A Champion Returns to Form and A New Track Record

The Saratoga meet once again experienced good weather last weekend allowing another fine weekend of racing. There were two highlights of the week – the Jim Dandy Stakes as a prep race for the Travers Stakes and the Bowling Green run on the grass.

Saturday the Jim Dandy saw a matchup of two-year-old champion Fierceness and Preakness winner Seize the Grey but the betting favorite was a third entrant – Sierra Leone, who just missed winning the Kentucky Derby and was a formidable third in the Belmont Stakes. The bettors felt that an equipment change would correct the erratic running style which had hampered his late run in both those races.  While Sierra Leone did in fact keep a straighter course it was not enough as Fierceness had other plans.  Under a heady ride by Hall of Fame veteran rider John Velazquez the former two year old champion held Sierra Leone at bay to easily win the race. Seize the Grey, perhaps showing the effects of a tough recent campaign, was never a factor.

While the Jim Dandy had the horses with name recognition, perhaps the most impressive performance of the week was that of Silver Knott on Sunday in the Bowling Green Stakes. The Godolphin owned, Charlie Appleby trained, runner continued his winning ways by wiring the field at the elongated distance of a mile and three-eighths on the inner grass course. Silver Knott set a new course record in the process and is still improving. Expect him to be a factor in the year end championship grass races. Notably horses trained by Charlie Appleby continue their successful invasion from across the Atlantic Ocean besting US-based grass runners time and again – they simply cannot be ignored.

This year’s Saratoga racing has continued to be competitive with a nice balance of longshots and favorites and racing fans were treated to competitive races all week. 

For many fans the beginning of August signifies the true start of top-class spa racing and this week’s Whitney Stakes card is indeed stellar. The highlighted Whitney Stakes will be contested on Saturday August 3rd with a full, if not overly accomplished, field of 12 horses.  It figures to be an excellent betting affair and the undercard is loaded with other quality and competitive races. 

Meanwhile it was announced this week by Trainer Ken McPeek that it is indeed their intention to run the filly Thorpedo Anna against the colts in the Travers Stakes. The aforementioned, Fierceness and Sierra Leone, are both pointing to the same race as is Dornoch and any combination of those horses would produce a very competitive field.

Laid back Sundays

A fan pattern has emerged over the past few seasons with Saturday crowds consisting of young partying fans and sophisticated bettors. In contrast the Sunday cards produce a more laid-back fan base. Both the grandstand and clubhouse are filled on Saturdays with stylishly dressed or attention-seeking young people in a partying mood or veteran horse players enjoying the quality of racing.  The Sunday crowd tends to produce more of a country fair atmosphere. 

This week one anonymous, yet sage, observer, who goes by the monicker Spa Infield Goose @SaratogaGoose on Twitter, commented about Sunday “it’s a weird over 60-(year-old) scene at the track today”. I take no umbrage at the knock on my generation as weirdness does seem to be growing in my demographic especially since the fowl-named commenter is, as usual, correct. The Sunday crowd in general appears far less knowledgeable about racing than their Saturday or midweek counterparts.  For many this is a less intimidating atmosphere and hopefully will grow the sport, but it is shame that veteran racegoers seem to have abandoned the day and the later races on the Sunday card are contested in front of largely empty stands.

This Sunday constituency may be explained by a lack of racing on Mondays. Fans coming to town for the weekend might be enticed to stay for quality Sunday racing if there were racing on Mondays or at minimum the races were carded to end earlier. While I am told there are structural impediments to running Mondays with a dark day on Wednesday, I continue to be approached by people who express their desire to see that change made. It should be fully explored in future years.