JC / Railbird

Saratoga Archive

One Last Trip to Saratoga

My racing companion and I made one last trip to Saratoga for the season on Thursday. We opened the day with a lovely little win in the first race on Fabulous Peak, a gelding shipped in from Suffolk at the start of August who’s acquitted himself well at the Spa with two wins at the claiming $25,000 level. Our next win came in the third race, a steeplechase, when Tres Touche won at odds of 8-1. Between me and the RC, we’re 3-3 on steeplechases this summer, a record that I must ascribe to dummy god intervention, because neither of us knows anything about hurdles.

Posted in Saratoga on September 3, 2004

Wrapping Up at Saratoga

With a week to go, Bill Finley grades this year’s meet. Todd Pletcher and Azeri earn As; Purge, no surprise, gets a D. (ESPN)
Vans are pulling out of the Saratoga backside loaded with horses bound for Belmont, but trainer Bobby Frankel’s barn is still hopping. (New York Daily News)

Posted in Saratoga on August 31, 2004

He Has Success, But No Stalls

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)

Posted in Saratoga on August 26, 2004