2013 Saratoga Meet - celebrating 150th Anniversary

[Glimmerglass]

Jumping the gun in the summer-time place to be but this year will be special with the big anniversary. 150 years of Saratoga

In honor of that Marylou Whitney and her husband John Hendricks have put up their own money ($75,000) for a contest. Details and the free entry at the link below. The quick summary being:

One person will be selected at random for the chance to place a $15,000 win bet on the Whitney Handicap Aug. 3, the date of the first thoroughbred race in Saratoga 150 years ago.

The same will happen on the following four Saturdays’ major races. The other designated races are: Fourstardave Handicap, Aug. 10; Alabama Stakes, Aug. 17; Travers Stakes, Aug. 24; and Woodward Stakes, Aug. 31.

http://www.saratoga150.com/experience/saratoga150-contest/

[jbonifas]

Wouldn’t that be fun and I’d love to meet Ms Whitney.

[Glimmerglass]

Likely its just as easy to add Spa related items here for now …

Per Rick Porter (6/23) Normandy Invasion will be running next in either the July 26 Curlin Stakes or the July 27 Jim Dandy Stakes. Regardless of the finish (winning or not) the true goal is running in the Travers Stakes.

That looks to be potentially one heck of a race showdown as NYRA indicated (6/24) that Orb, Oxbow and Palace Malice are all to be based at Spa this summer and all three may be entered in the $1 million Travers Stakes on Aug. 24. They’re expected to be stabled on the track grounds by opening day. They also ran at Saratoga last year as two-year-olds.

NYRA said the season will feature nearly $15 million in purse money. Among the other top races, the $750,000 Whitney Invitational Handicap will be run on Aug. 3, the 150th anniversary of the first organized thoroughbred races in Saratoga.

The $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes is set for July 27 and the Alabama Stakes for Aug. 24, also a $600,000 race.

NYRA will also be offering 45-minute paid walking tours of the track. The cost will be $3 for individuals and $10 for groups of four. There will be no tours on Travers Day, or on Tuesdays when the track is closed.

As for television coverage - in addition to MSG+, TVG, HRTV, NYRA free replays - NBC Sports will again have their Summer at Saratoga series.

The schedule for the NBC’s live coverage of the 2013 Saratoga meet is as follows (All Times ET):

July 27: Grade 1, $600,000 Diana and Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy (5-6pm on NBC Sports Network)
August 3: Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney Invitational Handicap (5-6pm on NBC)
August 10: Grade 2, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap (5-6pm on NBC)
August 11: Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack and Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special (5-6pm on NBC Sports Network)
August 17: Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama and Grade 1, $600,000 Sword Dancer Invitational (5-6pm on NBC Sports Network)
August 24: Grade 1, $500,000 Foxwoods King’s Bishop and Grade 1, $1 million Travers (5-6pm on NBC)
August 31: Grade 2, $250,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap, G1 $500,000 Forego and Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward (4-6pm on NBC Sports Network)

[Glimmerglass]

In case it was missed - but now resolved - NYRA initially dropped a couple of very important steeplechase races from the 2013 Saratoga Meet but reinstated them. This was back in April of this year. No explanation why it occured.

The $100,000 A.P. Smithwick Memorial and the $150,000 New York Turf Writers Cup Steeplechase will be part of the usual nine-race steeplechase program to be run during the Saratoga meet, which runs from July 19 thru Sept. 2. As was the case last summer, steeplechase races will be run each Thursday, with two run every other Thursday.

The Smithwick (Grade 1-NSA) will be run on Aug. 1 while the Turf Writers Cup (Grade 1-NSA) will be run on Aug. 22.

[CVPeg]

Does anyone know if you can slip in to watch works now at the Oklahoma track? No owner’s card this year, and I know they prevent you from doing so during the meet unless you have ID.

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=CVPeg;7048923]
Does anyone know if you can slip in to watch works now at the Oklahoma track? No owner’s card this year, and I know they prevent you from doing so during the meet unless you have ID.[/QUOTE]

CVPeg I couldn’t find on line any confirmation of loosening up of the semi-recent access rules put into place. Which bites as I don’t see why fans (w/o ownership) shouldn’t have the ability to watch works in the morning. Keeneland has no issue with it, et al.

Maybe I’ve missed this offering before but I didn’t know that the Racing Museum (for a fee) has exclusive tours of the Oklahoma Training Track. That is obviously less on the morning works and more on the stabling and historical context.

[CVPeg]

Yes - having had a piece of a horse and an owner’s card, I was able to get in to watch the works up until 2 years ago. In years prior, almost anyone could walk on over and watch. And you’d see the groups coming on over from the Racing Museum. But security was increased during the past several years, so I wondered if it was less restrictive before the meet opened.

Of course, I can’t just call and ask for security. I’ll have to speak to someone at Belmont first! LOL

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=CVPeg;7051513]
Yes - having had a piece of a horse and an owner’s card, I was able to get in to watch the works up until 2 years ago.[/QUOTE]

Ah those unrealistic fears of Al-Qaeda interfering. Please! Anyhow I guess I was wrong (partially) in the future status of the public being again able to watch the works.

NYRA has proposed giving the public more access, but only if it limited people from getting into the barn areas. (Kinda odd if you ask me as they have people park on the edge of the stabling area then effectively walk along side the sables. I easily broke off the road and took a photo of Rachel Alexandra at a slight distance lookout of her stall.)

This is now dated but Daily Gazette April 30, 2013: “Viewing stand put on hold at Spa track Plan spurs safety concerns at training oval”

The New York Racing Association had started clearing and preparing the area for the public viewing stand at the end of the Oklahoma training track closest to East Avenue in Saratoga Springs.

But horse trainers and owners complained about the location of the multilevel viewing stand, saying that horses, especially 2-yearolds, would be “spooked” by the structure and people moving up and down inside the stand.

“NYRA is in the process of reviewing plans for the Oklahoma viewing stand in light of concerns recently raised by Saratoga horsemen,” said Ashley Herriman, a NYRA spokeswoman.

For many years, members of the public were allowed to enter the backstretch area near the Oklahoma track and watch the workouts. This all changed with increased track security measures after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C. These measures required proper credentials for all people entering the backstretch areas of the main Saratoga Race Course on Union Avenue and the Oklahoma training track across Union Avenue from the main track.

The Saratoga 150 committee, the group planning many special events this year to celebrate the 150th birthday of thoroughbred horse racing in Saratoga Springs, wanted to have a place where the public could again watch the morning workouts.

The spectators would access the proposed viewing stand from East Avenue and wouldn’t need to enter the backstretch areas.

It doesn’t look like a resolution was reached as just today this was tweeted. Unless they are going to magically get the stands up in 30-days which I’d give odds of 40-1 happening.

Barbara Livingston - “Public viewing stand under construction” (6/27), Oklahoma Training Track.

[CVPeg]

Great - thanks for all the information. Not sure I had seen that proposal, but can understand how the riders and trainers wouldn’t want it near the turn. Can just see the youngin’s barreling down and seeing that at the end!:eek:

[Glimmerglass]

I like the sporting enthusiasm and the Ramsey’s stock is so deep that its hard to envision Mike will take the title again …

Brisnet June 30, 2013: Ramsey sets sights on Saratoga

Ken and Sarah Ramsey collected their record 19th owners’ title at the Louisville, Kentucky, racetrack when closing out the spring meet at Churchill with a single-season record 32 wins. The Nicholasville, Kentucky, couple now have set their sights on collecting their third leading-owners title at Saratoga.

“You can tell them to look out at Saratoga,” Ken Ramsey said. “It’s the 150th anniversary and I’m bringing enough horses up there to win the owners’ title. I know I’m going to have some competition up there, but I think you might be talking to the leading owner at Saratoga for the 150th anniversary meet.”

The Ramseys won the owners title at Saratoga in 2008 and '09, but Mike Repole’s Repole Stable took home the trophy in '10-12.

“Repole’s reign is getting ready to come to a screeching halt,” Ramsey said with a grin.

The Ramseys, the all-time leading owners at Churchill Downs with 362, won 25 races at Keeneland’s spring meet and shattered the previous record of 12 wins by an owner during a single meet.

One of the few holes in the resume of the Ramseys is the absence of a victory in the Kentucky Derby. That is something they hope to change soon.

“Next year, I’m changing my focus completely and going for quality over quantity,” Ramsey said. "We’ve got to win this Kentucky Derby. We’ve got to get our picture taken on the other side of the track (in the Kentucky Derby Winner’s Circle).

“I’ve sent seven horses to Todd Pletcher and we actually think five of them are Derby material. They’re working right now and they’ll be running at Saratoga. We also think we got the best two-year-old colt out of the OBS sale a few weeks ago (Hip 176). We named him Ichiban Warrior. Ichiban means No. 1 in Japanese.”

As for Mike Repole just after the Belmont Stakes he sold off his majority ownership of Pirates Booty snack company for $195 million

Repole declined to reveal the amount of his initial investment but told BevNET in an e-mail “if you were an investor in Pirate’s Booty, today is a great day.”

After the $4.2 billion Vitaminwater sale, Repole dedicated himself to building a slate of companies that had the potential to be turned into long-term successes. He bought a majority stake in Pirate’s Booty in 2009, keeping founder Rob Ehrlich on board as CEO but stocking the kiddie favorite with many old friends from the Glaceau days.

[Glimmerglass]

By the way if you’re interested in the how Saratoga’s racing came about …

Video: (ABC/ESPN) Saratoga’s John Morrissey (aka “Old Smoke”) profile from 2008 (3min 41sec)

Also part of the 150th Anniversary promos

Video: Tom Durkin hosting ‘The Saratoga Racecourse Experience’ (7min 35sec)

[Glimmerglass]

By the way this property at 37 Nelson Ave remains on the market Almost 2 acres and adjacent to the Clare Court training track - just think you could walk you horse over to the track.

Denied stalls? Hey you are in luck! As it already has an eight stall barn with city approvals for a new twelve stall barn. It has been on the market for at least 798 days with that hefty $1.3 million price tag.

[Timex]

[QUOTE=CVPeg;7052114]
Great - thanks for all the information. Not sure I had seen that proposal, but can understand how the riders and trainers wouldn’t want it near the turn. Can just see the youngin’s barreling down and seeing that at the end!:eek:[/QUOTE]

not to mention, depending on where they wanted to put it, the gate is right there too. can you imagine horses coming out of the gate and getting spooked by some well-intentioned but ignorant spectator? traffic at that point on the track is busy and hectic under the best of conditions.

[Timex]

[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;7061208]
By the way this property at 37 Nelson Ave remains on the market Almost 2 acres and adjacent to the Clare Court training track - just think you could walk you horse over to the track.

Denied stalls? Hey you are in luck! As it already has an eight stall barn with city approvals for a new twelve stall barn. It has been on the market for at least 798 days with that hefty $1.3 million price tag.[/QUOTE]

so c’mon glimmer, cough up the $1.3 mil, you can always rent out the stalls for a grand a month like everyone else who has a private barn in the area.

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=Timex;7061237]
not to mention, depending on where they wanted to put it, the gate is right there too. can you imagine horses coming out of the gate and getting spooked by some well-intentioned but ignorant spectator? traffic at that point on the track is busy and hectic under the best of conditions.[/QUOTE]

Although for now - based upon that photo - there is a distracting pile of construction debris and orange fencing there. There were two key objections

The first is its nearness to the outside rail of the training track.
The second concern is the stand’s proximity to the starting gate.

There is often a backup of horses waiting behind the gate for their turn at learning how to handle the confines of the stalls and the opening of the doors at the start of a race. Their handlers like to walk them in that area before they are called to the gate. They are worried about a potential incident, however innocent, resulting from a fan doing something to scare the horse.

That concern is heightened with inexperienced 2-year-old thoroughbreds, which can be nervous in the early stages of their careers, particularly when it comes to gate schooling.

Honestly I don’t know why a stand would be built as opposed to simply allowing the public as rail birds with a secondary fence line keeping them back a ways.

[Glimmerglass]

[QUOTE=Timex;7061246]
so c’mon glimmer, cough up the $1.3 mil, you can always rent out the stalls for a grand a month like everyone else who has a private barn in the area. ;)[/QUOTE]

Ha! Lets see $1k x 8 stalls x 6-months a year = $48k/year (ignoring property taxes, insurance, upkeep) that means in 27 years you’d be approaching $1.3 million in revenue

I’d rather buy this place and have a party every night of the meet …

[Timex]

it is definitely a ZOO behind the gate, wouldn’t want to make it any worse! (for those who haven’t seen the oklahoma, the waiting area behind the gate, backs right up to the fenceline on East Ave - was once on a 2 yr old when a firetruck went flying past, complete with sirens going - didn’t make the poor colt any happier about having to wait his turn! ironically, the firetruck was on it’s way to the Oklahoma, accompanying an ambulance, whose driver had the good sense to keep the sirens OFF!!! to take a rider to the hospital.) at least the construction site doesn’t seem to be giving the horses any trouble as it is. i haven’t seen anyone give it more than a sideways glance. and glimmer, that house is lovely! i didn’t realize it was for sale. but i wouldn’t want to have to worry about the upkeep, landscaping, etc. so i’ll save my lunch money and just keep my little place outside of town, TYVM!

[CVPeg]

[QUOTE=Glimmerglass;7061208]
By the way this property at 37 Nelson Ave remains on the market Almost 2 acres and adjacent to the Clare Court training track - just think you could walk you horse over to the track.

Denied stalls? Hey you are in luck! As it already has an eight stall barn with city approvals for a new twelve stall barn. It has been on the market for at least 798 days with that hefty $1.3 million price tag.[/QUOTE]

Well, if it ever did sell, I’d think that house would be coming down…

Oh, but don’t forget what you could charge for parking!!

[CVPeg]

Many moons ago, I sold real estate in Saratoga - lived in the western part of the county. A lovely small house came on the market just behind the Oklahoma track - actually maybe a little bit kitty-corner, but it had a flagstone porch you could still catch a glimpse from. Fell in love with it, but our house wasn’t on the market, and ex wouldn’t budge - he was overseas at the time.

To this day kicking myself that I didn’t use that power of attorney…:no:

[CVPeg]

Interesting article this morning about horses flying in to Saratoga. Only too bad they never bothered to note the horses’ names, other than “a Thoroughbred”.

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Like-Pegasus-but-jets-do-the-work-4644210.php#photo-4870731