Back in 2011, I took a leap of faith. I’d been at business trade publication Adweek for five years and had established myself as a successful digital editor/producer—but had the itch to leave for awhile. So as part of mass exodus, following the departure of Editor Michael Wolff, I made my move. (The decision got me in the New York Post!) Where was I headed? To everybody’s surprise, the Daily Racing Form (DRF)—the “Horseplayer’s Bible”—a 124-year-old newspaper, which reported on everything horse racing and handicapping. The fact that I was a native Saratogian—and had grown up around horse racing—had been all but lost on my co-workers at Adweek. (Well, some of them.) But it had proven a major asset to the folks that hired me at DRF, who were looking to build out their digital presence.
With that knowledge in hand, you could say that today is a full-circle moment for me. I’m proud to announce that saratoga living has struck a content partnership with the Daily Racing Form that encompasses both our print and digital publications. What does this mean for SL‘s audience? If you haven’t already noticed, saratogaliving.com has been getting a daily infusion of Saratoga-specific horse racing news and analysis, race previews and handicapping videos from own stories. Look out for exclusive DRF features in our last three issues of the year and throughout 2019. “When I came to saratoga living eight months ago, I knew the kind of magazine and website I wanted to lead,” says Richard Pérez-Feria, saratoga living‘s CEO, President and Editor in Chief. “By anyone’s standards, we’ve arrived. This historic partnership with Daily Racing Form is a pivotal and exciting step in saratoga living solidifying its position as the most important media company in the Capital Region and Upstate New York.” Added Jordan Goldberg, Daily Racing Form‘s Senior Vice President of eCommerce and Gaming: “The town of Saratoga embodies all that is great about the horse racing lifestyle, and Daily Racing Form is proud to partner with saratoga living to deliver world-class horse racing content to its many enthusiastic readers.”
Additionally, you’ll be seeing a lot more of the Daily Racing Form at our public events; for starters, they’ve signed on as a co-host for saratoga living‘s “The Races!” issue launch party at Putnam Place tonight from 7pm – 10pm, and have generously supplied us with some great swag-bag sweeteners, including their incredible Saratoga 2018 Player’s Guide, which includes expert meet analysis, official race charts, jockey/trainer stats and tons of other tools that will help make you a winner, time and again, at the track this season. Pick up a free copy with your entry into our event tonight!
I couldn’t be happier to call my friends at DRF “colleagues” again. And for the duration of the Saratoga meet and throughout next year, you can count on the winning combination of saratoga living and Daily Racing Form to bring you the best of what Saratoga—and the world of horse racing—has to offer.
Today at 12:30pm, more than two dozen people (including myself) crowded in front of what used to be the Circus Cafe’s location in Downtown Saratoga to celebrate the ribbon-cutting of our city’s newest culinary outpost: restaurant/pub, Pig N’ Whistle. Customers will be able to stuff themselves full of delicious traditional Irish pub fare this afternoon—the restaurant officially opens for the early dinner crowd at 4pm.
What’s on the menu? We’re talking bar staples like Shepherd’s Pie, with ale-simmered beef and vegetables; and Bangers N’ Mash, with Irish style sausage over mashed potatoes. There’s also whimsically titled dishes such as the Notorious P.I.G., which is a heaping plate of tater tots, pulled pork, bacon, jalapeños and Guinness gravy; and the pretty straightforward Jameson Burger in, yes, you guessed it, a whiskey cream sauce, with a thick-cut fried onion ring on top (these 7 oz. burgers will be a specialty of the new location). But if you’re not partial to Irish food, there’s plenty of other dishes to choose from, including oven-baked pizzas, sandwiches, wraps and signature plates of mac and cheese. Did I mention there’s Guinness Stout French onion soup, too?
I caught up with Co-owner Jordan Bush at the ribbon-cutting. “My restaurant experience is basically growing up in a family that just loved restaurants,” says the 25-year-old Bush, who aptly sports a red beard. “We’re an Irish-American family. So I got thrown into the kitchen at a pretty young age.” Bush first worked at the flagship restaurant in Burnt Hills, Pig N’ Whistle at the Grove, which debuted in 2012 and is owned by his father, Tom. Like the Burnt Hills location, Saratoga’s Pig N’ Whistle will feature an extensive selection of craft beers, Irish whiskeys (though not exclusively Irish) and a very similar albeit smaller menu.
Starting in the fall, once the craziness from track season settles down, the new restaurant plans on starting a regular trivia night (very popular at the Burnt Hills Pig N’ Whistle on Tuesdays, according to Bush), live music as well as an Irish-themed mug club that’s still in the works. “When we had the opportunity to come up here, we saw a bigger spread,” says Bush. “We know that your population is bigger than we’re used to, but all in all, we’re a restaurant family, and we just like to people-please.”
The restaurant’s other Co-Owner is Bush’s business partner, Scott Solomon, a local lobbyist in government relations who was also a minority owner of the former Mingle restaurant here in Saratoga and Albany.
So if you’re not doing anything for dinner tonight, head on over and, get a Jameson Burger and raise a pint (of more Guinness, of course) to the new Pig N’ Whistle.
In the beginning, Saratoga Springs owed its status as a luxury vacation destination to the mineral-rich waters flowing beneath its surface. Now, more than a century later, though the spas still hold their magical appeal, we truly owe it all to the horses. Without the Thoroughbreds that live, train and compete at Saratoga Race Course each summer, our city would have become a forgotten gem from an earlier era. To give back to the horses that have given so much to our city, many organizations in Saratoga and beyond are working to provide happy lives for Thoroughbreds and other horses after they retire. Here are three nonprofits that are proving a horse’s last lap isn’t the end of the line. It’s the beginning of a new, exciting chapter.
Equine Advocates mares Rose (left) and Kelli. (Ellen R. Lynch)
EQUINE ADVOCATES
This winter, Susan Wagner heard from a neighbor about a nine-year-old donkey that had been locked in a stall for almost his entire life. His owner, unfathomably, had 60 acres of land. Why he had a donkey in the first place, if he was going to keep him locked away, was a mystery to Wagner. She started trying to get the donkey away from the owner, and when she succeeded, sent him to Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine for two weeks to be gelded and treated for various stages of neglect. When he was released, he went straight to Equine Advocates Rescue & Sanctuary, a 140-acre facility in Columbia County, NY, owned and operated by Wagner. “He had no clue about anything,” Wagner said about the donkey’s arrival. “I call him the boy in the bubble—he doesn’t even know how to walk. These are the kinds of animals that we take in.”
Just talking to Wagner, I can tell Equine Advocates, the foundation she started in 1996, and her sanctuary, which opened in 2004, are her life. With 83 equines—horses, ponies, donkeys and mules—in her care, it has to be. Wagner started Equine Advocates after she rescued her first horse, Gandalf, from slaughter. Since then, she’s rescued thousands of equines, and now brings her rescues to live out the rest of their lives in the sanctuary. Most of the equines Wagner rescues are, like Gandalf, headed to slaughter; they’re either already in a kill pen, or about to go to auction, where they’ll likely be purchased by kill buyers—middlemen looking to sell the animal to a slaughter plant. Others come directly from racetracks because of on-track injuries, or, like the donkey she rescued this winter, from situations of neglect.
Horses go to auction because they can no longer do the work they were raised or trained to do, whether that was racing, working on a farm or pulling buggies. “Just because a horse goes from being a racehorse to a show horse doesn’t ensure that they won’t end up falling through the cracks once they can’t be a show horse anymore,” Wagner says. “Let’s face it: Everybody gets old.” But that’s where Equine Advocates comes in—a horse’s age and abilities don’t matter at the sanctuary. “Last year, a Thoroughbred named Rose came here,” Wagner says. “She’s only 11 years old. For racing, that’s old, but for us, that’s pretty young.”
Each year, Equine Advocates hosts an annual gala to raise funds for the organization and to honor individuals doing admirable work to benefit equines. One of last year’s honorees was legendary New York City socialite, humanitarian, actress and saratoga living contributing editor, Cornelia Guest, who was honored for her work to bring an end to horse slaughter. “Susan Wagner has such incredible knowledge,” Guest tells me. “I think to have someone with such an incredible understanding fighting for horses is fantastic. She walks the walk and talks the talk. Most people are simply not like that.” I agree—she’s the real deal.
At Saratoga WarHorse, veterans are shown how to “transcend the language barrier” with a horse. (Shelly Schmidt)
SARATOGA WARHORSE
In college, I did my senior thesis on childhood trauma—specifically on children placed in out-of-home care. I was interested in how early childhood events (like being removed from one’s parents) could manifest in such a defining way, even in adulthood. Throughout my research, I came across many organizations, family service professionals and counselors working to help children who had what are called Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and though these organizations were certainly making a difference, it’s often not enough. However, I’d never heard of any trauma programs involving horses. Until now.
Saratoga WarHorse is a three-day experience for war veterans who are struggling to adjust to life after military service. The program, started in Saratoga by Bob Nevins, a veteran himself, is an interactive experience between off-the-track Thoroughbreds and veterans. “I don’t do therapy,” Nevins says. “And I’m very clear with the veterans that we don’t do therapy; we don’t do touchy-feely.” Instead, Nevins teaches veterans how to “transcend the language barrier” with the horses, which are, by nature, flight animals. When the horse realizes the veteran knows its language, it asks for protection. “It asks you: ‘Can I bond with you? Will you become my new herd leader? Can I trust you?’” he says.
Nevins explains trauma like this: When a normal human being is exposed to a traumatic event, it’s like an emotional circuit breaker pops in order to protect them and get them through the crisis. But if the circuit breaker doesn’t reset, the person starts developing symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress, because they’re still in survival mode. And while that’s a good place to be in life-or-death situations, such as the ones a soldier might experience on the battlefield, it’s not good for everyday life. When a horse gives the person permission to “join its herd,” it triggers a re-regulation of the autonomic nervous system. “Neuroscientists are telling us what we’re doing is exactly what needs to happen in order to reset,” Nevins says. “But we know we can’t do this without the horse, because the horse is so unconditionally accepting.”
This year, Saratoga WarHorse is set to graduate its 1000th veteran since the program was founded in 2011. Jen Ormiston, a veteran from Ballston Spa who was deployed in Iraq in 2004, completed the program this March, and says it has given her her life back. “When I left the military, everything just kind of exploded,” she says. “I wasn’t sleeping well, I wasn’t eating. [I was having] nightmares and flashbacks, and was drinking—[doing] anything to avoid what I was feeling.” Ormiston tried traditional counseling, but it didn’t work for her. Saratoga WarHorse, she says, was a last-ditch effort. “I didn’t believe this was going to work for me. I was going to try this guy’s snake oil, and if it didn’t work, I was checking out. I was done.” It turns out, the program was exactly what she needed. “I can say for certain that nothing has helped in the way WarHorse did,” says Ormiston. “I can’t explain why or what happened. It’s truly like a switch was turned off. I just have this peace about me that I haven’t felt in a long, long time. And I really don’t think I would be around anymore if it hadn’t worked.”
It’s because of veterans like Ormiston that Nevins started Saratoga WarHorse. “It’s a national shame that more veterans die by suicide than in combat,” Nevins says. “We’d all do it again if we had to, as veterans, but man, I’m not a throwaway after I get hurt. These horses are not throwaways after they’re no longer able to compete at the highest level. There’s plenty of work for them to do.”
Thinking back to my senior thesis, I can’t help but wonder if Nevins’ methodology could be applied to victims of childhood trauma. “Absolutely,” he says when I ask him. “That’s what I’m trying to do: I’m trying to elevate this to a scientifically validated procedure that could benefit thousands of children, thousands of sexual assault victims. But I’m perfecting it here. And once it’s perfected, it can be duplicated.” For the sake of the hundreds of thousands of children who are born into situations that expose them to traumatic events, I can’t wait for that day to come.
Note: Shortly after this story was published, saratoga living learned that Bob Nevins, Founder and Director of the Veteran Program at Saratoga WarHorse, was no longer with the organization. While representatives within the organization didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Nevins’ departure, they did send out a press release on July 31, announcing the appointment of Army veteran Allison Cherkosly, Ph.D. as the organization’s new Executive Director.
New Vocations trainer Leandra Cooper hugs Standardbred Tobins Fusion. (Tracey Buyce)
NEW VOCATIONS
When I interviewed Saratoga Springs-based photographer Tracey Buyce for “The Saratoga 20” feature in saratoga living’s 20th Anniversary Issue, I remember two of her most memorable answers: She can make the best horse noises, and she takes “glamour shots” of retired racehorses to help them get adopted. While I was certainly impressed by her whinny, I was more interested in her work with New Vocations, a racehorse adoption program in Ballston Spa.
New Vocations, which has its national headquarters in Lexington, takes in retired Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds and trains them to be something other than racehorses. The number one discipline the horses are retrained for is pleasure trail-riding, followed by eventing, hunting and dressage. “We call it transitional training, because it really is like getting a completely new job,” says Leandra Cooper, the Thoroughbred Trainer at New Vocations’ Ballston Spa facility. “The horses are generally really young when they come in, so they need a little bit of help to adjust to the new lifestyle.” While racehorses can live to be between 25 and 30, they usually retire—and come to New Vocations—at only a few years of age.
The Ballston Spa location is a one-woman show put on by Cooper. She does all the training, managing and paperwork required, from accepting “donations” (i.e., racehorses) to getting the horses adopted. Typically, she has between 10 and 15 horses at a time, which usually stay at New Vocations for 40-60 days. “I have this short, intimate time with the horses,” she says. “But I’m never sad when they go. I’ll miss them, and I care deeply about every single horse, but I’m usually really excited to see what they’re going to do, because I know that I’ve given them these tools to be successful in another job.”
Besides the Lexington and Ballston Spa locations, New Vocations has an outpost in Pennsylvania and three in Ohio. Last year, the organization had a total of 1000 adoption applications come in. Of those 1000, 400 horses were adopted out. “The reason why we didn’t adopt out 1000 is because there’s a lot more interest in the horses that aren’t limited in what they can do, and the majority of the horses we’re getting have some type of limitation,” says Anna Ford, New Vocations’ Thoroughbred Program Director. That limitation, she says, is usually a physical injury sustained during the horse’s racing career.
These racing-related injuries (and fatalities) have obviously been a topic of much controversy in recent years at Saratoga. For this reason, organizations like New Vocations are imperative to the racing industry, Ford says. “New Vocations helps draw more fans to the industry,” she says. “One of the biggest concerns of people outside of the racing industry is what happens to the horses. So the more we can spread the word that there are programs out there like New Vocations, the better.” She’s right. As someone not directly involved with the racing industry, it warms my heart to know that we’re taking care of the horses that make Saratoga what it is, right here in our own backyard.
Siro’s cannot be explained; it must be experienced,” says Michael Stone, who’s been the General Manager and Maître d’ at Siro’s for all of three decades. His words ring true when talking about Saratoga Springs’ most famous racing-season restaurant and bar. First opening its doors in 1945 and named for The Waldorf Astoria’s Maître d’, Jimmy Siro, the fabled hotspot is located just steps away from Saratoga Race Course and is only open during track season (July 20-September 3). With its timeless elegance and customer-first service—whether it’s a random night or Travers Day, “You’ll always get the Siro’s treatment,” says Stone—it has and will always be the place to go after the track lets out.
While there’s certainly no “Members Only” sign hanging out front—anybody can walk in—historically, it’s been a mainstay for the highest of rollers. I’ve been there after a fun day at the races for the live music or to sip a cocktail on the patio with friends. But my favorite part? The people. Always. You never know who you’ll run into at Siro’s. I’ve seen The Grand Dame of Saratoga, Marylou Whitney, there, as well as Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach Bill Parcells. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Stone tells me he and his fellow staffers have waited on everyone from celebrity chef Bobby Flay, HOF horse trainers D. Wayne Lukas and Bob Baffert, New York Yankees great and HOFer Mariano Rivera, movie star Cameron Diaz and The Tonight Show’s Jimmy Fallon. The spot even has some Hollywood pedigree of its own: Actor Kevin Dillon, who played Johnny “Drama” Chase on HBO’s hit, Entourage, is a Siro’s investor. “We cater to this crowd,” says Stone. “We’ve become synonymous with Saratoga Race Course, and Siro’s has always opened its arms to anyone that’s at the racetrack and wants to experience it.”
Siro’s isn’t just the trendiest place to hang out after the races; it’s also a place to put your winnings to good use, with a full bar-and-restaurant menu, heavy on the Italian fare and surf-and-turf. “We have one of the greatest chefs in America in Tom Dillon,” says Stone. Dillon, Siro’s current Executive Chef, was Siro’s chef-owner for decades beforehand and the man behind the venue’s resurgence in the early ’80s—right around when Saratoga’s racetrack had its own comeback. “The contemporary version of Siro’s is a product of Tom’s vision, talent and ability in the kitchen,” Stone says. So, of course, I had to ask: What should I order on Opening Day? Says Stone: “The lump crab cakes and lobster from the Siro’s menu of old will be back this summer!”
A little advice? Track season comes and goes more quickly than you can imagine. So do whatever you can to add Siro’s to your itinerary. It simply can’t be missed! Ask anybody.
I remember the first time I went to Saratoga Race Course. It was with John “JW” Witt, a true Saratogian, who seems to know everything there is to know about the racetrack. It was a hot day, and I vividly recall running after JW to keep up with his fast stride in my tight sundress and strappy sandals. We parked in someone’s yard, ran through tall grass, jumped over a bunch of fences and found our way to the entrance of the track. I felt like a veteran Saratogian! From that point onward, it was a blur of dresses, hats, a bit of alcohol, lots of new faces and names and a bit more alcohol. It was, after all, summer in Saratoga, and every gathering was a party. We applauded as graceful horses walked past us along the white fence-lined path toward the paddocks, and we made $2 bets on the ones whose names we liked. Walking through the Grandstand felt spectacular and gave me an incredible sense of the track’s history; I instantly imagined all the fancy people who’d stood there before me. And as I looked upon the dirt track, watching the stunning horses and jockeys circle the path, time stood still for me, and it could’ve been any year in the 150-or-so-year history of the majestic place. JW taught me everything I needed to know about Saratoga, and this was no exception to the rule.
Saratoga’s track is famous, and for good reason. Built in 1864, it has survived the Civil War, gambling gangsters and two world wars, and has been built, expanded and improved upon. It’s also the reason millions of visitors flock to Saratoga every summer for racing, eating, drinking and partying. Some people go there to win lots of money, but that day, JW and I were there solely so that he could show it off to me, and that he did.
A vintage illustration of Saratoga Race Course.
When I was asked to write about the racetrack’s evolving design for saratoga living, I instantly thought about its iconic structure, colorful jockey statues, roofline and awning, which are as much a part of Saratoga as are our springs, horses and parks. And now, with its recent major capital improvement project, Saratoga Race Course is about to get even better. I turned to the New York Racing Association’s (NYRA’s) President and CEO Chris Kay to learn more about what we can expect this summer when we visit the track.
“Over the past five years, we’ve placed a tremendous emphasis on enhancing the guest experience at this much-beloved sporting venue,” says Kay. “We first made a commitment to expand the number of free picnic tables in the backyard with improved sound, video and Wi-Fi, and then made a day at Saratoga more affordable than ever with our season pass and season perks programs,” he says. “We’ve also dedicated significant resources to showcase the history of this grand place, from the Whitney Viewing Stand to the Saratoga Walk of Fame, to the restoration of the paddock mutuel building. Now, for the first time in many decades, we are creating new boxes for people of all ages to enjoy a day at historic Saratoga Race Course.”
With the excitement of Opening Day quickly approaching, I’ll be reserving a seat at The Stretch, that all-new private hospitality area Kay’s referring to, featuring modern and upscale amenities in the Grandstand at the top of the stretch. I hope to bump into JW there, perhaps win a $2 bet and experience what I’m sure will be a great day at the races!
I didn’t grow up around horses. On the gritty streets of Buffalo, the only animals in my social circle were badass junkyard dogs and scruffy, one-eyed cats. Now I live at the edge of Saratoga Springs, and my country road, five miles from Downtown, is horse heaven. From my back door, I hear the snorts and whinnies of my neighbor’s horses, and when I walk past their corral and into the woods, I always stop by and say hello. Down the road, a pair of white Percherons, mighty draft horses, tall and big-boned, live at Loon Meadow Farm. French knights once rode these majestic mounts into battle, man and beast cloaked in heavy armor, clink-clanking with every step.
Call me a romantic, but it was a beautiful new book of 150 color photographs that spurred my visit to the Percherons. The White Horse (Rizzoli) by Mary McCartney magically captures one year in the life of Alejandro, her beloved white Andalusian stallion. The stunning book, with its introduction by film director and writer Simon Aboud, hits the streets at the tail end of August. Mary, if you haven’t guessed by now, is the daughter of The Beatles’ Paul McCartney and his late wife, Linda, and like her mum, she’s a highly regarded British photographer and passionate animal rights activist. Shot in the Sussex countryside where Mary grew up, the images uncover her private world, the freedom and joy that she feels when she goes riding and the unique personality of Alejandro. Her elegant Spanish stallion is as ethereal as a white horse can be, pictured in fields and forest, by dark and day, in brassy autumn and sultry summer. In a close-up, a wild white mane falls across his face, curtaining a big dark eye. In another, Alejandro’s long white tail, shimmering in the sunlight as it brushes the ground, is a waterfall of snowy hair; in a third, Mary shows off his Rocky-like muscled neck.
But all is not fairy-tale noble and pretty. We also see Alejandro, dirt-smeared and lying on his back, hooves turned up to the sky. And, oh my, there’s a nighttime image that’s pure Blair Witch Project, as a ghostly horse slips through shadowy trees. As for Mary, you might remember her from her father’s first solo album, McCartney. Flip it, and you’ll see a picture of a wee babe peeking out from inside Paul’s fur-lined leather jacket. Linda took that photo of the former Beatle and his little girl. I remember that album. Teenage girls in Buffalo—and every other city on the planet, for that matter—loved that picture of Paul. But now Alejandro’s giving him a run for his money.
Take a look at some exclusive images from McCartney’s book in the photo gallery above.
If it’s late August, and I’m within three hours of Long Island’s fabled (and glamorous) East End—which I’m apt to be as often as possible—of course I’m going to be at The Hampton Classic. But for many, looking like you were born swathed in Hermès as an equestrian blueblood may require a few appointments prior to hitting the red carpet. As one of the most revered and respected outdoor horse shows and competitions in the world, “The Classic” is not only the highbrow high point of the equine season in The Hamptons, but also puts a satin bow of refinement on the end of the posh Long Island area’s high-stakes social summer. So, whether your goal is to trot in like a show horse or arrive like you’ve already won a blue ribbon, looking good is a must. Plus, you need to feel great too! The reason? The multitude of shows and competition categories is vast and jam-packed with horses, trailers, people, cars, valets, commotion, reservations, concierges, assistants and more. Also, with Bridgehampton located in the western middle part of the Hamptons, expect—you guessed it—a lot of traffic getting there. From August 26-September 2, there are eight days of action. Many people either bookend The Hampton Classic with a pre- or post-salon and/or spa experience, or choose to arrive earlier or depart later, even staying in The Hamptons past Labor Day to really have time to get their pampering on.
First off, what I want and what’s available in The Hamptons are two different things. Yes, it’s all there—in spades. The Classic is also known as the largest black card convergence on record, meaning spa/salon availability may be scarce. So, book now! But before you do, take stock of your needs and the show schedules. Is having a pro blowout before every special dinner a requirement? Or can you extend your great coif with Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo Invisible Spray? A lot of people like massages at the end of the day’s festivities, due to long periods of sitting and posture fatigue, but most spas are wrapping up between 6-8pm. This is where having a reputable mobile masseuse is a wonderful idea. A few options: SpaFinder.com’s Wellness App is reliable and vetted, while Zeel’s Massage On Demand app is more Hamptons-focused.
Many people bookend The Hampton Classic with salon and spa trips in the pampering capital of the Northeast.
Working backward from the extreme East End is Montauk, the easternmost point on Long Island. If you’re more the spa, surf, beach and yachting type and really need a true chillax vacation, then Gurney’s Montauk is the perfect place to stay put. With its world-class, full-service spa and salon treatments and bragging rights to the only indoor ocean saltwater detox pool in the world, Gurney’s is my first choice. Americana meets the Riviera.…heaven.
Heading due west to East Hampton, The Huntting Inn, a casual/elegant spot, is beautifully preserved and has hosted some of the most powerful people on the planet. It’s also home to the fabled Palm Restaurant, where you’ll surely want to take in its prime beef and “summer lobster celebration.” It’s not to be missed. The Huntting Inn also boasts the popular wellness destination Naturopathica Healing Arts Center and Spa. Slick and modern is Naturopathica’s approach, coupled with an ancient healing philosophy. Truly results-oriented, I’d let this spa and wellness center do anything to any part of my body or face. Twice! Add in its retail teas, herbal remedies and stellar namesake skincare line, and Naturopathica may be a part of your life for some time to come. The service menu is deep and well-rounded in anti-aging protocols, from enhancing voluptuous cheekbones (LED light therapy and microcurrent) to pain management. A variety of male-focused treatments are available as well.
Now, if your Hampton Classic dance ticket is legitimately full of horse show events, you may want to call the posh Topping Rose House your temporary HQ, as you’ll be a stone’s throw from the event center. I’d want to stay there, regardless. With a perfectly appointed massage and facial spa, plus a gym, it’s also home to what could be your favorite Jean-Georges restaurant location, with a foodie haven actually right downstairs. Topping Rose is pretty much one-stop shopping. If hair and nails are the only thing keeping you from total fabulousness, dial it in or walk over to Valery Joseph Salon’s Hamptons outpost, where you’re sure to get the Madison Avenue blowout and spa manicure or event makeup you’re accustomed to—possibly on the way to the horse stadium.
Topping Rose House.
If going to the beach is on your list (and it should be, at any hour, here), then I suggest you book yourself a room at the Southampton Inn, which is elegant, generous in hospitality, and provides free round-trip transport to the picturesque (public) Coopers Beach, which is a big plus here, even while the Inn’s proximity provides a robust Main Street shopping and dining experience once back in town, minutes away. Some of your best boutiques are off Jobs Lane (pronounced “Jōbz”), such as The Kevin Maple Salon, a full-service salon and day-spa lite. A few blocks over are two of my favorite haunts for beauty, glam grooming and wellness. One is 27 Hampton Salon, a full-service salon-plus, where I find the owners to be the most industry-involved in presenting top-shelf everything, including serving as hosts to top hair artisans who don’t own a Hamptons salon. It has the global know-how and just happens to prefer the beach. And a tidy, handpicked retail lineup of skincare and haircare, not to mention a bevy of assistants and staff to take care of you. Want your real, hardcore well-being taken seriously? So does Geomare Wellness Center & Spa, my other fave. You’ll know it the moment you roll up in your car. I love their use of Russian steam, endermologie (natural, connective-tissue toning and sculpting), acupuncture, reflexology and laser treatments. Short of surgery, this is the closest you’ll get to Switzerland in the Hamptons. The question poses itself: Are you going to witness horse-jumping for sport, or write a check and opt for the best in-room Shiatsu, Hampton Classic-style? Decisions, decisions… I know what I’m going to be doing—yep, the adorable horses can wait.
After winning her first three starts by a combined 18 3/4 lengths, Minit to Stardom will literally be “put to the test” when she makes her stakes debut here Saturday in the Grade 1 Test Stakes.
Minit to Stardom, a homebred daughter of Star Guitar, launched her career for trainer Al Stall Jr. with a pair of one-sided victories at the Fair Grounds, but had her 3-year-old campaign delayed after developing a fever while prepping for a stakes at Delta Downs this winter. She finally returned at Churchill Downs on May 27 where she proved dominant once again while racing outside of Louisiana-bred company for the first time, cruising to a 6 1/4-length optional-claiming victory under jockey Corey Lanerie and earning a 92 Beyer Speed Figure.
“She’s a big, lanky, solidly built filly who showed us all kind of good stuff right off the bat,” said Stall, who trains Minit to Stardom for Brittlyn Stables Inc. “She really just jogged around there in her two starts in Louisiana, and Corey barely let her run when she beat a really solid field in the race at Churchill. I mean, Corey was like a parachute on her down the backside and never really dropped her head except for the last part.”
Stall said winning a prestigious race like the Test with Minit to Stardom would be the culmination of a great story for the entire team.
“First of all, it’s the Test, and I have close ties to Star Guitar,” said Stall, who trained Minit to Stardom’s sire to win 24 of 30 career starts for earnings of more than $1.7 million for Brittlyn Stables. “And then there’s the Corey factor, too. One thing for certain, we’ll find out where she stacks up on Saturday.”
The last time Heavenly Score went turf to dirt, she won a seven-furlong allowance race by seven lengths and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 93.
On Wednesday, in a wide-open $100,000 Shine Again Stakes at Saratoga, Heavenly Score again will be going turf to dirt. If she runs a 93 Beyer, she is likely to win the stakes for fillies and mares.
Heavenly Score is coming off a third in the Grade 3 Intercontinental Stakes at seven furlongs on the turf at Belmont.
“We knew she’d run really well that day,” trainer John Terranova said of her race in the Intercontinental. “She’d been training lights out going into it. Two more jumps and she was in front.”
Terranova was also considering Saturday’s one-mile De La Rose on turf for Heavenly Score, but he’d prefer to keep her in a one-turn race. Moreover, Terranova loved Heavenly Score’s recent bullet workout over Saratoga’s main track.
“She really breezed fantastic the other day,” Terranova said.
Your Love, trained by Chad Brown, makes her second start off an extended layoff. In her first start, she lacked running room in the lane and was beaten in an allowance race.
“She was hemmed in there, nowhere to go,” Brown said. “She did get the race she needed.”
Come Dancing came off a six-month layoff to win a second-level allowance here last Wednesday, and is entered in the Shine Again.
Trainer Carlos Martin has had success at Saratoga wheeling horses back on short rest. In 2016, Greyjoy won two races in six days for him. In 2010, Writingonthewall won twice in a week.
Come Dancing went back to the track Sunday, and Martin loved the way she was into her gallop.
“In my heart of hearts, if she trains like she trained today, it’s a good opportunity to make her a stakes winner or get stakes placed,” Martin said Sunday. “She’s sound and doing well.”
KEY CONTENDERS
Heavenly Score, by Even the Score
Last 3 Beyers: 91-72-93
◗ Came off five-month layoff with a solid third-place finish behind La Sardane in the Grade 3 Intercontinental Stakes. La Sardane came back to win the Perfect Sting in her next start.
◗ She is 2 for 6 on dirt.
◗ Luis Saez, aboard for two of her four victories, is back aboard.
Your Love, by Flatter
Last 3 Beyers: 83-85-89
◗ Has three wins and three seconds from seven starts, with her lone off-the-board finish coming when sixth in the Grade 1 Test here last summer.
◗ Last November she finished second to Berned in the Safely Kept Stakes at Laurel. Berned won Sunday’s Grade 3 Molly Pitcher at Monmouth.
Cairenn, by First Dude
Last 3 Beyers: 85-85-85
◗ Since finishing fourth in her debut, she has never finished worse than third in 11 straight starts, including a second-place finish behind Chalon in the Primonetta Stakes at Laurel in April.
I have traveled more than 14 million miles on behalf of my clients, I’ve been fortunate enough to constantly find inspiration from cultures and traditions all over the world, allowing me to bring new and exciting elements to my designs. I put a lot of effort into the timing and flow of events so that the guest experience is seamlessly constructed from beginning to end.
1.You’re hosting a cocktail or large house party at the height of racing season. Do you think a horse-racing theme is too cute or kitsch?
I love a good theme—it allows you to have a big picture that will help you edit the final look and shape all your creative decisions. Name tables after the top-rated horses, use miniature horseshoes as napkin rings, use silver trophy cups as floral vessels and, to really make it fun, have the guests arrive in glamorous horse-racing attire: guys in ties, girls in pearls. For a daytime party, hats are mandatory! And, your cocktail du jour is a fresh mint julep (yes, even in Saratoga).
2. If you’re hosting a baby shower for your sister-in-law, how do you make it memorable for her?
Take into consideration what she likes—her favorite colors, what she’s craving right now and, hopefully, if you know whether it’s a boy or girl, you can run with a colorful theme. Ask her if she’d like it to be girls only or if it’s OK to invite the boys to join a little later for the stronger cocktails. Get creative and serve drinks out of baby bottles, fold a napkin like a diaper and use a safety pin with a label as guests’ name cards. Perhaps you play a game of “guess the gender,” “guess the name” or some other fun baby trivia.
3. What’s the best way to ensure a mistake-free, cost-effective, memorable wedding?
Hire a professional wedding planner to help you. You’re creating the single biggest event of your life and need to make sure you look good in the process. A trusted professional will happily and expertly help you navigate the journey, alleviate stress, find the right creative partners for you, identify the venue and manage your guest list and most importantly—your budget!
4. What are the last four things you should do before your guests arrive at your dinner party?
1. Turn down the lights and light the candles.
2. Crank up the music.
3. Put on a new outfit; freshen your makeup and fragrance.
4. Open the door with a smile wrapped two-and-a-half times around your face—and, action!
