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.
EAST GREENBUSH — Kevin Smith, an East Greenbush native whose MLB career culminated with a stint on the 2024 New York Yankees, has a new venture keeping him busy during retirement: a premium youth glove company called Kali Gloves.
Smith, a Columbia High School grad who also played with the Toronto Blue Jays and Oakland Athletics, co-founded Kali Gloves with Matt Talarico, the Yankees’ former director of speed and baserunning.
The idea for their new collaboration was born in the Yankees clubhouse, where players and staffers struggled to find a high-quality, customizable leather glove specifically designed for kids and little leaguers. Smith began taking matters, quite literally, into his own hands.
“We started to cut up gloves in the locker room,” Smith told Saratoga TODAY. “I was cutting up my own gloves trying to figure out a way to make them easier to close [and] have them fit little kids’ hands better…We took our experience of seeing kids always using the wrong glove, making it harder for them to be good at playing catch and play the game and have fun, and we paired it with as many innovations as we could to say, ‘Okay, this is the glove that I want my kid to have.’”
The key ingredient in the Kali Gloves recipe is Japanese kip leather, which is lighter and softer than traditional rawhide, but durable enough to hold its shape after years of wear, tear, and ground balls. It’s also easier to break in, and it does a better job molding itself to the smaller hands of young athletes.
According to Talarico, one unnamed MLB All-Star said he liked a Kali glove designed for Talarico’s daughter better than four custom gloves designed just for him. “He couldn’t believe there was a youth glove that felt like that,” Talarico said in a message posted to the Kali website.
This All-Star apparently wasn’t the only major leaguer to try out a Kali glove. Smith said that Yankees ace Max Fried recently wore one at Yankee Stadium.
“A lot of former players and coaches are buying it for their kids,” Smith said. “That was the best thing because they’ve been around the game for so long.”
The swanky-looking gloves are all 10.5 inches, an ideal size for kids learning baseball basics. They also feature elastic wrist laces that prevent slipping and sliding, elastic finger loops that ensure correct hand placement, and palm slits that help the gloves maintain their shape and performance over time. All told, the Kali glove distinguishes itself from both cheaper competitors and pricier custom gloves that can sometimes take up to a year to receive. (By contrast, a mint-colored Kali glove imported from Japan takes only 3-4 weeks to arrive.)
Smith said that designing and manufacturing these youth gloves began as a hobby, but soon blossomed into a booming business.
“We went through a bunch of prototypes that started catching on and a lot of people were interested in them, so we figured we’d make a few more, and it’s been really fun,” Smith said. “The long-term vision is to be a youth athletic company trying to make premium products for kids, ones that help them play the game and love the game better.”
It might not be long before Smith, who is settling into a post-playing career in Arizona, starts designing gloves for his own kids: an 18-month-old and a 7-month-old.
A young Kevin Smith, who grew up in the Capital Region as a New York Yankees fan before becoming a Yankee himself in 2024. Photo via Smith’s X account.
“I got to play in the big leagues and my wife traveled with me and we had a lot of fun but now we’re trying to grow a family, and the hotel life with two little kids wasn’t going to be ideal,” Smith said. “My family still lives in Albany [and] we’re in [Arizona] raising a family.”
Last season, Smith played in two games for the Yankees, the team he grew up idolizing as a youngster. “I was one of those kids watching [Derek] Jeter every night,” Smith told the YES Network’s Jack Curry during spring training.
Perhaps now, young New Yorkers watching the Bronx Bombers on TV will have better gloves to bring with them to the ballpark.
Stewart’s Chief Operation Officer Chad Kiesow toasts to the new Belmont Stakes-themed ice cream with Pat McKenna, Vice President of Communications for the New York Racing Association (NYRA). Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — After a quick bugle call in the parking lot of the recently renovated Stewart’s Shops at 402 Lake Avenue, the ice cream maker partnered with the New York Racing Association (NYRA) to unveil the “Bel-Mint Stakes,” a tribute version of Mint Cookie Crumble.
The Belmont-themed flavor will be available at Stewart’s counters for a limited time, from April 28 until June 8 (the final day of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga).
“Stewart’s and Saratoga Race Course have worked closely for many years,” said Stewart’s Chief Operation Officer Chad Kiesow in a press release. “It is exciting to expand our partnership to celebrate the Belmont Stakes, an event that brings so many racing fans and so much energy to the community.”
Stewart’s is also offering a special $99 three-day general admission pass for the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at participating store locations.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Last week, Druthers Brewing unveiled the latest can design for Saratoga Vibes, a light lager with hints of lemon and lime, available at Druthers locations and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). In an Instagram post, Druthers called the beer “a favorite seasonal tradition that hypes us all up.”
The can design by artist Jean Ellen Sotansky depicts a band with an impressive lightshow playing on the SPAC stage. The image may be inspired by Goose, a jam band that played at SPAC twice in 2024 and once in 2023.
Sotansky, a Saratoga local, is also responsible for large-scale murals at Druthers, Hattie’s, Osteria Danny, and Nashville of Saratoga.
The new can heralds the arrival of the SPAC spring/summer concert season, which kicks off this month.
