TAKING CHARGE OF THE SARATOGA EXPERIENCE

Will Take Charge winner on the Travers Stakes 2013

Legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas won the Travers Stakes with Will Take Charge, an Unbridled Song colt, ridden by Luis Saez.  The day was hot and the crowd hard to deal with.  That being the basics out of the way, I promised to deliver some different experiences this trip.
I opted to go up on Thursday for the hurdle race and come home after the Travers on Saturday.  Usually I spend Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the track.  Alone, I could do as I pleased, and wanted to take it easy on the betting.  Travers Day the gates opened at 7:00 a.m. and there were 14 races to lose money on.  I was shaking with excitement just getting into my dress, you would have thought I was running in the race myself, while Will Take Charge was quietly resting in his stall.

The Turf Writers Steeplechase 

Italian Wedding in the Turf Writers Steeplechase

Italian Wedding winning, ridden by Berard Dalton, jump jock style. 

My plan to be in town early on Friday morning enabled me to join the National Museum of Racing's tour at the Oklahoma training facility over the road from what is now the main Saratoga racetrack.  The original site that is 150 years old, and where War Admiral ran, is actually the sacred grounds of Oklahoma.
Places are what you make them and horses make them better.  It was a perfect morning, sunny with the buzz of racing in the air.  I could hear the thunder of hooves galloping in sets as we, the group of tourists, approached security.  The sound of shoes clipped on the road in front where some horses crossed en rout to the main track, grandstand side.  The smell of caballo caca bothers many people but I can inhale it like Channel no. 5.  In the roadside barns a groom stirred a huge pot of barbecue simmering for later in the day and it's inviting aroma wafted over the air too.  Wow, party on the backside, that means a BIG race day.  
Our guide explained  the rules and we immediately had to stop and give right-of-way to horse and rider, it was Rosie Napravnik.  I didn't think the top guns came to track-work all that much and wasn't expecting to see many out with such a full card of important races scheduled.  On the hour-and-a-half walk we saw Rajiv Maragh and Jose Ortiz and, Rosie zipped past again driving a golf cart and talking on her cell phone; going to jump on another.  At the races jockeys will stop and sign autographs on their way back to the jock's room, but it's thrilling to spot them at morning work; like seeing a movie star in the grocery store.

Rajiv Maragh

The grass track of Oklahoma was open for breezing and other than the races themselves nothing is more exciting, especially for people who have never seen it before.  It's wonderful that NYRA allows the tours in the midst of such bustle.  It means a lot to a true racing fan and I met many devoted horse lovers this weekend, people who came for the horses and not just the betting.

I've been on a few backstretches, even Churchill Downs, but none so far came close to Oklahoma, Saratoga, which makes my eyes water.  All I could do for the last five days is shake my head and say, "amazing."  The beautiful old barns had walking rings in front of them and buckets on stands for the horses to drink from as they cooled off at the hands of hot-walkers.  There were hanging baskets decorating the shed-rows and folded horse blankets on the doors that were open with stall guards in the barns' colors keeping the horses in.  Hay nets were strung on the outside so the horses wouldn't get hooked up in them and  feed tubs and ball toys dangled from the opposite sides.  Bandages for leg wraps dried over rails as guys cleaned tack swinging from bridle hooks.  I'd heard the name Saratoga, growing up in Australia but I could never have imagined what it was really like, racing in other countries is different.  A whole track community here just sets-up business for the summer and it blows my mind; the barns of famous trainers, owners, and horses, and the workers who make it all possible.  The track riders and pony-horses alone are astounding and what a hell of a job New York and visiting jockeys do.  I will let my photos show some of what I mean and highly recommend if you are a fan that you tour an American backstretch--Oklahoma Saratoga would be the ultimate. You really can't appreciate it until you see it (bucket list for sure).

This summer saw the opening of the new Whitney viewing stand track side at Oklahoma and anyone can go in to watch horses at morning workouts.  I didn't have my big lens with me but got some of the best shots I've taken.  The light is so much better than the main track because the sun is behind you and, it was fast-work morning on the grass, when trainers let some of their horses show what they can do.  Horses don't gallop at top speed everyday or they would soon burnout and breakdown.  I look at professional photos of race finishes in thoroughbred magazines until I'm numb but when I capture the action myself (an amateur) it feels like winning enough to be at the IRS window.  They flash past so fast the only way to see the competitiveness, determination and courage of the herd animals in their body language and facial expressions is to freeze frame it in a photo.  

People who love the track really love the track and a trip to Saratoga is a good way to find out if you do and anyone else too.  A young couple on our tour got engaged right there, he got down on one knee and purposed at the bottom of the stairs to the viewing tower.  I missed it of course, I was shooting workouts. The guy grew up in Saratoga, loves the races and thought it would be the perfect place when he heard it was being built.  That's starting out on the right leg and I have to say, I was a bit sad nothing that romantic ever happen to me.

Racegoers were trailing into the track with their fold-up chairs and coolers as the tour wrapped up. Although tempted, I was determined to skip a day's racing and visit Old Friends at Cabin Creek, the thoroughbred retirement home I'd heard so much about from Richard Migliore on Raceday.  Two previous Travers winners live their now, Will's Way (1996) and Thunder Rumble (1992 Travers and Jim Dandy winner), who was ridden by The Mig.  These happy old guys have nothing to do now except enjoy their pastures and beg for mints and carrots from visitors.  It's lovely to see them like this and people get so much pleasure from the close contact.  Our guide on that walk-around, Mary, had driven two hours to volunteer. Like me, she is a fan who finds it best to drive by herself all over the country just to see big races and great horses.

Red Down South and Zippy Chippy lapping up the attention and treats from visitors.

Will's Way 1996 Travers Stakes winner smooges a mint

Mary our guide and Moonshadow Gold, the first horse to retire at Cabin Creek

Thunder Rumble, 1992 Travers and Jim Dandy winner.

On my way back to town I picked up a couple of bottles of the collector's labeled wine celebrating the 150th anniversary of Saratoga racing, from The Saratoga Winery.  They have a nice array of equine art on their bottles but they were out of Thunder Rumble who was my new best friend.  Luckily the winemaker, Rich Nimmo, heard me ask for it and very kindly gave me a bottle from the cellar.  I'll never drink these wonderful wines they are for my extensive racehorse label collection.  Mostly port, some of which dates back to the seventies in Australia and even includes a match race bottle between two champion pacers, Pure Steel and Satinover (1980).  It all started with a bottle of  Yalumba: Without Fear 1976.
Finally it was time for a stroll down main street and an early dinner before the track emptied out.

Photos by Annie Wade

  

A WEEKEND AT SARATOGA

Wise Dan and Johnny Velazquez

The start of the Fourstardave

I suffer from FOMO, fear of missing out, so I always go to Saratoga once or twice before the Travers, just in case something happens and I can't make the big race.  Saratoga is never disappointing and seems more beautiful every visit.  It can't really be described you have to be there.  This trip I was alone and had the freedom to experience things I haven't done before, like breakfast track side (nothing better), a backstretch tour, a visit to the National  Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, and three blissful days of racing without anyone bitching about having to be at the track the whole time.  If I hadn't been so tried (it's a five hour drive for me) I would have gone to the trots as well and visited Old Friends at Cabin Creek, the thoroughbred retirement farm and Funny Cide-- next trip.
Let's start with the highlight of the weekend; seeing Wise Dan, last year's horse of the year, win the Fourstardave Handicap. What a race, King Kreesa gave him a run for his money but Dan reined supreme.  I hope everyone got their Fourstardave bobble head doll giveaway because it will be a collector's item from the 150th anniversary of Saratoga racing and, Fourstardave actually looks like Wise Dan.  Getting a picture of the superstar was almost impossible but I parked myself by the paddock fence when the race before was running and managed another, them watching us watching them photo of Wise Dan and jockey, John Velazquez.  I'm no Bob Coglianese, the famous track photographer, but I was privileged to meet him this past weekend.
One of the striking things about Saratoga is the people of all ages who love racing.  A little girl along side me at the paddock fence who was taking a photo with a cell phone bubbled with the thrill of it all and turned to me to say, "first time, it's my first time."  I almost cried, I knew how she felt, for some of us that excitement never wanes.  When I was driving out I saw a man slowly pushing an older man, who I assumed to be his farther, in a wheel chair.  (I used to push my mother around the races in a wheelchair in Australia).  They had a little cart hooked up to the wheelchair with their chairs and table folded in it and an elderly lady with a walker trailed along behind, I guess she was his mother.  I thought how wonderful the younger man was for taking the couple to the track and what great pleasure and memories they must share of summers at Saratoga.

My favorite pony.

Horses running in font of the big screen.

 Jose Ortiz

Moonlight Song

Harvey Pack says in his book, May The Horse Be With You, that people always congregate in the same places at the track, that they have their routine, their favorite spot by the rail and that is so true because I often see the same faces where I stand.  I used to spend a lot of money buying seat tickets but they were way too far from the paddock for me and the whole point of being at the track is the advantage of picking your bets by physical form, a luxury the Daily Racing Form can't provide.  So I rent a fold-up chair and set myself down in the paddock area.  Some of my ex-friends think it's slumming it and that I look out of place in my hats and heels with the hardcore New York punters, but I don't really blend anywhere and you try walking around the track all day in 5" heels.  I don't know how, Maggie in the Paddock (Maggie Wolfendale) does it, she must have nerve block injected in her ankles.  Maggie in the Paddock is a talented horsewoman, I even saw her riding track work in the morning while I was having breakfast.

Maggie Wolfendale

When I first unfold my chair the guys don't want to look up at me, they all have their noses buried in the form trying so hard to look like they know what they are doing.  I just smile put down my Daily Racing Program, I'm too cheap to buy the Form and I don't need pictures and stories with it all live right in front of me.   I tear the single race page from the Post an trash the rest on my way to Dunkin Donuts for a latte.  On my way back I pick up the scratchings from the widow and head for my seat to handicap.  The guys are usually listening hard for the announcement of the scratches by that time, and then Andy and Jason are up with their tips. They are very good, but I hate when a horse wins and they put me off it, so I usually stick to my own selections.  First I do the scratchings on The Post page then the last three runs to see who is in form, then I go to the "Fast Performances" page in the DRP.  The column I find most important is "Fastest Avg. Comparative Speed in Recent Races."  Pretty much all my other selections are done by eye: top weigh, balance, conformation, muscle tone for distance, stress level  and behavior of the horse on show, not color.
If I here another person at the fence say, always bet the grey because grandma bets the grey, I'm going to choke.

At the paddock fence

Unfortunately, I did bet the grey in the Adirondack Stakes, Fiftyshadesofgold, who got bumped horrible in the straight and finished third.  My other selection, who I was not on, Designer Legs, won at 16-1 when Who's in Town was disqualified for interference.  It was a bit of a rough finish for the 2-year-old fillies and we lost one when Charmed Hour broke down.  Designer Legs, bought for $10,000, looked a treat and I think Dallas Steward maybe the next hot trainer; remember Golden Soul's outstanding run in the Kentucky Derby.  Steward is also a graduated of the D. Wayne Lukas school of assistant trainers.

It's always hard to get out of your hotel bed for breakfast at the track but well worth it, and think of the people who do it everyday all their lives.  Saratoga has an announcer at track work which is just fabulous or I never would have got the shot of Maggie.  Then, I was out at the car switching cameras when I saw the trolly getting ready to do the backstretch tour and jumped on.  The guides were all very informative and it was a perfect sunny morning.  We were allowed up close to a beautiful, darling, gem of a pony-horse called Buddy, who was a nice horsie fix.  On the walk around I got to breath in the smell of the barnyard I miss so much and mostly only find in the nose of a good Burgundian wine these days.  I can hear the clang of the gates fly open in my head and remember the two-year-olds at barrier practice.  People say, "when they die they want to go to Heaven."  When I die I want to go to Saratoga.

Buddy the Pony

Gate Education: Carlos Martin youngsters

Morning Work

Learning the lead change

The stream of sets going onto the track were thinning out so I thought eating might actually be a good idea. There is nothing like sitting track side and hearing the horses hoof-falls and listening to their nostrils resonate with every stride.  Watching horses on the track at morning workouts is the best place in the world to have breakfast.  Oh, and the buffet was outstanding too; wish I'd had some of that apple-corn bread to give Buddy.

Breakfast Frontside

I'm a straggler and it was nearing 10:00 a.m. when they close the track to prepare for the races.  Time to visit the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame just across the road.  I've always heard about it from The Mig and Ernie on Raceday.  The sculpture room was great, you didn't have to cross the room to read which one was Secretariat, it kind of stood out with a natural glow.  I really enjoyed the steeplechase exhibit too.  Thursdays is steeplechase day at the Spa, the first race is always a jump and in August there are two hurdle races every other Thursday.  I love the jumps.
In England last year I saw a greyhound hurdle race and thought it was awesome, better still, I managed to win the exacta!  That was my first dog jump. Just because I like the dogs doesn't mean I'm a mutt.  I'm Australian and we generally like all forms of racing. That is probably why the Triple Crown room at the museum was the most magical for me with the Holy Grail on a pedestal in a glass case in the center.  The most sort-after trophy in racing made by Cartier with it's three points, each representing a jewel, one leg of the Triple Crown, which would seem to be the hardest achievement in sports these days.  Some people think it's plain but I was dazzled by it's silver shine as I walked around trying to see the future winners hidden in it's bowl, like searching in a crystal ball.
Summer is all too short in New York.  The trees were already starting to turn upstate.  Winter is coming and I hate to think of that great track with it's historic grandstand sitting alone in the cold all through the dark days.
(Photos by Annie Wade)