Saturday was not a bad day at The Spa for DRB. In the Saturday feature races the post time favorites won both the Grade 3 Sanford as well as the Grade 1 Diana Stakes, so there was not a lot of value to be had there. Early in the card scratches eliminated some of our plays, but some monies were salvaged. As the adage says; “The race … Continue reading Saturday In The Park
With all due respect, after opening day at The Spa, the editors of DRB are writing this entry standing up. You figure it out. Saratoga is what it is, and the love never stops. So we get back in the box and take our swings again on Saturday… tomorrow is another day. So with the same caveats as yesterday, here are the Saturday picks. 1st: #5 ML … Continue reading It was the best of times…
When I was 13-14 years of age she thought I was cute. From 15-18 I vied hard for her attention, only to be spurned for my lack of knowledge and experience. I vowed to get better. As I grew older and wiser my skills did improve and I thought I had what it took to win her over. Back then she would occasionally humor me, … Continue reading Infatuation
It was August 3rd, 1863 when gambler, casino owner, ex-boxer, and future congressman John Morrissey organized the first thoroughbred meet in Saratoga. It was one month after the Battle of Gettysburg, and was held over four days at the old dirt track on Union Avenue. Over 5,000 people attended to watch, and wager on eight races. After the success of this meet Morrissey was inspired … Continue reading The Spa
This race originated in 1964, and is for horses three years-old and older. It is raced at a mile and an eighth, on dirt, and classified as a Grade 2 stakes race with a purse of $600,000 dollars. The track record for this race dates back to 1996 when LOUIS QUATORZE (that years Preakness winner) blazed to a 1:47:26. The race is named in honor of 3 … Continue reading The Jim Dandy Stakes
This is DRB‘s final installment of the colorful language heard, and used at tracks here and around the world. Speaking of which, I was visiting London not long ago and saw what amounted to a betting parlor of some sort. Akin to Off Track Betting offices here in the states. I walked in looked around and saw mostly men watching and shouting at multiple television monitors showing various races … Continue reading Track Terminology
As routine viewers of DRB should be aware, The Racetrack At Saratoga opens up next Friday July 20th. What might be news to some, is that this year there will be 69 stakes races worth 18.8 million dollars in prize money. And while there is a feature race (or two) every day of competition, it is the weekend (especially Saturday) that draws the best talent, vying for … Continue reading The Diana
We are two weeks removed from opening day of the greatest track in America. So we at DRB will continue with some of the basic definitions in the world of horse racing. It does not matter how long you have been in the thoroughbred game, you can never stop learning. Absorb all the knowledge you can. What may seem meaningless now, will hopefully lodge somewhere in … Continue reading Saratoga Speak
DRB is based out of New York state, so while the acronym NYRA is common to us, there may be others who aren’t so familiar with the organization. For the uninitiated we offer this brief profile as an introduction. The New York Racing Association was founded in 1955, and is headquartered in Jamaica, NY. It is a not-for-profit that operates the three largest thoroughbred horse racing … Continue reading New York Racing Association
The race course at Saratoga is referred to as “The Graveyard of Favorites”. But a more apt name might be “The Graveyard of Champions”. Throughout the history of horse racing, some of the worlds most amazing thoroughbreds have humbly learned how the track earned that sobriquet. One of the earliest unforeseen victories took place in August 1919 when MAN O’ WAR raced as the heavy favorite … Continue reading The Graveyard Of Favorites
