Michael Gill is the leading owner at Saratoga so far this year, with seven wins from 43 horses, but NYRA won’t give him stalls at the track: “While Gill’s horses are welcome here, Gill believes he is not. As is the case in most jurisdictions, Gill is not allotted stalls in New York. Gill says it’s because of his aggressive claiming tactics…. New York Racing Association officials, however, point to Gill’s and his trainers’ troubled past as to why he is denied stalls.” (Daily Racing Form)
Saratoga’s success this year makes it hard to criticize NYRA: “After one-third of the 2004 meet, on-track attendance is just under 5,000 fans ahead of last year, but the staggering statistic is that on-track handle is up $6.6 million, or roughly 19 percent, when all the doomsayers had NYRA standing on its last legs.” (Times Union)
I couldn’t stay away. Early Wednesday morning found me making the drive from Boston to Saratoga for the afternoon’s races. I was rewarded for the hours in the car with a nice win in the first race and the thrill of watching an upset in the eighth race.
Everything I’d heard about Saratoga was true: The track was beautiful, the racing magnificent, the atmosphere lively. I only wish I could have been there more than three days. No big wins for me, but my racing companion scored in the first race of the second day, a steeplechase, when 15-1 Paradise’s Boss won, paying $32.20.
Related: Compete DRF Saratoga coverage, and “How to $core at ‘Toga Party” (New York Post)
Copyright © 2000-2023 by Jessica Chapel. All rights reserved.