fbpx

SPORTS / RACING

Gallery: Morning Workouts at Saratoga Race Course, Part 3

Photography by Tom Killips

20 Years Later, Birdstone’s Travers Still Resonates 

I’ve been fortunate to have been at Saratoga Race Course for several extraordinary editionsof the Travers Stakes. Holy Bull’s gutsy victory in 1994…Point Given...

Gallery: Morning Workouts at Saratoga Race Course, Part 2

Photography by Tom Killips

The Saratoga Buglers: Two Is Better Than One

Before the 2022 Saratoga racing meet, NYRA found itself in a bit of a predicament. About a week before opening day, legendary bugler Sam...

Michael Borisenok’s Silky Startup

For most young entrepreneurs, the manufacture of jockey silks—those brightly colored uniforms jockeys wear to indicate which owner they’re riding for in any given...

5 Saratoga Stakes Races (That Aren’t the Travers) to Watch This Summer

The New York Racing Association will play host to a whopping 71 stakes races this summer at Saratoga Race Course with a combined $20.75...

Gallery: Morning Workouts at Saratoga Race Course

Photography by Tom Killips

Harness Driver Brett Beckwith Is on the Cusp of Stardom

Over the last year or so, Caitlin Clark has made women’s basketball front-page news, first as a member of the Iowa Hawkeyes, and now...

Joel Rosario: Making All The Right Moves

Joel Rosario will never forget his first visit to Saratoga Race Course. In August 2010, the young jockey arrived at the Spa to ride...

Seize the Grey’s Splashy Belmont Berth

It was exhilarating watching 17-1 longshot Dornoch win the Belmont Stakes in front of a sold-out crowd of 50,000, but leading up to the...

Five Horses To Watch at Saratoga This Summer

It’s understandable that the 3-year-old male horse division traditionally takes center stage at Saratoga Race Course. Following the Triple Crown series, the focus of...

Jesse Frohman’s ‘Equine Elegance’ Photography Exhibit Coming to The Adelphi Hotel

Experience the breathtaking beauty and spirited essence of horses through the lens of acclaimed photographer Jesse Frohman, whose latest exhibition, entitled "Equine Elegance," will...

Track Stars: James Rowe and James McLaughlin

In the rich history of the Belmont Stakes—the oldest of the American Triple Crown races—nobody has distinguished themselves in the legendary event quite like...

MVP: Lorna Chavez is Enjoying the Ride

If you’ve never had the pleasure of meeting exercise rider Lorna Chavez, chances are you haven’t spent much time on the Saratoga backstretch.  “She knows...

Greg Montgomery’s 2024 Poster-Palooza

Greg Montgomery admits he was in the dark when the whole Belmont-coming-to-Saratoga thing was announced. “Someone said, ‘Aren’t you doing something for the Belmont?’”...

Jena Antonucci: The 2023 Belmont Winner on Breaking Boundaries and All Things Belatoga

Trainer Jena Antonucci knew she had Arcangelo primed for the 155th Belmont Stakes as she watched him stride powerfully into a stalking position behind...

The Belmont Stakes: What a Long, Strange Trip it’s Been

Few Thoroughbred races worldwide can match the stature and historical significance of the Belmont Stakes. While the Kentucky Derby has greater name recognition to...

The Filly That Won the First Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park

Before Belmont Park opened in 1905, the Belmont Stakes had already been contested 38 times at two venues and counted six Hall of Famers...

Breaking Trail: How Saratoga’s Very First Community Forest Came to be

When you walk—or run or snowshoe or mountain bike—through Saratoga County’s new Graphite Range Community Forest, it seems like the trail system has been...

Track Star: Jockey Junior Alvarado

Junior Alvarado took his turn on the big stage in 2023 and thrived in the starring role. As the regular jockey for Horse of...

Track Stars: Trainers Jena Antonucci and Linda Rice

Forecasting which trainers will garner the majority of the headlines at Saratoga Race Course hasn’t been too difficult a task in recent years. The...

Chip, Putt, Eat: The Bunker Eyes Winter Opening in Saratoga

Winter nights out in the Spa City will take on a whole new meaning after The Bunker opens the doors to its new location...

Track Star: Saratoga Race Course Superintendent Anne Clare

From an early age, Anne Clare was used to being the only girl in a man’s world. Born in New York City in 1892,...

#TBT: A Winning Couple

During the sticky summer of 1960, the smell of success must have permeated the air around Cornelius Vanderbilt “Sonny” Whitney, who was in the...

Scenes From Morning Workouts at Saratoga Race Course

Don't want to wake up early enough to see the horses train at the track? Photographer Tom Killips has got you. Check out his...

Howdy, Partner: Racing Syndicates Take Center Stage

These days, the Sport of Kings is no longer limited to royalty. Thanks to the recent rise of partnerships, also known as syndicates, we commoners...

Who Knew Blue Canoe: The Story Behind Saratoga Race Course’s Infield Oddity

It’s the question asked by most Saratoga Race Course first-timers who peer past the horses thundering down the stretch: Why is there a canoe...

Tom Killips: Scenes From Morning Workouts at Saratoga Race Course

While the excitement of a day at the races surely comes in the afternoon hours, some of the most peaceful times to view the...

When Secretariat Lost at Saratoga

This year, the racing world is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s Triple Crown victory. But here in Saratoga, we remember the superstar horse...

‘Saratoga Living’ to Host Racing Season Party With Acacia Clement

Mark your calendars, Saratoga racing fans! Saratoga Living is teaming up with NYRA analyst and Racing for Home founder Acacia Clement—our most recent cover...

Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and the Art of Caring

Photo by Patty Wolfe Meaningful change comes to fruition only after a person chooses to care. For the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF)—the oldest and largest...

The Resurgence of Javier Castellano

Just in case anyone had forgotten, Javier Castellano served some notice this spring that he remains a force to be reckoned with on the...

Acacia Clement: For the Love of Horses

Photography by Dori Fitzpatrick Horses have been a fundamental part of Acacia Clement’s life since before she can remember. But one childhood memory she does...

Saratoga Artist Nick Martinez Unveils 2023 Painting ‘The Wilson Chute’

While it may look like Nick Martinez’s yearly paintings of Saratoga Race Course are “just” a collection of eye-catching scenes from the track, there’s...

Frank Mirahmadi, Saratoga’s New Track Announcer, is Answering the Call

Photography by Scarlett Pinkey Before he was 10, renowned track announcer Frank Mirahmadi was already hooked on the Sport of Kings. “That’s all I wanted...

The Horse, Trainer and Jockey to Watch at Saratoga Race Course This Season

Photo by Alex Zhang Horse To Watch: Cody’s Wish Cody’s Wish is arguably the best racehorse in America right now. A 5-year-old bred and owned by...

Carl Nafzger: From Ring to Race Course

It’s not every day that you see a professional athlete retire from one sport and find success in an entirely different one. But former...

The 25 Greatest Saratoga Racing Moments From The Last 25 Years

1998 Jockey John Velazquez (above) and trainer Todd Pletcher each win their first Saratoga titles with 31 and 20 wins, respectively. 2000 City Zip becomes...

Track Star: James Rowe

When he was a mere lad weighing all of 95 pounds at the tender age of 14, James Rowe was widely considered the premier...

Track Star: Richard T. Wilson, Jr.

In every story—horse racing or otherwise—there’s a hero and there’s a villain. In this story, the hero is Richard T. Wilson, Jr., who led...

The Saratoga Winter Club Is Up To Speed

Maxine Lautenberg spends most of her days around the ice. With slate gray hair and thick-rimmed glasses, she exudes a coolness and poise that...

Saratoga County Skating Rink Roll Call

1. Saratoga Spa State Park The Spa Park rules the winter with two outdoor ice rinks so beloved that as soon as the holidays pass, dozens...

Horse for the Course: Exterminator

From its inaugural running in 1865 through its final edition in 1955, the Saratoga Cup was one of the most prestigious Thoroughbred races in...

Saratoga’s Claim to Buffalo Bills Fame

Almost a century ago, at South Florida’s beautiful Hialeah Park Race Track, a child by the name of Ralph fell in love with the...

Horse for the Course: Los Angeles

There are several iconic sports records that will likely never be broken—or even approached: Baseball legend Cal Ripken’s 2,632 consecutive games played, hockey GOAT...

Gallery: Reliving the 2022 Saratoga Race Course Meet

We tasked two top local photographers with capturing the magic and beauty of the Spa’s 2022 meet. From the dirt and sweat to the...

Carson Kressley, Saratoga Superfan

For the track fashion set, it was the event of the season. Both the well-heeled locals and the A-list out-of-towner racing world crowd filled...

Gallery: Morning Workouts at Saratoga Race Course

While the excitement of a day at the races can't be beat, there's just something magical about being at the track before the first call to...

Before He Wore the Crown: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Secretariat’s 2-year-old Season at Saratoga

Before he achieved immortal status in 1973 by winning the first Triple Crown in 25 years—setting records that still stand in the Kentucky Derby,...

Horse for the Course: Warrior Mentality 

Jackie’s Warrior authoritatively announced to the racing world that he was a force to be reckoned with via a pair of spellbinding victories early...

The Saratoga Farm That’s Helping Both Horses and Humans

The 27 acres of farmland owned by Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga (THS) are alive with memories from four years’ worth of heart-lifting work involving...

Power Player: Saratoga Trunk Owner Natalie Sillery

When it comes to putting on a fashion show, no one in Saratoga does it better than Natalie Sillery, a Rensselaer native who spent...

Three Saratoga Icons Who Deserve Their Own Stakes Race

Abraham Lincoln occupied the White House when Saratoga Race Course first opened in 1864. With a history like that, dating back to the days...

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy’s New HQ

Since 1986, the New York Race Track Chaplaincy of America (NYRTCA) has prided itself on ministering to the heart and soul of NYRA’s backstretch...

The Stars Coming to Saratoga This Summer

Several hundred fans are getting to meet their favorite athlete or TV celeb this summer at Saratoga Race Course as part of NYRA’s new...

5 Questions for Kiaran McLaughlin

Lexington native Kiaran McLauglin fell in love with horse racing as a 12-year-old, and hasn’t looked back since. After getting his start in the...

Five 3-year-olds to Watch This Saratoga Season

1. Early Voting A Kentucky-bred son of hot sire Gun Runner, this Klaravich Stables–owned colt has won three of his four starts for Brown. After...

Ready for Battle: Saratoga’s Bartenders Gear up for Track Season

When a certain meme starts making the rounds of Saratoga’s hospitality workers’ group chats, the nightlife industry knows it’s time to get pumped for...

Johnny V’s Wild Saratoga Ride

John Velazquez warmheartedly remembers his humble beginnings learning to ride horses while growing up in Puerto Rico. He never envisioned those early learn-on-the-fly experiences...

Zed Run Takes Horse Racing Virtual

It’s off to the races, one click at a time. Introducing what could be the perfect opportunity for racetrack-loving Saratogians to get in on...

Who Was the Real Abner Doubleday?

Cooperstown is home to only 1,730 people, but more than 300,000 journey to the tiny Otsego County village’s world-famous cultural attraction each year. In...

Horse for the Course: An Amazing Discovery

The year was 1933, and Discovery—a golden chestnut bred by Walter Salmon, Sr. of Mereworth Farm near Lexington, KY—wasn’t necessarily a horse to write...

Kentucky Derby Contender Mo Donegal’s Saratoga Connections

It's always more fun to watch the Kentucky Derby when you can root for a hometown hero. That was certainly the case when Sackatoga...

Horse for the Course: Black Maria, Winner of the Kentucky Oaks and Whitney Stakes

Black Maria didn’t exactly set the racing world on fire when she made her career debut at Saratoga on August 5, 1925. In a...

Long Live the Leprechaun Pub

There are plenty of opportunities for outdoor winter recreation in Saratoga—ice skating at the Spa State Park, fat-tire mountain biking at Daniels Road State...

Horse for the Course: Ruthless, Winner of the 1867 Belmont and Travers Stakes

In every issue of 2022, we’ll be featuring a different “horse for the course,” a Thoroughbred from the annals of Saratoga racing that found...

When Heavyweight Champion Jack Dempsey Brought Boxing to Saratoga 

One hundred years ago, America’s sports scene was going through something of a golden era. “Roaring” in more ways than one, the ’20s began...

Remembering Alpine Meadows, Saratoga’s Long Lost Ski ‘Resort’

Saratoga’s a great place to live if you’re a skier. You can get to Gore Mountain in an hour and most mountains in the...

The Holiday Gift Guide: 3 Gifts for the Track Star

These gifts are part of Saratoga Living‘s Holiday Gift Guide You Didn’t Know You Needed. Check saratogaliving.com every day until Black Friday for more gifts...

Trainer Brad Cox Is Giving the Hall of Famers a Run for Their Money

Brad Cox, the reigning Eclipse Award winner for Outstanding Trainer, put on quite a show for Saratoga’s racing faithful this past summer. And boy...

LPGA Star Dottie Pepper Discusses Her New Book Ahead of Local Appearance

When championship golfer Dottie Pepper’s book Letters to a Future Champion: My Time With Mr. Pulver was published early this year, COVID still very...

Rexford Native Ian Anderson Pitches the Atlanta Braves Into the World Series

For many Capital Region baseball fans, the season has been long over, with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox now eliminated from...

NYRA Announces Key Dates for 2022 Saratoga Race Course Season

It's only been a hop, skip and jump since the spectator-full 2021 Saratoga Race Course season came to a satisfying end. But that doesn't...

30 NHL Hockey Stars With Ties to Saratoga and the Capital Region

Now that you're familiar with the bushels of professional athletes who were either born in Saratoga Springs or the Capital Region (or have close...

28 NBA Basketball Stars With Ties to the Capital Region

As you've learned in our baseball and football lists, there are a ton of highly competitive athletes from Saratoga Springs and the greater Capital...

2021 Saratoga Motorcar Auction Taking Place This Weekend in SPAC’s West Lot

After a successful but socially distanced 2020 Saratoga Motorcar Auction, the Saratoga Automobile Museum (SAM) will be returning with the fifth installment of its...

Oklahoma’s Whitney Viewing Stand to Remain Open Into November

First, the 1863 Club, now the Whitney Viewing Stand. After it was announced last week that the 1863 Club would remain open during the...

Saratoga Race Course’s 1863 Club to Be Open for Events During Track Offseason

Ever dream of having a party overlooking a snow-blanketed Saratoga Race Course? That's soon to be a reality. As the New York Racing Association...

100 Words About the 100th Anniversary of McGregor Links

A century ago, Senator Edgar T. Brackett, founder of the Adirondack Trust Company, was approached about building a golf course to accommodate the tourists that...

The Great Before: Saratoga’s Horse Racing Roots Actually Go Back a Lot Further Than 1863

By now, most Saratogians know the story well: In the summer of 1863, a bare-knuckle boxing champion named John Morrissey put into motion the...

Gridiron Godfathers: 28 NFL Players With Saratoga and Capital Region Ties

A few weeks before the first pitch of the 2021 Major League Baseball season, Saratoga Living published an exhaustive list of the 100-plus baseball...

2021 Saratoga Race Course: Favorite Essential Quality Wins the Travers Stakes

With a paid crowd of 44,507 in attendance—including New York Governor Kathy Hochul—favorite Essential Quality bested Midnight Bourbon by a neck in Saturday’s Grade...

NYRA Hosting Vintage Saratoga Race Course Giveaway Item Sale

Twenty-one years ago, my buddy John and I hatched the plan of the century. As any self-respecting, part-time track-goers know, save for Whitney or...

Travers Stakes 2021: Essential Quality Is Midsummer Derby’s Morning-Line Favorite

You've already caught an early glimpse of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes favorite Essential Quality putting in work at Saratoga Race Course....

Saratoga Race Course 2021: The Final Turn, or an Early Travers Preview

If you've been following Saratoga Living track photographer Tom Killips' progress this summer at Saratoga Race Course, you'll know that no two photos he's...

8 Winning Ways to Enjoy Travers Week 2021

Naturally, any numbered list that has anything to do with the Saratoga Race Course this year should (and will) be topped by the fact...

Female Jockey Ferrin Peterson Makes Saratoga Debut, Lands a Second-Place Finish

Ferrin Peterson has a much different story than most jockeys. Instead of riding in races at a young age, the California native decided to...

NYRA: All Employees, Vendors Must Now Wear Masks on Track Grounds

With Saratoga Race Course's capacity still at 100 percent, with no enforced masking or proof-of-vaccination policy in place for fans coming into Travers week—historically,...

Saratoga Race Course 2021: Morning of the Fourstardave Handicap

If you've been following the work of Saratoga Living track photographer Tom Killips over these past several weeks, you'll know that it's all been...

Saratoga Race Course 2021: Whitney Weekend Magic

Long before any fan gets to Saratoga Race Course, the backstretch comes alive with activity. Horsemen, hot walkers, grooms and other backstretch workers are...

Saratoga Automobile Museum to Host New Summer Auto Show

With a high of 85 and lots of sunshine, this weekend will be perfect for doing something outdoors. One idea? The Saratoga Automobile Museum...

Saratoga Race Course 2021: Grade 1, $1 Million Whitney Handicap Set for This Saturday

If you picked up a copy of our latest issue, you'll have already learned that the Whitney Handicap was named not for the "Queen...

Saratoga Race Course 2021: Early Morning at the Oklahoma

If you had the pleasure of swiping through photographer Tom Killips' first gallery of horse photographs for Saratoga Living, you'll know that he has...

Scenes From Early Morning Workouts at Saratoga Race Course

How good does it feel to be back at Saratoga Race Course? This first summer back in a year has been nothing short of...

Let’s Hear It for the Fans! ‘Saratoga Living’ Readers’ Track Pics

In the cover story of Saratoga Living's "The Races!" issue, we featured 10 Saratoga Race Course fans who can't wait to get back to...

Alex Zhang Captures Stunning Photos of Horses—and the People Who Love Them

Last summer’s Saratoga Race Course season was a bummer for all manner of racing fans. Not only were spectators not allowed on the track grounds,...

Happy Returns: Saratoga Race Course Is Ready for Its Big FOMO-Packed Comeback

Spending a summer day at Saratoga Race Course is an experience many, myself included, believe is sheer magic—and one that is to be repeated...

Groundbreaking Jockey Kendrick Carmouche Has His Eye on a Stellar Saratoga Season

Unlike most of his peers, a teenaged Kendrick Carmouche already knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life. While other guys his age...

How Saratoga Race Course’s Top Stakes Races Got Their Names

It’s Opening Day at Saratoga Race Course, and you’re handicapping the afternoon’s pair of featured races, the first two of the 76 stakes that...

Power Player: Belmont Child Care Association Board Chairman Michael Dubb

If you see Michael Dubb this summer, Saratoga, pat him on the back. The homebuilding mogul and winner of seven year-end NYRA owner titles...

Fasig-Tipton’s Saratoga Sale to Celebrate 100 Years

In 1917, Fasig-Tipton, North America’s oldest Thoroughbred auction house, formed an alliance with Kentucky breeders to sell their yearlings during the Saratoga meet. The...

10 Saratoga Fanatics Who Prove That This Racing Season Is the Year of the Fan

What happens when you take thousands of horse racing fanatics, born and raised on the glory of Saratoga Race Course, deprive them of an...

Panel: Get Me Back to the Track!

For our latest panel, we asked three locals the same three questions about their favorite part of returning to Saratoga Race Course this summer....

Long Live the ‘Queen of Saratoga,’ Marylou Whitney

And just when you thought the Saratoga racing season would kick off with little to no mention of the late great, Marylou Whitney, you...

Here Are Saratoga Race Course’s Annual Free Ticket, Giveaway Days

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Yes, Saratoga Race Course fans, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) has announced its annual track...

Breakfast at the Track Returning to Saratoga Race Course

Early risers have one more reason to rejoice this summer at Saratoga: The track's popular Breakfast at Saratoga will be returning this season. Breakfast at...

National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Will Be Open to the Public

Racing fans will be able to pay tribute to their heroes on both sides of Union Avenue this summer. For the first time since...

Siro’s Reopening for 2021 Saratoga Race Course Season

Now it's a real Saratoga racing season. According to the Saratoga Report, legendary Lincoln Avenue after-the-races spot Siro's, where all the high rollers go...

Take Part in a Worldwide Scavenger Hunt That Includes Treasure Hidden All Over Saratoga

Now that we can all roam freely, maskless and socially close once again, why not take part in a worldwide scavenger hunt that features...

Saratoga’s ‘Firecracker 4’ Road Race Returns on July 4

How about getting in a four-miler before that burger-hot-dog-Bud-Light combo? After being canceled last year due to the pandemic, the Firecracker 4 Road Race...

Saratoga Race Course to Reopen at 100 Percent Capacity (Updated)

Make that full capacity, sans COVID protocols. With 70 percent of New Yorkers now vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo...

Greg Montgomery Unveils 2021 Travers Poster Featuring Tiz the Law (Exclusive)

The start of spring training may be the unofficial start to racing season, but let's be honest—the excitement for the opening of Saratoga Race...

Saratoga’s One With Life Launches New Reposado Tequila Brand

Saratoga Springs' own One With Life Tequila has packed quite the punch over the last few months. As you might remember, longtime founder Lisa...

The Capital Region’s Ultimate Golf Guide

There's no question about it: Golf is super-hot right now. The sport owes its new life—believe it or not—to the pandemic. Last summer, while...

Photographer Samantha Decker Captures the Essence of the Saratoga Summer

There’s something special—some would say magical—about summer in Saratoga. The Congress Park ducks carelessly stopping traffic on Broadway, the possibility of winning big on...

‘Sunny Jim’ Fitzsimmons Racing Honors the Legacy of a Hall of Fame Trainer

Jack Fitzsimmons wanted to find a way to both honor his famous grandfather and have a little fun in the Thoroughbred racing game, and...

Saratoga Race Course to Open at Near Full Capacity, Tickets Available on June 9

The wait is over, Saratoga. The New York Racing Association (NYRA), in conjunction with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, today announced that Saratoga Race...

NYRA Temporarily Suspends Hall of Fame Trainer Bob Baffert

It appears that New York Racing Association (NYRA) has taken a zero tolerance stance when it comes to trainers, racehorses and doping. Today, NYRA...

Oklahoma Training Track Reopens Following Major Renovation

Spring training at Saratoga Race Course is returning to its rightful home across Union Avenue. The New York Racing Association (NYRA) today announced the...

Todd Pletcher, American Pharoah Among Horse Racing’s 2021 Hall of Fame Class

Talk about a Hall of Fame trifecta. Triple Crown–winning racehorse American Pharoah, seven-time Eclipse Award–winning trainer Todd Pletcher and 13-time champion steeplechase trainer Jack...
spot_img