Saratoga Preview

When Saratoga Race Course reopened in 1946 after being closed for three years during World War II, residents of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. were giddy. Many had feared the sport, which had been so important to the little upstate city since the 1860s, was gone for good.

On Monday, Aug 5, the Saratogian newspaper carried the front-page banner headline that told the story: “Crowds Jam City for Return of Racing.” The first day of that 24-day season drew an opening-day record crowd of 15,168.

Historic Saratoga Race Course, America's oldest and most revered track, opens for business once again on Friday, launching the 147th summer of Thoroughbred racing in the city. The 10-race program, featuring the GII Lake George S. and the GIII Schuylerville S., is the starting point of a 40-day season that runs through Sept. 7. During the 70th consecutive Saratoga season since WWII, the New York Racing Association will present what is generally considered the highest-caliber meet in the nation, highlighted by 69 stakes worth a record $18.7 million in purses.

In March, a report commissioned by a Saratoga County agency showed just how much racing means to the region on an annual basis: $237 million and 2,600 jobs.

Trainer George Weaver, who lost his talented 3-year-old colt Tencendur (Warrior's Reward) to injury this week, said the Spa racing season stands apart.

“The best way I put it is the Saratoga meet is like the pinnacle of the year,” he said. Weaver noted that horsemen point to Saratoga as a showcase for their top runners and that many of the best 2-year-olds show off their talent.

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who will celebrate his 80th birthday Sept. 2, said he still gets excited about the Saratoga season.

“Definitely, because it's so competitive,” he said. “I like the big arena, The Derbys, the Breeders' Cups, the Preaknesses, the Belmonts, they fuel me very much. And Saratoga is that every day almost because of the stakes schedule. I just wish I was more competitive. But, hell, I am in complete denial; I think I'm competitive.”

Not everyone is happy about what NYRA is doing at Saratoga. At its meeting Tuesday, the Saratoga Springs City Council unanimously passed a resolution requesting more jurisdictional control over what takes place on the property now owned by the State of New York. City officials residents were surprised in late April when, without warning, NYRA submitted redevelopment plans that had laid dormant for about two years, to the state's Franchise Oversight Board.

“While this City Council is encouraged to hear that NYRA will be acting to improve track facilities, to date, the city has been given no opportunity to participate in any discussion regarding specific improvements,” the Albany Times Union reported the resolution said. “This is a significant concern.”

The city council said some of the proposed changes would impact surrounding neighborhoods, vehicle and pedestrian traffic, public safety and the infrastructure.

NYRA President and CEO Chris Kay was severely criticized by some columnists and commentators when he announced in June that NYRA had eliminated its free pre-season open house, would start offering customers the opportunity to pay to reserve picnic tables during the meet and that a sports bar with reserved seating at tables would occupy the lower floor of the Carousel.

Previously, all picnic tables and seating in the Carousel were available on a first-come, first-served basis.

In his column in the (Schenectady, N.Y) Daily Gazette, Mike MacAdam blasted Kay's approach.

“With creepy corporate Disneyspeak, he comes across like a smarmy con man, telling us why cancelling the free open house the Sunday before the meet starts is a good idea, for instance,” MacAdam wrote.

“Or why paying to reserve a picnic table is a good idea.

“Or why paying to reserve a table at the new sports bar on the ground floor of the Carousel is a good idea.

“They just keep adding layers of cost to the fans and bettors. They continue to introduce pockets of exclusivity in what historically has been one of the most democratic places in the country, the racetrack.”

Kay also took heat in the local media when it was learned that about a half-dozen old trees in the backyard were cut down to make room for a structure to house the Saratoga Walk of Fame, which Kay created after he was hired in June 2013.

During that pre-season media event, Lynn LaRocca, NYRA's Senior Vice President & Chief Experience Officer, said that two of the four popular product giveway days were being moved to weekdays because the company had received complaints from people who could not get to the track on weekends.

As always, the GI Travers for 3-year-olds on Aug. 29 is the marquee event. It might include racing's biggest star, Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile), but his connections have not committed to a race beyond his scheduled appearance in the GI Haskell Invitational Aug. 2 at Monmouth Park. A performance at Saratoga appears to be a longshot, at best.

While Lukas figures there is zero chance that American Pharoah will run in the Travers, he said the colt should be at Saratoga.

“I think if you were a purist, you would have to say that he should run here because this is the showcase place of the world at this time of year,” Lukas said. “You've got Ascot, you've got the Breeders' Cup, you've got the Triple Crown, but this is one of them.”

Noting that many of racing's all-time greats have lost at Saratoga, Lukas said that American Pharoah would prevail if he ran in the Travers.

“Good horses get beat here and not everyone likes it,” Lukas said. “But in my heart I think he is so much the best that I think he could run here and not worry about it.”

Well before American Pharoah embarked on his brilliant 3-year-old campaign, NYRA officials had finalized plans to build the Travers into a monster day. Three Grace I races, the Sword Dancer, the Personal Ensign and the Forego, were added to the lineup of the 13-race program to give it a total of six Grade I races.

The changes in the Travers card follow by one year the moves made to bulk up the Whitney Day program by Martin Panza, the Senior Vice President of Racing Operations. Panza's tinkering with the Whitney and Travers programs resulted in the reduction of stakes on other days. During the June meeting of the NYRA Re-Organization Board, John Hendrickson, husband of Marylou Whitney and advisor to the board, commented that the stacking of stakes diminished the quality of the other days.

Todd Pletcher takes aim at his sixth consecutive training title and 12th overall. The seven-time Eclipse Award winner as the nation's leading trainer said he and his staff want to lead the Saratoga standings in 2015.

“We always emphasize this meet and it's a meet that we look forward to,” he said. “A lot of 2-year-olds are starting to get ready and it's going to tell us a lot about our future. Yeah, we want to win it. You do everything you can to prepare for it and see what happens.”

Like his mentor, Lukas, Pletcher said it's easy to get revved up about the Spa season.

“I think everyone looks forward to Saratoga,” he said. “The owners participate a lot more here. They're out a lot more. They come to the races a lot more. They get more excited about running here and winning here. It's no secret that everyone loves Saratoga and wants to do well here.”

Pletcher will saddle Positively Royal (Bernardini) in the Schuylerville and Feathered (Indian Charlie) in the Lake George. He said that Materiality (Afleet Alex) is headed to the GII Jim Dandy, the local Travers prep, Aug. 1.

GI Acorn winner Curlina (Curlin) is set to run in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks, Stopchargingmaria (Tale of the Cat) in the GIII Shuvee, and Angela Renee (Bernardini) in the GI Test, where she will face Lukas' comebacking champion Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway). Veteran Palace Malice (Curlin), slowed by injuries this season, is training well and may make a race at Saratoga, Pletcher said.

Sometime during the meet, Pletcher expects to saddle 2-year-old Rachel's Valentina for a career debut that is likely to receive a lot of attention. The daughter of Bernardini out of Horse of the Year, Rachel Alexandra, who beat males in the 2009 GI Woodward, has been developing in Saratoga for a couple of months.

“She's a filly that we've been very pleased with the way she's been training,” he said. “She's very professional, straight-forward and acts like she's got some talent.”

Pletcher said he was looking forward to seeing Rachel's Valentina in competition.

“Anytime we get a horse with that type of pedigree, you take special note,” he said. “She's out of one of the greatest racemares we've seen in my lifetime, for sure. It's exciting. It's also exciting when they display some talent in the morning.”