Travers Week Begins

Saturday is the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. It is by far the most popular day of the entire meet. It features five Grade 1, Stakes races, totaling over 5 million dollars in purses. So perhaps a little background on the race itself is in order: THE NAME: When the Saratoga Racing Association named the Travers Stakes for William R. Travers (one of the founders of America’s oldest race course), they sought only to … Continue reading Travers Week Begins

Sweet Home Alabama Stakes

Saturdays feature event at Saratoga is the 144th running of the Alabama Stakes. The prestigious stakes race for 3-year-old fillies is one of the oldest races for females in the United States. Its first edition took place in 1872 in a race Won by WOODBINE, a horse owned by August Belmont. The race itself was not precisely named in honor of the state of Alabama; rather, it was named after … Continue reading Sweet Home Alabama Stakes

Coffee With A Cause

It’s old news now that Saratoga Race Track cancelled its entire card on Friday due to severe rain and Saturdays card is extremely compromised for the same reason. That said, the Daily Racing Blog isn’t feeling the weekend Saratoga racing mojo. So today we’ll talk about a most worth cause- the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. The organization is a public charity that provides financial assistance … Continue reading Coffee With A Cause

Whitney Recap

Bob Baffert could have taken the easy out and blamed the racetrack in the no-show performance of NATIONAL TREASURE in the G1, million dollar Whitney Stakes Saturday at Saratoga Race Course. But much to the surprise of Baffert nay-sayers he chose not to condemn the track which was listed as muddy (sealed). NATIONAL TREASURE who had been at the top of a lot of lists … Continue reading Whitney Recap

Who Wins The Whitney ?

The $1 million dollar, Grade 1 Whitney Stakes is Saturday at Saratoga Race Course, it is one of the marquee summertime races in U.S. horse racing. The 1 1/8-mile dirt race is a qualifier in the Win and You’re In  Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, giving the Winner an automatic berth to the $7 million dollar BC Classic on November 2nd at Del Mar. Here is a brief look at the full field … Continue reading Who Wins The Whitney ?

The Whitney

This Saturday Saratoga Race Course will host the 96th running of the Whitney Stakes.  The race is named in honor of the Queen of Saratoga– Marylou Whitney, who passed away July 19th of 2019, at the age of 93. For seven decades, Mrs. Whitney was among the most successful owners in thoroughbred racing. In 1958 she married Cornelius Vanderbilt Sonny Whitney, one of the founders of the National Museum of Racing, as well as Pan American Airlines. … Continue reading The Whitney

A Tasty Jim Dandy

The $500,000, Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday isn’t a Grade 1 but it’s coffee namesake is worthy of a G1 rating. Saratoga Cool Beans Coffee is a neat little website that has a Saratoga, Thoroughbred theme to it and offers some damn fine coffees. They ship anywhere in the continental United States and the order usually arrive in two business … Continue reading A Tasty Jim Dandy

A Jim Dandy Of A Race

Saturday at Saratoga Race Course is the 60th edition of the Grade 2, Jim Dandy Stakes. The race is  for 3-year-olds and up with a purse of $500,000 dollars and is run on the main track at a distance of one & one eighth miles. The race is named in honor of 3- year-old colt JIM DANDY, (pictured) who in the 1930 Travers Stakes beat Triple Crown Winner GALLANT … Continue reading A Jim Dandy Of A Race

Decisions, Decisions

The million dollar, G1 Haskell Stakes is Saturday at Monmouth Park. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher had said that he would enter three of his horses in the mile & 1/8th contest. And today he did just that by submitting FIERCENESS, MINDFRAME and TUSCAN SKY to compete in the signature race at Monmouth. The question is, how many of them actually take the trip … Continue reading Decisions, Decisions

Good Opening Week At The Spa

Opening week at Saratoga Race Course was fraught with exhaustive heat and humidity. But despite that and Thursday’s races being off turf the four day opening week at The Spa was a good one. There was a beefy 18.3% increase in all-sources handle for the first four days of racing at Saratoga. In addition, more total races were run and fewer races taken off the … Continue reading Good Opening Week At The Spa