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Author: Kacie Cotter-Harrigan

Getting Into The Spirit

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

It’s been quite a summer, with COVID-19, nationwide protests and calls for police reforms, presidential politics, school reopenings, and the fate of the U.S. postal service dominating the news.

Still, we’re surviving, thanks to the best local foods and drinks that our vendors bring each week to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. 

In that spirit, we suggest a brief celebration. Visit the market and fill your basket with what you need for your upcoming meals. Top it off with a bottle of a handcrafted artisanal liquor and the ingredients for a cocktail or two.

The market’s three spirits vendors are Lake George Distillery, Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery, and Yankee Distillers. Collectively, they bring gin, vodka, and whiskey to the market each Saturday, not to mention fruit- and spice-infused spirits, such as Lake George’s Apple Pie Moonshine and its Lake George Lemonade. A simple quarter-cup pour from one of their bottles over two or three cubes of ice makes a hearty but not too boozy cocktail in and of itself. 

If you want something a little more fancy, try these suggestions:

• LAVENDER LEMONADE COCKTAIL
Yankee’s Steve Hamilton recommends either vodka or bourbon for this beverage made with Slate Valley Farm’s lavender lemonade and freshly chopped cucumber from one of the market’s produce vendors. Strip off some of the outer cucumber skin with a vegetable peeler and chop the cucumber. Place it in a cup with ice cubes, and add one part spirit and three parts lavender lemonade. The lemonade lightens the intensity of the liquor, while the lavender and cucumber impart a floral freshness. I tried this concoction with bourbon and found it delicious.

• GIN & TONIC WITH CELERY
Springbrook Hollow’s Tara Solomon suggests muddling a bit of chopped celery in the classic gin and tonic beverage consisting approximately of one part gin, two parts tonic, and ice. She also suggests allowing the celery to remain in the glass until the beverage has been consumed for snacking. Cucumber makes an excellent alternative. 

• MOCHA AND MINT WHISKEY
Hamilton suggests a malt whiskey for this cocktail, which is made with coffee and chocolate milk from the market’s new Bunker Hill Dairy vendor. It can be made with a take-home version of the mocha drink that Something’s Brewing offers. A little bit of crushed mint adds a flavorful boost.

Just remember, no drinking at the market.

Saratoga Farmers’ Market runs at Wilton Mall 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to our newsletter: www.saratogafarmersmarket.org/weekly-newsletter. 

FM BourbonPeachSmash

I Feel Good From my Head Tomatoes

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

Hello my Foodie Friends!

This past week and weekend celebrates my mother-in-law and my mother (who has passed) birthdays. As my family celebrate both of their birthdays, I reflect on my treasured childhood experiences especially during the end of summer weather. Along with this time of year came the time to work in the garden and harvest the incredible vegetables that we worked hard to grow and maintain over the summer. I love garden grown tomatoes. It often took all of my control to not bite into them as I was pulling them from their stems. Fresh tomatoes smell so good.  My grandmother and mother always loved to make their sauce from home grown tomatoes. Therefore, in August and September, when tomatoes are at their ripest, it was a very busy time for me to help them in the garden. Every summer, when the garden was coming up tomatoes, my family would pass them through a chinois or food mill to get rid of skins and seeds. We would have fresh tomato sauce year-round. When you use a chinois or a food mill, tomatoes stay dense and rich.

The chinois is a cone-shaped strainer with a tightly woven mesh for filtering impurities from stocks, soups and sauces. To make the best use of a chinois, you’ll need a pointed wooden pestle, tailored to closely fit the bottom of the cone. The pestle allows you to easily press every last bit of juice and flavor from the solids. A stand is useful for holding the chinois upright over a pot or bowl. A chinois can be used for taking lumps out of gravy or even for taking the juice from citrus fruit. However, the most common use for a chinois is for making soup stock or sauces. For example, a chinois can be used to remove the seeds from tomatoes to prepare a fresh tomato sauce. Some people use a chinois to prepare apple sauce. It is also known as a bouillon strainer and it is commonly used for preparing soup stock as the conical shape helps funnel the stock into your pot. The fine mesh also keeps the bigger pieces of meat from the bones from going into the soup stock and clouding the clear broth.

To make a fresh sauce, dice tomatoes, then toss them in a pot and set it over moderate heat, stirring frequently. The tomatoes quickly begin dumping out their water as they heat up. Simmer the tomatoes until most of the excess liquid has cooked off, then transfer them  to a chinois or a food mill. To peel the tomatoes, cut out the stem end and score an X into the skin with a sharp knife. Then drop them in boiling water until the skins just start to show signs of coming loose around the score marks (just about 30 seconds to a minute). Finally, transfer the tomatoes to an ice bath to shock them and stop the cooking; this will help loosen the skins even more. You should be able to just peel them right off with your hands. Dice the remaining tomato flesh, transfer it to a mesh strainer/ chinois or food mill, set over a bowl, and sprinkle it liberally with salt, which will draw out moisture. After about 30 minutes to an hour, puree the pulp with a blender. The puree has a very bright, fresh flavor, like gazpacho—but without any of the other ingredients, obviously. Included is a recipe for a fresh tomato sauce. 

At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place, we carry cool tools for cooks to help with those culinary traditions.  Working in the garden can make for some lifelong memories made with family and friends while sharing your culinary creations.  Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” 

 Take Care,
John & PaulaREARDON TomatoCoulis

Affrunti: On Top of the Racing Scene – Literally

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

Through diligence, tryouts, and education, Anthony Affruniti has moved from the ice rink to the top of the racetrack – literally.

The 45-year-old Affruniti is in his second year as the official timer and photo finish camera operator for American Teletimer that covers Saratoga Race Course, Belmont Park and Aqueduct.

While it may look easy to time a race and take a picture of the horses passing the finish line, Affrunti vouches there is a lot more to the job that includes knowing the pole markers for fractional times of each race and making sure the beam signals and camera are ready when the horses cross that mark.

“There is a lot of pressure to be on point,” he said. “There are ways to double check everything. I have to be sure I’m at the right course, the backup camera is working and in focus, and I have the right time on the timer.”

Affrunti has always been involved in some aspect of horse racing as a fan and employee since his years at Garden City High School when his uncle, who owned both harness horses and Thoroughbreds, suggested he should work for the late Dominic Galluscio in 1992.

Every weekend for $50, Affrunti learned how to walk horses and work around the shed row. Perhaps one of the challenging experiences for him as a hotwalker was handling slow horses, in particular a claiming gelding named Mapale.

“Mapale was so slow,” he said. “It took me 30 minutes to walk him once around the shed row because he walked so slow, but I wanted to learn how to walk horses. Eventually, Galluscio gave me more horses to walk, then then I started raking the shed row.”

Following the short experience with Galluscio, Affrunti worked for trainer Robert Klesaris for the next 1½ years that included a 5:30 a.m. start time during the winter. Affruniti also played high school hockey through his senior year until he broke his ankle during a game in January 1993 that sidelined him in the barn.

“I walked about six horses a day,” he said. “Then, I would be hosing water on the horse. I remember one brutal winter when it was 12 degrees and I was standing there with a hose for 45 minutes. Everything was a learning experience. My parents had no idea about what they had sent me to do. I have learned a lot working back there.”

For his first two years at C.W. Post, Affrunti still went to Aqueduct and Belmont as a fan. However, it wasn’t until Fall 2001 when he transferred to St. John’s University to eventually earn his bachelor’s degree in sports management.

Heading into senior year at St. John’s, Affrunti also returned to work at the racetrack. This time, he was an intern for the New York Racing Association’s communications office where he wrote daily backstretch notes, feature race previews and recap stories during the Saratoga meet for two seasons.

About halfway through Affrunti’s second season at Saratoga, writer and handicapper Ed Fontaine informed him about a position at the New York Post where he would handle the horse racing entries and results on the pages. However, Affrunti would have to wait until the end of the meet to “try out” for the position.

Also going into that fall, Affrunti made the commitment of coaching hockey at Killenberg High School in Uniondale and other jobs included working on an “overnight” video project featuring former New York Islander center Alexei Yashin and hockey historian and announcer Stan Fischler on how to play hockey.

With that video project starting at 9 p.m. for the next 12 hours, Affrunti had very little time – and barely any sleep – to go home to shower, then get to Manhattan in the early afternoon for the newspaper tryout.

“At one point when I was sitting at the computer, I caught myself dozing off. I couldn’t believe I was about to fall asleep during my tryout,” he said. “I came back the next day and Friday. On Monday, I got the job.”

For the next eight years, Affrunti went from typing and paginating horse racing entries and results to becoming one of the New York Post’s handicappers. As technology quickly paginated information, the New York Post cut 13 positions, including Affrunti, Fontaine and John DaSilva – the day before the 2013 Belmont Stakes that silenced the press box.

“I saw it coming,” he said. “After being told that, we went to Belmont. Everyone knew it in the press box. Everyone was mumbling and whispering. It got dead quiet. Everyone got nervous.”

That layoff did not discourage Affunti as he became a freelance writer for NYRA, co-host for the Horse Racing Radio Network, and even a Zamboni driver and ice maintenance manager for the New York Islanders. Then, his next opportunity arrived when Morehouse retired after four decades of being the timer and camera operator for Teletimer.

“Don asked me if I was interested in the job and he could train me,” Affrunti said. “He said I had been around long enough to know everything about racing. I started training 1-2 times a week at Aqueduct and Belmont. He eventually took off one day and I did it on my own. It was a test run and everything went fine.”

Affrunti officially took over in November 2018. Besides the pressure of accuracy, there is also the importance of being at the track every day, especially since he doesn’t have a backup or replacement.

“I think I have taken five days off,” he said. “If something happens to me, there is no one who can time the races.”

Affrunti also still finds time to handicap races for the Albany Times Union. Along with selecting horses, he also provides entertaining banter at Tim Wilkin, who also returns the humor by often calling Affrunti as “Herbie.”

Since walking horses nearly 30 years ago, as well as attending and working the 30 consecutive Belmont Stakes races that include Triple Crown winners American Pharaoh and Justify, Affrunti believes he has made it to the top — literally.

“I’ve worked the backstretch during the Belmont,” he said. “I worked for the press. I’ve gotten quotes after the race for the press office. Here I am, all the way up at the top.”

“Hey, She got the Way to Move Me, Cherry”

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

Hello my Foodie Friends!

Calling all Cherry lovers! As I think back on my childhood memories, I can remember the sheer joy of seeing my mom bringing a heaping bowl of bright red cherries to the table. Now we know that eating cherries as a part of a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables may provide health benefits. Cherries are a good source of vitamin C.  Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant. Cherries are also low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Last night I pitted and ate some delicious cherries and I slept like a baby. Who knew that they helped with sleep?  Recently Dr. Russell J. Reiter, professor of neuroendocrinology at The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio put some hard science behind the cherry folklore. He conducted a five-month study and found that tart cherries contain significant amounts of melatonin, a hormone produced in the brain’s pineal gland that has been credited with slowing the aging process, and fighting insomnia and jet lag. It’s also being studied as a potential treatment for cancer, depression and other diseases and disorders. The findings mark the first time melatonin has been pegged as a naturally occurring substance in food, although trace amounts are evident in bananas, corn and other foods, Reiter says.

You can also freeze cherries. You can freeze sweet cherries to enjoy in baked goods, smoothies, and sauces throughout the year. Simply rinse the cherries with cool water and remove the stem. Pitting them will make it easier to pop into a recipe later if they’re frozen without the pit. Once the cherries have been pitted, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the freezer overnight to freeze. After they’re completely frozen, put them in an airtight container or freezer bag to store in the freezer until you’re ready to use them. You won’t even need to thaw them before using them. 

So kick back and enjoy those heartwarming childhood memories, while of course, savoring your own bowl full of sweet, juicy cherries—it’s a treat you can feel good about!

Use a cherry pitter to help you with taking the pits out. It will make your life easier. Most cherry pitters can also pit olives. At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place in Saratoga Springs, we carry cherry and olive pitters that can quickly and easily remove pits from cherries and olives without bruising or crushing fruit or wasting fruit. They are perfect for canning, freezing, dehydrating and baking cherries. One of our favorites is made by OXO. This cherry/olive pitter will make your life a lot easier with all of the delicious cherry recipes that are out there. The OXO pitter has a removable splatter shield that keeps juices contained and directed downward. It has a large holder that accommodates larger cherries and a recessed cup for smaller variety cherries. 

By the way, I still love listening to Neil Diamond songs; especially while we are in the kitchen cooking or driving in the car. One of our favorites is “Cherry, Cherry.”  Remember Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” 

 Take Care,
John & PaulaREARDON CherryPie

Growing Memories & Traditions Through the Love of Food

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

Each year I find myself looking forward to the late summer when everything seems to slow down a bit as we soak up the last long, hot days that mark the bittersweet end of another summer. Before we trade our swimsuits for back to school and office outfits and switch our summer salads for pumpkin recipes, we enjoy one last late summer harvest.

Growing up, the late summer always brought with it one of my favorite treats: my Grandmother’s fresh chocolate chip zucchini bread. My Grandma Jo’s beloved garden sat in the field behind her and my grandfather’s home in Upstate New York, surrounded by a small fence to keep out the deer and rabbits that frequented the property. She tended to her garden often, loading her many tools onto a four-wheeler and setting out to work in the hot sun to ensure her fruits, vegetables, and herbs were properly taken care of. 

In early August, her small garden overflowed with an abundance of zucchini, raspberries, cucumbers, and tomatoes. The meals of the following weeks were filled with produce from the garden in every way imaginable. Zucchini bread and muffins for breakfast, cucumber and tomato salads for lunch, and cakes with sweet raspberry sauce for dessert. 

This flood of fresh fruits and vegetables brought some of my favorite meals of the summer, as well as some of the most cherished memories of my childhood. Long afternoons surrounded by my siblings and cousins, following directions to make delicious raspberry jam we liked to call “Grandchildren Jam” and enjoying her homemade desserts out on the deck surrounded by family as we watched the sunset. But what I looked forward to most was the late summer surplus of zucchini that meant homemade zucchini bread, with a special batch she would set aside for me made with chocolate chips.

 As we enter the last few weeks of summer, as always, I look forward to sharing this recipe with my family and taking in the dog days of August.

Cooking provides such a special way to connect with family and friends and emphasizes the importance of nourishing ourselves with fresh, healthy foods. Come browse the market this month to stock up on seasonal summer produce grown by your favorite local farmers. It is food that you can feel good about eating and sharing. 

Saratoga Farmers’ Market runs at Wilton Mall 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to our newsletter – www.saratogafarmersmarket.org/weekly-newsletter. 

FT ChocZucchiniBread

Notes from the Chamber of Commerce: Numbers Show Saratoga County Is Leading the Way

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

By the time you read this, it is likely that the numbers will have changed. But it’s also very likely if the trends hold that these changes will be minimal.

You see the reality is that relatively speaking COVID-19 has spread and impacted people living in Saratoga County far less than many other places around the world, the US, New York State and the region as well.

We all mourn the 17 Saratoga County residents who have lost their lives to COVID-19.

We also understand that some of the 769 people who had COVID-19 and recovered may have to deal with lingering health issues for some time or maybe the rest of their lives.

This virus is dangerous. It is impacting local families and our neighbors. Thus, we need to continue to do everything we can to stop the spread for as long as it takes the medical community to develop a vaccine.

This starts with wearing a mask. It means avoiding large crowds and continuing to social distance from other people. It means following travel restrictions, washing our hands, etc.

As of today, Monday, August 17, 2020, we’ve had 828 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Saratoga County. This means that just .0036 percent of the county’s 230,000 residents have tested positive. The 828 confirmed cases is just .014 percent of the 56,348 tests performed in Saratoga County.

The City of Saratoga Springs has had just 113 confirmed cases of COVID-19. That means just .004 percent of the City’s 28,000 residents has had the virus.

Best of all, 108 have already recovered and as of today there are just 4 active cases. 

Let’s remember that we’re in the third week of August now. Since early July, our hotels have seen an uptick in visitors, particularly during weekends. The Saratoga Race Course has been in operation for 24 days.

While we’ve seen a slight increase in positive tests, we have NOT seen a spike. The spread of this virus has been minimized by all of us doing our part and by local businesses reopening while putting the health of their employees and customers first. 

The minimal spread of this virus locally has also been managed thanks to the aggressive contact tracing performed from day one of the PAUSE by Saratoga County’s Health Department.

Just two of the Towns in Saratoga County have NOT had a single positive case – – Edinburg and Day. Several Villages have achieved zero cases as well, including: Galway, Victory and Stillwater.

But as we were advised recently in a Zoom session with Saratoga Hospital’s COVID-19 medical experts, we’re still practically looking to minimize the risk of spread versus eliminating the risk entirely.

We need to expect that there will be more positive cases. We will need to quarantine more people as more positive tests come up. We will need to continue to be diligent wearing masks and remaining socially distant.

We’re leading the way in Saratoga County as of today. 

As hard as this has been on our families and our economy, this is allowing us to reopen bowling alleys this week and fitness facilities next week. It’s positioning us to be able to safely reopen our schools next month. 

Hopefully soon if we can control the spread, we will also see our performing arts sector, the City Center, the Saratoga Casino, and local movie theaters reopen too.

Leading the way is not easy. It takes resolve. It takes focus.  It takes all of us doing our part. We’ve done that here in Saratoga County.

Let’s keep up the great work and continue to put health first so that we can recover sooner than most.

Small Town, Big League Experience

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

The arrival of fall doesn’t mean your kids’ baseball glove has to sit around gathering dust. The Spa City Stallions are hosting tryouts for 11 to 13-year-olds who want year-round training. 

MAJOR LEAGUE EXPERIENCE

The Spa City Stallions are being headed up by the Harrington family – a family with Major League experience.

“With the Harringtons being a baseball family and having the experience that we do, we bring a more functional approach to baseball. Kids haven’t been learning the skills to help them move forward and it’s a rude awakening for them when they go out on a full-sized field,” said TJ Harrington. 

TJ’s dad, Tim Harrington, has been a scout for the Boston Red Sox for 21 years and spent 14 years as Glens Falls High School’s varsity baseball coach. TJ was a 1994 San Diego Padres draft pick and served nine years as a strength and conditioning coach for the LA Angels. His nephew, Mike, who played for the Cortland Red Dragons, has earned a number of awards including being named the 2018 D3 Pitcher of the Year. 

This was the first year for their Spa City Stallions team, comprised of players from South Glens Falls, Queensbury and Saratoga. Even with all of the hurdles that youth sports had to jump over because of the pandemic, they played a great six weeks of games this season. 

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A NEW BRAND OF BASEBALL

Even if you didn’t know anything about their combined Major League experience, one look at the new, private Spa City Stallions field in Greenfield Center can tell you that these guys take baseball seriously. All aspects of the game are covered and player skills honed in an environment where no shortcuts have been taken.

The Spa City Stallions fall developmental sessions will be followed-up by indoor strength and conditioning training at the Chase Sports Complex in South Glens Falls before going back out on the field for Spring training and out on the road for summer games as members of the Eastern New York Travel Baseball (ENYTB) league. 

To accommodate a variety of student schedules, TJ is committed to maintaining flexibility with the Stallions’ training times. During the 1½ to 2-hour sessions, they’ll be hitting balls in the batting cages, utilizing computer-aided pitching analysis, building strength and endurance with exercises, weights and hurdles. As a small private group, they personally ensure that all the safety protocols the state has put in place are being adhered to, he said. 

“We’re a one-stop shop for baseball,” said Harrington.

The Spa City Stallions player costs and fees are comparable to other ENYTB teams. Free tryouts are being held on Saturday, Aug. 22 and Sunday, Aug. 23 at 55 Wilton Rd., Greenfield Center. Players are asked to bring standard baseball equipment and answer basic medical questions at registration. Tryouts for kids age 11 are at 10 a.m., age 12 at 12 p.m. and age 13 at 2 p.m. A second round of tryouts will be Aug. 29 and 30. For more information, find them on Facebook @spacitystallionsbaseball

Jack Knowlton: From Fairy Tale to Triumph

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

Earlier this week I was given the opportunity to interview Jack Knowlton and discuss his meteoric rise to the top of the horse racing universe. It all began twenty- five years ago.

THE FORMATIVE YEARS

In 1995 Jack and five pals of his formed Sackatoga Stable. The name was a play on words. A combination of letters from the crew’s hometown of Sackets Harbor along with Jack’s residency in Saratoga Springs creating an amusing name for the enterprise. They chose the staid checkered colors of maroon and gray that matched those of their high school for the stable’s jockey silks.

They liked the name so much that they named their first horse Sackets Six. Little did they know that eight years later lightning would strike them in the form of a three-year-old gelding with the name Funny Cide.

ON THE FUNNY CIDE OF THE STREET

In 2002 Jack and his partners paid Seventy-five thousand dollars for the chestnut gelding. By that time the ownership group had risen to ten members including a crusty, colorful character, Delmar businessman Gus Williams. Funny Cide would not disappoint. As a two-year-old he took all three of his starts, two of them easily. He didn’t show much as a three-year-old until the Wood Memorial, New York’s major Kentucky Derby prep. There he gave the favorite Empire Maker all he could handle, finishing a game second. Jack and his merry men were heading for Louisville for a shot at the “Run for the Roses.” Along with them was a bus load of friends and associates clamoring to be a part of the action.

Jack saw it like this.The sheiks and blue bloods were coming in private cars and limousines. They, on the other hand were considered a bunch of local yokels, coming to the Derby on a school bus with a New York State bred gelding. The fact that a gelding hadn’t won the race in fifty-five years and a New York bred had never won it didn’t add much prestige to their presence at the big event.

Empire Maker was the favorite to win the race. He had all the earmarks of a champion. He was owned by Prince Khalid Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. With impeccable breeding and a resume to go along with it, this Goliath looked like he was about to put the Derby field in his back pocket.

Jack Knowlton and trainer Barclay Tagg had other ideas. They knew that horse races aren’t won at the breeding shed or the magnificent horse farms in Kentucky. They are won on the racetrack. And Funny Cide was about to prove it.

The seventeen horse field approached the gate. Funny Cide took his place in the 6 slot under the reins of one of America’s top jockeys, Jose Santos. At 12 to 1 he was overlooked by the bettors, who had their eyes firmly fixed on Empire Maker.

The bell rang and Santos tucked the chestnut to the inside. He stayed there until they hit the half mile pole. Then he made his move. Funny Cide blew by the leaders. In hot pursuit Empire Maker followed. Santos hit the gas and was two lengths clear of Empire Maker at the wire. The race was over and a legend was born.

Jack Knowlton, Funny Cide and his crew were now household names in the sporting world. David had taken down Goliath and the average guy loved them for it.

Two weeks later all roads led to Baltimore for the running of the Preakness Stakes. Funny Cide took this one in a laugher, cruising home by almost ten lengths.

The gelding that was just another Derby starter two weeks earlier, was heading to Belmont Park with a chance to win the Triple Crown and immortality.

Jack was on clouds number one through nine. He and his high school buddies made an appearance on The Today Show being Interviewed by Katie Curic. If that wasn’t enough, he rubbed shoulders with the premier sports artist in the world, Leroy Neiman. They spent an afternoon together at Manhattan’s fabled eatery and watering hole “21 Club.” With its row of jockey statues adorning the entrance to the restaurant, it was the perfect setting. There Neiman invited Jack to his gallery and also spent a day with him at Belmont. To add icing to the cake, Neiman painted a beautiful rendition of Funny Cide. The original was sold at a charity event. A signed print of it hangs proudly in Jack’s office.

A BRUSH WITH IMMORTALITY

If Jack wasn’t busy enough with his new-found celebrity, his main thoughts were obviously with winning a Triple Crown. It rained all of Belmont Day in the New York area. The torrential downpour wouldn’t stop a near record crowd of over one hundred thousand fans from converging on Belmont Park to root their newfound hero to victory.

The big guy was facing five opponents in his quest for immortality. Derby favorite Empire Maker was back for this one. For whatever reason Funny Cide wasn’t quite up to the mile and a half test that day. He took the lead out of the gate and was hounded by Empire Maker until he gave way on the far turn. Down the stretch Empire Maker drew clear. The Saudi Arabian Prince had his taste of revenge. As for Funny Cide his popularity would only grow in leaps and bounds.

THE FUNNY CIDE BRAND

Funny Cide was about to take on his own zip code. He was so popular that beers and wines were named after him. Ice cream flavors showcased his name. Novelty bobble heads became a sought after collectible for the Funny Cide fans.

As for Jack, he travelled the country as a good will ambassador for the breeding of New York State Thoroughbreds..And who better than the soft spoken visionary that had done so much for the sport in his native state.

A STAR IS BORN

Let’s move ahead to the present. it’s been almost two decades since Jack and his crew pulled off the miracle in Louisville.

Again he has raised eyebrows throughout the horse racing community. Along with his trainer Barclay Tagg and a new set of owners he is poised to get a second Derby.

This chapter differs a bit from the legend of Funny Cide. This time Jack has a colt that could very well become Horse of the Year and a World Class Champion before this racing year ends.

A product of the 2018 Fasig – Tipton sales here at Saratoga, Jack laid out 110,000 dollars for the rights to the New York State bred yearling. 

He was given the striking name Tiz The Law. It was apropos that he would break his maiden at Saratoga as a two-year-old last year. Then in only his second start he won the Grade One Champagne at Belmont. Jack Knowlton knew from that moment he had another New York Bred racehorse poised to run in the Kentucky Derby.

This year has been all Tiz The Law. In four starts as a three year old he has reeled off the Holy Bull Stakes, then the Florida Derby, The Belmont Stakes and Saratoga’s Crown Jewel, the Travers.

In this Covid-19 year of surprises, the Belmont and Travers were scheduled to run prior to the Kentucky Derby. The distance for the Belmont Stakes was shortened to a mile and an eighth. Tiz The Law took the race easily. As far as Jack is concerned they could have gone two miles and nobody in that field would have touched him.

Jack is convinced that the chances are strong that his colt will get the Derby and go on to Triple Crown glory. It is difficult to fault that evaluation.

If everything goes according to Hoyle horse racing fans will get to see Tiz The Law next year. Jack would like to see him go to the Pegasus to start the campaign, then on to Dubai. He sees the Whitney Stakes here at the Spa also a distinct possibility. Jack puts it this way. “Each one is a mountain to climb.”

FINAL REMARKS

Jack had a few things to discuss that are very important to him. Foremost he would like to see his trainer Barclay Tagg inducted into the Horse Racing Hall of Fame here on Union Avenue. He points out that the eighty-two-year-old Tagg is one of only four contemporary trainers to win all three Triple Crown Races.

He also would like to see uniform drug testing on a nationwide basis. He sees too many rules and regulations that differ in the various states that conduct thoroughbred racing.

Jack is proud of the fact that he has taken two relatively inexpensive horses to the top of the sport. He expresses that it is proof with a small investment a partnership of shareholders can participate in the game at the highest level.

Finally, Jack has become the face of New York State Thoroughbred Breeding. His success with that breed is unparalleled. In fact he has done literally the impossible. Jack has taken on the Crème de la Crème of the sport. Where the Middle Eastern Sheiks and blue bloods have an open check book to conduct business, Jack has taken them on successfully with a small stable and limited funds. He is quietly proud of that astonishing fact.

Jack Knowlton is one of a kind. When asked about the many successes in his life, he would start the answer with the word “Incredible.” It is safe to say that same word fits Jack to a tee. The life that he leads surely is incredible.