The New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced today, February 7, that the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course would be extended from seven weeks to eight, beginning on Thursday, July 11 (instead of the original start date of July 18) and running through Labor Day Monday (or September 2). The extra week, however, won’t mean an increase in the total number of live racing days at Saratoga Race Course, which has remained at 40 since 2010, but rather a slightly relaxed schedule of five races per week—Wednesday through Sunday—instead of the usual six.
In addition to the adjustment made in Saratoga’s racing schedule, NYRA also announced a shortened 48-day meet for Belmont Park, down from last year’s 54 days, which will begin on Friday, April 26 and run through Sunday, July 7. The reason for the change in the two parks’ spring/summer schedules is to accommodate the possible construction plans of a new arena at Belmont for the National Hockey League’s (NHL) New York Islanders. Based on timelines presented by Empire State Development (ESD) and the New York Arena Partners (NYAP), construction of the proposed NHL arena could begin as soon the second quarter of 2019, potentially disrupting morning training and afternoon racing during the Belmont meet. Ultimately, NYRA decided to cut back on the total number of racing days at Belmont to protect its backstretch community of athletes, trainers and horses from the effects and inconveniences of nearby construction.
“Given the initial and proposed timelines, we believe it is the responsible action to move our racing operations to Saratoga Race Course slightly earlier than usual this summer,” said David O’Rourke, NYRA’s Interim CEO. “We appreciate the patience of our horsemen, fans and the community in awaiting this announcement. We’re working diligently with our stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition to this new calendar.”
The change has so far been met with positive reactions from the Saratoga community. The Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, the Saratoga Race Course Local Advisory Board and the City’s Mayor, Meg Kelly, have all offered their support of the extension of Saratoga Race Course’s summer meet. “We have no doubt that the new calendar has been thoughtfully planned and will be expertly executed,” said Mayor Kelly. “The new schedule will bring both anticipated and unanticipated benefits to our summer racing season, and we’ll use the city’s resources to make it even more successful than ever. I am looking forward to the 2019 meet—it’s going to be another great season.”
According to David Grening of the Daily Racing Form (DRF), most horsemen have also been positive about Saratoga’s meet extension. Trainer Joe Sharp, for instance, who keeps 30 horses stabled in Saratoga, noted that although Saratoga’s an expensive meet, “it’s worth it. It’s the best racing anywhere, wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’m grateful to have the stock to compete up there.”
Tickets for the 2019 Belmont Stakes went on sale back in January, and NYRA plans on issuing the full stakes schedules for both Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course soon.
Most horsemen welcomed the additional week of racing at Saratoga, announced by the New York Racing Association on Thursday, believing the shorter five-day race week trumps the potential added expense associated with a longer meet.
NYRA announced that this summer’s Saratoga meet will consist of 40 days spread out over eight weeks, compared to the same number of days run over seven weeks, as has been the case since 2010.
Saratoga’s meet will begin on Thursday, July 11 and run through Sept. 2. The first week will have four days of racing, the next six weeks will have five days with Mondays and Tuesdays dark, and the final week will be six days, ending with a Labor Day holiday card. Previously, Saratoga raced six days a week, Wednesday-Monday.
“Running six days a week is hell,” said trainer Mark Casse. “They don’t realize it if they’re not behind the scenes, but six days is hell. There’s some negative [to an extra week], but the positive is running five days a week is going to help everybody around the track.”
Saratoga was the last track to conduct racing on a six-day week. The additional week of racing does figure to increase expenses for horsemen who ship in from other jurisdictions or those who don’t own homes in Saratoga.
“It’ll be a factor for a lot of people, but people will just have to deal with it, figure out a way around it,” said Dallas Stewart, another Kentucky-based horseman who typically stables at Saratoga for the summer. “We’ll have to get the owners to help us out a little bit.”
Though Kentucky is expected to have larger purses at both Churchill Downs and Ellis Park this year, most Kentucky horsemen are still expected to maintain a presence at Saratoga.
“I’m still going to be there,” said Dale Romans, who acknowledged that he has cut down on the number of horses he’s brought to Saratoga over the years. “But I will predict there will be a much smaller Kentucky presence this year.”
Joe Sharp, who stables about 30 head in Saratoga, said he’s in favor of the extended meet, even if it means added cost.
“Saratoga is expensive,” Sharp said. “It costs you $40,000 to walk in the door. Renting stalls, renting places for your help – it’s expensive. It’s worth it. It’s the best racing anywhere, wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’m grateful to have the stock to compete up there.”
Linda Rice, who is based in New York, said she welcomes the five-day race week and the elimination of Monday racing at Saratoga.
“My feeling has always been that Mondays at Saratoga have always been kind of unproductive as far as when your clients come into town and run a horse on a Monday,” Rice said. “It wasn’t the excitement of Saratoga that you’d like to show them. For me, I think it’s a welcome change. Selfishly, I think my staff would sure enjoy having two days a week when we’re not racing because they’re very long days.”
Gary Sciacca was the lone trainer Daily Racing Form interviewed Thursday who expressed reservations about the extended Saratoga meet.
“It was a long, drawn-out meet before,” Sciacca said. “Now it’s going to be longer. I hope it works out. I hope they’re not killing the goose that’s laying the golden egg.”
NYRA officials, in a press release, said the impetus for an extended Saratoga meet this year is because of the expected start this spring of construction on a 19,000-seat arena on the Belmont grounds intended for the NHL’s New York Islanders. The arena, which needs to be completed by October 2021, will take up a sizeable portion of the backyard.
However, NYRA officials have long wanted to try a five-day race week at Saratoga, believing it will help the meet.
“Nobody races six-day race weeks in the United States anymore,” said Martin Panza, NYRA’s vice president of racing operations. “When you race nine less races a week, it should allow for larger field size and a little bit more quality racing.”
The extended Saratoga meet means there will be less racing at Belmont Park. NYRA announced Thursday that the Belmont spring-summer meet will have 48 days (April 26 through July 7), six fewer than in 2018. Panza said it was too early to determine whether any dates will be added in the fall.
“We obviously hate to lose dates,” said Joe Appelbaum, president of the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association. “However, we understand there’s going to be a lot of compromises over the next couple of years and we want to work with NYRA, the state and New York Arena Partners to make sure horse racing has a healthy future at our historic Belmont home.”
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Haikal will be given every opportunity to prove to his connections that he’s worthy of being considered for the Kentucky Derby. That process starts Saturday, when Haikal makes his 3-year-old debut in the $150,000 Jimmy Winkfield Stakes at Aqueduct.
Haikal, a son of Daaher and a half-brother to the Grade 1-winning sprinter Takaful, is coming off a neck victory going six furlongs here on Dec. 15. The seven-furlong Winkfield made more sense to trainer Kiaran McLaughlin than running him in the 1 1/8-mile Withers here last week.
“I wish he would have broke his maiden earlier so we could have done other things,” McLaughlin said. “Right now, seven-eighths fits.”
A good performance in the Winkfield could lead to a start in the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham going a mile on March 9 and then the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial on April 6.
“We don’t know how far he’ll go,” McLaughlin said. “He’ll let us know soon enough.”
Haikal actually debuted at seven furlongs, finishing a neck behind Family Biz here on Nov. 10. He broke slowly but made a strong rally and just fell short. In his maiden win, Haikal was again far back early but rallied resolutely along the rail under Rajiv Maragh to nail American Mandate, who came back to win his next start.
Haikal, who will break from post 3 under Maragh, will likely need some pace to be most effective. Tikhvin Flew and Gates of Dawn may supply the speed.
Tikhvin Flew won his Jan. 4 debut by 1 3/4 lengths, pressing the pace in a seven-furlong race. Gates of Dawn showed good speed in winning his maiden at Parx in November going seven-eighths before finishing fourth in the Jerome Stakes at a mile.
Joevia, Jump for Alex, Direct Order, and Family Biz complete the field.
KEY CONTENDERS
Haikal, by Daaher
Beyers: 85-79
◗ Made up 6 1/2 lengths in the final furlong to beat American Mandate, who came back to win his next start with an 85 Beyer Speed Figure.
◗ Spun to Run, third to Haikal, recently won a maiden race at Parx, while Pickle Rick and Loverboy Lou both came out of Haikal’s maiden win to record career-high Beyers in their next out.
Tikhvin Flew, by Street Sense
Beyer: 79
◗ Showed good speed and responded well when challenged at the quarter pole of his solid maiden victory.
◗ Has come back with a solid work tab.
Jump for Alex, by Jump Start
Last 3 Beyers: 77-76-56
◗ Has improved with the addition of blinkers and is coming off a first-level allowance win going 6 1/2 furlongs at Parx.
Joevia, by Shanghai Bobby
Beyer: 62
◗ Won his debut in July at Monmouth in a race that proved to be productive.
◗ Missed the rest of his 2-year-old season due to a hyperextended knee.
◗ Has worked very well lately, including an in-company move Sunday after which he galloped out extremely well.
There’s no better medicine to get over the midwinter blues than some gut-busting laughter. For 30 years now, Skidmore College’s National College Comedy Festival has been one of the biggest comedy events not just on the school’s campus, but also in Saratoga Springs. Founded in 1989 by David Miner (producer of such hit comedy shows as Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock and Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Skidmore’s Comfest (as it’s known on campus) was one of the first festivals of its kind to feature college comedy talent alongside established and up-and-coming professionals. Past festivals have featured performances by actors and comedians such as Rory Scovel (I Feel Pretty), Tig Notaro (One Mississippi) and the Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre (UCB), among others.
This year’s Comfest will feature four performances across two comedy-filled nights on Friday, February 8, and Saturday, February 9. First up, at 7pm each night is the early show, which will showcase selected college improv and sketch comedy groups from some of the top schools across the Northeast including New York University, Loyola University Chicago, Brandeis College and, of course, several groups from Skidmore. For Friday, Comfest’s late show at 10pm (also known as the “professional show”) will feature comedian, writer and podcaster Hari Kondabolu, along with actor and comedian Carmen Lagala. Based in Brooklyn, Kondabolu was named one of Variety‘s Top 10 Comics To Watch, and last year he released his own Netflix stand-up special, Warn Your Relatives. As for Lagala, she made her network TV debut in 2018 on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. For Saturday’s late show, also at 10pm, Comfest will present Paranormal Comedy and Demi Adejuyigbe, a 26-year-old comedy whiz kid, who currently writes for The Late Late Show with James Corden.
All performances will take place at Skidmore’s JKB Theater, and ticket prices range from just $7 for the early show to $10 for the late show and $20 for a weekend pass. Tickets are only available at Skidmore’s Case Center—and you better hurry, because they sell out quickly. And don’t forget to make room in your schedules this weekend for these other fun local events.
Friday, February 8
Saratoga Frozen Springs Classic – Four-on-four hockey games all weekend (February 8-10) at Saratoga Spa State Park. Annual Polar Ice Bar Party -Friday, 6:30-10:30pm, and Saturday, 2-7pm, at Prime at Saratoga National. Pacifica Quartet: Shostakovich Series – 7pm at Skidmore College’s Arthur Zankel Music Center. Mrs. Krishnan’s Party – Enjoy a combination theater show and party celebrating Indian holidays; Thursday, February 7 through Saturday, February 9 at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady. Sharon Wilsie: Horses in Translation – Hear author and professional animal trainer Sharon Wilsie talk about her new book, 6pm at Northshire Bookstore. The Bad Plus – An innovative jazz trio coming to The Egg in Albany at 8pm. The Gibson Brothers – 7:30pm at The Park Theater in Glens Falls.
Saturday, February 9
Wilton Wildlife WinterFest 2019 – 10-3pm at Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park. Repair Café – Repair your old appliances and objects, 12-3pm at the Saratoga Springs Public Library, H. Dutcher Community Room. The Mousetrap – Catch the opening weekend of this great Agatha Christie mystery presented by Home Made Theater (HMT) at the Spa Little Theater: February 9-10, 15-17 and 21-23. Spring 2019 Opening Reception at the Tang – 5pm at Skidmore’s Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery. Romantic Chopin with the Albany Symphony – Saturday (7:30-9:30pm) and Sunday (3-5pm) at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.
Game Winner, the unbeaten winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the current ante-post favorite for the Kentucky Derby, tops a list of 362 3-year-olds who on Wednesday were announced by Churchill Downs as early nominees to this year’s Triple Crown.
The 362 nominees at this stage – which required a $600 fee by Jan. 26 — is a slight increase from last year, when 360 were early nominees. There were 419 nominated at the early stage in 2017, 368 in 2016, and 429 in 2015. The record is 450 in 2007, which followed a foal crop of 37,949 in 2004. The 2016 foal crop is estimated at 22,500.
Horses can still be nominated by April 1, but the cost then is $6,000. There have been no more than 10 made eligible at that stage each of the last five years. There also is a supplemental stage for all three races, but the cost is steep — $200,000 prior to the Derby in order to be eligible for all three races, $150,000 prior to the Preakness for the final two legs of the Triple Crown, or $50,000 for the Belmont Stakes alone.
The Triple Crown consists of the Derby on May 4 at Churchill Downs, Preakness at Pimlico on May 18, and Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 8.
After a drought of 37 years, the Triple Crown has been swept twice in the last four years, both times by colts trained by Bob Baffert. He trains Game Winner – last year’s champion 2-year-old male — as well as another highly regarded, unbeaten colt in Improbable. No one has ever trained three Triple Crown winners.
Baffert, who has won the Derby five times, trains 17 horses who were nominated at the early stage, tying him for second among trainers with two-time winner Todd Pletcher, and reigning Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown, who is seeking his first Derby win. Steve Asmussen, also seeking his first Derby win, leads all trainers with 27 early nominees.
There are four fillies among the early nominees, including Jaywalk, who was crowned her division’s champion last year after capturing the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, and the fleet multiple Grade 1 winner Bellafina.
Other prominent nominees include Knicks Go, winner of the Breeders’ Futurity, and Mind Control, winner of the Hopeful, as well as the comebacking Instagrand, idle since last summer’s Best Pal at Del Mar; Lecomte winner War of Will; the winners of last weekend’s major Derby preps — Harvey Wallbanger, Mucho Gusto, and Tax – and the exciting recent Gulfstream maiden winner Hidden Scroll.
There are 20 horses based outside North America who were nominated, including 11 from Europe, seven of those trained by Aidan O’Brien and owned by the principals in Coolmore. There are four nominees from Japan. Churchill Downs has separate series that potentially carves out spots for a runner based in Europe and another from Japan for the 20-horse Derby field. Neither series produced a starter in last year’s race.
Calumet Farm led all owners with 13 nominees, and is tied with Charles Fipke and Godolphin for the most nominees among breeders with six.
Tapit, for the third straight year, leads all sires with early nominees, with 19 this year.
Among those not nominated are Champagne winner Complexity and Swale winner Call Paul, both of whom are being campaigned as sprinters.
It was kind of ironic that on the warmest day so far this year—a day when many strollers in Downtown Saratoga Springs left their jackets at home—a coat exchange appeared on the sidewalk outside Fingerpaint, on the corner of Broadway and Division Street. The coat rack popped up on Tuesday, February 5, with a blue sign next to it reading “Need a coat? Take one. Want to help? Leave one.” Of course, the two-day, 50-degree, midwinter “heatwave” was fleeting: By Wednesday, temperatures had dropped back into the 20s. Regardless of whether or not Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction of an early spring on Groundhog Day turns out to be right, Saratoga’s surely in for many more frigid stretches over the next few months, and that makes the presence of the coat rack that much more valuable to the community.
How did the coat exchange come to be? Fingerpaint has an ongoing partnership with Shelters of Saratoga’s (SOS’) Code Blue Saratoga, a program that provides emergency shelter to homeless Saratogians from November 15-April 1. (Fingerpaint owner and founder Ed Mitzen has been advocating for a permanent facility for more than two years.) “The stars aligned perfectly for this project,” said Rosemary Riedhammer, Director of Development and Marketing at Code Blue. It all began with Code Blue Executive Director Karen Gregory, who saw a social media post about another community’s coat swap. Simultaneously, a boutique in Lake George reached out to SOS offering to donate coats to Code Blue. “Before we knew it, we had a coat rack donated, we had a sign made and lo and behold, it’s out in front of the building today!” Bo Goliber, who heads up Fingerpaint’s philanthropy efforts, told saratoga living on Tuesday.
If all goes as planned, the coat rack will be up for the rest of the season. Goliber noted that the biggest obstacle facing the rack project will be keeping it neat and functional, which may be a challenge if the rack gets overcrowded with donations. To help prevent this, Fingerpaint asks that people only bring one or two coats at a time. Riedhammer added that this coat exchange is for anyone who is cold or wet walking by. She says she hopes that these coats and the sense of community spirit they foster will help bring warmth—physical and otherwise—to the citizens of Saratoga all winter long.
Every time I drive into Saratoga Springs, I park my car in the same parking garage—the one right behind Putnam Market. Without fail, as I’m leaving there, I see a small group of homeless people waiting outside or staying warm near the elevator bank on the first floor. Oftentimes, I say a polite “hello,” and once or twice, I even stuck around to chat a few of them up. They are a daily presence there in the winter months, and with record-breaking lows across the country last week and equally frigid temperatures right here in Saratoga, I can’t help but wonder where these men and women are staying during the day. Are they just sleeping there in the parking garage, or do they have a warm place to go?
For nearly 30 years, local nonprofit organization Shelters of Saratoga (SOS) has been trying to provide them with the latter. Since 1991, SOS has been providing care and assistance to homeless people in Saratoga by offering them a way of staying off the streets via a path to self-sufficiency. Since 2013, SOS has also run an emergency winter homeless shelter, Code Blue Saratoga, open from November through April, when temperatures dip below freezing or when 12 or more inches of snow is predicted to fall in the city. The opening of the shelter was prompted by the December 2013 death of a homeless woman, who froze to death while sleeping in the loading dock behind the Saratoga Senior Center. Nowadays, the shelter accepts all individuals without restriction.
Despite the Code Blue shelter being a presence in town for six years, it’s had to change locations several times, and SOS has faced pushback from the community when it’s attempted to create a permanent shelter in or near Downtown Saratoga. The shelter’s current temporary location is in the basement and spare rooms of Soul Saving Station Church on Henry Street. But with no showers, one tiny kitchen and just two bathrooms for more than 50 people, the shelter is already running at capacity, and its staff stretched thin. “The numbers of homeless in Saratoga have substantially increased,” says Karen Gregory, who was appointed Executive Director of SOS last December. According to SOS, there were approximately 58 homeless individuals in Saratoga in 2013-14, and last year that number shot up to 162. “We’re still exploring options for a permanent site, and I’m hoping that we’re getting close,” says Gregory.
Ed Mitzen, CEO and Founder of Fingerpaint, has been instrumental in the push for a permanent Code Blue shelter in Downtown Saratoga. (Fingerpaint)
Up until last year, SOS had a site lined up on Walworth Street, next door to the nonprofit’s administrative office and drop-in center. SOS had made a number of guarantees to the community, including setting up a neighborhood watch and providing extra fencing and security around the site, and Saratoga’s Zoning Board of Appeals had even unanimously approved the building plan. But 22 neighbors and businesses around the proposed site derailed the plan when they sued the city for zoning violations (there’s no wording in Saratoga’s city charter for the zoning of a homeless shelter). Despite the setbacks, Gregory says that SOS is determined to keep searching for a permanent location. “One thing I will be starting in the very near future is a task force with the one and only goal of finding a resolution for Code Blue,” she tells saratoga living.
In addition to SOS, more than a few prominent Saratogians are equally dedicated to a permanent Code Blue shelter within Saratoga’s city limits. Since the shelter’s inception in 2013, Ed Mitzen, Founder and CEO of Fingerpaint, and his wife Lisa have volunteered their time and made generous donations to SOS. Ed says it’s been a life-changing experience for both of them: “As we got more and more involved, we realized that while [homeless people] may look scary if you don’t know them, a lot of the people staying at the shelter have just had some really bad breaks and made some poor decisions. Lisa and I think back to all the stupid stuff we did when we were younger, and by the grace of god, we landed where we did. But there’s a fine line between being successful and being homeless, and as you meet a lot of these people you realize, ‘Jesus, that could’ve been me.'”
Mitzen became so passionate about the project that he enlisted the help of his friend, Sonny Bonacio of Bonacio Construction, who agreed to build the proposed permanent shelter’s structure at cost. In addition to this, Adirondack Trust agreed to give Mitzen a zero-sum interest, construction loan of $1 million to fund the project. Ed doesn’t dismiss the concerns of locals, which range from effects to property values to safety, were a permanent shelter to be built somewhere in town, but he does believe it might help Saratogians to do a little soul-searching. “I understand if you haven’t volunteered and met a lot of these [homeless] people, it seems like an intimidating project, but what you’ll learn is that they’re just people who need a little help,” says Mitzen.
SOS and the Mitzens are hoping to find a permanent location for the shelter within the next three months. Ed says the current goal is to have the new shelter up and ready by this coming November or December. “I don’t know if that’s going to be doable or not,” he says. “We just keep fighting the good fight and hoping that this thing will eventually get over the goal line.” In the meantime, anyone can join the Mitzens by volunteering their time at Code Blue or making donations to SOS online or at one of their colorful donation drop-boxes in Downtown Saratoga (all donations go directly to SOS’ shelter services). The nonprofit will also be hosting its annual spring fundraiser, the Brighter Days Gala, at Longfellows on March 28. The next time I head to Downtown Saratoga, I might just make a detour over to SOS and volunteer some time or, if I’m in a hurry, slip some money into one of their drop-boxes. It may not seem like much, but it could help those people I see at at the parking garage find a warm, permanent place to sleep during the coldest days of the winter.
As his surname suggests, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s (SPAC’s) Senior Director of Artistic Planning, Chris Shiley, is equal parts shy and sly—a winning combination to be sure. When SPAC President and CEO, Elizabeth Sobol, asked me to join her for dinner at Salt & Char so I could meet “our latest secret weapon,” I wasn’t quite sure what to make of the affable, handsome, young dude smiling up at me as I arrived. He certainly didn’t come across as some sort of superhero in his comfy khakis, but over the course of the evening, his just-this-side-of-acidic, biting sense of humor crept in and I loved it, as I consider blunt humor a genuine asset and legit sign of intelligence. In short, Chris Shiley and I became fast friends.
SPAC’s “programming guy” (as I refer to him), comes to it as a classically trained trumpeter—he performed for more than a decade as Principal Trumpet in the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra—before moving on to serve as Director of Operations for Yellow Barn Music Festival and, as well as, Festival Director for Classical Movements’ Prague Summer Nights Young Artist Music Festival. Enter, SPAC.
The things you take away each time you encounter Chris Shiley are the internal twin engines that fuel him: an indefatigable work ethic (the overwhelmingly packed SPAC summer season is relentless in its demands) and the deep, empathetic humanity he exudes so effortlessly. To know Chris Shiley is to love the guy. And he plays trumpet. What’s not to like?
I caught up with the super talented, 31-year-old Saratoga Springs resident to ask him a few burning questions. Not entirely reluctantly, he obliged.
Chris, when did you first realize you had real musical ability?
I don’t know the answer, actually; music was always a part of my life growing up. Both my parents are classically trained musicians. I started on the piano as far back as I can remember (though don’t ask me to play it for you now), and there are even some photos of me rocking out to Bach in my high chair, so I think music always resonated with me, but the real passion for it came later on.
What’s been the biggest surprise about your first year at SPAC?
It’s a good surprise…the diversity and intensity of the schedule. It amazes me how many events happen at SPAC and how completely different they all are from one another. I remember one moment this summer when I was standing outside of the Spa Little Theater after an incredible concert with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and I faintly heard in the distance the sound of heavy metal guitar from the show happening in the amphitheater at the same time, and I thought, only at SPAC do you get to have world-class chamber music and epic heavy metal in the same night, at the same place.
Saratoga is perfect because…
The Reserve Manhattan at Hamlet & Ghost—obviously. [Laughs]
Over the past year or so, I’ve been focusing on wine past and present—and what we can learn about it through that lens. But what of the future? Pick up your nearest mobile device or tablet, go to the app store and do a search for Vivino, the world’s most downloaded wine app. The future is now! The app’s mission is to revolutionize the way we buy wine in the same way Amazon revolutionized the way we buy books.
As a brick-and-mortar wine retailer, this is uncomfortable news.
Vivino was founded in 2010 by Heini Zachariassen and Theis Søndergaard in Copenhagen, Denmark, and they launched an iPhone app in 2011 to help those who, like them, knew little about wine and needed help in the buying department. It’s super easy to use: simply photograph the label of any bottle of wine at any store, and you have immediate access to a community of users, 31 million strong, who have contributed reviews and star ratings to 10 million bottles of wine.
In my opinion, knowing a wine’s average rating as produced by a huge community of members with very different preferences and experience of life is of limited value to the average consumer, but Vivino is working to change this. Its weapon of choice? The data collected from those 31 million subscribers.
Speaking in London last summer Zachariassen said that “to be able to use the data to predict how much you will like a wine—and getting that right will be amazing. When you buy a bottle of wine, there’s a risk. If we can reassure you that the wine is well-rated, a good price and matches you, then we take down that risk. We need to be better than the wine person in the store. It’s a bet. That’s the big thing here. There’s a lot you can do with data.”
It’s not hard to imagine how Vivino could map, onto the wine’s community profile, the individual preferences each subscriber has volunteered to it when he or she has rated wine in the past. Knowing their preferred grape varieties, price and style will allow Vivino to come back to each subscriber with a bottle tailored to his or her taste. “We’re going to do some structured recommendations that no one else can do,” said Zachariassen. “There’s going to be a 3.6 wine [the average rating in Vivino’s five-star system] that you think is a 4.0, because it’s amazing for you,” he says.
If you have family or friends visiting you in Saratoga Springs, chances are, you’re not going to want to cook every night. Luckily, this city has so many amazing bars and restaurants to choose from that you don’t have to! Below, find nine of the area’s top eateries that are sure to fill your belly this winter.
Run by Chef Danny Petrosino and his wife, Patti, Osteria Danny specializes in American-Italian cuisine with an emphasis on simplicity and creative development. As such, the menu is updated frequently to encompass new culinary concepts and locally sourced ingredients when they’re available. Although the menu is continuously evolving, original recipes remain a pivotal influence in the dishes that Osteria Danny produces. For example, the online sample menu advertises a simple dish titled “Shrimp the way my father liked,” which is accompanied by lemon risotto, butter garlic and “a bunch of other stuff.” Osteria Danny also offers a variety of wines to complete a true Italian meal, including Zenato Amarone and J. Christopher Pinot Noir. The restaurant is located at 26 Henry Street, within walking distance of Broadway, and has ample off-street parking on Putnam Street. It’s currently open Tuesday through Sunday at 5pm, and will be open seven days a week beginning June 1. 26 Henry St, Saratoga Springs 518.423.7022
Conveniently located about 15 minutes south of Downtown Saratoga in Round Lake, Bob McKenna and Chef Scott Ringwood’s Lake Ridge Restaurant has been a local favorite for casual fine dining for 17 years of greatness. Lake Ridge specializes in New American cuisine, which it shows off on lunch menus, featuring award-winning soups, sandwiches, salads, burgers and more, and dinner menus, highlighted by Herb Crusted Swordfish, Duck Breast and Filet Mignon. McKenna says Lake Ridge Restaurant, which operates under the slogan “simply the best and voted the best,” is proud of its “consistent greatness,” as it has been winning awards for more than a decade, including Best Chef in the Saratoga Today Best of 2018 awards. 35 Burlington Avenue, Round Lake 518.899.6000
Just outside Downtown Saratoga Springs, Mama Mia’s Pizza & Cafe, a family-run Italian restaurant, is situated in the Ballston Avenue Price Chopper Plaza. Mama Mia’s takes pride in the diverse range of Italian comfort foods that it serves, such as calzones, Italian meatballs, hero sandwiches, pasta dishes and hand-tossed wood-fired pizzas, as well as vegetarian and gluten-free entrée options. While the restaurant has a relaxed, cozy vibe for dining in, Mama Mia’s also provides full-service catering, from food and tent set-up, to large trays of delicious food, for any event or holiday. Take-out is also a popular option for many of Mama Mia’s loyal customers, and for every $100 in gift cards you buy, you’ll receive a $20 bonus card. 185 Ballston Ave, Saratoga Springs 518.583.7783
A longtime Saratoga Springs staple, Gaffney’s is a local favorite for casual American dining and bar fare. Its Caroline Street location in the heart of Downtown Saratoga Springs solidifies its status as a go-to spot for late-night dining, drinking and dancing. Patrons can enjoy regular DJ and live music performances, as well as half-priced beers on Tuesdays beginning at 4pm. In addition to the burgers, wings, nachos and specials available on its dinner and late-night menus, Gaffney’s offers its Belvedere Brunch from 9am-3pm on weekends, featuring eggs, sandwiches, pancakes, waffles and other griddle confections. 16 Caroline Street, Saratoga Springs 518.587.7359
The Inn At Erlowest, a Queen Anne-style stone castle on the western shore of southern Lake George, isn’t just a private residence turned award-winning luxury, ten-suite hotel—it’s also a fine dining, farm-to-table restaurant destination for guests and the public alike. The inn serves an à la carte dinner menu in its dining room as well as a lighter fare menu of cocktails and appetizers at its Library Bar. Weekly specials made with seasonal foods ensure that each visit is a unique dining experience. Guests at the inn are also treated to a farm-fresh breakfast the morning after their stay. Check theinnaterlowest.com for seasonal dining hours and more information. 3178 Lake Shore Drive, Lake George 518.668.5928
In its cozy yet sophisticated nook on Broadway, Max London’s sits beside its sister shop, Mrs. London’s Bakery, a local favorite known for its delicious pastries and baked goods. Max London’s uses locally sourced ingredients, including fresh-squeezed fruit juices in its cocktails and house-made mozzarella cheese, making it an appealing choice for those looking to support local farmers. The menu contains several enticing items among its many culinary offerings, such as the “Devils on Horseback” appetizer (medjool dates stuffed with blue cheese and marcona almonds, accompanied by applewood smoked bacon and smoky maple syrup), and there’s a separate (delicious) menu for weekend brunch. 466 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 518.587.0505
New from the owners of Henry Street Taproom is Flatbread Social, a wood-fired pizza, craft beer and cocktails joint, located right next to the Taproom on Henry Street. Flatbread Social officially opened its doors on December 31, 2018, and has since been serving starters, salads and pizzas in an inviting and, yes, social, atmosphere (you can even play shuffleboard with friends there after you eat). Flatbread offerings include “The Only Kind Of Pizza There Is,” topped with local sausage, garlic mushrooms, fire-roasted tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella, the “Kick In Your Pants Pie,” which features pickled banana peppers, spicy chorizo, fire-roasted tomato sauce and mozzarella, and a tiramisu dessert pizza. 84 Henry St, Saratoga Springs 518.886.1198
Located on Union Avenue near Lake Lonely and Saratoga Lake’s north shore, and headed up by Angelo Mazzone, Prime at Saratoga National is one of Saratoga’s top upscale steakhouses. The restaurant, open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, as well as for jazz brunch on Sundays (think omelettes, pastas and carving stations), offers indoor and al fresco dining, overlooking the 18th hole of the beautiful Saratoga National golf course. Besides regular daily seatings, Prime is also the perfect setting for weddings, anniversary parties, corporate events and galas, such as UPH’s annual Shaken & Stirred Celebrity Bartender Party, Red, White and Blue: American Cancer Society Party, NYS Laborers Golf Outing: Make-a-Wish Foundation and Teresian House Gala. 458 Union Ave, Saratoga Springs 518.583.4653
From its Broadway locale, Saratoga Stadium is arguably the city’s finest sports bar, providing televised coverage of a range of top sporting events. Saratoga Stadium offers patrons a casual atmosphere, with a menu full of all the traditional favorites—burgers, nachos and wings—as well as an all-you-can-eat fried shrimp special available on Friday evenings from 6-9pm. Saratoga Stadium also offers a diverse range of seasonal drinks (such as spiced apple punch), wines by the glass and by the bottle and house-made sangria. To finish things off, the dessert menu displays some tempting treats: fried dough and the “Junior’s Giant Cheesecake for 2.” 389 Broadway, Saratoga Springs 518.226.4437
