Skip to main content

Author: Kacie Cotter-Harrigan

A History of Time – Father Time (Zones): Charles Ferdinand Dowd

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in History.

Time is often referred to as a human construct, but time zones are definitely man-made, and they have a direct connection to Charles Dowd of Saratoga Springs and the month of November, when standard time began in 1883, and 21 years later when time ran out for Charles.

Local time once was set by the noon mark. Noon was defined to be the time at which the sun was directly overhead. This meant, for every approximately 69 miles travelled west, the moment of noon differed by four minutes. For example, the clocks in Boston were set about three minutes ahead of clocks in Worcester, MA.

This was all well and good, so long as one never left home, or only travelled north and south, but the idea of long-distance travel became more accessible with the advent of the railroads. On May 10, 1869, Leland Stanford, the president of the Central Pacific Railroad Company of California, ceremonially tapped in the “Last Spike” at Promontory Summit, Utah, and the era of trans-continental rail travel across the United States had begun. But did the trains run on time then? And if they did, who was to say, because whose time did they run on?

By 1879, there were about 500 railroad companies through the country. These companies defined their own time system, based on the local time of one of the cities in their region. To travel just from Portland, Maine, to Buffalo, New York, took passengers through four different time systems. Something had to change.

In 1868, Charles Ferdinand Dowd, a Yale graduate from Madison, Connecticut, together with his wife, Harriet Miriam North, moved from North Granville to Saratoga Springs where they established the Temple Grove Ladies Seminary. He put his mind to the problem of trains and timetables. He did consider the uniform national time, as adopted in England, but studying solar times for 8000 locations across the United States revealed time differences of up to 4 hours, so this was impractical. In October 1869, Dowd presented a plan to the Convention of Railroad Superintendents, and, following their approval, in 1870, published a pamphlet entitled “System of National Time for Rail-Roads”. In it he proposed 4 regions across the country, with “Washington Time” the standard time for Atlantic States. (He later modified this to start at the 75th meridian west of Greenwich, to stop arguments over Washington or New York). Similarly, the Mississippi Valley States would be one hour behind Washington Time, Rocky Mountain States two hours behind and Pacific States three hours behind. These divisions were based on approximately 15 degrees of longitude, and within each division, the time would be uniform.

Unsurprisingly, there was reluctance to adopt the suggestion. Railway companies and their associated cities were unwilling to cooperate. Albany, New York City and Montreal were only different by a minute, but all insisted on keeping their own times. However, Dowd persisted with promoting his ideas and, on November 18th, 1883, at 9am, the regulator clock at the Western Union Telegraph System building in New York City was stopped. After precisely three minutes and 58.38 seconds the clock was restarted, and this was the birth of Eastern Standard Time. During the day, a similar event happened at three other locations across the country to start Central, Mountain Standard and Pacific Times.

Charles Dowd earned his PhD from New York University in 1888, and was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Science, Letters and Arts of London in the same year, but continued working as principal of Temple Grove until his retirement in 1898. Temple Grove was then led by his son, Franklin D. Dowd, until it closed in 1900. In 1903 the buildings were sold to Mrs. Lucy Skidmore Scribner, and ultimately became part of Skidmore College.

Tragically, at approximately 5:30 pm on Saturday, November 12th, 1904, Dr. Dowd was killed by the southbound train No. 6 at the North Broadway crossing of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad. According to newspaper reports, his body was thrown thirty feet and was “mangled almost beyond recognition”. The coroner, Dr. Richard H. McCarthy, in his last act before retiring at the end of 1904, declared the railroad company “wholly responsible for the death of the said Charles F. Dowd,” as the crossing was ungated and dangerous with extremely poor visibility for pedestrians.

A spherical sun dial honoring Dr. Dowd can be found on Church Street in Saratoga Springs, behind the Adirondack Trust Co.

Isobel Connell is a native of the United Kingdom and a retired engineer. She currently is a volunteer in the research room at Brookside Museum and a trustee at the Saratoga County History Center at Brookside Museum. Isobel can be reached at isobel@brooksidemuseum.org

LifeWorks Community Action’s Annual Thanksgiving Basket Program

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Neighborhood Buzz.

More than 1,200 Thanksgiving baskets will be distributed this weekend across four sites as part of LifeWorks Community Action’s annual Thanksgiving Basket program. This will help over 5,500 people celebrate Thanksgiving this year with a hearty holiday meal. 

Well into the second year of the pandemic, the community’s need is greater than ever. Thankfully, community partners have stepped up to help LifeWorks make this project a reality, including Quad Graphics, The Food Pantries for the Capital District, Ballston Spa National Bank, Corinth Elementary School, The Salvation Army, Harvest Church and the Presbyterian-New England Congregational Church (PNECC). 

Distribution centers include: 

Ballston Spa
Location: Ballston Spa National Bank
Corporate Branch Office, 990 NY-67 
When: Saturday, Nov. 20 • 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and
Sunday, Nov. 21 • 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. 

Clifton Park
Location: Harvest Church, 303 Grooms Road
When: Saturday, Nov. 20 • 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Corinth 
The Salvation Army and Corinth Central School District
Location: Corinth Elementary School, 356 Center St. 
When: Saturday, Nov. 20 • 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and
Sunday, Nov. 21 • 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Saratoga Springs
Location: PNECC, 24 Circular St., Saratoga Springs
When: Saturday, Nov. 20 • 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and
Sunday, Nov. 21 • 1- 4 p.m.

LifeWorks Community Action is the designated anti-poverty agency committed to being a leader in advocating for opportunities and developing solutions to promote healthy and thriving families. Its programs include the Thanksgiving baskets, emergency food pantry, daily soup kitchen, mobile food pantry, Weatherization, WIC and Head Start.

Walter Butler: First Mayor of Saratoga Springs

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in History.

Walter Prentiss Butler, was born in Saratoga Springs on April 1, 1863, at 596 Broadway. He was the son of Captain James P. Butler and Naomi Clements Butler. His father was Provost Marshal in Saratoga Springs at the time of the Civil War. Walter received his preliminary education in Saratoga Springs public schools and later attended North Granville Military Academy, Peekskill Military Academy, and Phillips-Exeter Academy. He completed his legal studies at Columbia University in 1887 and was admitted to the Bar of New York State the same year.

On July 9, 1890 Walter P. Butler married Mary Ashman Kilmer from a prominent local family. She was born in Rock City Falls, December 2, 1867, a daughter of Clarence Beekman Kilmer and Bessie Broughton. Her paternal grandfather, Chauncey Kilmer, an early Rock City Falls settler, was prominent in the paper mill industry which once flourished there. Clarence Kilmer was the president of the Empire Spring Company which eventually merged with the Congress Spring Company. Subsequently, the merged entity included the Granger’s glassworks located near Lake Desolation. The newly formed company relocated its glass factory along the railroad tracks in Congressville, on Empire and Congress Avenues in Saratoga Springs.

Mary’s great grandfather, Peter Kilmer, moved to Pages Corners, near Middle Grove, from the Dutch settlement near Kinderhook. Mary attended Mrs. Young’s Seminary at West Milton, as well as Public School No. 4, Saratoga Springs, before graduating from Temple Grove Seminary. Mrs. Butler was a member of the Board of Saratoga Hospital and served on the original Board of Trustees of Skidmore School of Arts, now Skidmore College. She also served as manager of the Hawley Home for Children.

Walter Butler was originally associated with the firm of Pond, French, and Brackett in Saratoga Springs. In 1897, Butler and Clarence B. Kilmer, his brother-in-law, formed their own partnership. Although the names in the practice changed with various associates over the years, Kilmer remained in the practice with Butler.

One of Butler’s more important cases was LaRepublique Francaise against the Vichy Spring Company, of Saratoga Springs, in which the Republic of France endeavored to enjoin the Vichy Company from using that name. This case in which Mr. Butler was counsel for the defense, was taken to the Supreme Court of the United States where in 1903 it was decided in favor of the Vichy Company of Saratoga Springs New York. In addition to that landmark case, Butler represented the New York State Comptroller in inheritance tax matters for many years.

For many decades the citizens of the Village and Town of Saratoga Springs hoped to secure a more economic and efficient form of government. Finally in 1915 the Saratoga Springs Businessmen’s Association who labored earnestly to bring this about, petitioned the State Legislature. The Town and Village were incorporated to become the City of Saratoga Springs on April 7, 1915 as a result of the Charter Bill, Chapter 229 of the Laws of New York. The Charter bill also gave the city the commission form of government requiring a mayor and four commissioners each with a single vote.

The first elections under the new form of government were held June 8, 1915, and the first city officials took office on June 22. The original city council members shown in the photo above included William Milliman, Public Safety; W. H. Waterbury, Finance; Mayor Walter P. Butler; N. Remick Thompson, Public Works; Michael J. Mulqueen, Accounts. During his term Butler took the lead in organizing city departments, rewrote the City Charter in its entirety and drafted all of the original city ordinances. Butler served one term of two years and refused re-election.

Among Butler’s civic activities were active participation in the American Red Cross, the Presbyterian Church, the Saratoga Lodge of Elks, and membership in the American, New York State and Saratoga County Bar Associations. He was a life member of the Commercial Law League of America. Butler, along with James H. King and Dr. N. C. Powers, organized the Public School Baseball League to benefit the youth of Saratoga Springs.

Walter P. and Mary Butler made their permanent residence at 22 Greenfield Avenue where they raised two sons. Their son Clarence Kilmer Butler became a senior partner in the family law firm. Their second son John Prentiss Butler pursued a military career.

Mrs. Mary Ashman Kilmer Butler died December, 1938, followed by her husband on January 7, 1942. Mr. and Mrs. Butler are buried in Greenridge Cemetery. Many tributes to Mr. Butler were shared in the local newspaper on January 8, 1942. Carleton J. King, local lawyer and future Congressman, wrote “In the death of Walter P. Butler, the nation has lost one of its finest citizens, this city one of its best leaders, neighbors and civic workers, his family a good, industrious and model father and I, one of my dearest friends and valued advisors. The city has lost its most outstanding citizen.”

Mary Ann Fitzgerald is the Saratoga Springs City Historian and Co-founder of the West Side Oral Narrative Project. Mary Ann can be reached at maryann.fitzgerald@saratoga- springs.org

Murder in Rock City Falls

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in History.

On November 1, 1917, John W. Foles arrived at the home Pearl Marcellus in Rock City Falls seeking romance. It was a fatal mistake. What he hoped would be a carriage ride with a young girl whom he favored would result in his death. Foles was a 26-year-old employee at the Brown Paper Company in Rock City Falls.

Pearl Marcellus was born May 23, 1898, in the Town of Day, Saratoga County. She was daughter of Delbert and Elvira (Colson) Marcellus. By age five, her mother had died in childbirth along with her newborn sister, leaving her father to raise nine children. Pearl was the youngest child. Pearl and her father moved to Rock City Falls shortly after 1915, to a home a short distance north of the main road through town.

The story unfolded in court testimony by Pearl’s friend Margaret Seeley. The fatal day began with Pearl, age seventeen, was visiting her friend Margaret Seeley, age sixteen, at the Big Falls Tavern in Rock City Falls where Margaret and her father were living. Around 1 p.m., the girls left and walked to Pearl’s house. When they reached Pearl’s house, Pearl spent over an hour straightening up the kitchen area and she cleaned out a small stand. She put the contents of one of the drawers on top of the stand, which included a revolver. Then they went upstairs to Pearl’s bedroom to rest.

Around 4 p.m., John Foles arrived at Pearl’s home with his horse and buggy to take her for a ride. He demanded she let him in, and she told him to go away. He broke open the door and went upstairs to get her. Since both girls were undressed, she convinced him to go downstairs. He went back down to the kitchen. When the girls came down, an argument began with swearing and he grabbed her, but she was successful in getting him out of the house and she locked the door. She said to him “John Foles, don’t you come in here, or you’ll get something you won’t like”. Foles then, forced the door open again. Pearl reached for the revolver and fired one shot, that struck Foles in the left temple, killing him.

According to newspaper accounts, the girls left and caught the trolley to Greenfield where they met two married men for a prearranged date. One of the men drove them all in his car to a Saratoga roadhouse. After a few drinks, Pearl went upstairs with one of the men and it was unmentioned what transpired there.

Around 5 p.m. Pearl’s father returned home to find John Foles on the floor, half in the kitchen and half on the front stoop. Pearl was arrested when she and Margaret returned to Rock City Falls around 11 p.m.. The first thing Pearl said was “I didn’t mean to shoot him. I shot him because he wouldn’t get out and let me alone. I just wanted to scare him.” After her arrest she gave a full confession, and her friend Margaret collaborated the story.

On January 10, 1918, Pearl was indicted by a Grand Jury for manslaughter in the first degree in the death of John Foles. She pled “not guilty” to the charge. Her trial began on February 13, 1918. She did not testify and was convicted the next day after only 2 hours of jury deliberation. She was found guilty of manslaughter in the second degree and sent to Auburn State Prison on February 24, 1918, for not less than four years.

On February 21, 1918, a Notice of Appeal was filed by her attorney Clarence Kilmer on the grounds that improper testimony had been admitted into evidence. The Supreme Court of Saratoga County heard the case on November 13, 1918 and ruled that her actions after the killing prejudiced the jury against her. Her conviction was reversed, and a new trial was ordered.

The new trial was held in the Supreme Court on November 27, 1918. She was again found guilty of manslaughter in the second degree and sentenced to no less than four years at the Auburn State Prison. She served out her term, remaining in prison until September 20, 1922.

After her release she went to live in Athol, Town of Thurman, Warren County. In 1923, she married John Eldridge and he died the same year from injuries sustained when his car collided with a train in Thurman.

On Mar. 24, 1925, she married Kenneth Weaver of Athol. She never had any children but went on to live a normal life. She lived to be 73 years old and died December 10, 1971, in Athol.

Karen Staulters has been the Milton town historian since 2018, a founding member of Heritage Hunters of Saratoga County, and former archivist for the Upper New York Conference of the United Methodist Church. Karen is currently developing a Forgotten Crossroads video of Rock City Falls with the support of the Saratoga County History Center. She can be reach at jkstaul@aol.com.

Buy a Yearling, Watch the Rich and Famous (Don’t Raise Your Hand)

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Winner's Circle.

Week five of the 2021 racing season at Saratoga Race Course beginning August 9  is actually highlighted by action off the racetrack as the yearlings sales at Fasig- Tipton take place for an astounding 100th year. 

This year the famed Fasig-Tipton catalogue of Select Yearlings at the Saratoga Sale listed 210 yearlings. They will be auctioned on Monday and Tuesday, August 9 and 10 in the Humphrey S. Finney Sales Pavilion on East Avenue. Sessions will begin each evening at 6:30 p.m. and are open to the public. The public is invited into the auction hall and can watch the action outside at the bar area where the public mingles with the elite to watch the bidding on numerous televisions.  The public gets to view each yearling as it enters the sales ring where bidding can top $1 million for the sales topper. If you have never gone to these auctions, you should make a point to go and see the action. Admission and parking are free and food and drink are available for purchase.

Due to Covid there was no sale in 2020 (the first time since World War II that the annual Saratoga Sale was not held) but the 2019 sale saw 135 yearlings sell over the two nights for an average of $411,459. More than half the yearlings sold in that sale went for $350,000 or more so keep your hand down lest you unwittingly come to own an expensive thoroughbred.  After 100 years this year for the first time you can pay for your yearling purchase with cryptocurrency.

On the track the stakes action actually hits a mid-meet lull with a mere 8 stakes races, only 2 of which are graded. Both of the week’s graded stakes races are run on Saturday August 14 with the highlight the Grade I Fourstardave with a purse of $500,000 at a mile on the grass. The other graded stakes race on Saturday is the Grade II Saratoga Special for two-year-olds at 6 ½ furlongs. The rest of the week has minor stakes for New York breds and sprinters.

Saturday’s Fourstardave is a new stakes race by Saratoga standards having first been run in 1985 as the Daryl’s Joy and then renamed the Fourstardave in 1995. Fourstardave himself was dubbed the alliterative nickname of “Sultan of Saratoga” after winning a race at Saratoga every year from 1987 to 1994. Fourstardave is one of only a few thoroughbreds buried at Claire Court on the Saratoga backstretch. The gelding started 100 times in his career and has several places in Saratoga on and off the track named after him.

The race itself is one of the few graded turf races at a flat mile which on the Saratoga course leads to a very short run into the first turn. An inside post position is therefore a big advantage. The race has been won by some tremendous horses including Hall of Famers Lure and Wise Dan the latter winning it twice. Among the 15 horses nominated for this year’s renewal 5 are trained by Chad Brown and 2 by meet leading trainer Michael Maker. One possible entrant is European star Lope Y Fernandez. Stakes winners Raging Bull and Rinaldi are also possible starters.

Saturday also sees the running of the Saratoga Special for two-year olds at the elongated sprint distance of six and one-half furlongs. The Saratoga Special has been run in one form or another since 1901 and has been won by numerous champions many of whom went on to win classic races. 

Wednesday highlights horses bred in the State of New York going a distance of ground. The Evan Shipman Handicap is run once around the mile and an eighth Saratoga dirt oval and offers a purse of $100,000. The Evan Shipman is named after the famed racing columnist for the long defunct New York Morning Telegraph.  Shipman was considered one of the world’s authorities on thoroughbred and harness racing and breeding. A colorful character, Shipman was a friend of Ernest Hemingway and a chapter is devoted to Shipman in Hemingway’s novel – A Moveable Feast. The Wednesday card also offers the Mahony – a race for three-year-olds on the grass at five and one-half furlongs for a purse of $120,000.

On Thursday the filly counterpart to the Evan Shipman is run. The Saratoga Dew Handicap at the same mile and one-eighth distance on dirt for New York bred fillies offers the same $100,000 purse as the Shipman.  Saratoga Dew was a New York bred filly who won an Eclipse Award as Champion Three-Year-Old Filly in 1992. Trainer Rudy Rodriguez has trained three of the last four winners of this race. 

Friday offers a restricted stakes named after Tale of the Cat at 6 furlongs for older horses with a purse of $120,000.

Sunday completes the week with the filly counterpart to the Mahony – The Galway.  At the same distance of five and one-half furlongs but this time for three-year-old fillies it offers the same purse of $120,000.

Requiem for a Race Rider

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Winner's Circle.

John Rotz passed away at the age of eighty-six just days before this year’s racing season began at Saratoga.

Many of those from a younger generation probably glanced over the many testimonials that were written about him. Those who have a passing interest in horse racing may have heard the name. Then there are the horse racing fans that lived during the era that brought him fame and the respect of his peers. The news surely brought back fond memories to those who witnessed his expertise on the racetrack.

It was the 1960’s and 70’s, when many of the greatest jockeys of all time plied their trade at racetracks across the country. During that timeframe, a claiming race at Saratoga could count seven, sometimes eight future Hall of Fame riders vying for the winner’s circle. Eddie Arcaro and Willie Shoemaker led the way. They were the masters of their chosen trade. Then there were Bobby Ussery and Manuel Ycaza. Both had flair and nerves of steel. Eric Guerin of Native Dancer fame and Bill Boland, who captured the Kentucky Derby at age sixteen were veterans that had the skills to compete with the best. 

Secretariat’s rider Ron Turcotte was also a member of the group. Then came Braulio Baeza, Angel Cordero, Jorge Valesquez, and Jacinto Vasquez. They arrived here from Panama and Puerto Rico to show off their talent and reap the financial rewards that America would offer. For the better part of two decades, John Rotz would match his riding skills with all of them. 

He was nicknamed “Gentleman John” out of respect for his quiet and unassuming demeanor. Do not think for one second that those are the only qualities that defined him. John Rotz was a topnotch, professional race rider. His skills were honed the hard way. He worked his way to success taking the old-fashioned route. As a teenager in Illinois, he landed a job as a groom, then graduated to hot walker and later spent his early morning hours as an exercise rider. 

In 1953 John launched his career as a jockey at the minor league tracks of the Midwest. By the late fifties he felt he had acquired the skills to hit the big time. He made the move to New York to test his mettle against the premier jockeys on the American turf at Belmont Park, Aqueduct, and Saratoga.

For the next fifteen years Rotz cemented himself as one of the go-to riders on the racing scene. A quick glance as his Wikipedia page lists the stakes races that he won in his career. It is a remarkable look at many of horse racing’s most sought-after prizes. 

The 1962 Preakness Stakes is the race that Rotz is most remembered for. He had the mount on Greek Money. In a stretch duel with his counterpart Manny Ycaza aboard Ridan, he was nearly thrown over the inside rail due to the rough riding antics of the fiery Panamanian. He was able to keep his mount steadied and nailed his first of two Triple Crown Events by a whisker. Hounded by reporters after the race, he was asked repeatedly about Ycaza’s flagrant ride in the stretch run. He refused to comment on the subject. It was just another example of why he was called “Gentleman John.”

Rotz went on to ride racing greats Dr. Fager, Carry Back, In Reality, the superb race mare Gallant Bloom, and this writer’s favorite champion Mongo. He reached the pinnacle of his success when he led the country in stakes race wins for both 1969 and 1970. 

Due to physical problems Rotz hung up his tack in 1973. He had done it all. From his beginnings as a groom to reaching the top rung of his profession, he had earned the respect of the owners, trainers, and the many jockeys that he had competed with on a world class level. 

Ten years later in August of 1983, John Rotz became the sixty-first jockey to be inducted into Horse Racing’s Hall of Fame located here on Union Avenue. It was a well-deserved and fitting tribute to this Gentleman from Illinois.

Giangiulio Trying to Make the Best of It as a New Trainer

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Winner's Circle.

Her horses are running well, but they are getting claimed quickly, as she still seeks her first career win.

Many new trainers find it challenging to win their first race, especially with a small stable.

Michelle Giangiulio’s experience is not much different. However, along with trying to get her first career victory, she has a difficult time of keeping horses.

Since becoming a trainer earlier this year, Giangiulio started four separate horses. While each horse ran well with either a second- or third-place finish, three of those horses have been taken by other owners or trainers through the claiming box.

Wagon Boss was the latest horse taken from her following his third-place finish in the first race of Saratoga Race Course’s Opening Day card.

After the race, Giangiulio went into the racing office and learned that 11 trainers submitted a $12,500 claim for the 8-year-old gelding. Eventually, Jeffrey Englehart became the new owner and trainer of Wagon Boss after the “shake,” a lottery process used when there are multiple claims on a horse.

“I went into the racing office, and it was packed. I didn’t realize they were shaking on my horse,” she said. “My horses keep getting claimed and we are losing shakes. It is tough when you have only 3-4 horses, then you lose one. The hardest part is keeping stock. You never know when you will get another one in [the stable].”

Giangiulio fell into that situation with her first career start and just one horse: Parade Field. She entered that 5-year-old gelding for a $20,000 claiming tag at Aqueduct on Feb. 15. After Parade Field was claimed with his third-place finish, that put her in a difficult situation – no horse to train.

It took a couple of months for Giangiulio to regroup with the help of Marshall Gramm, a founding partner of Ten Strike Racing, Associate Professor in Economics at Rhodes College and two-time qualifier for the National Handicapping Championships. Along with Wagon Boss, Gramm sent her two other horses: Easy Shot and True Castle.

“Marshall Gramm has been so great by sending me horses,” Giangiulio said. “He has been really trying to help me out. He’s really supportive. He actually sent Wagon Boss to Indiana Grand after he claimed him. He told me this horse might be OK going long at Saratoga for $12,500. He looked fantastic.”

While it can be discouraging to lose horses through the claiming box, Giangiulio has a sense of affirmation knowing that owners and trainers are interested in her horses because of their condition going into a race.

“I think it says a lot,” Giangiulio said. “The horses look good. They are running well. Every horse that I have run, except for True Castle, has been claimed. Everyone tells me that it is a good thing. It feels good that someone takes my horses because they are in the right spot. At the same time, it’s part of the mixed emotions because I lose a horse.”

Since being a child and teenager, Giangiulio has always enjoyed being around horses. The South New Jersey native started working and riding show horses while going to Hammonton High School.

After graduating from high school, she became interested in working with Thoroughbreds and crossed the Delaware River to Parx Racing, just north of Philadelphia where Juan Carlos Guerrera, trainer of the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile champion Spun to Run, hired her as a groom and an assistant.

Giangiulio got her first glimpse of New York racing in 2014 when she travelled with Guerrera to bring Classic Giacnroll to Aqueduct for the Jerome Stakes and Withers Stakes. Attracted to the New York racing scene, Giangiulio left Parx for Aqueduct and Belmont to work for various trainers, including Chad Brown, Jena Antonucci, Joe Sharp, Thomas Morley, and Kelly Breen.

Giangiulio did not come to Saratoga until 2016 when she was an assistant to Sharp. While Sharp spent most of that season staying in Kentucky, she helped the stable win four races that meet.

“We had a good meet that year,” she said. “Joe had a second baby, so he wasn’t up here as much. I had to run everything up here. We had a solid team. It was fun. From Parx to Belmont, that was a big jump. When I went from Belmont to Saratoga, I said, ‘I am in the big leagues.’ It was awesome.”

That is not the only awesome experience for Giangiulio since coming to New York. Three years ago, she got a chance to see one of her favorite horses who made history: Triple Crown winner Justify.

She had always been fond of the son of Scat Daddy after winning his debut with a 9 ½-length margin in 1:21.86 for seven furlongs at Santa Anita. While Giangiulio was working for Morley, Justify was stabled across the street at John Terranova’s barn prior to the Belmont Stakes.

“I absolutely fell in love with Justify,” she said. “When he first ran, I knew he was going to be a Triple Crown winner. The way he was put together was perfection. He was stunning and a monster of a horse.”

Through many memorable experiences with horses for more than a decade, Giangiulio is hoping to build off of that as a one-person stable right now. While the days can be long, especially starting at 4 a.m., she does like to be her own boss.

“I love not having a boss,” she said with a little laughter. “For my whole life, I wanted to be my own boss and train my own horses. Everyone who I worked for was great and they knew what they were doing, but I love to see what I can do and see a horse progress from decisions that I made.”

“It’s really rewarding,” she added. “I knew all along that I could do it with all of the horses running good. That has been a really awesome part. I cannot be disappointed at all. I have a lot to look forward to the future.”

Sprinters, Three-Year-Olds and a Jim Dandy of a Week

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Winner's Circle.

Week three of the 2021 racing season at Saratoga Race Course beginning July 28 will contain 8 stakes races, 5 of which are graded.

The highlight is expected to be the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at the sprint distance of 6 furlongs, but the richest race will be the Grade II Jim Dandy for three-year-olds at one mile and an eighth. Both will be run on Saturday. The full week offers stakes races at a wide array of distances, surfaces, ages and gender.

The biggest race of the week will be Saturday’s Grade II Jim Dandy at a mile and an eighth for three-year-olds. The race is named after the winner of the 1930 Travers – Jim Dandy – who pulled off one of the most famous upsets in racing history. The longest shot in a small field of four, Jim Dandy defeated Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox and multiple Saratoga winner Whichone.  Taking advantage of a sloppy track that he relished and a speed duel between the two favorites, Jim Dandy bounded up along the rail to an astonishing winning margin of 8 lengths at odds of 100-1.  Legend has it that the win was such a windfall for the bookmakers and so devastating a loss for the betting public that many fans left immediately for the train station to return south to New York City.  Attempting to save the remainder of the race meet the suddenly flush bookmakers sent people to intercept the dejected fans before they boarded the train.  With promises of free meals and free drinks all night at local establishments many bettors did return to town to drown their sorrows. The phrase heard for many years of “that was a Jim Dandy of a night!” paid homage to the Travers winner and the circumstances that ensued. The gambit of the bet takers was successful as once Monday rolled around the New York City bettors had forgotten their losses and faced a fresh week of betting challenges.    

Traditionally a prep race for the Travers’ Stakes to be later in the meet (eleven runners have won both), the $600,000 purse assures a quality field and this year the expected favorite is Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality.  The Godolphin homebred has won 6 of 7 lifetime races, with his only loss coming in a good effort in the Kentucky Derby. Widely considered the best three-year-old in the country – wins in the Jim Dandy and Travers would assure his spot as champion three-year-old of 2021.

The Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap also on the Saturday card is a top-notch Grade I affair. This sprint at 6 furlongs offers a purse of $350,000 and is named after racing icon Alfred G. Vanderbilt Jr., the former Chairman of the Board of the New York Racing Association and owner of Champion racehorse Native Dancer.  This race is a handicap race with runners carrying different weights to make the race competitive among all runners. The expected high weight and race favorite is Whitmore an 8-year-old gelding who won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint and was named Champion Sprinter of the Year. Whitmore was second in this race last year and despite being second in two of his three starts this year seems to have maintained his form. A winner of 15 races and $4.4 million, Whitmore is a fan favorite and is taken to find the winner’s circle here as he seeks to make it to the Breeders’ Cup sprint again to defend his title.

Saturday will also feature the Bowling Green, a grade II run on the grass at the marathon distance of one mile and three-eighths. The Bowling Green is expected to produce a large field with nominees including last year’s winner Cross Border and stakes winners Arklow, Colonel Liam, Channel Maker and Gufo.

Before the big Saturday races, Wednesday features a sprint handicap at six furlongs for fillies and mares. The Honorable Miss is named after the stretch running stakes winner of the mid 1970s who had a penchant for beating males with her tremendous closing kick. This year the expected high weight and favorite is Kimari, a filly trained by Wesley Ward who has won 6 of 10 races, including one at Saratoga and notably has been second twice at Royal Ascot. 

Wednesday also has the New York Sire Stakes series named after famed musician Cab Calloway. At a mile on the grass for New York breds the race is expected to produce a competitive field.

Thursday again features horses bred in New York with the John Morrissey – a handicap at 6 ½ furlongs offering a purse of $100,000. 

Friday’s stakes race is a restricted stake named after Curlin at a mile and one-eighth. This race is restricted to aspiring three-year-olds who have not won a stakes race at over a mile in 2021. Despite its restricted status, the Curlin has produced Travers runners in the past. 

SUNDAY completes the week with another stakes for three-year-olds – the Amsterdam. This race is at 6 and ½ furlongs and will draw from the same pool of entrants as the Curlin. 

Why Are CD Rates So Low?

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Business.

Fresh out of college, I secured my first job as a personal banker for a national retail bank. A common complaint I heard in my first few months was that CD rates had started to fall below 5%. What we wouldn’t give for a risk-free 5% now, right? If we go further back in time, folks who were around in the 80s will tell of double-digit rates on both their CDs and their mortgages. Let’s examine the driving forces behind why rates are what they are.

The story starts with the Federal Reserve (“the Fed”), America’s central bank. They serve many functions but one of their most visible is setting the interest rate that banks charge each other for overnight loans, known as the Federal Funds Rate. This rate impacts a lot which is why it is so widely discussed. It is currently set to a range of 0.00-0.25%. Without getting into the inner workings, think of the rate as a dial for the economy. If the Fed believes that the economy needs a boost, it will set interest rates lower to make money flow more freely (as it did during the onset of the COVID-19 crisis in March 2020). They do the opposite when there is a risk of the economy “overheating” and inflation becoming a problem. It is a delicate balancing act as they try to keep the economy running on all cylinders while at the same time making sure inflation is in check. 

“Thanks for that,” you say, “but I asked about my six-month CD paying 0.45%.” Fair enough. As was previously mentioned, the Federal Funds Rate is the rate charged for overnight loans between banks and it provides a starting point for setting rates that carry longer times to maturity, like your six-month CD. Typically, the longer something is held, the more that the person lending that money will require in terms of payment. As a purchaser of a CD, you are effectively lending money to the bank and the rate they are willing to pay will be slightly higher than the Federal Funds Rate. As such, as long as the Fed Funds Rate stays pinned to the floor as it currently is, do not expect the interest rates on CDs, money markets, or savings accounts to meaningfully budge.

An unfortunate side effect of low rates is that those who need steady income (i.e., retirees) have seen the interest they can generate from these safe holdings dwindle to near nothing. However, it is all relative, and times of elevated rates on CDs are typically accompanied by either high current or expected inflation. A CD earning 6% per year while inflation is 7% is technically losing money overall. Let me conclude by saying that the percentage of your wealth to be held in these short-term instruments should be viewed through the lens of your personal financial picture. Hold too much and your risk becomes inflation. Hold too little and your risk becomes stock or bond market fluctuations. Much like the setting of those interest rates, it is a delicate balancing act. 

For more information, visit contwealth.com

David Rath, CFA is the Director of Portfolio Strategies at Continuum Wealth Advisors in Saratoga Springs.

Our History, Our Story

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in News.

Photos provided.
Picture 1: Cliff Oliver, Debbie Craig and Renee Moore.

Confucius said, “True wisdom is knowing what you don’t know.” 

Despite growing up in Saratoga’s west side, when Renee Moore was dining downtown, people didn’t know she actually lived here, they assumed she was just visiting. The reason why was the color of her skin. 

Experiences like this were just part of the reason why she founded Solomon Northup Day in 1999. 

An Extraordinary Story

Today, the population of Saratoga is nearly 92% white, according to the latest census data, so you might not know the extent to which African-Americans and other people of color lived and worked throughout the community, or how their history has shaped the city we know today. 

Much of this history has been lost, but thanks to Renee Moore’s dedication, the story of Solomon Northup lives on. 

Solomon Northup was born free in Minerva. While living and working in Saratoga Springs in 1841, he was illegally sold into slavery. After being rescued, he shared the ordeal that he (and others under the yoke of slavery) experienced in his autobiography, Twelve Years a Slave. 

Stronger Together

Moore first heard Northup’s story told in a 1984 docudrama based on his book. Thus began her quest to recognize Northup in a way that would bring the community closer together.

“No one was talking about African-American history in the city and it was not embraced in the early years. Not only did I have very little support, but I did every aspect of it myself,” said Moore.

Eventually, she was joined by several “very special souls” who helped her make July’s Solomon Northup Day a reality. 

Celebrated on the Big Screen

In April 2013, PLAN B/Searchlight Pictures contacted Moore for background information and help reaching out to Northup’s descendants for a film they were producing. The movie, also called 12 Years a Slave, was that year’s Oscar award winner. 

Interest peaked and Skidmore College (Moore’s alma mater) hosted a flurry of talks and other events in town. A historical marker for Northup now stands near the intersection of Broadway and Congress Streets by the Saratoga Springs Visitor Center. Inside, you can see a placard and pick-up a handout with more information. 

Their Story is OUR story

To further discover and explore the history of people of color in the city, a walking tour and a free OURstory Treasure Hunt Map, published by MLK Saratoga, is available. 

Points of interest include Mouzon House, Hattie’s Chicken Shack, and High Rock Park’s Tree of Peace, among others. 

The OURstory Treasure Hunt was conceived by diversity advocate/trainer Jean Fei, with help from author Carol Daggs, into a 10-site adventure as an inclusive, family-oriented activity.

“We cannot truly know ourselves and how we have arrived where we are today until we re-weave the very fabric of OUR shared story — a much more colorful, vibrant and extraordinary tapestry of Humanity than our history books, classrooms, and memories have represented over the centuries,” said Lezlie Dana, President and Co-Chair of MLK Saratoga.

Find it at the Visitor Center or online at www.mlksaratoga.org/treasure-hunt

Injustice Today

If you don’t know these stories, you may struggle with understanding why divisions and unrest remain today. 

“Every single life is important. You have to look at the whole picture,” said Moore.

Turbulence around race has erupted in recent years, and the number of people taking to the streets to protest has increased. Saratoga is not immune, as demonstrations like last week’s “Take Back the Narrative,” which resulted in five arrests, illustrates.

“Everyone suffers when our country is at odds with itself,” said Moore.

“There are no winners in the continued dialogue of ‘us against them’ that robs us from dealing with the real crisis’ we must face together as one country united.”

What Solomon Would Say

Widely-debated and controversial topics such as mass incarceration and qualified immunity show that despite how far we’ve come as a country, there are still changes to be made. 

“It’s my guess that if Solomon Northup were alive today, he might be disappointed with our lack of progress toward freedom and justice so many years later. Right now, regardless of our skin color, we as Americans are watching a chipping away of our one guaranteed freedom; the Right to Vote.  This is not solely a black issue, however, but an issue that affects us all as Americans,” said Moore. 

Be in the Conversation

A free Solomon Northup Day program with re-enactor Clifford Oliver Mealy and the dedication of a Solomon Northup Highway Marker will be held at the Town of Minerva Community Center, 5 Morse Memorial Hwy, Minerva, on July 27 from 5:45- 8:30 p.m.