SARATOGA SPRINGS — After first going on the market in March 2024, the sale of Cady Hill, Marylou Whitney’s former estate in Saratoga Springs, appears to be pending, according to the property’s online listings.
No additional information about the buyer or final price was immediately available.
The property located at 40 Geyser Road includes 7 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, and more than 6,200 square feet of interior space. Built in 1851, Cady Hill sits on a bucolic 121-acre lot complete with a gym, chapel, tennis courts, rose gardens, gate house, office building, and two single-family ranch homes.
In 1926, Cady Hill was purchased by Harry Payne and Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. Upon Harry’s death a decade later, Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney purchased the property, and Marylou joined him in 1958 as his new bride, according to Julie & Co. Realty.
Marylou Whitney, affectionately known as the Queen of Saratoga, died in 2019 at the age of 93.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Depending on how district residents vote on May 20, some Saratoga school athletic facilities may soon get facelifts.
Part of the $142.8 million Legacy 2025 Capital Project referendum includes resurfacing the track and installing turf on the high school softball diamond.
“The thing that I have in my mind more than anything is safety concerns for the track,” said Boys Track Coach Chris Conley in a video posted by the district. “There’s been parts of it that have been starting to peel up and those areas start to become very unsafe; tripping hazards, slipping on it. It’s really not conducive to running very smart. If we could get it resurfaced so that it’s safe, that would be awesome.”
Varsity Softball Coach Geoff Loiacono said that a turf infield would make the high school softball field “playable all the time” because weather conditions wouldn’t affect it.
For more information on the project, visit www.saratogaschools.org/about-us/capital-project/2025-legacy-capital-project/
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The undefeated Spa Catholic varsity baseball team demolished Mechanicville last Thursday 8 to 1, clinching their 25th Wasaren League championship.
Pitcher Brian Selig gave up the lone run and only 5 hits in 6 innings of work, notching 8 strikeouts. At the plate, Selig smacked an RBI double. He was joined by Hunter Fales, Jason Pescetti, and Ryan Gillis, all of whom hit at least one double apiece (Fales managed to earn two).
The victory put the Saints at 12-0 in their conference and 15-0 overall on the season. Although a relatively one-sided affair, Spa Catholic had more trouble the prior day against Mechanicville, battling into extra innings to eke out a 5-4 win that kept their undefeated strike alive. In that game, Ronan Rowe went 4-6 with a double, while Fales added a triple.
Prior to that pair of contests, the Saints have been nearly unstoppable, racking up one dominant W after another (21-0 against Waterford-Halfmoon, 27-0 against Hoosic Valley, 10-0 versus Fonda-Fultonville, and 16-0 against Stillwater).
The Saints have a handful of games remaining on their calendar before the first round of the Section 2 Class C playoffs begin on May 22 at Veterans Memorial Park.
Local lacrosse players present a $16,000 check to the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation and the Live Like Liv Foundation. Photo provided.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Lacrosse players from both Saratoga Springs and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake honored the memory of Olivia Allen, a former Blue Streak who succumbed to leukemia last year, prior to their game on May 3.
The student-athletes completed 47 passes to draw attention to the fact that 47 kids are diagnosed with cancer each day in the United States. The teams were able to raise $16,000 in support of childhood cancer research, a $6,000 increase from the sum raised last year.
The touching tribute was part of the LaCROSSe Out Cancer Challenge, which supports the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation and the Live Like Liv Foundation, the latter of which was founded in memory of Allen.
“Liv’s heroic story is being heard and felt throughout the entire country,” said Coach Jennifer Furze at last year’s event. “It is truly a testament to the beautiful human being she was.”
According to Bonnie Lattimore, the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation’s senior director of development and strategic partnerships, cancer is the leading cause of death by disease for kids, but only a small percentage of federal funding for cancer research is devoted to children.
“We try to do anything we can, like partner with Saratoga Springs lacrosse or other organizations, to try to fill that funding gap, and they’ve done a fantastic job,” Lattimore told Saratoga TODAY. Lattimore also said that $50 funds about one hour of research. “This has a huge impact for pediatric cancer,” she said.
Olivia Allen graduated from Saratoga Springs High School in 2023 and planned to attend Florida State University to study nursing. She played for the Blue Streaks field hockey and gymnastic teams.
Sovereignty arrives at the Saratoga Race Course, led by his trainer Bill Mott. Image via Mary Eddy/the New York Racing Association (NYRA).
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Sovereignty, the winner of this year’s Kentucky Derby, has officially arrived at the Saratoga Race Course, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced last week.
The colt’s arrival came just two days after news that his trainer Bill Mott had decided to skip the Preakness Stakes, thus forgoing a Triple Crown attempt, and aim for the Belmont Stakes instead.
Sovereignty was escorted by Mott off a massive “horse van” that looked more spacious than many New York City apartments.
“He came off the van like a tiger,” Mott told NYRA. “He’s had good energy for a horse that just ran a race like that.”
Mott added that he would see how Sovereignty acts once he settles down and then decide upon an exercise routine.
The Derby winner is no stranger to the Spa City. His first-ever race, the Maiden Special Weight, was in Saratoga on Aug. 24 of last year. Though he finished fourth in his debut outing, he quickly rebounded with a second-place finish the following month at Belmont at The Big A, before winning his next two races at Churchill Downs and Gulfstream Park.
“We feel pretty comfortable here and know our way around here, so that’s a good thing,” Mott said.
At the Kentucky Derby, Sovereignty upset the favorite Journalism on a sloppy track in front of a reported crowd of 147,406 spectators. The race was viewed by an average of 17.7 million viewers, according to NBC, which made it the biggest Kentucky Derby television audience since 1989. The all-sources betting handle of more than $234 million also shattered previous records.
Sovereignty’s rider, Junior Alvarado, was invited to throw out the first pitch of a New York Yankees game against the San Diego Padres in the Bronx on May 7. At the ballgame, Alvarado managed to honor the sport of horse racing by tossing a clean strike across home plate into the waiting mitt of Yankees infielder Oswald Peraza, a fellow Venezuelan native.
Although the Belmont field is not yet set, it’s possible that Saratogians could witness a Sovereignty-Journalism rematch on June 7 during the final leg of the Triple Crown.
A rendering for the proposed development on Caroline Street that would replace D’Andrea’s, provided to the city in late February.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — After 18 years in business, a popular pizza shop on Caroline Street has closed its doors.
D’Andrea’s Pizza Owner Rory Wilson confirmed in a video message posted to Facebook that he had sold his building at 33 Caroline Street and that his shop would close at 5 p.m. on May 7.
“I just wanted to say it wasn’t an easy decision, but it’s a decision I felt I wanted to make for my family and for myself,” Wilson said. “For the first time in a long time, I’m struggling to find words that I want to say here but I am so thankful and so blessed that I had this opportunity.”
All D’Andrea’s Pizza operations, including deliveries to Saratoga customers, will now take place at the company’s northern location at 654 Saratoga Road in Wilton, which Wilson said may soon expand its menu.
The closure comes on the heels of a proposal to build a mixed-used development at 33-35 Caroline Street. If all goes according to plan, the new structure would include commercial space on the ground floor and condominiums on the upper floors. The building that used to house D’Andrea’s would be demolished, along with the Union Coachworks structure at 35 Caroline.
D’Andrea’s Pizza at 33 Caroline Street. Image via Google Maps.
Wilson’s video message about closing the shop led to an outpouring of tributes to the late-night pizza joint.
“End of an era,” wrote one commenter. “Glad I got the opportunity to stop in last year for one last slice; Caroline St. won’t be the same without you.”
“Thank you for everything you have done over the years for this community with all of your donations and fundraisers and just offering quality food at great prices,” wrote another.
“Wow,” Wilson responded to the messages. “I am so humbled and blessed by all the beautiful things written about us these past few days. It has been an adjustment and will continue to be an adjustment. Thankfully I have so many wonderful people by my side…Here is to many more years and thank you again for all the love and support. I am forever grateful.”
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Shaheem Sanders, one of the top players on the Saratoga Racers basketball team last season, was seriously injured in a recent motor vehicle accident, according to a statement issued by the team last weekend.
An update from Sanders’ mother stated that Sanders successfully underwent surgery, but would have “a long, hard recovery” ahead.
“I can still play basketball, I just have to go through rehab,” Sanders said in a video message posted to his Facebook account.
Sanders was a double-double machine for the Racers in their inaugural ABA season, regularly leading the team in rebounds.
The 2024-25 season was Sanders’ first in the ABA. He previously played for Schenectady High School, Cayuga Community College, and SUNY Morrisville.
BALLSTON SPA — Ballston Spa native and Duke University softball standout Ana Gold was selected by the Blaze as the 9th overall pick in the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) college draft on Saturday night. The draft was broadcast on ESPNU.
The AUSL will feature four teams playing a 24-game season in a traditional format. The league’s commissioner is Kim Ng, the former general manager of the Miami Marlins and a former assistant general manager for the New York Yankees.
Gold’s college career at Duke includes a career slash line of .309/.412/.610. To those numbers, she’s added 49 homers, 7 triples, and 28 doubles for the Blue Devils since her freshman year in 2022. She’s also stolen 50 bases and totaled nearly 200 hits in a little more than 600 at bats.
At Ballston Spa High School, she was ranked the No. 39 prospect in the country (according to Extra Innings Softball), was named three times to the Suburban Council’s First Team, and was a two-time Second Team All-Stater.
The Blaze also selected Virginia Tech’s Emma Lemley and Florida Gator Korbe Otis in the draft.
Saratoga Springs City School District logo via the district.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The U.S. Department of Education launched an investigation into the Saratoga Springs School District on Tuesday for allegedly violating Title IX.
The inquiry came as a result of a letter sent to the department last month by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, whose congressional district includes parts of the Saratoga school district.
“The Trump Administration has been unrelenting in our effort to ensure that women and girls’ educational experiences are not marred by sex discrimination,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “It is a clear violation of federal civil rights law, and of women’s dignity, to allow males to participate in female-sports and occupy female-only intimate facilities. Women fought for decades to secure Title IX protections, only to have these protections subverted and betrayed by those who prioritize a distorted ideology over fairness, dignity, and safety.”
“After my strong public advocacy, I want to thank President Donald Trump and Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon for swiftly opening a formal investigation into the Saratoga Springs City School District for their failure to uphold Title IX protections for women and girls in sports,” Stefanik said. “The Saratoga Springs School Board’s resolution allowing biological males to participate in girls’ sports and access girls’ locker rooms is a blatant violation of federal law under Title IX and an affront to the progress generations of women have fought to achieve. I remain steadfast in my commitment to fighting for the rights and futures of our young women, and I am proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with President Trump in this important effort. Thank you to the local parents who brought this to my direct attention.”
A letter sent by McMahon to Saratoga’s Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Patton includes a request by the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights for information it said was required for the investigation, such as:
• The district’s narrative response to the allegation under investigation and all documents or records referenced in the narrative response;
• All written policies or procedures in effect in, or followed by, the district during the 2024-2025 school year regarding the participation of male student athletes on girls’ athletic teams and/or their access to girls’ locker rooms;
• A copy of the district’s policy describing the definition or meaning of the words “sex,” “gender,” and/or “gender identity”;
• Any documentation regarding inquiries, complaints, or requested revisions to the policies or procedures regarding male participation in girls’ athletic teams and/or their access to girls’ locker rooms;
• A list of the district’s sports teams for girls and separately for boys for the 2024-2025 school year;
• A copy of the district’s athletic team rosters for all interscholastic sports teams classified for girls or women, identifying on each such roster any participants who are male.
The impetus for Stefanik’s letter and the subsequent Education Department investigation was a resolution recently passed by the Saratoga school board titled “Affirming Our Support for Every Student.” The resolution, which did not change any existing school policies, states, among other things, that the Board of Education would:
• reaffirm its support for the district’s policy and regulation 0105 titled “Equity, Inclusivity, and Diversity in Education”;
• uphold New York State laws safeguarding vulnerable populations and not comply with directives that violate civil rights protections;
• affirm that every student has a right to an education regardless of immigration status, and that law enforcement officers may not question students on school property except under very specific conditions;
• respect students’ chosen names and pronouns while also ensuring their right to use facilities and participate in activities and sports consistent with their gender identity.
The resolution appeared to be a clear attempt to combat several Trump administration policies that threaten to rescind federal funds from educational institutions that don’t comply with the president’s executive orders. According to Saratoga School Board Vice President Tony Krackeler, $3.1 million of the district’s 2024-25 budget came from the federal government. All of those funds, Krackeler said, are only amendable by an act of Congress.
According to the district’s Physician Advisor Dr. Emanuel Cirenza, there has only been one instance of a transgender athlete in the district in the last 28 years.
Prior to the investigation, the resolution attracted national attention due to the popular conservative X account “Libs of TikTok,” and the Riley Gaines Center, which sent its Ambassador Kaitlynn Wheeler to an April 10 Saratoga school board meeting to protest the resolution.
Stefanik is reportedly considering a run for governor after her nomination for UN ambassador was withdrawn earlier this year.
Sidecap creators Adam Feldman, Dave Dolinsky, and Case Fell pose with a congratulatory certificate issued by Arrow Bank and the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Sidecap—a new canned cocktail created by local friends Adam Feldman, Dave Dolinsky, and Case Fell—was unveiled in a celebration at Purdy’s Discount Wine & Liquor last Friday afternoon.
The drink contains a custom small batch of Kru Coffee cold brew spiked with vodka and delivered in a Ninth Planet Beverage Solutions can.
“The foundation of Sidecap is really community,” Feldman said at the event. “It’s Saratoga owners, Saratoga coffee, Saratoga canning, Saratoga retail; that’s what we really believe in.”
“Sidecap isn’t for sitting still,” reads the hard cold brew’s product description. “It’s for the go-getters, the risk-takers, the ones who rally when everyone else taps out. Whether you’re post-hike, pre-game, or mid-pool party, this is your drink. Cold. Bold. Unapologetic.”
Sidecap is now available at Purdy’s Discount Wine & Liquor and other local retailers.
