores Mr. Biscuit; his rags-to-riches story made it all the way to the silver screen and scenes from the movie were filmed right here. But the biggest herd came in the aughts, when Saratoga went a little horse crazy. In 2002, the Kaydeross Park carousel, with 28 carved horses, found a home in Congress Park, and that same year, 24 artist-decorated fiberglass horses were installed on sidewalks and street corners all over town. Five years later, a total of 34 artsy horses were trotted out, and a dozen are still kicking. Favorite selfie ops include the brickpatterned horse on Church Street; the horse made from Pepsi cans at the Saratoga Springs Visitors Center; and Scoop, a multi-colored stud at the Saratoga Springs City Center. Is there another stampede on the way? I hope so. That diner’s pony giddyupped into the sunset. Maybe it’s time for another rooftop horse.
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EQUINE MASTERPIECES IN GANSEVOORT
M I C HE LL E VAR A H AS A LO CK ON H OR S E ART O UTS IDE O F SA R ATOG A .
Retirement planning
I could spend an entire day in Saratoga Springs, walking around and enjoying all the horse art. But my favorite spot for equine-art-peeping isn’t in the city; it’s just northeast of Saratoga in Gansevoort. The place? Artist Michelle Vara’s Ballard Road Art Studio, where the talented sculptor/ welder has a jaw-dropping array of horse masterpieces. One of Vara’s finest is Pon’ente, a large, orange horse sculpture made entirely from reclaimed metals. “I’ve had a passion—some would call it an obsession—that started with formal training in dressage and jumpers at five years old,” says Vara. Pay her a visit, and you won’t be disappointed. I never am. —JEFF DINGLER
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Thoroughbreds Save The Best For Last F I N D I N G S U C C E S S A F T E R T H E F L AT T R A C K .
By Katie Navarra hen was the last time a baseball star won a World Series, retired and then went on to become a superstar in, say, football? That just doesn’t happen—for humans, that is. For retired racehorses— or off-track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs), as they’re known— galloping off the track and into a successful second career is fairly commonplace. Take Icabad Crane, for example, whom I’ve had my eye on for the majority of his career. As a flat-track competitor, he ran a close third behind winner Big Brown in the 2008 Preakness Stakes and took the Evan Shipman at Saratoga Race Course in 2011. All told, in 33 starts, Icabad Crane earned a respectable $585,980. He was retired from racing at eight years old, but didn’t skip a beat, starting to retrain in the equestrian category of eventing—basically, the sport’s triathlon, where a rider and his or her horse compete in a trio of disciplines: dressage, stadium jumping and cross-country. Of course, a skilled competitor such as Icabad Crane needed an equally adept human rider and trainer to team up with. That turned out to be two-time gold medal-winning Olympian Phillip Dutton, whom I had the chance to interview a few years ago. In 2014, Dutton was retraining Icabad Crane with the goal of entering him in an annual competition known as the Thoroughbred Makeover, which involves a rider and horse taking part in two of ten disciplines ranging from barrel racing to polo, dressage and jumping. Judges score each team’s
performance per category and then, just like on American Idol, the audience gets to vote on and determine which horse earns the title of America’s Most Wanted Thoroughbred. That year, the honor went to Icabad Crane. And while it doesn’t hurt to be a gold medal-winning Olympian, any qualified rider—professional trainer, talented junior or amateur—can enter an OTTB in the Thoroughbred Makeover. The horse just can’t exceed ten months of retraining. Did I mention that each team competes for a portion of a $100,000 prize purse? This year’s Thoroughbred Makeover, which takes place October 2-5 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, is already shaping up to be a competitive one. And I’ve been scrolling through hundreds of entries, trying to decide which riders to root for. My money’s on one of 29 New Yorkers competing this year, Sarah Hepler, a professional dressage trainer who hails from Trumansburg, NY (near Ithaca). Hepler’s story is an inspiring one, to say the least: After losing an arm in a car accident when she was ten and being turned away from the barn where she had been taking riding lessons, she found a new stable that encouraged her to chase her dreams. Since then, she’s found her niche transforming OTTBs into dressage horses. Last year, Hepler finished third in the Thoroughbred Makeover riding Flat Leaver, who made 38 starts as a racehorse, including 8 wins, and had earnings of $118,980. This year, she’ll be partnering with Jacapo, who won 6 out of 53 career starts to the tune of $138,625. Of all the disciplines at this year’s Thoroughbred Makeover, I’ll be most closely watching the ranch work category...for selfish reasons. I’m hoping to pick up some hot training tips I can use with my own mare. But I’ll also be cheering for Hepler and the hundreds of other riders who’ve helped retrain thousands of retired racehorses throughout the years.
nags to riches (opposite, clockwise from top left) Reloaded, trained by Elisa Wallace, was crowned the 2018 America’s Most Wanted Thoroughbred; New York-bred Miss Classy was retrained by Jade Wirick to run barrels, and the duo went on to win the barrel racing category in 2018; two-time Freestyle Division winner Tik Maynard competing with Looking My Way in 2018; three division winners from 2017 enjoying a victory lap; Bookew Bucks, trained by Juan Pereira, finished third in ranch work in 2018; Sarah Hepler and New York-bred Flat Leaver finished third in dressage at the 2018 Thoroughbred Makeover.
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THE BEAUTY IN OUR MIDST T H I S S A R AT O G A - B A S E D P H O T O G R A P H E R ’ S STUNNING IMAGES REMIND US A LL W H Y W E , TO O , LOV E T H E T R AC K . photography by
B I L LY F R A N C I S L E R O U X
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mecca The new-look profile of Saratoga Race Course, with the addition of the 1863 Club to the left of the Grandstand and Clubhouse.
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keeping track The horses have reached the starting gate; (top) Voodoo Song (at far right) on his way to victory in the Grade 1 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga Race Course last year; (opposite) watching the Saratoga sunrise during a morning workout on the main track.
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early risers Irad Ortiz, Jr., during the post parade at Saratoga Race Course; (right, from top) Let’s Dance Some Mo at the Bill Mott stable; at the Oklahoma Training Track, following a morning workout.
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NEW YORK SENATE HEARING HIGHLIGHTS POLARIZING OPINIONS ON HORSE RACING
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hearing in the New York Senate this past June, featuring 20 witnesses, laid bare competing and often diametrically opposed perceptions of the racing industry, at a time when the sport is being attacked by critics and organizations over the health and safety of its horses. The hearing, which was held before members of the New York Senate Racing, Wagering, and Gaming Committee, featured several speakers who openly called for the abolition of racing, countered by speakers who sought to emphasize the strides the sport had made over the past several years. The hearing was held in the wake of calls in some quarters of the US for racing to be shut down at Santa Anita Park in California due to a spate of horse deaths at the track that drew widespread attention. The panel first heard from Robert Williams, the executive director of the New York Gaming Commission, and Dr. Scott Palmer, who is the commission’s equine medical director. Both stressed that New York has reduced its fatality rate by 32 percent since 2011, in large part because of the work done by a state panel convened to consider changes to the sport in order to address a large number of catastrophic injuries at Aqueduct Racetrack over the 2011-12 winter racing season. Dr. Palmer later outlined to the committee the steps that had been taken in New York to address the deaths. But the gaming commission officials were followed by two equine veterinarians who were sharply critical of racetrack practitioners, with both claiming that on-track veterinarians take their orders from trainers instead of assessing the needs of the horses. “The racetrack healthcare environment is one of lawlessness on multiple levels,” said Kraig Kulikowski, an equine veterinarian who practices in Upstate New York. The issue of aftercare also came up, with critics of horse slaughter contending that Thoroughbreds are consistently among the tens of thousands of horses that are sent to slaughter each year in Mexico and Canada. The last US horse slaughterhouse closed in 2007, largely because of legislation that defunded the inspection of horse meat in the US. Representatives of New York’s Thoroughbred horsemen sharply disputed some of the sport’s critics’ claims at the hearing. “Some of the things you may have been told may not be factual, and some of the statistics you have heard thrown in the air may not be factual either,” said Jeffrey Cannizzo, the executive director of New York Thoroughbred Breeders, the last panelist to appear at the hearing. Both Andy Belfiore, the executive director of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, and Richard Schosberg, a New York-based trainer who works on behalf of the organization’s aftercare and retirement program, outlined how horses whose careers have ended are aided by the organization. Schosberg told the senators that the programs “do everything [they] can to make sure those horses find safe haven,” and he said the existing program, while not perfect, is a leader in the industry. A longer version of this story originally appeared in the Daily Racing Form.
BY MATT HEGARTY,
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DAILY RACING FORM
MATT H. WADE
The very future of racing was called into question. How did the industry respond?
future tense The New York Senate met in the Capitol building this past June to discuss the future of horse racing in the state.
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8 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT JOCKEY SILKS TH E JO CK EY CLUB R U LES TH E SARTO RIAL RO O ST IN N EW YO R K.
1. SILKS GENERALLY AREN’T REGULATED AROUND THE COUNTRY The Jockey Club strictly regulates silks at New York Racing Association (NYRA) tracks, but there isn’t a single, nationwide governing body doing the same for all the other tracks in the US. Before owners can race a horse in New York, they must first register their silks with The Jockey Club.
clothes make the man Jockey José Ortiz in the brightly colored Fortune Farm silks at Belmont Park; (opposite) a silks display at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs.
2. EACH NEW YORK TRACK HAS “HOUSE SILKS” If owners don’t have their
own silks or an owner’s silk design gets rejected by The Jockey Club, New York tracks will provide the riders with generic Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack or Saratoga Race Course house silks.
(Mannequins) BRIEN BOUYEA; (Ortiz) SUSIE RAISHER
B Y N ATA L I E M O O R E
eciding what to wear to work is the worst part of my morning (well, after actually getting out of bed, of course). Do these shoes work with those pants? Are pencil skirts even in anymore? Will I be too cold in the office? Will I be too hot on the walk there? How do I have so many clothes and nothing to wear? You get the point. If I were a jockey, though, I wouldn’t have to worry about accidentally wearing the same shirt twice in one week: My wardrobe would be set days or even weeks in advance. Jockey silks, the colorful lightweight “jackets” and matching helmet covers riders wear, are similar to Major League Baseball (MLB) jerseys and batting helmets; they distinguish what team, or in this case, horse owner, the jockey rides for. (So if José Ortiz has a Fortune Farm mount, he knows he'll be wearing a yellow jacket with a red sash and diamond-printed sleeves.) But unlike the MLB, which only has 30 teams, the sport of horse racing has thousands of owners and ownership groups, whose jockeys need to be distinguishable from the rest of the pack, making the process of outfitting them a bit more complex. Here are eight things you might not have known about jockey silks.
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3. NO TWO SILKS ARE ALIKE At least in New
the silks room at Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct, and has been since Louis Olah, the former NYRA silks man, who was at the job for more than 40 years, passed away in 2008. Arce’s task is to get the right silk to the right jockey at the right time, and he keeps the silks room organized by color. Some trainers who race a lot of horses at a specific track, such as Todd Pletcher at Saratoga, get a special section for their jockeys’ silks in the front of the silks room.
4. THERE ARE PARAMETERS TO WHAT CAN GO ON SILKS No copyrighted logos or
vulgarities can go on jockey silks, and it’s up to The Jockey Club to determine what constitutes an improper design. One time, an owner wanted to put the silhouette of a naked woman on his silks but was denied. Navy blue is also not a permissible color.
5. JOCKEY SILKS AREN’T ACTUALLY MADE OF SILK Though jockey silks used to be made of silk, now, most are made of nylon, with
winning look The silks of owner Charles S. Howard, which were worn by jockey George Woolf when he rode Seabiscuit to an upset victory over Triple Crown winner War Admiral in 1938.
more and more being sewn using Lycra and other tight-fitting materials.
6. THERE’S A “COLORS MAN” AT ALL NYRA TRACKS Walter Arce is in charge of
7. SILKS COST HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS
Most jockey silks cost between $150$300, with more complicated designs commanding an even higher price.
8. YOU MUST RENEW YOUR JOCKEY SILKS EVERY YEAR Silks are renewable on
December 31 of the year they’re registered. It costs owners $100 per year to register their silks with The Jockey Club.
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York. For more than 125 years, The Jockey Club has overseen the silks registry in the state, which includes more than 25,000 unique designs on registered silks. With 38 patterns available for the jacket’s body, 19 for the sleeves and virtually infinite color and emblem options, jockey silks could come in just about any design—save for the ones that are already in rotation.
ready, bet, go! We’d suggest steering clear of exotic bets— but they can be incredibly lucrative.
the finish line first. Below, you’ll find a handy betting key for your next trip to the races.
HOW TO BET
When I was 16 and hit the Travers, my mom or dad had to go up to the teller to place the bet for me (you have to be 18 years or older to bet on horses in New York State). Luckily, technology (and my age!) has advanced quite a bit since the late ’90s. You can now bet using digital self-service terminals or even via smartphone apps at Saratoga Race Course to get the job done. But if you enjoy laying down some crumpled C-notes the old-fashioned way, you’ll want to say your bet to the teller in this exact manner: “In the 4th race, I’d like to wager $4 to win on the No.6 horse.” If you’re making multiple bets at multiple tracks, include the track name before the race number.
TYPES OF BETS
WANNA MAKE A BET? T H E R E ’ S D E F I N I T E LY A R I G H T WAY T O WA G E R O N T H E P O N I E S . B Y W I L L L E V I T H p h o t o g r a p h y b y B I L LY F R A N C I S L E R O U X
I
wouldn’t consider myself an expert horseplayer by any stretch of the imagination, but I had the bug bad on August 24, 1996, when I hit the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course for a whopping $40 payout. OK, so I chose the horse for its name—Will’s Way—but it won, didn’t it? Years later, shortly after accepting a job at the Daily Racing Form (DRF), I bested that purse with a $300 score in Las Vegas on a series of horse bets at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s Sports Book. My friends were flabbergasted. It must’ve been the job, I remember thinking. My boss said it was beginner’s luck. He was right; I haven’t won a single race since. But I’d like you to. Because there’s nothing quite like hearing the crowd come to life at Saratoga’s historic racetrack, all that cheering somehow willing one of those horses to cross
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Speaking of that win bet you just placed, here are all the traditional betting types: win (the horse must come in first, of course); place (second) or show (third). You can also bet an exacta (choose the first two horses in order); a quinella (first two horses in any order); trifecta (first three horses in order); or superfecta (first four horses in order). If you wanted to “box” that exacta, trifecta or superfecta, it would be a little bit pricier, but the horses could then come in any order.
EXOTIC BETS
One of my jobs at DRF was to digitize exotic bets for the in-house handicappers. These included Pick 3’s (choose the winners of three consecutive races); Pick 4’s (four consecutive races); Pick 5’s and Pick 6’s (you get the picture). Look, unless you’re James Holzhauer on Jeopardy!, I’d suggest steering clear of these types of bets. But they’re a ton more lucrative and scoring a Pick 6 could potentially put your kid through college. (If you bet too many of them, though, it could also drain his or her college fund.) At the end of the day, because you’re engaging in what’s known as pari-mutuel betting at Saratoga, you’re actually betting against everyone who placed the same bet you did in the same race. (That’s what sets it apart from casino gambling, where it’s you against the house.) So if my wife and I were to bet on the same race, and I were to win, I’d actually win. No need to pick that battle.
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MAKING BANK AT THE RACES
ADAM COGLIANESE
the daily bugle Sam “The Bugler” Grossman has come out of retirement to play the “Call to the Post” at Saratoga Race Course this season.
FROM BA RT E N D I N G TO BU GLI NG , T HE S E A R E T HE MOST SOU GHT-AF T E R T R ACK J OB S .
ne summer, my buddy Gabe and I decided that, in order to fuel our growing baseball card pack-ripping habit, we needed to launch a side-hustle. So we filled a cooler full of off-brand, pre-purchased soda and set up shop across the street from Saratoga Race Course on a hot summer afternoon. That day, I’m pretty sure we didn’t break even—and sampled the product more than once. But it taught us both a valuable lesson: trying to make a buck—especially at or near the racetrack—is hard work. You can’t just fake it. As soon as July hits in Saratoga Springs, a micro-economy erupts out of seeming nowhere, with contract employees and under-the-table workers emerging overnight in and around the track. Here are four people with the most sought-after racetrack jobs.
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SAM “THE BUGLER” GROSSMAN
BUGLER, SARATOGA RACE COURSE
Don’t call it a comeback! Sam Grossman, who just last year announced that after 25-and-a-half years of blowing the “Call to the Post” at Saratoga Race Course— the little bugle ditty that welcomes the horses onto the track before each race—has come out of retirement. Why the change of heart? After playing this year’s Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, Grossman says he started to “desperately miss Saratoga.” So now he’s back in action. For all you upstart track buglers-in-the-making, Grossman explains, “It’s not rocket science what I do; I entertain the fans and then I go home.” But don’t let his modesty fool you: He’s been a trumpeter for nearly five decades, has a bachelor’s and master’s in music and studied under trumpeters from the New York Philharmonic and The Philadelphia Orchestra. Plus, the hardware doesn’t come cheap: He blows a custom Kanstul
high ball Alphonse “Phonsey” Lambert, Jr. posing with one of his famous patrons at Saratoga Race Course’s Jim Dandy Bar, ex-NBA star Rashard Lewis.
David Cassidy, Rick Pitino and Jimmy Fallon, and while he admits the job can be “backbreaking” at times, the payoff is being able to serve all those return customers. “I enjoy the people,” says Lambert. “That’s the biggest part of it.” We hear the tips ain’t bad, either.
herald trumpet, which costs around $3000. The “Call to the Post”—which Grossman literally played me over the phone from his Pembroke Pines, FL, home—has been a racecourse staple since the mid-1800s, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Whomever takes over for Grossman someday will have big toots to fill.
AL JURCZYNSKI
PETER DAVIS NYRA MUSIC BOOKER AND
RETIRED UBER DRIVER (AND FORMER MAYOR OF SCHENECTADY)
BARTENDER, SARATOGA RACE COURSE’S JIM DANDY BAR
his honor Former Mayor of Schenectady Al Jurczynski spent time picking up trackgoers in his Uber last summer.
from 1950-97, so the Lambert men have basically had a monopoly on the place for nearly seven decades! “It’s a long tradition and a great place to work in the summertime,” says Lambert of the bar. Over the years, he’s had the chance to wait on famous faces such as
After retiring from politics, Al Jurczynski, who served as the mayor of Schenectady from 1996 to 2003, started driving for Uber in December 2017 and picked me up in Saratoga the following March (I was headed off to get my hair cut at Woody’s Barbershop; find the full story on saratogaliving.com). While Jurczynski tells me that he’s since retired from driving for the ride-sharing company, he did find himself in the designated ridesharing queue outside of Saratoga Race Course during track season—but didn’t have all that positive of an experience.
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MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST, REGGIE’S RED HOT FEETWARMERS
MIKE BROWN/IMAGENATION
ALPHONSE “PHONSEY” LAMBERT, JR. During the school year, you may know Alphonse “Phonsey” Lambert, Jr. as the athletic director and longtime varsity baseball coach at Saratoga Central Catholic High School. But as soon as track season hits, you can find him mixing drinks at Saratoga Race Course’s Jim Dandy Bar, where he’s worked every year since 1998 (he’s actually been up to something at the track since ’88). Before he became barkeep at the Jim Dandy, his father held the position
“At the end of the last race, when I’d show up at that spot, I had, like, 47 Uber drivers in front of me,” he says. Overall, though, he tells me that he enjoyed driving in Saratoga during the track season—despite it being a haul from his home base in Schenectady—and his customers were nothing but generous.
It’s entirely possible that, on any given day you find yourself at the track, you could be catching a band that features multi-instrumentalist Peter Davis—or has Davis to thank for playing there. That’s because he’s not only the New York Racing Association’s go-to music booker, a job he’s held for some 40 years, but he’s also a member of track favorites such as Annie & The Hedonists and Reggie’s Red Hot Feetwarmers. Speaking of the famed Feetwarmers, Davis is a founding
red hot summer Tommy Shields on trombone, Mike Davis on trumpet, Giacomo Smith on clarinet, Don Dworkin on bass and Peter Davis on tenor guitar make up one lineup of Reggie’s Red Hot Feetwarmers.
member and has been performing with them at Saratoga Race Course for more than three decades. As always, they’ll be gigging all around its grounds, Thursday through Sunday, all track season long.
If you’re the requesting type, the band always obliges, says Davis. (Please don’t be the guy or gal that yells out “Free Bird!”) A racetrack crowd favorite? “Saratoga,” which David wrote with his daughter. Easy enough to remember.
horse power Assouline has published a 215-page coffee table book focusing on Florida’s Wellington, one of the centers of the equestrian world.
Wellington Horses, Rediscovered ⁄
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A BE AUTIFUL NEW BOOK UNCOVERS THE EQUINE WONDERS OF FLORIDA.
By Katie Navarra Photography by Elena Lusenti
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inters in Wellington, FL are a little slice of horse heaven—so I’ve been told. I’ve long envied friends who’ve jetted off and escaped the frigid Upstate New York winters, even if only for a weekend, to bask in the sun and watch some of the most talented riders in show jumping, dressage and polo compete there. For 12 weeks every year, thousands of riders (and horses) flock to the picturesque community in Florida, where sandy beaches fade into grassy green pastures. Riders and their fans have transformed the seaside town into an equestrian village brimming with activities centering on the world-famous Winter Equestrian Festival. Until I get the chance to visit, a new 215-page coffee table book, Wellington: The World Of Horses (Assouline), will help keep winter off my mind. That’s thanks, in part, to the book’s author, Holly Peterson, who comes at the book not from the perspective of a rider but a fan, as she’s become immersed in the sport and requisite lifestyle pony’s tail Equestrian star Arriana Boardman and her daughter, Olympia; (opposite, from top) dressage star Calecto V gets a pat from Rider Tina Konyot; American show jumper Reed Kessler in action.
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while cheering on her teenage daughter from the stands. The book also pairs 30 quotes from famous riders with portraits and action photography by Elena Lusenti, a former champion rider in the High Junior Amateur Division, and accomplished equestrian painter Brittany Brett provides additional polo images. A rider myself, I can’t help but be inspired by one particular quote attributed to Margie Goldstein-Engle, a ten-time American Grand Prix Association Rider of the Year. “Horses teach us at a very early age a sense of responsibility and care for another living being,” she writes. “They also teach you patience and give you everything, as long as you do not do anything to destroy the trust they give you in return.” I couldn’t agree more. And maybe, just maybe, this coming winter, one of my friends will invite me along to Wellington to see this ethic come to life.
horse play (from left); Italian amateur jumper Lucrezia Buccellati makes contact with her ride; rider Brianne Goutal-Marteau with her daughter, Clea; (opposite) rider Kent Farrington and his horse, Blue Angel, galloping away from the jump.
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united carnations Jockey Javier Castellano enjoying his 2018 Travers Stakes win aboard Catholic Boy, who’s draped in a floral blanket created by Susan Garrett and her team of volunteers.
FLOWER POWER AT THE TRACK W H O ’ S S A R AT O G A’ S H O R S E R A C I N G FLOWER BL ANKET QUEEN?
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CREDIT
CREDIT
hen jockey Joel Rosario rode into the Winner’s Circle after the Belmont Stakes this past June, my eyes weren’t on the glut of people surrounding him but on the flurry of snow-white carnations draped over, his mount Sir Winston. I tingled with pride, knowing that local florist Susan Garrett and her team of volunteers had created that handmade flower blanket in Saratoga Springs. Hold your horses! There’s more. At last year’s Belmont Stakes, a Garrett-made blanket rested on the back of Triple Crown winner Justify. She’s still reeling with excitement, as it was her first Belmont—and Triple Crown, for that matter—assignment. “I can’t even tell you how I feel,” says Garrett. “A blanket on any Triple Crown winner is an honor.” Garrett, who calls Wilton home and once owned a flower shop in Gansevoort, creates her blankets at Dehn’s Flowers & Greenhouses on Beekman Street (the shop offers up space to her and helps by ordering her the carnations). As far as Saratoga Race Course is concerned, you could call her the queen of equine embellishment, as the track didn’t even deck out winners with flowers until 1994, when she came up with the idea. This summer, she’ll make the blankets, each with up to 1000 flowers, for the Saratoga Oaks, Saratoga Derby, Alabama Stakes, Whitney Stakes (with Marylou Whitney’s pink roses!) and, of course, the 150th running of the Travers Stakes. How did Garrett become blanket-er of the equine stars? Easy. Her parents, Bob and Brenda Lee, ran The Wishing Well restaurant, a longtime hangout for track people, and her dad, who died in 2002, was once the New York State Racing commissioner. Bob and Mary Alice Lee, her brother and sister-in-law, now own the restaurant (where her mother still works), along with The Brook Tavern, which is right down the street from Saratoga Race Course. At Dehn’s, Garrett was happy to show me how the blanket-making magic happens with a little glue, quilting needles, thread and hundreds of carnations. I’m proud to report that I sewed ten white carnations onto a blanket for Belmont Park’s Secretariat statue. For me, watching horse racing will never be the same.
BILLY FRANCIS LEROUX
W
BY K AREN BJORNL AND
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Julie & Co. Excited By Newest Luxury Listing
J
ulie Bonacio is proud to have built one of the most intimate and personal realty offices in Saratoga Springs. “I was born and raised here, and I’m proud to be raising my family in this very special community that I call home,” says Bonacio, who also serves as vice president of Bonacio Construction—and whose husband, Sonny, is President of the firm. “It’s a pretty nice arrangement,” she says. In addition to her duties at Bonacio Construction, Julie also runs her own realty company, Julie & Co. Realty on Division Street in Saratoga, which she founded in 2015. “I wear a couple of different hats here in town,” she says. With more than two decades of experience in the real estate industry—first as an agent working
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with her husband to build commercial and residential properties—Bonacio naturally decided to branch out and establish her own brokerage firm. “My goal was for Julie & Co. to become the premier boutique real estate company in the Capital Region,” she says. To that point, today, Julie & Co. Realty has more than 20 knowledgeable, innovative and highly skilled real estate agents in its employ, who specialize in residential resale, new construction and commercial and residential leasing. Bonacio is particularly excited about her latest piece of property that’s recently hit the market: a four-bedroom combined corner condominium just steps away from all the restaurants, boutiques and galleries of Downtown Saratoga. “It’s a new listing, and it’s just phenomenal,” says Bonacio. With more than 4900 square feet of space, this
BY Z ACHARY GOLD
double unit at 268 Broadway features smooth, imported granite flooring as well as a huge custom kitchen, featuring luxury appliances by Miele, Viking and more. The future owner of the combined condominium will be able to enjoy his or her espresso on a balcony overlooking historic Congress Park, in addition to a second attached balcony to the lavish master suite, complete with bells and whistles such as a gas fireplace, expansive walk-in closet, a lush bathroom with a custom shower and double vanity mirror and a private gym. All three secondary bedrooms include beautiful views of Saratoga with en-suite baths and generously sized closets. Also included are four parking spots in a secured and heated garage, plus one large storage unit. “This is luxury at its finest,” says Bonacio. ■
FILMWORKS 109
THE DOWNTOWN SAR ATOG A SPRINGS CONDO HAS IT ALL.
(OPPOSITE) The unit’s custom kitchen; (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP) its family room;
living room; bedroom from the master suite; and dining room.
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Piper Boutique Wins By Giving Back T H E B R O A D WAY B O U T I Q U E M I X E S S M A R T F A S H I O N W I T H I M P O R TA N T C A U S E S .
P
FRANCESCO D’AMICO
BY Z ACHARY GOLD iper Boutique’s Owner Alessandra Bange-Hall doesn’t just want her clientele leaving her store looking fabulous, she wants them feeling that way, too. “We want to make women feel like they’re getting the most out of their shopping experience while also having fun,” says BangeHall. Piper Boutique, which first opened its doors in Downtown Saratoga Springs in 2011 and has since opened a second storefront in Philadelphia, offers customers the latest, fashion-forward women’s apparel and accessories at affordable prices. (Everything at Piper Boutique costs less than $100.) The boutique’s stylists pride themselves on listening to customers, making them feel comfortable and confident—and encouraging them to think outside of the box from time to time. In addition to helping women of all ages stay ahead of the fashion curve, Bange-Hall has also been active on Saratoga’s philanthropic scene. “I’ve always been passionate about philanthropy,” she says. “Having a store and being so engrossed in a community gives you a platform to bring awareness to different organizations, in addition to raising money for them.” To that end, Bange-Hall has been hosting “Girls Night Out” and “Shop & Sip” events since she founded the boutique, each of which has a fundraising component. She’s worked with a number of organizations, including Gabby Rocco Let It Shine Foundation, Jake’s Help From Heaven and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in New York City. (The list literally goes on and on.) Bange-Hall donates a percentage of Piper Boutique’s sales to the organization and offers shoppers wine, champagne and sweets. There’s even a giveaway that’s raffled off to raise money. But for Bange-Hall, raising funds for worthy organizations is only one piece of the puzzle. “I love these events, because we have a lot of fun, but they also make people aware of organizations and medical conditions that maybe they’ve never heard of before,” she says. She points to one of Piper Boutique’s most recent events that raised money and awareness for Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, a rare neurological disorder. “People who attend the shopping fundraisers leave with a better understanding of the charitable organizations, whether they are national nonprofits or ones operating right here in Saratoga Springs,” says Bange-Hall. “That’s why we have Girls Night Out at Piper Boutique!” ■
Piper Boutique Owner Alessandra Bange-Hall (pictured) has been very active on Saratoga’s philanthropic scene.
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The Accolades Continue For Phinney Design Group T H E S A R AT O G A - B A S E D D E S I G N F I R M I S O N Q U I T E A R O L L . BY Z ACHARY GOLD
ELIZABETH HAYNES
F
or Phinney Design Group, the future just keeps getting brighter. Founded in 2003, the Saratoga Springs-based design firm—which specializes in interior design, construction management and sustainable, green building— has won a number of awards for its ambitious architectural development and/or restoration projects in Upstate New York. That list of achievements includes an innovative “master plan” of projects at Saratoga Race Course, a massive, multi-year restoration of The Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing, as well as building the new corporate headquarters for Informz, a digital marketing solutions company in Downtown Saratoga. The Phinney Design Group won an American Institute of Architects Eastern New York Merit Award for its work on the latter. “We were honored to work with the Informz leadership who embraced the idea of a combination of communal space and collaborative and private workspace,” says Michael Phinney, the firm’s Founding Principal Architect. Phinney is particularly proud of the most recent design awards he and his team have earned. Just this year, Phinney Design Group was awarded a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold Certification from the US Green Building Council for a new home on the west side of Lake George, for a project where Phinney blended Japanese and regional Adirondack styles. “Growing up in the Adirondacks, this was a very special project for us,” says Phinney. “Located on Lake George,
Phinney’s “East Meets West in the Adirondacks” camp on the west side of Lake George.
One of Phinney Design Group’s live-work studios at Yaddo in Saratoga.
we knew we wanted to combine classic Adirondack vernacular with a modern but rustic influence.” Called “East Meets West in the Adirondacks,” this lakeside residence uses geothermal heating and cooling combined with a highperformance thermal envelope to keep heating costs down. Additionally, Phinney Design Group recently worked closely with Saratoga’s famous artists’ retreat Yaddo, building five unique “live-work studios” for choreographers and performance artists on the residency’s sprawling estate. For this work on the rustic looking, cabin-inspired studios, Phinney Design Group took home the 2017-18
Phinney built new headquarters for Informz in Downtown Saratoga.
American Institute of Architects Eastern New York Honor Award. “This project created the synergy and momentum that Yaddo’s leadership had hoped for,” says Phinney. “The studios were positioned to capture signature views of the natural landscape when a respite from work was needed.” That’s just the surface of Phinney Design Group’s diverse and awardwinning portfolio. These projects, among many others, demonstrate how the company’s hard work, attention to detail and dedication to environmentally conscious construction enhances a building’s fundamental character, beauty and flexibility. ■
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the back Calendar ⁄
FRIDAY, JULY 5 SARATOGA POLO ASSOCIATION:
SATURDAY, JULY 20 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks • $200,000 Caress Stakes
• Celebrate Saratoga Tournament
’Tis The Season: The Dates To Know F ROM H ORSE RACI NG TO P O LO A N D E Q U E ST R I A N , WE’ VE GOT YOU COVERE D. n BY J E F F DI N GLE R
SUNDAY, JULY 7 SARATOGA POLO ASSOCIATION:
SARATOGA CASINO HOTEL (HARNESS RACING):
• Celebrate Saratoga Tournament
• $260,000 Joe Gerrity, Jr. Memorial FFA Pace • New York Sire Stakes NYSS Excelsior Series
THURSDAY, JULY 11 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• Grade 3, $150,000 Schuylerville Stakes • Grade 3, $100,000 Quick Call Stakes
SUNDAY, JULY 21 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• Grade 3, $200,000 Shuvee Handicap
FRIDAY, JULY 12 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
SARATOGA POLO ASSOCIATION:
• Veuve Clicquot Challenge Tournament
• Grade 3, $150,000 Forbidden Apple Stakes SARATOGA POLO ASSOCIATION:
TION C
ENDAR
SPECIAL
TUESDAY, JULY 23 SARATOGA POLO ASSOCIATION:
• The Polo Hall of Fame Tournament
AL
EDI
the races!
• Skidmore College’s 40th Annual “Polo by Twilight” Palamountain Scholarship Benefit
SATURDAY, JULY 13 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• Grade 1, $500,000 Diana Stakes • Grade 3, $150,000 Sanford Stakes
WEDNESDAY, JULY 24 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap • $150,000 New York Stallion Series Cab Calloway Division
SUNDAY, JULY 14 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• $100,000 Coronation Cup
THURSDAY, JULY 25 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
SARATOGA POLO ASSOCIATION:
• The Polo Hall of Fame Tournament
• Grade 1, $150,000 A.P. Smithwick Memorial (Steeplechase) Handicap • $100,000 John Morrissey Stakes
WEDNESDAY, JULY 17 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• $100,000 Rick Violette Stakes
FRIDAY, JULY 26 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• $100,000 Curlin Stakes
THURSDAY, JULY 18 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
SARATOGA POLO ASSOCIATION:
• $100,000 Stillwater Stakes
• The Mid-Summer Celebration Tournament
FRIDAY, JULY 19 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
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• Grade 3, $150,000 Lake George Stakes
SARATOGA POLO ASSOCIATION:
• Veuve Clicquot Challenge Tournament
MELISSA SIMSER-IOVINO
SATURDAY, JULY 27 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
TOM KILLUP
polo’s summer campaign Polo players competing on the Saratoga Polo Association’s historic Whitney Field in Greenfield.
harnessed power Harness jockey Frank Coppola, Jr. racing at Saratoga Casino Hotel.
• Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap • Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes • Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green Handicap
SUNDAY, JULY 28 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam Stakes
SARATOGA POLO ASSOCIATION:
• The Mid-Summer Celebration Tournament TUESDAY, JULY 30 SARATOGA CASINO HOTEL (HARNESS RACING):
• New York Sire Stakes NYSS Excelsior Series
WEDNESDAY, JULY 31 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• $150,000 New York Stallion Series: Statue of Liberty Division • $100,000 Shine Again Stakes
SUNDAY, AUGUST 4 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• $1 million Saratoga Derby • Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack Stakes • Grade 3, $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya Stakes SARATOGA POLO ASSOCIATION:
• The Whitney Cup Tournament MONDAY, AUGUST 5 FASIG-TIPTON:
• The Saratoga Sale TUESDAY, AUGUST 6 FASIG-TIPTON:
THURSDAY, AUGUST 1 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• $100,000 Birdstone Stakes • saratoga living Stakes FRIDAY, AUGUST 2 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes • $100,000 Alydar Stakes • $750,000 Saratoga Oaks SARATOGA POLO ASSOCIATION:
• The Whitney Cup Tournament SATURDAY, AUGUST 3 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes • Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Test Stakes • Grade 3, $200,000 Troy Stakes • $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Lure Stakes • $100,000 Fasig-Tipton De La Rose Stakes
• New York Bred Yearlings Sale
SUNDAY, AUGUST 11 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• $100,000 Galway Stakes SARATOGA POLO ASSOCIATION:
• The Barrantes Cup Tournament WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• $100,000 Bolton Landing Stakes THURSDAY, AUGUST 15 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• $100,000 Union Avenue Stakes FRIDAY, AUGUST 16 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• $100,000 Skidmore Stakes SARATOGA POLO ASSOCIATION:
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• $100,000 Evan Shipman Stakes • $100,000 Mahony Stakes THURSDAY, AUGUST 8 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• $100,000 Saratoga Dew Stakes FRIDAY, AUGUST 9 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• $100,000 Tale of the Cat Stakes SARATOGA POLO ASSOCIATION:
• The Barrantes Cup Tournament SATURDAY, AUGUST 10 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap • Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special Stakes SARATOGA POLO ASSOCIATION (HARNESS RACING):
• The Ylvisaker Cup Tournament SATURDAY, AUGUST 17 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama Stakes • Grade 2, $200,000 Lake Placid Stakes • $100,000 Smart N Fancy Stakes SUNDAY, AUGUST 18 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• $100,000 Summer Colony Stakes SARATOGA POLO ASSOCIATION:
• The Ylvisaker Cup Tournament WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• $100,000 John’s Call Stakes SARATOGA CASINO HOTEL (HARNESS RACING):
• New York Sire Stakes NYSS Excelsior Series
• New York Sire Stakes NYSS Excelsior Series
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• Grade 1, $150,000 New York Turf Writers Cup • $100,000 Riskaverse Stakes
recommends
FRIDAY, AUGUST 23 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
R.C. Ewell Exhibit, At The Barns, Mostly, Set For August 2
T
wo decades have passed since I accepted the first of many invitations from artist R.C. “Bob” Ewell and his wife, Barbara, to witness the wonder of early morning workouts at the Oklahoma Training Track from their backyard on Fifth Avenue in Saratoga Springs. That first time, and every time since, I’ve received countless lessons in the fine art of Saratoga backstretch life, sometimes served with a dash of training trivia—like the time Hall of Fame and 2019 Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bill Mott rescued a runaway horse within clear view of the couple’s patio. Ewell, so inspired by Mott’s “excellent horsemanship skills,” recreated the spirited equine adventure in a watercolor, which was presented to Mott by his staff in 2009. Ewell has become a master of capturing scenes and personalities seldom seen by those who flock to the glamour and glitz on the other side of Union Avenue. And despite having created nearly 2000 paintings, including many of captivating backstretch stars such as exercise riders Lorna “Queen of Riders” Chavez, Pat “Galloping Granny” Meadows, Maxine Correa and Vicki King, displayed proudly in private homes across the country, the 88-year-old Ewell hasn’t run out of subjects. In fact, on August 2, he’ll be presenting an exhibit, entitled At The Barns, Mostly, at the Saratoga Heritage Area Visitor Center, featuring 40 of his original paintings and including many newly created works. One subject Ewell’s particularly interested in? Hot walking. “It’s an omnipresent occupation,” says the artist. “After many years of seeing this activity, I’m still attracted to it.” While the painter has a keen eye for backstretch workers, he’s also painted his fair share of Saratoga horse racing heavyweights. In the upcoming exhibit, one such painting features two-time Derby-winner and Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito on the backstretch with a casually attired Marylou Whitney. You can bet the Ewells and I will be among those cheering on the “Queen of Saratoga” when she’s inducted into horse racing’s Hall of Fame just a few hours before the opening of Ewell’s show. Maybe she’ll return the favor. —ANN HAUPRICH
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• Saratoga New York Breeders’ Showcase Day • $250,000 Albany Stakes • $200,000 Fleet Indian Stakes • $200,000 Funny Cide Stakes • $200,000 Seeking the Ante Stakes • $150,000 West Point Stakes • $150,000 Yaddo Stakes SARATOGA POLO ASSOCIATION:
• The Saratoga Special Tournament
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
Travers Racing Festival • Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers Stakes • Grade 1, $850,000 Sword Dancer Stakes • Grade 1, $700,000 Personal Ensign Stakes • Grade 1, $600,000 Forego Stakes • Grade 1, $500,000 Ketel One Ballerina Stakes • Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes • Grade 2, $400,000 Ballston Spa Handicap SUNDAY, AUGUST 25 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• $100,000 Better Talk Now Stakes SARATOGA POLO ASSOCIATION:
• The Saratoga Special Tournament
TUESDAY, AUGUST 27 SARATOGA CASINO HOTEL (HARNESS RACING):
• New York Sire Stakes NYSS Excelsior Series
r e y v t e h f i n o g t s i e s s b u e e h t
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• Grade 3, $150,000 With Anticipation Stakes
THE U LTIM ATE
THURSDAY, AUGUST 29 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
SA R ATOG A A2Z
• $100,000 P.G. Johnson Stakes
GU ID E
FRIDAY, AUGUST 30 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
COMING SEPTEMBER 2019 |
• $100,000 Lucky Coin Stakes
f
A D R E S E R VAT I O N :
AUGUST 28
SARATOGA POLO ASSOCIATION:
• SPA Anniversary Tournament SATURDAY, AUGUST 31 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
• Woodward Racing Festival • Grade 1, $750,000 The Woodward Stakes • Grade 2, $250,000 Glens Falls Stakes • Grade 2, $250,000 Prioress Stakes • Grade 3, $200,000 Saranac Stakes
everywhere anywhere saratogaliving.com
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
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• Grade 1, $350,000 Spinaway Stakes
SARATOGA POLO ASSOCIATION:
Don’t Miss An Issue of
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 (CLOSING DAY) SARATOGA RACE COURSE:
FILL OUT THIS FORM AND SEND IT TO: 422 Broadway, Suite 203, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
• SPA Anniversary Tournament
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 SARATOGA CASINO HOTEL (HARNESS RACING):
• New York Sire Stakes NYSS Excelsior Series
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• NYSS Excelsior Series Finals
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Travel the back Horse ⁄
AUSTRALIA’S FINANCIAL METROPOLIS AWAITS WITH ITS MANY CHARMS INTACT. BY MARCO MEDRANO
lthough the international horse racing season may not be as frontand-center in American horse-racing fans’ minds—specifically, Down Under in Melbourne—it holds its own even when put up against its stateside Triple Crown rivals in terms of super-sized events. The huge stakes, gaming, fashion, eye-catching hats and wallto-wall society events will be familiar to any Saratogian used to our own incredible horse racing season. So, now you have a very good reason to jet off to Australia for some equine indulgences, and, don’t forget, when it’s their turn to take over the racing season, the weather will still be in its perpetual state of summery warmth. The location doesn’t hurt, either. The
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The Flemington Telegraph, ABC Racecourse, ground and insider.com zero for the “Carnival,” have reported that as the Melbourne Melbourne is “the Cup is known, is most livable city a weeklong event in the world,” “the world’s greatest from November 2-9, city” and “the best with a purse totaling place to live in the some $7.3 million. world,” respectively. Victoria Racing Club’s Located on the Melbourne Cup southern-most hosts Victoria Derby tip of Australia, Day as the opening the art, cuisine, event, which isn't to big wheel The Melbourne culture, design, be missed. As huge Star, a giant ferris wheel on Melbourne’s waterfont; (top) entertainment, as these races are, the view from the Star. sporting events— though, the racing can easily become even the coffee!— an afterthought if you decide to let are hard to beat. My favorite time of the sexy temptress that is Melbourne day is Melbourne’s fabled High Tea, seduce you away from the track. It’s seemingly available everywhere easy to do, that’s for sure. in town. Seriously. Everywhere.
Melbourne Cup (CHRIS PHUTULLY)
A
And They’re Off!... To Melbourne!
For globetrotters, the deluxe hospitality scene abounds here, but it’s quantified a little bit differently than just by the number of Michelinstarred restaurants or Leading Hotels of The World assignations a destination has been awarded. So, embrace Melbourne’s finery their way. First on this—and any other luxury list in Melbourne—is the Park Hyatt Melbourne with its stately presence, elegant public spaces, oversized suites, award-winning spa, amazing gym and an indoor pool with a milliondollar view. The Lounge & Garden restaurant overlooks Trilogy Gardens, changing the mood of the space throughout the day, from breakfast to well after the sun’s gone down, while Radii is the hotel’s hero restaurant with daily, carefully curated menus. Sofitel, the original boutique chic, never disappoints anywhere in the world, especially here. Check out its Opera or Imperial suites for that extra edge of sumptuousness. Sofitel’s lounge and dining options are stellar, too. No35 the ’bourne Restaurant offers fine identity French gastronomy (from top) Market Lane with a view, while High Bar at InterContinental Tea (yes, again!) is Melbourne The Rialto; offered daily in a lofty, a scene from Fleminton Racecourse’s ultra-modern art gallery Melbourne Cup. lounge. (Yes, please!) You’ll definitely want to utilize your Club Accord perks here, as Sofitel’s known for its pre-theater dining packages. Want old-world digs with global modern management? The Rialto is the InterContinental’s impressive Melbourne outpost. The Market Lane Bar adds refinement to an adult-only smorgasbord of bites, delicacies and cocktails without the time constraint of a formal sit-down meal. Perfectly positioned on the Yarra River and the famed Southbank Promenade, The Langham offers amazing views and exciting epicurean wonders. The Lyall Hotel & Spa is privately owned and offers a refined and
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detailed personal experience as well. Venturing out for fine dining is taken seriously in Melbourne. Listed as one of the “Top 50 Restaurants In The World,” Attica offers the most unusual experience (French Laundry meets Brooklyn warehouse) and sits on top of all must-do lists offering rare-to-table ingredients and experiences. As does
Vue de Monde for modern French culinary exquisiteness and over-thetop tasting menus, while serving up one of the best views in the city. While you’re at it, put Mo Vida, Golden Fields and Cutler & Co on your fine foodie list as well. Let’s do some sightseeing! It wouldn’t hurt to do some last-minute,
the wonders of oz The Melbourne Museum offers multiple, concurrent exhibits for all ages.
pre-flight research into Melbourne’s spontaneous pop-up scene (scenestr.com.au/melbourne). The Melbourne Star Observation Wheel is a great way to get the lay of the land. Aside from really great art, the Melbourne Museum is quite fascinating for all ages, with multiple exhibitions running simultaneously. From Darwin to DNA, Victoria’s Aboriginal history, mind exploration, bugs, marine life, records and music revolutions, eel feeding and so much more, the museum really has it all! And who could blame you should you decide to hunker down at the racetrack? Flemington literally tips its cap to everyone. The food is terrific, and can be enjoyed everywhere from The Precinct to The Rose Room, The Terrace Restaurant and The Perch In
sweet dream Vue de Monde Executive Chef Hugh Allen and his dreamy chocolate soufflé.
JOHN GOLLINGS
Travel the back Horse ⁄
The Birdcage. The architecture of the pavilion is breathtaking, and it’s best served up with the carnival’s signature cocktail in hand. Grab a Flemington Fling, is a bubbly blood orange vodka drink with hints of lime and mint. The thirst is real. Whatever you decide to do, Melbourne is one of the most memorable spots on the planet, and you’ll want to schedule plenty of time to simply enjoy it without restriction. Isn’t it time you got to the starting gate in Melbourne?
GO BOATING with
Point Breeze Point M A R Breeze INA
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the back Food ⁄ CHEF:
Michael Mastrantuono
Now, This Is A Superfecta!
1 5 CH URCH ’ S ENTRY FOR T H E U LT I M AT E ‘SA RATOGA BI TE’ IS, WEL L, EXT R AO R DI N A RY. ph otograp h y by TERRI-LY N N P E LLE GR I
RESTAURANT:
15 Church SARATOGA BITE:
O
The Superfecta ne day, I was craving steak tartare and decided to experiment. My initial idea was to serve the dish with mini brioche grilled cheese sandwiches, but I thought it’d be better to add the steak on top of a grilled cheese sandwich. I made it for the 15 Church staff, and everyone freaked out. Since I’m a fan of Korean food, I thought the addition of an oyster paired with eel sauce was in order, and what over-the-top-delicious dish is complete without caviar? Hence, I present The Superfecta: four Thoroughbreds of the culinary world stacked in perfect harmony.
15 Church’s Superfecta INGREDIENTS
• Rustic sourdough, sourced from Brooklyn • Cave-aged gruyère • Sharp provolone • Japanese mayonnaise • Irish butter • Wellfleet oysters • Buttermilk • Flour • Cornstarch • Garlic powder • Onion powder • Frying oil • Capers • Kobe beef, from Texas • Vidalia onion, finely diced • Olive oil • Eel sauce • Caviar • Micro Dijon mustard greens
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A fashion-forward women’s clothing, jewelry and accessories boutique 454 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY | 518.587.7890 Shop online at luciaboutique.com @luciaboutique
CUSTOMER SERVICE IS OUR PRIORITY INSTRUCTIONS
Slice sourdough to a half an inch thick and make a sandwich with the gruyère and provolone. Spread a bit of Japanese mayonnaise and Irish butter on the outside of the bread and cook in a pan until the bread is extra crispy. Remove the edges of the sandwich. Soak a shucked Wellfleet oyster in buttermilk. While it soaks, combine flour, corn starch, garlic powder and onion powder, and mix well to incorporate. Remove oyster from buttermilk, roll it through the mixture and deep fry. Next, fry capers. Dice the Kobe beef into tartare consistency, and add raw Vidalia onions and olive oil. Layer a generous amount of the beef concoction on the grilled cheese, followed by the oyster, eel sauce and caviar. Finish the dish with a salad of micro Dijon mustard greens and fried capers.
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Putnam Place Bets On Its ‘Saratoga Longshot’ TH E LOCAL H OT SPOT A N D E V E N TS M E C CA O F F E R S U P I TS SP I N O N “THE NEXT GREAT SARATOGA C O C KTA I L.”
n
P H OTO GR A P H Y BY DO R I F I T ZPAT RIC K
I
t’s track season, so we gambled on and, in our opinion, won with our “Next Great Saratoga Cocktail” entry: The Saratoga Longshot. We kept the recipe super simple, so anyone can make this delicious cocktail in the comfort of his or her Saratoga home. For our can’tmiss concoction, we went with Saratoga Courage Distillery’s gold-medal-winning Pick Six Vodka not only because of its horseplayer-focused name, but also its delicious taste—and mixed it with lemonade, the true OG summertime refreshment. Enjoy!
It’s Never Too Late ... To Be
Young at Heart. ODDS ARE GOOD AT THE GLEN!
Call 518.832.7800 to learn more about our exceptional Senior Living community.
INDEPENDENT LIVING • THE TERRACE ENRICHED HOUSING • RESPITE
39 Longview Drive • Queensbury, NY • www.GlenHiland.com
The Saratoga Longshot
Located near I-87 Exit 15, off of Excelsior Avenue
INGREDIENTS
2 oz. Pick Six Vodka 2 oz. Lemonade 1 oz. Grenadine 2 Orange wedges 1 Lemon wedge Splash club soda Ice INSTRUCTIONS BAR:
Putnam Place COCKTAIL:
The Saratoga Longshot
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Muddle one orange wedge and lemon wedge in a cocktail shaker, then add vodka and lemonade. Shake together and strain over ice into a highball glass. Top with a splash of club soda and let the ounce of grenadine sink in for color. Garnish with an orange wedge.
Smart home living a short walk from downtown Saratoga Starting at $319,000 Call 518-587-4113 or visit wittconstruction.com for more info
Have the best of both worlds: home ownership in sought after Saratoga Springs with no maintenance and upkeep. Excelsior Park townhomes are nestled on the edge of the Spring Run Preserve and convenient to the farmers market, shops, and restaurants, and within walking distance to downtown Saratoga Springs. From sophisticated style to innovative smart home features, Excelsior Park Townhome’s 18 exclusive residences set the standard for high-end, high-tech town home living.
This advertisement is not an offering. It is a solicitation of interest in the advertised property. No offering of the advertised units can be made and no deposits can be accepted, or reservations, binding or non-binding, can be made until an offering plan is filed with the New York State Department of Law. This advertisement is made persuant to Cooperative Policy Statement No. 1, issued by the New York State Department of Law, file NO. CP17-0053.
Witt-EP-SaratogaLiving-5x5-Ad.indd 1
6/13/18 9:22 AM
65 ROSES SUMMER SOIRÉE WHEN: Friday, July 19, 6pm WHERE: Saratoga National Golf Club BENEFITS: The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation COST: $190, $150 (Junior Ticket) POLO BY TWILIGHT: 40TH ANNUAL PALAMOUNTAIN SCHOLARSHIP BENEFIT WHEN: Tuesday, July 23, 5:30pm WHERE: Saratoga Polo Fields BENEFITS: Joseph C. and Anne T. Palamountain Scholarship Fund COST: $150, $75 (Under 30), $100 (31-40) AN UNBRIDLED AFFAIR: 11TH ANNUAL GALA WHEN: Thursday, July 25, 6-10pm WHERE: Saratoga Springs City Center BENEFITS: CAPTAIN Community Human Services and the Saratoga Thoroughbred Racing Industry COST: $125, $100 (30 and under) SARATOGA HOSPITAL’S 37TH ANNUAL SUMMER GALA WHEN: Wednesday, July 31, 6-9pm WHERE: The Polo Meadow at Saratoga Casino Hotel BENEFITS: Saratoga Hospital’s Saratoga Community Center COST: $175, $125 (21-35)
Original Jewelry Saratoga Springs, NY dJoriginals.com © deJonghe 2019 • Tracey Buyce Photography Clothing provided by Joseph Ribkoff
KONRAD ODHIAMBO
deJonghe
EQUINE ADVOCATES’ 18TH ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER & CHARITY AUCTION WHEN: Thursday, August 1, 5:30-10pm WHERE: Canfield Casino BENEFITS: Equine Advocates COST: $250
HE DATE SAVE T
FROM THE TRACK TO THE GALAS D RES S ING UP AF T ER T H E P ON I E S.
NY CHAPLAINCY BRUNCH WHEN: Wednesday, August 14, 10am WHERE: Saratoga National Golf Course BENEFITS: Race Track Chaplaincy of America, NY Division COST: $150 HEALTH, HISTORY AND HORSES CHARITY GALA WHEN: Thursday, August 15, 6-9pm WHERE: Longfellows Restaurant BENEFITS: Various Charities in Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties COST: $75 BBQ AT THE BARN FUNDRAISER WHEN: Tuesday, August 20, 6-9pm WHERE: Saratoga Winery BENEFITS: The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation COST: $30, $15 (Kids 6-12) RACING FOR THE CHILDREN WHEN: Thursday, August 22, 6:30-10:30pm WHERE: Saratoga National Golf Course BENEFITS: The Belmont Child Care Association, Inc. COST: $300, $225 (Under 30)
AFTER THE RACE: 10TH ANNUAL COCKTAIL PARTY WHEN: Sunday, August 4, 6:30-10:30pm WHERE: Saratoga National Golf Course BENEFITS: Retired Thoroughbred racehorses COST: $100 in advance, $125 at the door FASHIONABLE FILLIES LUNCHEON WHEN: Monday, August 5, 11:30am-2:30pm WHERE: Saratoga National Golf Course BENEFITS: The Jockey Safety Net Foundation COST: $150
THE SIZZLING HOT PINK SARATOGA HAT LUNCHEON WHEN: Thursday, August 8, 11am WHERE: Saratoga Race Course BENEFITS: Breast Cancer Research Foundation COST: $250 7TH ANNUAL BLUE SPANGLED GALA WHEN: Monday, August 12, 6:30-9:30pm WHERE: Hall of Springs BENEFITS: Saratoga WarHorse COST: $250
21ST ANNUAL TRAVERS WINE TASTING WHEN: Friday, August 23, 6-10pm WHERE: The Lodge at Saratoga Casino Hotel BENEFITS: LifePath: Albany Senior Services COST: $175 SARATOGA BRIDGES 30TH ANNUAL TRAVERS DAY AT THE RACES WHEN: Saturday, August 24, 11am-3pm WHERE: The Easy Goer at Saratoga Race Track BENEFITS: Saratoga Bridges COST: $180
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Star-Spangled Bash For ACS W I T H saratoga living AS PR E SE N T I N G SPON SOR , T HE R E D, W HI T E & B LU E PART Y AT SAR ATOGA N AT I ON AL WAS HOPPI N G .
EXPERIENCE PUTNAM PLACE THE PREMIER LIVE MUSIC VENUE IN SARATOGA SPRINGS THIS
TRACK SEASON
P HOTOGR AP HY BY KONRAD ODHIAMBO EXCLUS IVELY FOR saratoga living
(from left) Maisey West, Alex Snyder
(from left) Dani Squeglia, Lindsey Teabout, Steve Teabout
(from left) Jessica Chiaramonte, Patrick Cannarizzo, Megan West
(from left) Nicole Hooks, Ryan Phillips, Sean Phillips, Jess Ringler
TUESDAY JULY 23: SARATOGA LIVING SUMMER BASH SATURDAY JULY 27: THE AUDIOSTARS SATURDAY AUGUST 3: DEAN FORD & THE BEAUTIFUL ONES THURSDAY AUGUST 8: BADFISH (TRIBUTE TO SUBLIME) SATURDAY AUGUST 17: FOREVER FARMLAND CONCERT W/ SEAN ROWE
(from left) Kelsey Dorado, Brianna Devito
(from left) Daniel Shea, Emma Bullock, Olivia Jaquith
(from left) Eric Phillips, Ryan Phillips, Sean Phillips, Paul Phillips, Sharon Phillips
(from left) Jimmy Collins, Jax Miller
(from left) Emily Daley, Matthew Rickard, Tori Strock, Corrine Ellis, Rose Alyn, Nicole Marino, Linda Marino
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UPH Does It Again!
THIS YEAR’S SHAKEN & STIRRED CELEBRITY BARTENDER EVENT ON MAY 16 WAS ONE FOR THE RECORD B OOKS. P H OTO G R A P H Y BY K AT I E D O B I E S
DJ Trumastr working his magic.
(from left) Meagan Melo, Colleen Cunningham, Jaime Diaz, Llona Hogan
(from left) Tony Stellato, Jerilyn Stellato, Jamie Butler
Guests mingle at the bar at Prime at Saratoga National.
(from left) Natalie Moore, Erica Ziskin, Molly McCormack
Magician Alan Edstrom gleeful in action.
E XC LU S I V E LY F O R
saratoga living
The Bonacio Construction team, which placed third in the bartending competition.
Members of the first place-winning Adirondack Trust Company team.
Kitchen Showroom & Cabinet Shop
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As successful as you are, I understand there’s still more you want to do. Wells Fargo Advisors has the experience to craft a plan to help you reach those goals. Find out why so many people trust me to help them manage their wealth with the care it deserves. Wealth Management | Investment Planning | Retirement Peter Searles, CFP® Senior Vice President – Investment Officer PIM Portfolio Manager 100 Westminster St., Ste. 1600, Providence, RI 02903 Office: 401-459-6870 peter.searles@wellsfargoadvisors.com • home.wellsfargoadvisors.com/peter.searles Investment and Insurance Products:
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House Plan Review
(May Day) GWEN MATSON; (Yaddo) ERIN MALCOLM PHOTOGRAPHY
(Music & Mingling) HEATHER BOHM-TALLMAN
(clockwise from left) The crowd at Double H Ranch’s annual Happy Camper Gala at The Great Escape in Queensbury on June 22; scenes from the Saratoga Senior Center’s 9th Annual Music & Mingling event at the National Museum of Dance on May 30; Saratoga Subaru and Mackey Auto Group presenting a check from $18,446 to Saratoga Hospital on June 18.
(from left) Libby Adams, Kate Clark and Jennifer Terpening at the Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council’s 30th Anniversary May Day for Hunger event on May 16 at the Canfield Casino; (RIGHT) guests at Yaddo’s Summer Benefit on June 20.
Bes t Rom ant i
Bes t New Res
C ut t ing Edge R
Be s t Ro m an t ic Din in g
Bes t Am er ican
Be s t Ne w Re s t au ran t
Bes t M ar
C u t t in g Edge Re s t au ran t Be s t Am e ric an C u is in e Be s t Mart in i
patio is open weather permitted
i m ages b y Ashl ey Brow n
wednesday–saturday 4: 30–9: 30 p. m.
10 Ya te s Stre e t Sc h e n e cYat ta d Nre Ye 1 t2 3Sc 0 5he ne c t ady, NY 12305 10 ey, s St Re s e rva tion s
518.901.0174 ys o 901. nya t0174 e s . c o m daleyso nyat e s. c Re se rvation s d a l e518.
SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION
R&R Kitchen And Bar & Upstairs At 43 Phila
A
hidden gem at 43 Phila Street in Saratoga Springs, R&R Kitchen and Bar is the place to rest, relax and enjoy an atmosphere reminiscent of Cheers. A lively social setting with the longest bar in Saratoga (the perfect place for happy hour!) and outdoor patio seating, R&R serves traditional and contemporary American cuisine with an international flair. Just up the stairs, the aptly named Upstairs at 43 Phila is R&R’s sister restaurant, an intimate dining room that will host the Dillon culinary team, formerly of Siro’s, serving special feature entrees including in-house, handmade pasta and ravioli from Mangiamo. Go to 43phila.com for hours and more information. 43 PHILA ST, SARATOGA SPRINGS 518.581.0777
W
AY
• S PA C
•
R
E
• B R OA
TR
CREDIT (R&R) MORGAN RELYEA
TU
CK
• CU L
HQ
AS
SARATOGA’S ELEGANT & PEACEFUL
A
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Osteria Danny
102 LINCOLN AVENUE, SARATOGA SPRINGS WWW.THEINNATFIVEPOINTS.COM
518.584.1648
CONTACT@THEINNATFIVEPOINTS.COM
@theinnatfivepoints
un by Executive Chef Danny Petrosino and his wife, Patti, Osteria Danny specializes in Italian-American cuisine with an emphasis on simplicity and creative development. As such, the menu is updated frequently to encompass new culinary concepts and locally sourced ingredients when they’re available. Although the menu is continuously evolving with the creative will of Chef Danny, original recipes remain a pivotal influence in the dishes that Osteria Danny produces. For example, there’s a simple dish called “Shrimp The Way My Father Liked It” on the menu, which is accompanied by lemon risotto, butter garlic and “a bunch of other stuff,” and all pastas and desserts (mmm… pistachio cheesecake) are made by Danny himself. 26 HENRY ST, SARATOGA SPRINGS 518.423.7022
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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION
SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION
Flatbread Social
Prime At Saratoga National
N
L
ew from the owners of Henry Street Taproom is Flatbread Social, a wood-fired pizza, craft beer and cocktails hotspot, located right next to the Taproom on Henry Street. Flatbread Social officially opened its doors on December 31, 2018, and has since been serving starters, salads and pizzas in an inviting and, yes, social, atmosphere (you can even play shuffleboard with friends there after you eat). Flatbread offerings include “The Only Kind Of Pizza There Is,” topped with local sausage, garlic mushrooms, fire-roasted tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella; the “Kick In Your Pants Pie,” which features pickled banana peppers, spicy chorizo, fire-roasted tomato sauce and mozzarella; and homemade ice cream.
ocated on Union Avenue near Lake Lonely and Saratoga Lake’s north shore, and headed up by Angelo Mazzone, Prime at Saratoga National is one of Saratoga’s top upscale steakhouses. The restaurant, open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, as well as for jazz brunch on Sundays (think omelettes, pastas and carving stations), offers indoor and al fresco dining, overlooking the 18th hole of the beautiful Saratoga National golf course. Besides regular daily seatings, Prime is also the perfect setting for weddings, anniversary parties, corporate events and galas, such as UPH’s annual Shaken & Stirred Celebrity Bartender Party; Red, White and Blue: American Cancer Society Party; NYS Laborers Golf Outing: Make-a-Wish Foundation; and Teresian House Gala.
84 HENRY ST, SARATOGA SPRINGS 518.886.1198
458 UNION AVE, SARATOGA SPRINGS 518.583.4653
Fish At 30 Lake
The Inn At Erlowest
Y
ou don’t have to be near the ocean to enjoy fresh seafood. Fish at 30 Lake is a gourmet seafood restaurant adjacent to The Pavilion Grand Hotel in Downtown Saratoga Springs that’s known throughout the area for its innovative seafood entrees, à la carte raw bar and daily chef-inspired specials. For those who aren’t quite ready to dive into the restaurant’s exceptional selection of seafood, Fish at 30 Lake also offers a mouthwatering variety of “by land” entrees. Happy hour is served daily from 4-6pm, and offers an everchanging selection of small plates and drink specials. Visit fishat30lake.com for more information.
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(Fish) MORGAN RELYEA
30 LAKE AVE, SARATOGA SPRINGS 518.539.3474
T
he Inn At Erlowest, a Queen Anne-style stone castle on the western shore of southern Lake George, isn’t just a private residence turned award-winning luxury, ten-suite hotel—it’s also a fine dining, farm-totable restaurant destination for guests and the public alike. The inn serves an à la carte dinner menu in its dining room and outdoor patio nightly from 5-8:30pm, as well as a lighter fare menu of cocktails and appetizers at its Library Bar. Weekly specials made with seasonal foods ensure that each visit is a unique dining experience. Guests at the inn are also treated to a farm-fresh breakfast the morning after their stay. 3178 LAKE SHORE DR, LAKE GEORGE 518.668.5928
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star gazing Lions And Horses, Oh My! LEOS, THE LION WITHIN YOU LOVES OUR RACING SEASON. n BY MELISSA MORREALE illustrations by ROBERT RISKO exclusively for saratoga living
LEO JULY 23-AUGUST 22
Everything Saratoga Springs is calling, Leo! Invites pour in requesting your presence. Everyone wants you at their event, whether it’s fun in the sun at the track or relaxing under the twinkling stars at an elegant late-night gala. You have an air of regality that attracts attention wherever you go. It’d be wise, however, to keep your ego in check, as there are several retrogrades happening now that are known to create misunderstandings, jumbled communications and unexpected delays. During this time even the best-laid plans can go awry. Make sure to find balance in your schedule: Too much celebrating can create complicated health issues. Things will improve by mid-to-late August, just in time for the Travers Stakes. You may have that bit of luck needed to win big in countless areas of your life. Go for it!
SAGITTARIUS NOVEMBER 22-DECEMBER 21
It’d be fitting for you to visit Saratoga Race Course this season, as your sign is symbolically half-man, half-horse. Furthermore, the horseshoe is a symbol of good luck, and generally, Sagittarians are especially lucky. Right now, you have luck in spades—capitalize on it. CAPRICORN DECEMBER 22-JANUARY 19
Change is brewing and creating some intense upheaval in your life that may involve some legal trouble. Trying to force issues will be detrimental. Like the old proverb says, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Change can be a positive thing. AQUARIUS JANUARY 20-FEBRUARY 18
VIRGO AUGUST 23-SEPTEMBER 22
With so much stirring under the surface, it’s making you reflective. Your intimate relationships are growing deeper and more spiritual. This summer, quiet gatherings at your home with friends are preferable to big soirées. Spend time in the Spa City to rest and relax. You may also spontaneously travel abroad. LIBRA SEPTEMBER 23-OCTOBER 22
Been thinking about what you can do to help those in need?
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Consider a political run. (Seriously.) You have what it takes to win people over and a great sense of fairness. Achieve goals with focus and passion. SCORPIO OCTOBER 23-NOVEMBER 21
You have the power to attract attention in your career. You’ve been chomping at the bit to be recognized for your talents and efforts, and now’s your chance. Strut your stuff: your creativity is at a peak and your efforts will be noticed. You may have a sudden windfall of cash, so now’s the time to invest.
⁄ JULY-AUGUST 2019
It looks like you may have finally found someone who could hold your interest for the long haul and to whom you could make a commitment. He or she seems perfect, providing friendship, loyalty and mental stimulation, all of which are very important to you. Jump in! PISCES FEBRUARY 19-MARCH 20
If you can harness your scattered thoughts and tap into your creativity, you’ll create some wonderful things for this world. There are plenty of solid friends and groups who could help
make your dreams come true. Center yourself. ARIES MARCH 21-APRIL 19
Romance and creativity go hand-in-hand this summer—have fun! Your career may take an unexpected turn, so sit tight. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Things will turn around and could end up being even better than you ever imagined. TAURUS APRIL 20-MAY 20
You’ll gravitate toward your happy place this summer. The shakeups have been unsettling, and your home provides the best place to regroup. Take time to read. It may open your mind to a new path in life.
ONE SWEET DELIVERY ♥ PROUDLY SERVING, SUPPORTING AND SURPRISING THE COMMUNITY WE LOVE GRACIOUSLY YOURS, AUSTIN & DEBORAH
♥
GEMINI MAY 21-JUNE 20
You’re at the starting gate and ready to race. All aspects of your life are looking good. You could find a partner (personal or business), who seems to have a lucky horseshoe around their neck and helps you to pursue your ambitions. Saddle up and hang on for the ride.
KATIE DOBIES
CANCER JUNE 21-JULY 22
This should be a time for family, love and pampering yourself. Enjoy excursions around the region with loved ones. Get healthy. Consider all propositions that come your way. There’s a lot to sort through. Trust your intuition.
Designed and baked with love in Saratoga Springs, NY, by
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Crowning Achievement BY N ATA L I E M O O R E ACROSS: 1. Baby’s hangout 5. Male deer 9. Places 13. First word, perhaps 14. Black ___ 15. Opposite of good 16. Particularly valuable possession 19. Mani’s partner 20. Singer Goulding 21. Throat ailment, for short 22. Appear to be so 24. Roman numerals following “Richard” in a Shakespeare play 26. Mag fillers 29. Male heir to a throne 35. Like change in a pocket 37. Italian nickname 38. Planet satellite 39. 1/36 of a yard 40. Model Gigi or Bella 41. Formerly 42. NYC neighborhood 43. Mineral deposits 44. Theater attendant 45. What 13 horses have won, or a clue to the first words of 16-, 29- and 60-Across 48. Pigpen 49. Tray variety 50. Traveled by horse 52. Kentucky, for one 56. Celebrate 59. Plant used in lotion
“Don’t mess with the horses. Too much respect.” –LAKE GE O R GE
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60. Top-selling Canadian whisky 65. Sprouse of Riverdale fame 66. Ready for picking 67. Actress/singer Palmer 68. Soon 69. Death notif. 70. Adam’s apple locale?
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US Health org. Red, as meat American ___ Cries Feminine pronoun Pull It may come from a tap 8. Toothpaste type 9. It comes before Oct. 10. Happily ___ after 11. Cleaner that comes in pods or to-go sticks 12. It may precede a fall 17. Sibling’s daughter 18. Taunt 21. Knight’s title 23. Queen Elizabeth II, for one 24. Tooth humans have four of 25. Apple product 26. Very famous, as a celebrity 27. Organ transplant necessity 28. Site of the 2014 Winter Olympics
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SOMETHIN’ TO TALK ABOUT...
–WO O DLAWN AVE
58. Michigan, for one 60. ___-Magnon 61. Bone humans have 24 of 62. Leading nail polish company 63. Put water on 64. Famous QB Dawson ANSWERS ON
saratogaliving.com
“I’m the perfect person for knives.”
overheard “I’m a very naked home person.”
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“That’s the best chaser: a Cheez-It.”
– B ALLSTO N LAKE
–WAS H IN GTO N STRE E T
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mane man Joe “Woody” Wood, master barber at Woody’s Barbershop in Saratoga Springs, doubles as a skilled and passionate horseplayer.
Course where he met and fell in love with Saratoga native and Creative Image Hair Salon Co-owner, Linda Duerr. Now, nearly ten years later, Woody is nothing short of a Saratoga institution, for barbering and his uncanny handicapping abilities. Sure, Woody’s fun and all, but when he’s talking horse racing, he’s as serious as a priest on Sunday. To Woody, the ponies are religion. And for many, a weekly trip to Woody’s Barbershop, is all the gospel we need.
The Barber Who Loves Horses
JO E “WOODY” WOOD I S A SARATO GA I N ST I T U T I O N — TO H UMANS AND HO R SE S. BY RI CH ARD PÉREZ-F E R I A
I
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
KATIE DOBIES
EXCLUSIVELY FOR
did some research and ended up at Woody’s Barbershop on a bitterly cold December morning my first day as a Saratoga Springs resident a year-and-a-half ago. In many ways, that encounter with its proprietor, Joe “Woody” Wood, was as happy a meeting as any I’d had. Woody (as everyone calls him) is a lot. I know that to be true because I’m a lot, too. But, still, we were happily drawn to each other in spite of our many outward contradictions, possessing similar passion and optimism. In short, when Woody and I
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saratoga living
get together, a good time is had by all. An Ithaca, NY native, Woody is the youngest of five, who after his parents’ divorce, went to live with his dad and grandfather, which was, apparently, a heck of a time. “We spent our days as a threesome going to sporting events throughout the region and hitting all the horse racetracks throughout the Northeast,” he says. That’s when Woody fell hard for horse racing. After a decade living in Las Vegas, Woody made his way to Saratoga to care for his ailing father. It was during one of his many trips to Saratoga Race
What is it about horse racing that makes you such a passionate fan? I get the chance to be around the horses and see the real greatness of the horse racing world! I’m extremely fortunate I get to see what most fans don’t: that the horses’ ability to race is merely a fraction of the great things they can do. They’re truly magnificent animals—it’s a shame most people never get to see that. Is there any relationship between good barbering and good handicapping? Good barbering and good handicapping have lots of commonalities, none being more important that taking the time to do it right, and paying attention to every single little detail. Saratoga Springs truly is special because... Saratoga always felt like home when I used to visit here and felt even more so when I moved here. Saratoga is really a small town with a big city attitude. Saratoga is unquestionably one of the top places to live in the US. Simply put, you just can’t beat the quality of life in this beautiful city.
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