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Beekman 1802 Is Turning Its Farm Into the World’s Largest ‘Restaurant’

Morgan Fechter
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Beekman 1802 Is Turning Its Farm Into the World’s Largest ‘Restaurant’

Time and time again, during the COVID-19 crisis, Capital Region businesses have shown how much they’re invested in the community at large. The latest business to lend a helping hand is Sharon Springs-based Beekman 1802, a nationally recognized lifestyle brand that sells locally produced artisanal items such as goat milk-based skincare products and soaps. In order to help local eateries that have been closed due to the ongoing pandemic, Beekman 1802 will be turning its 60-acre farm into the world’s largest “restaurant.”

To create the restaurant, tables donated by local catering company Total Events will be placed at safe distances across the expansive property. Each week, a local restaurant will take over the property for a night, serving guests fresh fare in the beautiful outdoors.

The initiative, first proposed by Beekman’s Co-owners Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge via Facebook in early June, quickly garnered interest from foodies from across the country. Within a single day, over 100 couples reached out to reserve a table at the Beekman farm restaurant. The waiting list now includes hundreds of eager diners looking to enjoy a romantic dinner in Sharon Springs.

The brand has been committed to supporting the local economy since its genesis in 2008, bringing thousands of visitors to the area for events such as its annual Harvest Festival, which attracted 20,000 people last year. Beekman 1802 even created a pop-up shop based on the Netflix series Schitt’s Creek at its storefront in Sharon Springs earlier this year, after employees noticed striking similarities between Beekman 1802’s business and the fictional “Rose Apothecary” on the popular Canadian TV show.
This latest venture kicks off on Friday, June 26, with a takeover by Sharon Springs’ own Brimstone Bakery. “We hope that the experiences will allow people to see the often unrecognized culinary talent at some of the region’s smaller establishments,” says Kilmer-Purcell. Ridge also expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative: “Hopefully this will inspire similar ideas in other communities around the country.  As we always say, great things can happen when communities come together.”

Lake Local to Be Resurrected as 550 Waterfront, Two Years After Fire

Morgan Fechter
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Lake Local to Be Resurrected as 550 Waterfront, Two Years After Fire

This phoenix-out-of-the-ashes got a $6.5 million boost. The Lake Local, a popular restaurant and bar on Saratoga Lake that was destroyed by fire in the spring of 2018, will be reopening Thursday, June 25, as 550 Waterfront at 550 Union Avenue.

The redesigned restaurant will feature 7,000 square feet of indoor space in addition to a sprawling patio leading down to the lake’s edge. An attached marina features 110 boat slips and two docks where lake-goers can pick up food to bring out on the water.

“We were all heartbroken when the fire happened a couple years ago, and it’s been a lot of planning and envisioning and approvals and discussion among the partners involved,” says Michael Phinney, partner and principal at Phinney Design Group, who oversaw the rebuilding of the business. “In the end, we’ve come up with something we think we wish was always there at the beginning. It’s a considerable upgrade from the old place, and we’re very excited about its potential.”

The restaurant’s expansive and airy new design—glass “garage” doors open the indoor seating to lakefront views—offers the perfect setting for socially distant dining. The $6.5 million building, brought to life by Saratoga’s Phinney Design Group, boasts an impressive seating capacity of 400. (Even with COVID-19 restrictions in place, 550 Waterfront will still be able to accommodate nearly 200 guests at a time.)

Chef Brady Dillon (of Saratoga’s Taquero Tacos and Donuts) will helm the state-of-the-art kitchen, and his menu will include seafood specials, as well as classic American fare like burgers and hot dogs.

550 Waterfront’s grand opening will begin at 11am on the 25th, and seating will be on a first-come-first-serve basis. Visit 550 Waterfront’s Facebook page to view the restaurant’s recently-released menu (Swordfish BLT, anyone?) and updated hours of service.

Job Hunters: Microsoft, The Whistling Kettle and Calm Are All Hiring

Will Levith
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Job Hunters: Microsoft, The Whistling Kettle and Calm Are All Hiring

In these highly uncertain days, we’ll take wins, however small. And one big one we all got to enjoy last week was when the Capital Region entered phase three of its reopening plan, effectively opening restaurants and food service operations (at limited capacity); as well as personal care shops such as beauty salons, barbershops, massage parlors, nail salons and tattoo parlors. Your first post-isolation outdoor appetizers, margs, tats and rubdowns await.

Now, obviously, since gatherings are still capped at just 25 people at a time—and there are a battery of health restrictions in place for all of the businesses that have reopened—things aren’t completely “normal” by any stretch of the imagination. But we’ve been seeing an upward trend in the diversity of local jobs that are becoming available on the job boards, as employers begin reopening reimagined workplaces. And for those employers that are still content with their staff working remotely—well, that just makes it all the more convenient for you as an applicant. If you’re fed up with going from one upstate cubicle to the next, think about applying to some far-off, national remote jobs.

One last thought before we get to the good stuff: If you applied for a job at the outset of the pandemic, and the HR department told you that the company was going on a temporary hiring freeze, it might be worthwhile getting back in touch. That freeze could’ve thawed by now, and your résumé or application could be back in play.

Local Job Opportunities

Cool Job Opportunity (Local) – Social Media
It’s nice to see when a company that you’ve done business with is expanding. Awhile back, the good folks at Latham-based Elevation Ten Thousand (a.k.a. “Elevation 10K”) did some work for us on saratogaliving.com. We sat in their boardroom, drank their water and watched their PowerPoint slides come to life. We can’t say enough good things about them. The firm is looking for a Social Media Strategist, who has a detailed understanding of publishing and analytics tools, and social media marketing technology, along with all of the usual suspects: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, et al. Don’t be fooled by the title; it’s by no means a junior-level role, and requires five years of experience, preferably spent working at a brand or agency. Hunt for it on LinkedIn Jobs or apply directly on Elevation Ten Thousand’s website.

Cool Job Opportunity (Local) – Product Development
As we’ve mentioned in the past, the Capital Region is simply crawling with software companies, digital agencies, game developers and other e-industries, and if you have the know-how, you could open yourself up to a whole new world of possibilities. Take Schenectady-based software company Transfinder, which makes school bus routing and tracking software. It’s on the lookout for a Product Owner, who will be working with the development teams, Scrum Masters, UI/UX Designers and internal stakeholders, gathering requirements and working with the UI/UX Designers to design new features and products. (Scrum Masters have nothing to do with that massive pile rugby players make, when they knock one another’s teeth out and grab one another’s unmentionables, by the way.) Want in? Search for the position on LinkedIn Jobs or apply right on Transfinder’s careers page.

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Cool Job Opportunity – Mohawk Ambulance Service (Advertisement)
In this edition of Job Hunters, we have a special addition to our local job opportunities ranks: Mohawk Ambulance Service—which is the largest privately owned ambulance service in Upstate New York, providing Basic and Advanced Life Support Services to Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer, and Saratoga Counties—is looking for a Verification Specialist, based in Schenectady. What exactly does the job entail? Find out below:

Mohawk Ambulance Service focuses on recruiting individuals who are “service oriented.” We believe that the most important asset of every organization is its employees. We invest in our staff by providing in-depth and ongoing training program for all employees. Employee retention is a high priority and we accomplish this by developing our team as valued partners in caring.

An equal opportunity employer, Mohawk Ambulance Service offers competitive wages and flexible scheduling. Other benefits include in-house training, as well as educational advancement and promotion opportunities.

Mohawk Ambulance Service provides a drug- and tobacco-free work environment that is ensured through pre-employment and random drug screenings.

Summary/Objective
This is a full time office position. The Verification Specialist is primarily responsible for investigating and verifying all demographics, insurance information, patient’s identity and correctly entering information into billing system. This position requires extensive phone work, investigative skills using tools provided and common sense.

Essential Functions
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the Assign and essential functions.
* Resolve electronic patient transports
* Review patient care reports and match information
* Research patient demographic information via websites provided
* Verify eligibility and search for insurance coverage via websites provided
* Contact patients to verify address and obtain insurance information
* Contact facilities to verify patient transport information

Preferred Qualifications
* Two to five years of medical billing experience
* Knowledge of medical terminology
* Knowledge if ICD9, CPT, and HCPCS coding
* Type 45 to 60 words per minute
* Experience working in a fast paced medical billing office

Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Apply for the Verification Specialist position here.

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Cool Job Opportunity (Local) – Sales/Marketing
If you’re a fan of the fine art of the high tea—and sandwiches, crepes, desserts and other tea-time delicacies—the Whistling Kettle, which has locations in Ballston Spa, Troy and Schenectady, is looking for an E-Commerce Sales and Marketing Associate to help the restaurant out with producing creative content for its website, scheduling and posting to its social media, photography and graphic design, email scheduling and more. Basically, you’d be doing a little bit of e-everything. Sip a little tea, make a little dough. Search for the position on LinkedIn Jobs or search for open positions here.

Cool Job Opportunity (Local) – Director Level
If you believe Silicon Valley jobs only exist out West, you, my friend, are sorely mistaken. Microsoft, which is headquartered in Redmond, WA, has subsidiaries all over the country, including in Albany. The tech giant is searching for a Client Director—actually multiple directors in a trio of cities across the nation—to lead account teams to accelerate revenue growth, drive business outcomes, and help customers digitally transform their industries. It’s a rather specialized position, so you’ll need at minimum five-plus years of experience in state and local government, with specified experience in the public safety, health and human services, transportation or tax administration departments. Search for the position on LinkedIn or apply directly on Microsoft’s careers page.

:: Editor’s Pick :: Cool Job Opportunity (Local) – Various Positions
Remember how we’ve been saying that, due to the COVID-19 crisis, there would be an uptick in healthcare-related jobs? In perusing the new positions on Indeed, one employer kept on coming up, over and over again: United Concierge Medicine (UCM). It turns out that UCM is a virtual/telehealth provider that powers apps for local healthcare conglomerates such as CDPHP, and it’s on the lookout for some of the smartest, most creative minds in the Capital Region. The company is based on River Street in beautiful Downtown Troy, and has a number of positions open at the moment: Client Relations Specialist (estimated salary: $45K-$65K!), Operations Director, Channel Partner Marketing and Engagement Director (CPM) and EMS Business Development Director, among others. Find its various open positions on Indeed, or apply for one or all of them here.

National/Remote Job Opportunities

Cool Job Opportunity (National/Remote) – Game Show Host
“Pat, I’d like to buy a vowel.” The Go Game, a company that produces and hosts remote team building exercises, is looking for a Game Show Host to “produce and execute wildly entertaining, high-tech games for the poor, huddled, online masses; and sometimes they’ll give you a standing ovation because the game is that fun, and you’re that awesome.” (Clients include Dell, Google, Intel, Oracle and more.) Games can be for anywhere from 1-500+ people and can be scavenger hunts, brain teasers and actually include an athletic element. Search for the position on Glassdoor or apply via the company’s jobs site.

Cool Job Opportunity (National/Remote) – Sleep Story Producer
A handful of years ago, I interviewed the co-founder of the Calm app, Michael Acton Smith, about his cool product. I’m a big-time fan of meditation, and the app was one of my favorites (it also includes “sleep stories” read by famous people that are supposed to hit the snooze button on your life; I tested one out, featuring actor Ben Stein [Ferris Bueller’s Day Off fame] reading The Wealth of Nations, and it conked me right out). Just a few years later, and the app is now worth a cool billion dollars, with celebrity influencers in its corner such as LeBron James. Calm is looking for a Creative Producer for said “sleep stories.” Want to put people to sleep for a living? Check out the job description on Indeed or the company’s jobs site.

Job, Business and Volunteering Opportunities

Cool Internship Opportunity (Remote) – NPR
Are you a radio-holic who can’t get enough of NPR in the morning? Do you hang on every word spake by Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin? Maybe a remote internship with the public radio giant is just what the doctor ordered. NPR interns aren’t just paper-pushers: “From day one,” reads the description, “interns are given real-world, hands-on responsibilities. Working alongside top professionals in the field, interns do meaningful work across a variety of departments at NPR.” Sounds like a wonderful opportunity to me. Apply today.

What It’s Like Getting a COVID-19 Antibody Test, and Why You Should Get One Today (Opinion)

Will Levith
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What It’s Like Getting a COVID-19 Antibody Test, and Why You Should Get One Today (Opinion)

I’m going to get this out of the way up front: I don’t like needles, never have and have been known to get woozy to the point of feeling like I’m going to faint when getting bloodwork done at the doctor’s office (just the word “bloodwork” makes me feel kind of queasy). So, I understand if someone—anyone—who has the same anti-phlebotomy issues I do would be less than overjoyed about taking a voluntary test that involves—to paraphrase the Pink Floyd song—”just a little pinprick” and the possibility of feeling “a little sick.”

What I’m talking about here is the COVID-19 antibody (or serology) test, which first made a cameo in New York State in late April, when the virus was still felling hundreds of New Yorkers a day and the state was in desperate need of a deus ex machina to help figure out who had the virus and when. The idea was that you would have some blood drawn to see whether you had the COVID antibodies in your bloodstream, and if you did, it rendered you safe—to a point. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that there’s no evidence that having the COVID antibodies present in your system makes you immune to the virus. So it’s not a perfect scenario.

Whereas back then, the test was only really administered to essential and frontline workers, these days, it’s available to pretty much anyone in New York (it helps greatly if you have health insurance, and even with insurance, it could cost you $70, if your plan doesn’t cover it). If you’re worried that there won’t be a test site near you, fear not: If you’re based in Saratoga Springs, there are more than 50 testing sites within a reasonable drive from most locations in the city. That’s better odds than your local Walmart having the soft toilet paper brand you’ve been craving throughout quarantine.

So, what do you need to do to get the antibody test? Not much, really. When I originally signed up for it, I started off by doing a quick telehealth session with a nurse at my local doctor’s office. I was then OKed for the COVID-19 nasal swab test, which involved me driving through a mobile test site—similar to the McDonald’s drive-thru but with nurses “taking my order” in hazmat suits via my two nostrils. It put me out of my comfort zone for a grand total of three seconds and made me, momentarily, wonder how far back by nose stretched up into my head. (Anecdotally, I’ve heard that some people react to it differently or more adversely; one friend I talked to referred to it as a “lobotomy,” but that’s a bit of hyperbole, if you ask me.) A few days later, I got a call from a nurse saying that I was negative for the virus. In a way, it felt good knowing that all of the hand sanitizing, social distancing, masking and constant paranoia over the previous few months had paid off. But I wasn’t done just yet.

The next step was obtaining access to the antibody test, which I needed preauthorization to get. (I got sign-off at the same time I scheduled by nasal swab test; it just needed to come afterwards.) The idea behind doing it was, if I didn’t have COVID right now per the schnoz test, the antibody test ensured that I either never had it, period; or had it at some point and my immune system flicked it away like a dead fly. Maybe what I thought was a nasty cold in February or March was actually the real McCoy! Most importantly, getting the antibody test would ensure that, at least to some extent, my body would have some line of defense against the virus were it to come knocking again—or before Johnson & Johnson, Regeneron or some other national pharma company struck platinum and produced the highly COVID-ted vaccine (yes, there’s room for a good pun in all of this still). It just so happened that I had my annual physical scheduled for late June, so I made sure, with my doctor’s approval, that the phlebotomist was able to draw blood not only for my cholesterol and liver function tests, but also to check my system for the COVID antibodies. After getting poked and prodded for a little while (you know the drill), I was sent off to the lab for the big moment.

When the nurse finally called my name, I asked politely, as I always do, to lay down when I’m getting my blood drawn so as not to do my best impression of backstage at an Eagles concert, circa 1972 (i.e. pass out with the needle still in my arm). The nurse was in a great mood—she’d emceed her cousin’s wedding the day before—and though I did get that queasy sensation and had to stay a few extra ticks while it passed, I made it out alive once again. Now, all I need to do is wait for my results, which are going to take 3-5 days to come back.

If you are worried that you have or had COVID-19, do yourself a favor and go get tested. New York has done the most testing of any state in the union; on June 19 alone, more than 10,000 people were tested, and that’s down from its peak on May 26, when more than 34,000 were tested. The worst thing you can do is sit around your house, watch Contagion on Netflix and blow the equivalent of the plot all over your loved ones and put them in danger. And like I said in my other piece, now is a better time than any to get tested; the region is in the middle of phase three and well on its way to phase four of its reopening plan, and if the virus does have a “second wave” this fall, as some experts have posited, you’ll be ahead of the potentially re-unflattened curve.

Until then, I’m going to be awaiting my second round of test results and daydreaming about the day when another nurse jabs me in the arm with the COVID vaccine, and I get a simultaneous wave of nausea and peace of mind.

Tiz the Law, Product of Saratoga’s Sackatoga Stable, Takes the 2020 Belmont Stakes

Will Levith
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Tiz the Law, Product of Saratoga’s Sackatoga Stable, Takes the 2020 Belmont Stakes

Could Tiz the Law be the next Funny Cide—or better? In the 2020 Belmont Stakes, which was contested on June 20 (today) at the spectator-less Belmont Park, Tiz the Law, which is owned by and trained at Saratoga Springs-based stable, Sackatoga Stable—co-founded by Jack Knowlton and Ed Mitzen—won in commanding fashion, taking the first leg of the American Triple Crown by 3 3/4-length. (If you’re wondering about the reference at the top, Tiz the Law’s trainer, Barclay Tagg, won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes with Funny Cide in 2003.) Jockey Manny Franco was aboard for the winning trip.

Dr Post and Max Player came in second and third, respectively.

Per the Daily Racing Form, with the win, Tiz the Law becomes the first New York-bred horse to take the Belmont since 1882. This marks Tiz the Law’s fifth win in six career starts, and he’s undefeated in three starts as a three year old, having grabbed the Grade 3 Holy Bull and Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.

Next stop in this nontraditional Triple Crown year will be the Kentucky Derby, which was rescheduled to September 5 because of the ongoing COVID crisis. For more information on the upcoming legs of the Triple Crown, tune in to Saratoga Living‘s recent handicapping panel here.

2020 Belmont Stakes: Watch a Free Zoom Handicapping Panel Before the Big Race

Staff Report
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2020 Belmont Stakes: Watch a Free Zoom Handicapping Panel Before the Big Race

Yes, the pandemic has mucked up the traditional order of the Triple Crown. And no, you can’t watch the Belmont Stakes in person today at Belmont Park. But you can stream or watch it on TV—and you can wager on the race on your favorite app.

So, are you going to stand around and mope about it, or handicap the hell out of the race and make a fat stack of Benjamins? No idea who to bet on? We’ve got you covered.

Last night, Saratoga Living hosted an exclusive pro handicapping panel, sponsored by NYRA Bets, with three of the nation’s top handicappers: Brian Nadeau (Capital OTB), Seth Merrow (Capital OTB) and Anthony Stabile (NYRA Bets). The panel gave its picks for today’s Belmont Stakes, discussed what the Triple Crown landscape would look like this year and more.

Watch the full video below.

Want in on the race day fun? Sign up for the NYRA Bets app here and get a free $25 wager with the promo code “BELMONT25.”

Saratoga Olive Oil to Open Outlet Store at Moreau Warehouse

Natalie Moore
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Saratoga Olive Oil to Open Outlet Store at Moreau Warehouse

When Clint, Barbara and Chad Braidwood, co-owners of Saratoga Olive Oil Co., purchased property in Moreau last year, they knew that, in addition to housing their company’s warehouse and corporate offices there, they’d eventually open up a retail location in the space as well. Now, “eventually” has become “imminently,” as they prepare for the opening of a new outlet store at the location scheduled for this August.

Saratoga Olive Oil was founded by Clint, his wife Barbara and his brother Chad in 2011 after Clint and Barbara visited an olive oil store in Maine and fell in love with its sample-before-you-buy concept. “At the time, we were in the pharmaceutical field—actually all three of us were,” Clint, a Niskayuna native, says. “We were traveling all around the country and we saw this as possibly a way to be sedentary and raise a family. We saw that shop in October of 2010 and we were open by April of 2011 in Saratoga.” The following year, the trio opened a store in Burlington, VT that’s now run by Chad, and in 2014, opened a third location in Lake Placid that’s run by one of Clint and Chad’s friends from high school, Peter Fazio. They purchased the Moreau facility—the former home of Aquawood Pools located just off exit 17 of the Northway—in the spring of 2019, after their shipping operation outgrew their 2,500-square-foot facility in Saratoga.

The new store coming to Moreau will be sightly different than Saratoga Olive Oil’s other three locations. “It’ll be lots of bulk discounts—cases of things or six packs,” Barbara says. “We’ll have, of course, some of the same stuff that’s in our other shops as well. There’ll be a large variety of different gifts and oils and balsamics and sea salts to pick from.”

The Moreau warehouse is currently offering curbside pickup, Tuesday-Thursday from 10am-2pm, and the plan is to have the outlet store open daily from 9am-5pm. An exact date of the opening hasn’t been chosen yet, but Barbara says there will be a grand opening announcement made when the time comes.

Saratoga Race Course’s 2020 Stakes Schedule Topped by Early Travers on August 8

Will Levith
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Saratoga Race Course’s 2020 Stakes Schedule Topped by Early Travers on August 8

On April 29, when the New York Racing Association (NYRA), in lock-step with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, announced that Saratoga Race Course would open this summer, but without spectators, it at least confirmed that there would be racing in Saratoga, despite the then month-long COVID-19 crisis. Then, when the Oklahoma Training Track opened its doors on June 4—to limited personnel and about a month and a half later than expected—it signaled the unofficial start of what would certainly be a strange Saratoga summer meet. And of course, with the rescheduling of first the Kentucky Derby, then the Preakness Stakes and finally, the Belmont Stakes, which is set to run this Saturday, June 20, it launched all sorts of speculation—including our own—as to how the once-in-a-lifetime Triple Crown landscape would affect the Saratoga Race Course schedule. Because, historically, the gem of the meet, the Travers Stakes, was run after the Triple Crown races were completed, but this year, could potentially serve a greater purpose, maybe as an early Derby prep race.

Well, Saratoga, you now have answers.

On June 19 (today), NYRA officially released the full Saratoga stakes schedule, which will include 71 stakes races worth $14.45 million. That is, 39 graded stakes and 18 Grade 1s from Thursday, July 16 through Monday, September 7.

The 40-day summer meet will once again be highlighted by the 151st running of the Grade 1, $1 million Travers Stakes, which has been shifted back to August 8; and the Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney on August 1.

After the track’s opening weekend, racing will once again be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, with Mondays and Tuesdays dark as they were last season.

The Travers, a.k.a. the “Midsummer Derby,” which is normally run at the end of August, was shifted forward to the 8th, according to NYRA, due to scheduling adjustments based on the overall calendar for three-year-olds in training, and because of the health and safety measures put in place due to the COVID-19 crisis. The race will still be run at its traditional 1 1/4 miles; and the card will also include two other Grade 1s, including the $300,000 Ballerina for three-year-old and up fillies and mares at seven furlongs in a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint; and the Grade 1, $300,000 Test for sophomore fillies at seven furlongs. Additionally, the Travers card will include the Grade 3, $200,000 Troy, a 5 ½-furlong turf sprint for older males; and the Grade 3, $150,000 Waya , a 1 ½-mile turf route for older fillies and mares.

See the full stakes schedule below:

Thursday, July 16
Grade 3, $100,000 Schuylerville
Grade 3, $100,000 Peter Pan

Friday, July 17
$85,000 Shine Again
$85,000 De La Rose

Saturday, July 18
Grade 1, $350,000 Coaching Club American Oaks
Grade 2, $150,000 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame

Sunday, July 19
Grade 2, $150,000 Lake Placid

Wednesday, July 22
$85,000Lubash (NYB)

Thursday, July 23
Grade 1, $100,000 A.P. Smithwick (Steeplechase)
$100,000 NYSS Statue of Liberty Division

Friday, July 24
Grade 3, $100,000 Quick Call

Saturday, July 25
Grade 1, $250,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap
Grade 2, $200,000 Ballston Spa

Sunday, July 26
Grade 2, $150,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap

Wednesday, July 29
$85,000 Dayatthespa (NYB)

Thursday, July 30
$85,000 John Morrissey Handicap

Friday, July 31
$100,000 Coronation Cup

Saturday, August 1 (Whitney Day)
Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney Handicap
Grade 1, $500,000 Personal Ensign
Grade 1, $300,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial
Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green
$200,000 Caress

Sunday, August 2
$100,000 Birdstone

Wednesday, August 5
$85,000 Summer Colony

Thursday, August 6
$100,000 NYSSS Cab Calloway Division

Friday, August 7
Grade 2, $150,000 Saratoga Special

Saturday, August 8 (Travers Day)
Grade 1, $1 million Travers Stakes
Grade 1, $300,000 Ballerina Handicap
Grade 1, $300,000 Test
Grade 3, $200,000 Troy
Grade 3, $150,000 Waya

Sunday, August 9
$85,000 Alydar

Wednesday, August 12
Grade 2, $150,000 Adirondack

Thursday, August 13
$85,000 Union Avenue Handicap (NYB)

Friday, August 14
$100,000 Perfect Sting

Saturday, August 15
$500,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational
Grade 1, $500,000 Alabama

Sunday, August 16
$500,000 Saratoga Oaks Invitational

Wednesday, August 19
$85,000 Bolton Landing

Thursday, August 20
Grade 1, $100,000 New York Turf Writers Cup (Steeplechase)
$85,000 Tale of the Cat

Friday, August 21
$85,000 Skidmore

Saturday, August 22
Grade 1, $400,000 Fourstardave Handicap

Sunday, August 23
Grade 1, $500,000 Diana

Wednesday, August 26
$85,000 Mahony

Thursday, August 27
$100,000 NYSSS Times Square Division
$85,000 Smart N Fancy

Friday, August 28
Grade 3, $100,000 Lake George

Saturday, August 29
Grade 1, $500,000 Sword Dancer
Grade 1, $300,000 Forego
Grade 2, $150,000 Amsterdam
Grade 3, $100,000 Saranac

Sunday, August 30
Grade 3, $125,000 Shuvee

Wednesday, September 2
Grade 3, $100,000 With Anticipation

Thursday, September 3
$100,000 P.G. Johnson
$100,000 NYSSS Park Avenue Division

Friday, September 4
$150,000 Albany
$150,000 Fleet Indian
$150,000 Funny Cide
$150,000 Seeking the Ante
$150,000 West Point Handicap
$150,000 Yaddo Handicap

Saturday, September 5
Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward Handicap
Grade 2, $200,000 Glens Falls
Grade 2, $200,000 Prioress
Grade 2, $150,000 Jim Dandy

Sunday, September 6
Grade 1, $250,000 Spinaway
Grade 2, $150,000 Honorable Miss Handicap
$85,000 Lucky Coin

Monday, September 7 (Closing Day)
Grade 1, $250,000 Hopeful
$85,000 Lure

Marylou Whitney Collection Auction to Benefit Saratoga Backstretch Clinic

Morgan Fechter
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Marylou Whitney Collection Auction to Benefit Saratoga Backstretch Clinic

For some Saratogians, the late Marylou Whitney was not only Saratoga’s greatest champion, philanthropist and socialite, but also a rock star. She had fans the world over—but especially here in Saratoga. And while dribs and drabs of her estate have made it to auction since her passing last summer at the age of 93, the largest portion of it yet is set to hit the auction block this summer, for a good cause, no less.

Starting on July 27, the one-year anniversary of Whitney’s passing, and ending on August 1, “Marylou Whitney Day” at Saratoga Race Course, an online auction that includes more than 1,500 of Whitney’s belongings will be launched to benefit the future home of the backstretch medical clinic, to be operated at the track by Saratoga Hospital and the Backstretch Employee Service Team (BEST). Dubbed the Marylou Whitney Collection, it includes big-ticket items such as Marylou’s 1985 Jaguar XJ6 and a diamond choker necklace gifted to her by her husband, John Hendrickson; couture ensembles and designer evening gowns; and vintage hats, purses and scarves from labels like Chanel, Hermès and Tiffany.

One of the big-ticket items from the Marylou Whitney Collection, the late Whitney’s 1985 Jaguar XJ6.

The idea for the auction was Hendrickson’s, with the thought that his late wife would’ve wanted her worldly possessions to benefit others. “No one shared her blessings and good fortune more than Marylou,” says Hendrickson. “No one was more dedicated to helping charities than Marylou…and so the idea was born. Her spirit of giving will live on—Marylou’s personal items are going for a greater good.”

That “greater good” is the backstretch medical clinic, which was first launched out of a trailer by BEST in 2005, offering onsite care to the track’s backstretch workers, including groomers, jockeys, farriers, veterinarians and others. The money raised by the auction will go towards funding the construction of a new, state-of-the-art facility. BEST’s Executive Director, Paul Ruchames, said of the auction: “The welfare of backstretch workers was so close to [Whitney’s] heart, and they loved her. The public’s participation in this auction will appropriately honor her legacy of kindness to everyone.”

Interested bidders can now preview the collection via its website, with the live auction beginning on Monday, July 27, at midnight and continuing through Saturday, August 1 at 11:59 pm. Buyers can register early and opt to receive bidding notifications via text alert. Bidders can also email in questions about the lots and will have the option to use either “bidding” or “buy it now” features on the website.

Utica’s Boilermaker Canceled for the First Time in 42 Years

Will Levith
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Utica’s Boilermaker Canceled for the First Time in 42 Years

Utica’s world-famous Boilermaker 15K road race, which annually reins in runners from all over the world and the Capital Region—including, quite begrudgingly, this writer, several times—is canceling its live race for the first time in 42 years and instead taking it virtual, due to COVID-19 concerns.

In a message to runners, many of whom had already signed up months in advance and were in the middle of training for the hilly-as-hell race, the race’s nonprofit organizers asked would-be runners to “accept our sincere thanks for your unwavering patience and understanding as we’ve navigated the uncharted and turbulent waters of the coronavirus pandemic.” In April, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York State, Boilermaker organizers first postponed the event, which also includes a popular 5K, until September. But even with the Mohawk Valley a few steps ahead of the Capital Region in terms of its reopening plan, the Boilermaker, which annually reins in more than 10,000 runners, was clearly an “attractive nuisance” even the best planning couldn’t contain.

The road race, which welcomes in runners from all over the world—and generates millions of dollars for local and regional businesses—will now be run at participants’ discretion between September 1-13. Virtual runners are then being asked to report their time to the Boilermaker by no later than 12pm EST on September 13. “Finishers” will get a commemorative pint glass, race bib and finisher’s medal for the 15K and/or finisher’s pin for the 5K. (Unfortunately, unlike the live race, those that complete it will not be receiving the complimentary pint of Saranac beer—but be sure to grab a six-pack to make it “official.”)

The Boilermaker has been run in the streets of Utica since 1978, and has been a popular, competitive race for not only top high school and college athletes in the Capital Region and throughout the Northeast, but also national runners, wheelchair athletes and internationally renowned superstars. Boilermaker winners have shared up to $100,000 in prize money in recent years.

To sign up for the virtual race, click here.

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