“From New York City you drive north for about 175 miles, turn left on Union Avenue and go back 100 years.” That quote is attributed to legendary NYC sports scribe Red Smith when he was once asked how to get to Saratoga Race Course. The town of Saratoga Springs resides in a vacuum as it relates to horse racing. Some might consider a lack of change to be a negative, but … Continue reading The Allure Of Saratoga
The Saratoga Race Course summer meet kicks-off on Friday, July 3rd, 2026, and runs through Labor Day. The season kicks off with the July 4th Racing Festival, which serves as Opening Weekend, part of a 46-day meet spanning 10 weeks. Racing takes place on a mix of four- and five-day weeks throughout the summer. While Mondays and Tuesdays are the primary Dark Days, the schedule … Continue reading The Summer Place To Be
Nestled in the heart of Saratoga Springs, Saratoga Race Course is one of the most beautiful and cherished horse racing venues in America. Established in 1863, it combines rich history, natural charm, and world-class racing which creates an unforgettable experience for visitors. Towering trees provide shade across the grounds, while the historic grandstand reflects the elegance of a bygone era. The vibrant gardens, manicured lawns, … Continue reading Saratoga Grandeur
Saratoga Race Course opened on August 3rd, 1863. It stands as one of America’s oldest and most prestigious sporting venues and remains the oldest major thoroughbred track still in continuous operation. The track was born from the vision of John Morrissey, a former bare-knuckle boxing champion who organized the first thoroughbred races during the Civil War. Today, the track encompasses over 350 acres and remains … Continue reading Historic Saratoga Race Course
The 2026 Belmont Stakes is Saturday, June 6th. As a matter of course the race is usually the final leg of racing’s Triple Crown, usually that is, unless a global pandemic upsets the order of things. The race typically is held at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY but that location is still undergoing a major renovation. The past three years this construction at Belmont necessitated the shifting of its signature … Continue reading Belmont Stakes Basics
This is the time on the calendar when Derby hopefuls should be concentrating on two-turn preps and qualifying points. The Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct Park on Saturday is a bit counter intuitive to this thinking. The Gotham is contested as a one-turn mile; however, the winner does receive 50 Derby qualifying points, a total that should be good enough for a spot in The Run for … Continue reading Who Wins The Gotham Stakes?
SANTA CLAUS (foaled in 1961) was a British-bred Irish trained racehorse and sire. As a three-year-old in 1964 the dark-coated bay stallion had his best year on the turf. There is no doubt that, back in the day, SANTA CLAUS brought a lot of joy (and cash) to the older boys and girls that believed in him. His most notable achievements were Winning the Irish 200 Guineas Stakes, as well … Continue reading Santa Hoofs
It appears the New York jockey colony and NYRA have, at least for the moment, reached an accord as racing resumed at Aqueduct Park on Thursday. Saturday at Aqueduct brings us the 2025 edition of the $500,000, Grade 2 Cigar Mile Handicap. Held around one turn, the Cigar Mile has long been an important race in the dirt mile division since its inaugural running in 1988 … Continue reading Who Wins The Cigar Mile?
If NYRA and the New York jockey colony can reach some form of an accord on Thursday, Aqueduct Park has a good card come Saturday. One of the feature races is the Grade 2, $250,000 dollar Remsen Stakes. 2-year-olds will be tested around two turns at a 1 1/8-mile distance with the top five finishers being awarded Kentucky Derby qualifying points. Here is a brief … Continue reading Who Wins The Remsen Stakes?
It was a short card at Aqueduct on Sunday. The New York jockey colony refused to ride after the first race because of a number of recent problems they have said they were having with NYRA management. The latest episode occurred around the time of the first race when the jockeys learned that NYRA Assistant Clerk of Scales Brian Pochman was told to leave work … Continue reading Another Blackeye For NYRA
