SARATOGA SPRINGS — Maryellen (Luce) Biggie Thompson Celeste, 96, passed away peacefully July 31, 2021. Funeral services were private, and burial followed in the family plot in Maplewood Cemetery. Memorial donations to Gurtler Brothers VFW Post 420, 190 Excelsior Ave., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Please visit www.burkefuneralhome.com
Starks Desivigna Dake was born May 9,1852. He died on November 10, 1937, at the family homestead in Middle Grove after a long illness. As stated in the Saratogian on November 11, 1937, Courageous to the last, he voted in the November 2 election at a polling place near his home.
Starks was a member of one of the oldest families to settle in Saratoga County. He was the son of Benjamin C. and Mary Jane Carmen Dake. He attended school in Daketown and, in the winter of 1869-70, attended the prominent Ft. Edward Collegiate Institute. In 1870 he won a scholarship to Cornell, where he studied civil engineering. He left college early to teach school in Eddy’s Corners, South Corinth, Greenfield Center, Middle Grove, and Chatfield Corners. In 1872 the enterprising Starks took up land surveying while still teaching. He would continue that occupation for the next 60 years.
In 1876 he was elected Justice of the Peace in the Town of Greenfield. He declined renomination after serving four years. After leaving office, Starks would continue to share his expertise in the Justice’s Court by giving advice and counsel in law matters. In those years, there were few lawyers and limited transportation. It was common for men of expanded education and experience to assist the courts even though they were not members of the bar.
Married in 1874, Starks and Melvena B. Lyman Dake would have seven sons and four daughters. Two sons Percy W. and Charles V. would establish Dake’s Delicious Ice Cream in 1921. The brothers went on to create Stewart’s Ice Cream with the purchase of Don K. Stewart’s Ballston dairy business in 1945. Grandsons William P. and Charles S. would continue the ice cream legacy after the retirement of their father Charles V. and uncle Percy. Today great-grandson and Stewart’s Shops Corp. President Gary Dake continues to support the community where the family’s roots are deeply entrenched.
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In the following Saratogian newspaper article from 1909, you will get a sense of the visionary trait that permeates the Dake family:
The Daily Saratogian
Tuesday, April 6, 1909
On April 6, 1909, Starks Dake of Middle Grove proposed a new canal in Saratoga County from Ballston to *Grangerville. The proposal was discussed at a meeting of Ballston Spa businessmen. The pollution of Saratoga Lake was the impetus of Stark’s idea. As an engineer Starks was present to speak on the matter of the storage reservoir on the headwaters of the Kayaderosseras Creek. Mr. Dake explained the feasibility of erecting a dam across the Kayaderosseras above Middle Grove for the purpose of storing flood-water to be released in time of drought. This would secure an equalized flow of water in the creek. Mr. Dake gave an estimate of the probable cost of the construction of the dam and the flowage rights. In discussing the subject of pollution of the creek, Mr. Dake stated that one of the troubles along the creek between Ballston Spa and the lake during low water is the almost stagnant condition of the water, the current being so sluggish. The creek twists and turns so often that to reach the lake, a distance of five miles, the creek runs ten miles with a fall of a little over twenty feet.
Mr. Dake suggested that to secure more current it would be practical to dredge a new channel to the lake, taking a straight course. By reducing the length of the creek to five miles the trouble of stagnant water would be obvious. He estimated this could be done for $15,000 and would be a comparatively easy matter.
In speaking of this work, he then mentioned how easy it would be to continue the work of dredging to the proposed barge canal at Grangerville (2 miles east of Schuylerville) and thus obtain a water freight connection for the industries of Ballston. With a fall of less than twenty-five feet from Ballston to the line of the barge canal, a feeder canal would be a very feasible project.
The proposal above never materialized, but the idea makes you think, “What if?”
John Greenwood is a Town of Greenfield Historical Society Board member and Stewart’s Shops retiree. He was involved in developing the current exhibit on Stewarts Shops at Brookside Museum in Ballston Spa. John lives in Wilton with his wife Patricia. He can be reached at jgreenwood3@nycap.rr.com
SARATOGA SPRINGS —Saratoga Hospital announced on Aug. 9 it is requiring that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 7 or be tested for the virus weekly.
The vaccination policy requires employees to provide proof of vaccination by the Sept. 7 deadline or start weekly testing. The policy also includes exemptions and deferrals. Those who do not comply with the policy will be placed on leave.
“As Saratoga County’s only hospital and as a major employer, we owe it to patients and staff to do everything possible to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and ensure that our facilities are safe for all who work here and rely on us for care,” said Angelo Calbone, Saratoga Hospital president and CEO, in a statement.
“The evidence is clear: These vaccines save lives,” he said.
The policy reflects guidance from the hospital’s medical staff, board of trustees and individuals across the Saratoga Hospital organization and will be reviewed regularly and updated to reflect changing conditions, new knowledge and the latest CDC guidance.
Saratoga Hospital joins more than 90 hospitals and health systems nationwide in requiring COVID-19 vaccination for employees. New York State has announced it will require state employees to be vaccinated as of Labor Day. And nearly 60 major medical organizations—including the American Medical Association and American Nurses Association—have called for “all healthcare and long-term care employers to require their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.”
BALLSTON SPA — Saratoga County Public Health Services (SCPHS) issued an advisory on Aug. 7 recommending that all individuals—fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, and unvaccinated–wear a mask when indoors with people who are not members of their own household, outdoors in crowded settings, and when engaging in activities that involve close contact with others who are not fully vaccinated.
SCPHS also said it recommends vaccination for those who are eligible to do so.
The announcement comes as Saratoga County is experiencing a high level of COVID-19 community transmission, fueled by the spread of the highly contagious B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant.
According to the state Department of Health, the weekly average positivity rate of Saratoga County residents who had gotten tested for COVID-19 was 4.6% through Aug. 9 – a positivity rate among the highest in the state.
Since June 6, approximately 40% of reported cases in the county have been identified in individuals ages 18-39; an additional 10% of reported cases have occurred among those ages 6-11 years. While hospitalizations during this time have not increased to levels observed during January 2021, approximately 89% of hospitalized individuals were not fully vaccinated, the department said.
To date, only 0.007% of fully vaccinated county residents have been hospitalized due to COVID disease. Similarly, of the 169 COVID-19 related deaths reported to SCPHS, 99.4% occurred in individuals who were not fully vaccinated.
Just over 70% of all county residents and 80% of vaccine-eligible county residents have received at least one dose of vaccine. “This level of vaccine coverage has prevented a surge in severe COVID-19 disease and hospitalizations in our community,” the release said. It also cited masking as providing protection from COVID-19 to the wearer; If the wearer is infected, masking helps prevent transmission to others.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — On Aug. 10, the Saratoga Springs City Council unanimously approved a resolution adopting the recommendations of the Saratoga County Public Health Services urging all citizens fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, and unvaccinated to wear a mask when indoors with people who are not members of their household, in crowded outdoor settings, and when in activity with those who are not fully vaccinated.
Saratoga County is currently experiencing a high level of community spread fueled by the Delta variant.
“Right now, we need to protect one another and the best way to do that is to get vaccinated and for everyone to mask up, one layer of protection is not enough,” Public Safety Commissioner Robin Dalton said, in a statement.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Andrew Cuomo was first elected governor of New York in November 2010. Re-elected in 2014 and again in 2018. On or about August 24, his governorship will come to an end, Cuomo announced this week, in the wake of a report by investigators appointed by New York Attorney General Letitia James that found the governor sexually harassed multiple women.
“I think given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing. And therefore, that’s what I’ll do,” Cuomo announced Tuesday, Aug. 10. “My resignation will be effective in 14 days.”
On that date, current Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will take office. “I agree with Governor Cuomo’s decision to step down. It is the right thing to do and in the best interest of New Yorkers,” she tweeted, shortly after Cuomo’s resignation announcement. “As someone who has served at all levels of government and is next in the line of succession, I am prepared to lead as New York State’s 57th Governor,” she said.
Hochul, who has visited all 62 counties in the state during her tenure as Lieutenant Governor, was last in Saratoga Springs on July 27, when she met with local business leaders at the official public opening of The Pines building at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. She was born and raised in the Buffalo area, the descendant of immigrant grandparents who fled poverty in Ireland, and the daughter of a steelworker and union organizer. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and a JD from Catholic University.
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Hochul will be the state’s first woman governor, and the eighth of fifty-seven governors to be appointed – the last being David Paterson in March 2008 following the resignation of Eliot Spitzer – who stepped down after reports surfaced that he had patronized a prostitution ring.
The state governorship is filled with notable names in American history and some colorful ones as well. Martin Van Buren, Grover Cleveland, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt had each become U.S. Presidents. Andrew Cuomo’s father, Mario Cuomo, was first elected N.Y. governor in 1982 and served three four-year terms. Among the candidates who had once tossed their hat in the ring are Philip Schuyler and Aaron Burr, Robert Moses, and Malachy McCourt. Al “Grandpa Munster” Lewis ran for the office in 1998 and came in sixth place in a ten-person race that saw the re-election of George Pataki. The next gubernatorial election in New York will take place Nov. 8, 2022.
Responses to Cuomo’s resignation were swift from regional elected officials, who each praised the women who came forward to report Cuomo’s sexual harassment.
Additionally, Republican Senators Jim Tedisco (R -Glenville) and Daphne Jordan R-Halfmoon) called on the Assembly Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Lavine and members of the Committee to move forward and expedite the impeachment of Gov. Cuomo. Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake, said she was “relieved” Cuomo announced his resignation and called the governor’s responses to the Attorney General’s report “utterly tone deaf.”
U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Saratoga, called for Cuomo to be arrested and prosecuted for sexual harassment, assault, and abuse, as well as for “covering up the tragic deaths of our most vulnerable seniors in nursing homes.”
U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, said the resignation was “long overdue,” and looked forward to beginning the process of restoring New Yorkers’ trust in the dignity and accountability of the state’s executive leadership, as well as maintaining a focus on the urgent task of tending to the ongoing COVID pandemic.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — A new multidisciplinary school featuring instruction in dance, music, theater and other art forms will open in September at the National Museum of Dance/Lewis A. Swyer Studios, on South Broadway.
Elizabeth Sobol, president and CEO of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, on Aug. 12 announced the launch of the project. The school is scheduled to open in September.
“The National Museum of Dance and its School of the Arts has an exceptional history of philanthropy and artistic vision thanks to individuals like Lewis A. Swyer, Marylou Whitney and Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney. In more recent years, that spirit, vision and generosity has been carried on by Michele and Ron Riggi,” Sobol said, adding that the launch of the school was made possible with support from Stewart’s Shops and the Dake Family. Additional funding from the Charles R. Wood Foundation will go toward tuition assistance, supplies, instruments and transportation.
The school will operate out of the Lewis A. Swyer Studios, a state-of-the-art facility located behind the National Museum of Dance and will focus on creating a joyful learning environment to include introductory and exploratory arts instruction for all age groups, physiques and abilities, designed to complement offerings by other community arts organizations and schools.
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“The opportunity to open a school dedicated to year-round arts education is a thrilling addition to our rapidly expanding education programs. With this new venture, we look forward to providing something truly unique to the Capital Region – a creative space where children can access and explore multiple art forms,” said Dennis Moench, SPAC’s Senior Director of Education and the School Director.
The school will also further SPAC’s mission to facilitate inclusion, equity and access in arts education, and complement the organization’s extensive education program, which currently serves 49,000 students throughout the Capital Region annually and partners with more than 120 schools and non-profit organizations across the region.
Following the Museum’s closure as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, SPAC has collaborated with New York State Parks and the administration of the National Museum of Dance to reopen it to the public. The Lewis A. Swyer Studios are part of the National Museum of Dance campus.
Online registration for fall classes begins on Aug. 18. For more information or to learn how to register for classes, visit www.spacschool.org.
After nearly a decade of working for NYRA, Thompson continues to take the role of Executive Director for the New York Thoroughbred Breeders
Najja Thompson has been a horse racing fan since he was a child, but he never knew that he would make a career in the sport. Now, Thompson has evolved into the leaders in New York Thoroughbred racing, especially here in Saratoga Springs.
Thompson became the Executive Director of the New York Thoroughbred Breeders in December. After working for the New York Racing Association in the Communications Department and Human Resources since 2011, Thompson pursued the opportunity after Jeffrey Cannizzo became Senior Director of Government Affairs for NYRA.
Thompson has taken the reigns of the NYTB that promotes and advances the state’s Thoroughbred breeding and racing industry through its incentives, rewards and other programs.
He also leads a program that has grown over the past decade under Cannizzo and the Board of Directors’ guidance as horses like two-time international Grade 1 winner Mind Your Biscuits, 2018 Whitney winner Diversify, and last year’s Belmont and Travers winner Tiz the Law reflect the program’s success.
“This was a great opportunity,” Thompson said. “Jeffrey Cannizzo and the Board really ushered a great heyday for the New York-bred program with Mind Your Biscuits and Diversify. The program really took a step above to become the best state and regional program.”
Before developing a career in horse racing, Westbury, NY-native grew up being a fan of the sport with his family, including his uncle, Larry Stewart, who is a breeder in Williston, Fla. and helped produce multiple graded stakes winner Get Funky.
“He used to take me to the track, and we initially went to Belmont, Aqueduct, and OTB,” the 36-year-old Thompson said. “When we moved to Florida, we went to Gulfstream Park and Gulfstream Park West.”
Through his teenage years, Thompson continued buying and studying the Daily Racing Form while following the New York and Florida circuit. Eventually, those study habits were redirected to history and philosophy at Florida State.
Thompson considered law school after graduating from Florida State. However, he opted working for Verizon Marketing in South Florida as a way to make and save money, but he didn’t find the job as satisfying and was looking for a career change.
“I thought about the student loan debt,” he said. “That was the deterrent for me as to work for a couple of years. I really wasn’t enjoying it. I had thought about what I could do.”
Since Thompson still enjoyed going to the track, Stewart suggested a career in horse racing. Taking that suggestion, Thompson applied to positions at NYRA.
“Obviously, I didn’t have the experience to become a trainer. I was definitely interested in the business end,” Thompson said. “I sent out some letters and Julie Levine, recruiter for NYRA, contacted me for an interview. Pretty much from there, everything took off.”
For nine years, Thompson worked in the Communications Department by writing stories, notes, and recaps before becoming a Recruitment and Employee Engagement Specialist. Also over the last couple of years, he has served as Vice President for the Turf Publicists of America.
One of Thompson’s memorable experiences during his time with NYRA was seeing the turnout for recent Hall of Fame inductee and Triple Crown winner American Pharoah’s gallop over the Saratoga track just a couple of days before the Travers in 2015.
“That is one moment that I will never forget,” he said. “It was a gallop one-time around the track and 20,000 people came for the workout. That shows the love from Saratoga and the surrounding communities just have for racing in which American Pharoah can draw 20,000 people.”
As executive director, Thompson is still connected to NYRA as a member of the Board of Directors. Beyond that, he also enjoys working with breeders and farm owners that include Old Tavern Farm, Song Hill Farm and McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, as well as legislators and other facets of the horse racing industry, to promote the program.
“I like the challenge to promote and grow the program not only at the New York-bred sales, but also attracting farm owners and working with the legislature to show the agricultural impact that farm owners and breeders make to the state with jobs and land preservation,” he said.
Along with the agricultural impact, Thoroughbred racing in New York is responsible for 19,000 jobs and more than $3 billion in annual economic impact, which includes 2,600 jobs and $250 million in the Saratoga Springs region.
“People may show up to the races on a Saturday,” he said. “But behind that, it’s the person who ships the horse from the farm, it’s the farrier who shoes the horse, and it’s the feed company that sends the feed. Those are the jobs created from the racing industry and done right here in Saratoga and throughout the state.”
One of Thompson’s highlighted events in his position is the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred yearling sales scheduled for Aug. 15-16. After last year’s sales were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Thompson believes there is a lot to look forward to this year’s sales.
“There is a lot of excitement and buzz going into the sale,” he said. “That will be the highlight of the program and it will display the best-of-the-best of yearlings. From what I have heard from bloodstock agents, it is the strongest book of the sale that they have seen.”
Within a decade, Thompson has watched his career evolve in a similar way that the New York-bred program has developed successfully. Though, he knows there are variables that made it happen.
“I have been blessed. Of course, there is hard work and a little bit of luck,” he said. “Things have fell into the right place for me to have that opportunity to help lead the New York Thoroughbred Breeders and help contribute to the New York-bred program. I have definitely worked hard to get to this moment, and I will continue to work hard and do my best to make sure the New York-bred program remains the best in the country.”
Last week we looked at the early years of the Whitney cousins and their achievements prior to the Second World War. In this final installment we will see them at war and in the political arena. We will read of their great racehorses and the profound effect the Whitney family had on Saratoga, their adopted summer home.
WAR, POLITICS AND A RACEHORSE FOR THE AGES
The 1940s would complicate the lives of the cousins, as it did so many Americans. The unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbor by The Empire of Japan brought our country into the Second World War. Jock and Sonny were quick entering the fray.
Jock joined the Army Air Forces where he served as an intelligence officer on the staff of General Ira Eaker, rising to the rank of Colonel. In 1944 he was taken prisoner by the Germans. In route to a prisoner of war camp, he was able to escape his captors. For meritorious service during the war Jock received both the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star. During the conflict Jock did manage to marry for a second time. In 1942 he wed Betsey Cushing, formerly the daughter-in-law of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Along with Babe and Millie she was one of the glamorous Cushing sisters. They captured fame as socialites of the era, who through their beauty and charm ascended to the top of American Aristocracy.
Sonny also served with distinction during the war. On the outbreak of hostilities, he resigned as Chairman of the Board of Pan American Airlines. Without hesitation, he like Jock joined the Army Air Forces. Sonny served in both India and the North Africa Theatre. As an intelligence officer with the Ninth Air Force, he was heavily involved with the planning of the Ploesti air raids. For his contributions to the war effort Sonny received both the Legion of Merit and the Distinguished Service Medal.
The war ended in 1945. The cousins came home to the states. Two years later Sonny entered government service. Harry Truman was President and he liked what he saw in the newcomer to politics. “Give ‘em hell Harry” offered Sonny the position of Assistant Secretary of the Air Force. Sonny accepted the post. In 1949 he switched gears and headed over to the Commerce Department. There he served Under Secretary through 1950. During that period Sonny’s racing stable was riding high. His three-year-old colt Phalanx became a star during the 1947 racing season. To Sonny’s delight Phalanx won the third leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes and was named as American Champion 3-Year-Old Colt. Four years later Sonny took all the marbles. His colt Counterpoint gave him and Hall of Fame trainer Syl Veitch their second Belmont Stakes success. He continued his superb campaign with a win that Fall in the prestigious Jockey Club Gold Cup. For his efforts Counterpoint was named Horse of the Year for 1951. The following year the champ gave Sonny one final gift. He romped home in the Whitney Stakes here at the Spa in the last start of his career. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney was on clouds numbers one through nine, and the best was yet to come.
Cousin Jock leaped back into the business world after the war ended with a new concept, Venture Capitol. The firm J.H. Whitney & Co. invested in new ideas that could not get bank approval. It became a resounding financial success. Jock and sister Joan’s Greentree Stable was reaching dizzying heights in the forties. In 1942 the barn sent out a three-year-old colt named Shut Out. He promptly took both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. He also notched the Travers Stakes here at the Spa later that summer. Devil Diver was a force to be reckoned with on the racetrack for the years 1943-44. The Greentree Star dominated his opponents during that stretch. He was named Handicap Horse of the Year for both seasons. Devil Diver was enshrined in horse racing’s Hall of Fame in 1980. In the early 1950s Greentree captured headlines in sports pages across the country. A brilliant thoroughbred named Tom Fool would take Greentree to the top of the horse racing universe. He was named Two-Year-Old Colt of the Year in 1951. In 1953 as a four-year-old he reached his peak crushing all opposition. Tom Fool ran the table. He took the New York Handicap Triple, then America’s supreme test for older horses for only the second time in its long history. To Jock’s elation he added the Whitney Stakes to his resume here at Saratoga. It was the fifth time a Greentree runner took the race. Tom Fool swept horse racing honors for the year 1953. He was named Horse of the Year, as well as best sprinter and handicap horse. In 1960 the champion was inducted into the Horse Racing Hall of Fame. Tom Fool stands high on the list of the greatest racehorses that ever competed on the American Turf.
In 1956 Jock entered government foreign service. His close friend President Dwight Eisenhower offered him the position of the United States Ambassador to Great Britain… Who better for the diplomatic post than an American of British descent that could trace his roots to the Mayflower. John Hay Whitney, along with his elegant wife Betsy brought their brand of American dignity and style to the Court of St. James’s. The year 1961 marked the end of the Eisenhower administration. With that Jock boarded a flight from London to New York and made his return to the private sector.
1958 WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR
Sonny Whitney was a busy man in the fifties. He was the owner of numerous flourishing business concerns. In 1950 he took the time from a busy schedule to establish the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. He led a group of the sport’s most well-known personalities in making the conception become a reality. The following year the museum opened at the Canfield Casino in Congress Park. In 1955 it was moved to its present location on Union Avenue. A major turning point in the life of Sonny occurred in 1958. He wed Marie Louise Schroeder in January of that year. The union proved to be the happiest of his four marriages and would last until his death thirty-five years later. It was at this time that Sonny introduced Mary Lou to his Saratoga estate known as Cady Hill. She instantly became enamored with the property. With a keen eye, Mary Lou noticed that Saratoga, except fora short racing season, was pretty much a ghost town. The lake houses, where late night gambling and world class entertainment once flourished were a thing of the past. The Grand Hotels that had lined Broadway went the way of the wrecking ball earlier in the decade. Lodgings and restaurants were few and far between. Saratoga needed a benefactor, someone who had social standing, flair, a bigger than life personality and connections with all the right people to bring about change. Add to that the Whitney mystique and Mary Lou was the perfect candidate. With Sonny’s blessing, his bride set out to energize and help create an atmosphere that would forge Saratoga into a world class destination.
PUBLISHER AND ART COLLECTOR
The year Sonny wed Mary Lou, his cousin Jock entered the newspaper business. He spent a good portion of the next decade as the publisher of the New York Herald Tribune. Jock was also busy building one of the largest private art collections in the world. He amassed world class paintings by the Great Masters of the Seventeenth Century and those of the Impressionist Movement of the late 1800s. After Jock’s death, the magnificent collection was disbursed at his wife Betsey’s discretion. Many of the notable works were bequeathed to their favorite museums, the National Art Gallery and The Museum of Modern Art. Jock’s beloved Greentree reached a milestone in 1968. Stage Door Johnny took the 100th running of the Belmont Stakes. It was the fourth time the celebrated stable took the race. It also marked the last of seven wins in Triple Crown events for Greentree. The stable continued to race quality horse until 1982. During that year Jock passed away. It spelled the end for Greentree. It’s famed salmon pink with black striped sleeved silks were retired. The stock was sold off and horse racing had lost one of its greatest names.
HELLO MARY LOU. WE LOVE YOU
Mary Lou embarked on her venture to enhance Saratoga. The Whitney Gala at the Casino in Congress Park became her trademark event. She enticed the rich and famous to attend the annual August charity ball. It became the main attraction if the racing season. Mary Lou was soon anointed as “The Queen of Saratoga.” She along with Sonny were among the early benefactors of the Performing Arts Center in the Spa State Park. The amphitheater brought Saratoga to the forefront of the summer music and dance scene. The Philadelphia Orchestra and New York City Ballet took center stage to open the season. Then it was time for the great entertainers and rock bands to perform in front of packed houses. Mary Lou also worked with Saratoga dignitaries and businessmen to further the development of the downtown area. Another project that she innovated was the formation of the National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame. Mary Lou had a special interest in the welfare of the backstretch employees. Along with John Hendrickson, she worked tirelessly to better the conditions for those who made their living on the backside of the track. To chronicle all her achievements in the rebirth and promoting of Saratoga would require much more attention than is available here.
THE END OF AN ERA
In 1992, at the age of 93 Sonny passed away. He and his cousin Jock were the last of the Whitney line to live the life of celebrity. They carried the family name to even greater heights than their ancestors. The cousins were lions in the world of business and finance and left an indelible mark on their favorite pastime, “The Sport of Kings.” We will never see the likes of them again. Saratoga is a better place for having felt their presence here as a part of its storied past.
FINAL REMARK
This weekend will mark the ninety-third running of the Whitney Stakes. The historic event has cemented its place as one of horse racing’s most sought after prizes. Many of the sport’s most well-known stars have their names inscribed in the annals of the race. Count War Admiral, Discovery, Equipoise, Tom Fool, Kelso, Carry Back and Dr Fager among them. It is a lasting tribute to “The Fabulous Whitney’s of Saratoga.”
