SARATOGA LIVINGThe City. The Culture. The Life.

I’ve been going to the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course since I was a kid, but only a few years ago did I start thinking about it in a historical context. The centuries-old Saratoga fixture, first contested in 1864 during the Civil War and the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, is the oldest major Thoroughbred race in America, predating even the big three: The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness Stakes and The Belmont Stakes. Let me put that into perspective for a second: The Travers is 11 years older than the Derby, 9 years older than the Preakness and 3 years older than the Belmont. Numerous immortals of the sport—23 Hall of Famers, including Man o’ War, Whirlaway, Native Dancer and Damascus, among others—have enhanced their legacies by winning the race long known as the “Midsummer Derby.”

As the Travers crept closer to its milestone 150th running this year, I began to dig into its one-of-a-kind history. I quickly realized it wasn’t going to be feasible to chronicle something this vast as a solo endeavor, so I pitched the idea of a Travers anniversary book to my friend Michael Veitch, one of the most well-respected racing writers and historians in the country. Michael was enthusiastic about the project, and soon, we were off to the races. In the end, the research was fun, the writing was a challenge and our trip down Travers memory lane was a rewarding experience.

Michael and I were fortunate to have the assistance of renowned Travers poster artist Greg Montgomery for our little history project. Greg has been documenting the Travers and the beauty of Saratoga since 1986 and has illustrated many of the race’s iconic moments. Some of the greatest editions of the Travers—and not coincidentally some of our favorites—have been brought to life through Greg’s artwork.

As we look forward to the 150th running of the Travers on August 24, here are some excerpts from our book, The Travers: 150 Years Of Saratoga’s Greatest Race. Most racing historians consider the 1962 Travers showdown between Jaipur and Ridan to be the event’s signature renewal. (Michael and I both agree.) Let’s take a look back at the landmark Midsummer Derby and some outstanding recent runnings of the mighty Travers.

And, of course, happy 150th Travers, Saratoga.

—Brien Bouyea

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The Travers: 150 Years of Saratoga’s Greatest Race

Excerpts from the new book by Brien Bouyea and Michael Veitch

August 18, 1962 – Jaipur

The 1962 Travers Stakes is deservedly held in high esteem among the greatest thoroughbred races contested during the 20th century. Jaipur and Ridan furiously bounded out of the gate in near rhythmic lockstep, immediately engaging each other in a thrilling confrontation that tested the talent and heart of the two fierce competitors. Neither standout colt was willing to relent even the slightest advantage to the other throughout a mesmerizing journey of a mile and a quarter around the historic Saratoga oval. At the conclusion of the grueling and exhilarating race, Jaipur had won by a nose in 2:013⁄5, eclipsing the stakes record that dated back to 1920, when Man o’ War won the Midsummer Derby in 2:01 4⁄5. 

In the Travers, Ridan broke from the inside, with Jaipur right alongside in post position two as the 3-5 favorite. Ridan was the 5-2 second choice. “With Willie Shoemaker riding Jaipur and Manuel Ycaza piloting Ridan, the crowd of 26,183 fans had the privilege of witnessing one of the most exciting races imaginable,” commented the New York Times. “When they turned into the stretch, Jaipur gradually moved into the lead, and, according to all pre-race calculations, it appeared that he was home free. The general belief had it that Ridan could not go the distance. He confounded the figures, though, by showing a most courageous rally approaching the wire. For an instant he seemed to head Jaipur, and there were many who insisted that he won. It took a sharp examination of the photo to authenticate Jaipur’s triumph.”

Jaipur provided the fourth victory in the Travers for both owner George Widener and his 78-year-old trainer, Bert Mulholland. Shoemaker, who earned his second Travers win, said: “I felt I had him right on the wire, but it sure was close.” Jaipur never won another race after the Travers. The following year, he finished second in the Palm Beach Handicap. The horse four lengths in front of Jaipur at the wire was none other than Ridan.

August 20, 1994 – Holy Bull

Holy Bull hadn’t convinced everyone he was a great racehorse by the time he arrived at Saratoga for the 1994 Travers Stakes. One of his naysayers was a notable figure, D. Wayne Lukas, trainer of rival Tabasco Cat. Holy Bull was coming into the Travers riding a three-race win streak — comprised of the Metropolitan Handicap, Dwyer Stakes, and Haskell Invitational — by a combined 14 lengths. Lukas, however, was skeptical of the big gray colt who was owned and trained by Jimmy Croll, saying: “Look at Holy Bull’s record under a microscope. Who was second when he won the Dwyer? Nobody can tell you.”

Lukas entered Commanche Trail in the Travers as a rabbit in hopes he would hook Holy Bull into a speed duel to the benefit of his late-running Tabasco Cat, winner of the Preakness and Belmont. Commanche Trail did what was expected by delivering sizzling early fractions. Holy Bull stayed close to the pacesetter under Mike Smith and had a daunting task on his plate when he took the lead with a half-mile to go. At this point, the rabbit was cooked, and the Midsummer Derby was a two-horse race between Holy Bull and a determined fighter named Concern.

Withstanding a furious stretch run from Concern, Holy Bull showed he had the heart to match his talent. Refusing to let his opponent by, Holy Bull hit the wire a neck in front to win this contentious Travers before an electric Spa crowd of 46,395. “He did it the hard way. It showed he’s all heart,” said Croll, who then took aim at Holy Bull’s skeptics, including Lukas. “They thought he didn’t have the breeding to go a mile and a quarter. They said he couldn’t go around two turns. They thought he could win only on the lead. They had a rabbit up front and a closing horse chasing him at the end of a mile and a quarter. Well, he did what he had to do. He answered all the questions. … Wayne better get a new microscope.”

August 28, 2004 – Birdstone

Birdstone’s Midsummer Derby dash through the darkness was a scene unlike any other in the celebrated history of Saratoga Race Course. The 2004 Travers Stakes proved to be one of the storied race’s most memorable editions thanks to a determined little colt and the wrath of a mighty thunderstorm that turned a tranquil summer afternoon pitch black in a matter of moments. The torrential rain and lightning, however, held off just long enough for Birdstone to successfully navigate his way around the Spa oval for a 2½-length victory before a crowd of 48,894.

As Birdstone hit the wire, the storm hit the track. But for winning owner Marylou Whitney, the wild weather did nothing to diminish her joy. “This is a dream come true,” Whitney said. “I think the gods came out and did this to sort of congratulate him.”

Birdstone’s trainer, Nick Zito, said the timing of the storm was fortunate. “God did me a favor again today, as usual,” Zito said. “It didn’t really rain until the race was run. If it had come earlier and they would have sealed the track, we would have scratched.”

Lion Heart, the race’s 5-2 favorite, set a relatively slow pace of :24 2⁄5 seconds for the quarter-mile and :49 flat for the half-mile. Once he hit the top of the stretch, however, Lion Heart was spent and Birdstone drove to the front. Ridden by Edgar Prado, the son of Grindstone flashed past stablemate The Cliff’s Edge to come home in 2:02.45. “I was hoping the lights at the wire wouldn’t spook him,” said Prado, who won five races on the card. “That was the only thing I was thinking in the back of my head. My horse just kept going. I’m very happy for Nick. There was thunder in the sky and thunder in my horse.”

The Travers was Birdstone’s first start since he shocked the racing world by depriving Smarty Jones of the Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes at odds of 36-1. After the Belmont, Zito, Prado, and Whitney all expressed a degree of sorrow that Smarty Jones and his legion of fans had been denied the Triple Crown, but the Travers celebration was nothing but blissful for Birdstone’s connections. “I got soaking wet,” Zito said. “I told everyone I felt like Gene Kelly. I was singing in the rain. We were all singing in the rain. We were ecstatic. I can’t describe how I feel.” 

Birdstone raced once more after the Travers, finishing seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Lone Star Park in Texas. He suffered a bone chip during the race and was retired with five wins from nine starts. Sent to Gainesway Farm in Kentucky, Birdstone got off to a remarkable start at stud, siring Kentucky Derby Mine That Bird and Belmont Stakes winner Summer Bird, who also went on to add a victory in the Travers en route to an Eclipse Award.

August 25, 2007 – Street Sense

Street Sense proved he was game for a street fight in the 2007 Travers Stakes. A champion juvenile who was the first Kentucky Derby winner to contest the Travers since Thunder Gulch in 1995, Street Sense was an overwhelming favorite to win the 138th running of the Midsummer Derby.

Entering the Travers after a workmanlike prep victory in the Jim Dandy Stakes, Street Sense appeared to be in top form. But the race wasn’t the cakewalk many had predicted. Street Sense’s jockey, future Hall of Famer Calvin Borel, knew his mount would have to be ready with a top effort. On the day he won the Jim Dandy with Street Sense, Borel also won an allowance by six lengths aboard a horse named Grasshopper. The son of Dixie Union made a strong impression on Borel, who said Grasshopper was “the one he was most concerned with” heading into the Travers.

With temperatures in the mid-90s on a steamy day at the Spa, Street Sense sat close to the pace in third early in the Travers as Grasshopper and C P West traveled one-two through early fractions of :23.68 and :48.18. On the backstretch, Grasshopper made the lead under Robby Albarado, clocking three-quarters of a mile in 1:12.43. Borel began to work on Street Sense as they hit the quarter pole. The Derby winner started to roll with a two-wide move and hooked up with Grasshopper for a thrilling stretch drive. Grasshopper grinded along the rail and was not willing to concede anything to the 1-4 favorite. Street Sense, however, responded by displaying the heart and talent that made him a champion. It wasn’t easy, but Street Sense eventually inched his way past Grasshopper. Borel took a little look over his left shoulder and knew he had the race won in the closing strides. Street Sense hit the wire a half-length in front. In giving trainer Carl Nafzger and owner Jim Tafel their second Travers victory, Street Sense covered the distance in in 2:02.69 before a Spa crowd of 38,909. “I had him measured all the way,” Borel said. “He’s got to the point where he does what he has to do, he does what I ask him to do, and as long as he keeps doing that, it’s fine with me.”

August 25, 2012 – Alpha and Golden Ticket

Travers Stakes tradition dictates the colors of the winning owner’s silks be painted on a canoe in the Saratoga infield lake and remain there until the next edition of the Midsummer Derby. After the 2012 Travers, two canoes had to be painted in the respective colors of mighty Godolphin Racing and the upstart Magic City Thoroughbreds. They were placed side by side — just like Alpha and Golden Ticket were at the wire in the 143rd running of the Travers. A late rally by Alpha put him on even terms at the finish with longshot Golden Ticket, delivering the first official dead heat in the history of the Midsummer Derby. In 1874, Attila and Acrobat finished in a tie in the Travers, but they were made to race again to decide the matter, with Attila the victor.

Alpha was the second son of 2006 Travers winner Bernardini to earn a victory in the Midsummer Derby, following 2011 winner Stay Thirsty. Alpha broke his maiden in his career debut in 2011 at Saratoga and had victories in the Count Fleet Stakes, Withers, and Jim Dandy to his credit when he was entered in the Travers. Golden Ticket, meanwhile, arrived at Saratoga with only one win in nine starts. Little was thought of the dark bay son of Speightstown leading up to the Travers, which he entered following a layoff of 112 days.

Both Alpha and Golden Ticket had good starts in the Midsummer Derby racing near the pace before Golden Ticket opened a one-length lead with a furlong remaining. Alpha used a furious closing kick to hit the wire in tandem with Golden Ticket. Several minutes passed before the subdued crowd of 46,528 saw the tote board change from “photo” to “dead heat.”

“I’ll take a dead heat,” said Kiaran McLaughlin, trainer of Alpha. “At the sixteenth pole, I thought we were second best. I didn’t think we were going to get there.” There were winner’s circle presentations for each set of connections, as well as a joint gathering to celebrate the historical result. “It couldn’t work out better,” said Ken McPeek, Golden Ticket’s trainer. “It would have been a heartbreaker for either one of us to lose.”

August 27, 2016 – Arrogate

A devastating gray storm by the name of Arrogate came seemingly out of nowhere on a sun-splashed Saratoga afternoon during the 2016 Travers Stakes. The 48,630 in attendance for the 147th running of the Midsummer Derby will never forget the one-of-a-kind display of brilliance they witnessed. In less than two minutes, Arrogate went from unknown commodity to Spa legend with a performance for the ages. Unproven and overlooked, the big son of Unbridled’s Song turned the Travers into a mesmerizing spectacle of freakish talent. Unleashed in the stretch by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, Arrogate uncoiled his long legs and decimated an overmatched field en route to a 13½-length victory in track-record time of 1:59.36. In winning at odds of 11-1, Arrogate smashed General Assembly’s previous stakes and track mark for 1¼ miles that had stood since 1979. The performance was as dominant as any in the rich history of Saratoga racing. “I was amazed how he lengthened his stride and opened up,” Smith said.

The result provided a degree of redemption for Arrogate’s Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who was disheartened at Saratoga a year earlier when Triple Crown winner American Pharoah was shockingly defeated in the Travers. “Last year you probably could have poured me out of a shot glass,” Baffert said. “We were pretty dejected. I felt bad for the horse. The horse got beat. He ran hard. … He ran his heart out. So we were sitting here and it was just emotional. The whole town came out to see him do something like Arrogate did today. … I’m just glad to be back here with another chance at it. And my horse … what he did today is pretty incredible. He looks like a superstar in the making. I think the fans will remember watching a horse like this, because I know, when I see performances like this, they’re very rare.”

Brien Bouyea and Michael Veitch are the authors of The Travers: 150 Years of Saratoga’s Greatest Race. The book is now available at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, various bookstores throughout the region and at traversbook.com.

I wouldn’t consider myself an expert horseplayer by any stretch of the imagination, but I had the bug bad on August 24, 1996, when I hit the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course for a whopping $40 payout. OK, so I chose the horse for its name—Will’s Way—but it won, didn’t it? Years later, shortly after accepting a job at the Daily Racing Form (DRF), I bested that purse with a $300 score in Las Vegas on a series of horse bets at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s Sports Book. My friends were flabbergasted. It must’ve been the job, I remember thinking. My boss said it was beginner’s luck. He was right; I haven’t won a single race since.

But I’d like you to. Because there’s nothing quite like hearing the crowd come to life at Saratoga’s historic racetrack, all that cheering somehow willing one of those horses to cross the finish line first. Below, you’ll find a handy betting key for your next trip to the races.

How To Bet When I was 16 and hit the Travers, my mom or dad had to go up to the teller to place the bet for me (you have to be 18 years or older to bet on horses in New York State). Luckily, technology (and my age!) has advanced quite a bit since the late ’90s. You can now bet using digital self-service terminals or even via smartphone apps at Saratoga Race Course to get the job done. But if you enjoy laying down some crumpled C-notes the old-fashioned way, you’ll want to say your bet to the teller in this exact manner: “In the 4th race, I’d like to wager $4 to win on the No.6 horse.” If you’re making multiple bets at multiple tracks, include the track name before the race number.

Types Of Bets Speaking of that win bet you just placed, here are all the traditional betting types: win (the horse must come in first, of course); place (second) or show (third). You can also bet an exacta (choose the first two horses in order); a quinella (first two horses in any order); trifecta (first three horses in order); or superfecta (first four horses in order). If you wanted to “box” that exacta, trifecta or superfecta, it would be a little bit pricier, but the horses could then come in any order.

Exotic Bets One of my jobs at DRF was to digitize exotic bets for the in-house handicappers. These included Pick 3’s (choose the winners of three consecutive races); Pick 4’s (four consecutive races); Pick 5’s and Pick 6’s (you get the picture). Look, unless you’re James Holzhauer on Jeopardy!, I’d suggest steering clear of these types of bets. But they’re a ton more lucrative and scoring a Pick 6 could potentially put your kid through college. (If you bet too many of them, though, it could also drain his or her college fund.) 

At the end of the day, because you’re engaging in what’s known as pari-mutuel betting at Saratoga, you’re actually betting against everyone who placed the same bet you did in the same race. (That’s what sets it apart from casino gambling, where it’s you against the house.) So if my wife and I were to bet on the same race, and I were to win, I’d actually win. No need to pick that battle.

I did some research and ended up at Woody’s Barbershop on a bitterly cold December morning my first day as a Saratoga Springs resident a year-and-a-half ago. In many ways, that encounter with its proprietor, Joe “Woody” Wood, was as happy a meeting as any I’d had. Woody (as everyone calls him) is a lot. I know that to be true because I’m a lot, too. But, still, we were happily drawn to each other in spite of our many outward contradictions, possessing similar passion and optimism. In short, when Woody and I get together, a good time is had by all.

An Ithaca, NY native, Woody is the youngest of five, who after his parents’ divorce, went to live with his dad and grandfather, which was, apparently, a heck of a time. “We spent our days as a threesome going to sporting events throughout the region and hitting all the horse racetracks throughout the Northeast,” he says. That’s when Woody fell hard for horse racing.

After a decade living in Las Vegas, Woody made his way to Saratoga to care for his ailing father. It was during one of his many trips to Saratoga Race Course where he met and fell in love with Saratoga native and Creative Image Hair Salon Co-owner, Linda Duerr. Now, nearly ten years later, Woody is nothing short of a Saratoga institution, for barbering and his uncanny handicapping abilities.

Sure, Woody’s fun and all, but when he’s talking horse racing, he’s as serious as a priest on Sunday. To Woody, the ponies are religion. And for many, a weekly trip to Woody’s Barbershop, is all the gospel we need.

What is it about horse racing that makes you such a passionate fan?
I get the chance to be around the horses and see the real greatness of the horse racing world! I’m extremely fortunate I get to see what most fans don’t: that the horses’ ability to race is merely a fraction of the great things they can do. They’re truly magnificent animals—it’s a shame most people never get to see that.

Is there any relationship between good barbering and good handicapping?
Good barbering and good handicapping have lots of commonalities, none being more important that taking the time to do it right, and paying attention to every single little detail.

Saratoga Springs truly is special because…
Saratoga always felt like home when I used to visit here and felt even more so when I moved here. Saratoga is really a small town with a big city attitude. Saratoga is unquestionably one of the top places to live in the US. Simply put, you just can’t beat the quality of life in this beautiful city.

Deciding what to wear to work is the worst part of my morning (well, after actually getting out of bed, of course). Do these shoes work with those pants? Are pencil skirts even in anymore? Will I be too cold in the office? Will I be too hot on the walk there? How do I have so many clothes and nothing to wear? You get the point. If I were a jockey, though, I wouldn’t have to worry about accidentally wearing the same shirt twice in one week: My wardrobe would be set days or even weeks in advance.

Jockey silks, the colorful lightweight “jackets” and matching helmet covers riders wear, are similar to Major League Baseball (MLB) jerseys and batting helmets; they distinguish what team, or in this case, horse owner, the jockey rides for. (So if José Ortiz has a Fortune Farm mount, he knows he’ll be wearing a yellow jacket with a red sash and diamond-printed sleeves.) 

But unlike the MLB, which only has 30 teams, the sport of horse racing has thousands of owners and ownership groups, whose jockeys need to be distinguishable from the rest of the pack, making the process of outfitting them a bit more complex. Here are eight things you might not have known about jockey silks.

1. Silks generally aren’t regulated around the country The Jockey Club strictly regulates silks at New York Racing Association (NYRA) tracks, but there isn’t a single, nationwide governing body doing the same for all the other tracks in the US. Before owners can race a horse in New York, they must first register their silks with The Jockey Club.

2. Each New York track has “house silks” If owners don’t have their own silks or an owner’s silk design gets rejected by The Jockey Club, New York tracks will provide the riders with generic Belmont Park, Aqueduct Racetrack or Saratoga Race Course house silks. 

3. No two silks are alike At least in New York. For more than 125 years, The Jockey Club has overseen the silks registry in the state, which includes more than 25,000 unique designs on registered silks. With 38 patterns available for the jacket’s body, 19 for the sleeves and virtually infinite color and emblem options, jockey silks could come in just about any design—save for the ones that are already in rotation.

4. There are parameters to what can go on silks No copyrighted logos or vulgarities can go on jockey silks, and it’s up to The Jockey Club to determine what constitutes an improper design. One time, an owner wanted to put the silhouette of a naked woman on his silks but was denied. Navy blue is also not a permissible color.

5. Jockey silks aren’t actually made of silk Though jockey silks used to be made of silk, now, most are made of nylon, with more and more being sewn using Lycra and other tight-fitting materials.

6. There’s a “Colors Man” at all NYRA tracks Walter Arce is in charge of the silks room at Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct, and has been since Louis Olah, the former NYRA silks man, who was at the job for more than 40 years, passed away in 2008. Arce’s task is to get the right silk to the right jockey at the right time, and he keeps the silks room organized by color. Some trainers who race a lot of horses at a specific track, such as Todd Pletcher at Saratoga, get a special section for their jockeys’ silks in the front of the silks room.

7. Silks cost hundreds of dollars Most jockey silks cost between $150-$300, with more complicated designs commanding an even higher price.

8. You must renew your jockey silks every year Silks are renewable on December 31 of the year they’re registered. It costs owners $100 per year to register their silks with The Jockey Club.

If Candyman could talk, his story would make you cry. I got all teary-eyed when Jennifer Stevens, national director of development and communications at the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF), told me what happened to him. The 12-year-old gelding and one-time racehorse known as Candyman E, who competed at Saratoga Race Course, along with three other retired Thoroughbreds, had been rescued from neglect on a Hudson Valley farm in March. “They were starved,” says Stevens. “You could feel their ribs. And they were afraid. You could see it in their eyes.” The quartet of horses, which also included 8-year-old bay gelding Call the Iceman (now Icey), 13-year-old bay mare Supurb Suprize (now Emma) and 8-year-old dark bay Uptown Joe (now Joey)—once dubbed “The Forgotten Four”—have now been welcomed as special guests to Saratoga Springs’ Bloomfield Farm this summer.

This past May, when I first met the foursome, they were still pretty skinny, but they’re on the mend and should be back in the 75- to 100-pound range and muscle-pumped soon enough (likely by the time you read this story). The Found Four, as they should now be known, are eagerly awaiting visitors to pet them and feed them treats. Their gracious hosts are locally renowned polo aficionados and Bloomfield Farm’s owners, Will and Tabitha Orthwein (Will’s the head coach of Skidmore’s polo club). “We wanted to support a program that gives horses second or third chances,” says Tabitha. That program, in part, turns Bloomfield into TRF’s Saratoga Summer Farm, a place where interested parties can visit a crop of the nonprofit’s rescues and learn some valuable lessons about what the organization does. The pair will also be hosting a string of four Open Barn events, July 22-August 26—as well as fundraisers at the Saratoga Winery (August 20) and the Saratoga Spa State Park (August 31).

Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Saratoga, TRF is a national nonprofit, whose primary mission is to save lower-level racehorses from neglect, abuse and slaughter after their racing careers are over. The oldest and largest such organization in the country, it cares for 650 horses at 18 facilities. Thoroughbreds generally race for 5 or 6 years before retirement—but surprisingly, can live to the age of 35. “We keep a horse for life,” says Stevens.

The Found Four might be the new kids on the block, but Quick Call, who won nine races at Saratoga Race Course and has a Saratoga stakes race named after him, is the foundation’s star boarder. The 35-year-old lives at Wallkill Correctional Facility in Ulster County, one of TRF’s seven Second Chance Farms, where prison inmates have the opportunity to take part in equine care and stable management programs.

Back in Bloomfield’s quiet, green pasture, Stevens has high hopes for the four survivors she’s introduced me to. “We think these horses are all adoptable,” she says. Stevens also predicts that the Saratoga Summer Barn will attract hundreds of visitors this year. “People want to be near the horses,” she says. “They want to touch them. Saratoga is a horse town: the more people can connect with horses, the better.” Agreed. Hey there, Candyman. I haven’t forgotten about you. I’ll see you again this summer—with another carrot in hand.

One summer, my buddy Gabe and I decided that, in order to fuel our growing baseball card pack-ripping habit, we needed to launch a side-hustle. So we filled a cooler full of off-brand, pre-purchased soda and set up shop across the street from Saratoga Race Course on a hot summer afternoon. That day, I’m pretty sure we didn’t break even—and sampled the product more than once. But it taught us both a valuable lesson: trying to make a buck—especially at or near the racetrack—is hard work. You can’t just fake it.

As soon as July hits in Saratoga Springs, a micro-economy erupts out of seeming nowhere, with contract employees and under-the-table workers emerging overnight in and around the track. Here are four people with the most sought-after racetrack jobs.

Sam “The Bugler” Grossman

Bugler, Saratoga Race Course
Don’t call it a comeback! Sam Grossman, who just last year announced that after 25-and-a-half years of blowing the “Call to the Post” at Saratoga Race Course—the little bugle ditty that welcomes the horses onto the track before each race—has come out of retirement. Why the change of heart? After playing this year’s Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, Grossman says he started to “desperately miss Saratoga.” So now he’s back in action. For all you upstart track buglers-in-the-making, Grossman explains, “It’s not rocket science what I do; I entertain the fans and then I go home.” But don’t let his modesty fool you: He’s been a trumpeter for nearly five decades, has a bachelor’s and master’s in music and studied under trumpeters from the New York Philharmonic and The Philadelphia Orchestra. Plus, the hardware doesn’t come cheap: He blows a custom Kanstul herald trumpet, which costs around $3000. The “Call to the Post”—which Grossman literally played me over the phone from his Pembroke Pines, FL, home—has been a racecourse staple since the mid-1800s, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Whomever takes over for Grossman someday will have big toots to fill.

Alphonse “Phonsey” Lambert, Jr.

Bartender, Saratoga Race Course’s Jim Dandy Bar

During the school year, you may know Alphonse “Phonsey” Lambert, Jr. as the athletic director and longtime varsity baseball coach at Saratoga Central Catholic High School. But as soon as track season hits, you can find him mixing drinks at Saratoga Race Course’s Jim Dandy Bar, where he’s worked every year since 1998 (he’s actually been up to something at the track since ’88). Before he became barkeep at the Jim Dandy, his father held the position from 1950-97, so the Lambert men have basically had a monopoly on the place for nearly seven decades! “It’s a long tradition and a great place to work in the summertime,” says Lambert of the bar. Over the years, he’s had the chance to wait on famous faces such as David Cassidy, Rick Pitino and Jimmy Fallon, and while he admits the job can be “backbreaking” at times, the payoff is being able to serve all those return customers. “I enjoy the people,” says Lambert. “That’s the biggest part of it.” We hear the tips ain’t bad, either.

Al Jurczynski

Retired Uber Driver (and former Mayor of Schenectady)

After retiring from politics, Al Jurczynski, who served as the mayor of Schenectady from 1996 to 2003, started driving for Uber in December 2017 and picked me up in Saratoga the following March (I was headed off to get my hair cut at Woody’s Barbershop; read the full story here). While Jurczynski tells me that he’s since retired from driving for the ride-sharing company, he did find himself in the designated ride-sharing queue outside of Saratoga Race Course during track season—but didn’t have all that positive of an experience. “At the end of the last race, when I’d show up at that spot, I had, like, 47 Uber drivers in front of me,” he says. Overall, though, he tells me that he enjoyed driving in Saratoga during the track season—despite it being a haul from his home base in Schenectady—and his customers were nothing but generous. 

Peter Davis

NYRA Music Booker and Multi-instrumentalist, Reggie’s Red Hot Feetwarmers

It’s entirely possible that, on any given day you find yourself at the track, you could be catching a band that features multi-instrumentalist Peter Davis—or has Davis to thank for playing there. That’s because he’s not only the New York Racing Association’s go-to music booker, a job he’s held for some 40 years, but he’s also a member of track favorites such as Annie & The Hedonists and Reggie’s Red Hot Feetwarmers. Speaking of the famed Feetwarmers, Davis is a founding member and has been performing with them at Saratoga Race Course for more than three decades. As always, they’ll be gigging all around its grounds, Thursday through Sunday, all track season long. If you’re the requesting type, the band always obliges, says Davis. (Please don’t be the guy or gal that yells out “Free Bird!”) A racetrack crowd favorite? “Saratoga,” which David wrote with his daughter. Easy enough to remember.