Photo of trainer Chuck Simon via the New York Racing Association/Adam Coglianese
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Chuck Simon, a horse trainer and Saratoga Springs native, died last Sunday of cancer at Saratoga Hospital. He was 57.
During his more than 20-year career, Simon won over 350 races and earned $11 million in purses. In a statement, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) called Simon “one of racing’s most knowledgeable and passionate advocates.”
As a teenager, Simon accompanied his father to the Saratoga Race Course and soon decided that he wanted to work in the horseracing industry.
“When you’re growing up in Saratoga, you don’t realize that everyone does not have what you have,” Simon told Trainer Magazine in 2020. “Not every place has a racetrack right in the backyard.”
A graduate of Saratoga Central Catholic High School, Simon earned a B.S. in Animal Science from the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program, where future Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher was a classmate. During a summer break, Simon interned at Yonkers Raceway, where he returned after graduation to work full-time as an assistant racing secretary.
Simon spent nearly 6 years assisting Hall of Fame legend H. Allen Jerkens before opening his own barn in 1999.
Training primarily for Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Simon won his first stakes at the Saratoga Race Course in 2000, when Saratoga Sunrise took the West Point Handicap. He was a regular every summer at the Spa through 2007.
Since 2020, Simon was host of the podcast network “Going in Circles.” He also did consulting work for the Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association in South Florida.
Izzy Pecora, a graduate of Saratoga Springs High School, was named the Conference of New England’s women’s tennis Player of the Week. Photo via Roger Williams University Athletics.
Girls Varsity Soccer: Saratoga Wins Season Opener
The Saratoga Springs girls varsity soccer team defeated Colonie 3 to 1 in their season opener at home on September 5. For the Blue Streaks, Ava Goodman and Lucia DeVito both scored goals. Saratoga took 28 shots compared to Colonie’s 2.
On September 10, Saratoga won again against Averill Park, 2 to 1. Ava Goodman scored both goals. After the pair of wins, the Blue Streaks stood at 2-0 on the season. They’re slated to play another game at home on September 12 before hitting the road for a September 14 matchup against Columbia.
Girls Golf: A Saratoga vs. Saratoga Showdown
On September 10 at the Pioneer Hills Golf Course, the Saratoga Springs Blue Streaks girls team beat the crosstown Saratoga Catholic Saints 142 to 153. For Spa Catholic, Aila Cartier shot a 46. For the Blue Streaks, Sophia Jackson and Paeton Koshgarian each shot a 47, while Lily Collier shot a 48.
Boys Varsity Soccer: Schuylerville Opens Season With Shutout Victory
Schuylerville hosted Johnstown in a non-league opener on September 5. The Black Horses scored a shutout 3-0 victory. Tazio Helmig led the way with a goal and an assist, while Nate Lanfear and Alex Renner also notched a goal apiece. Asher Harrison recorded his first shutout with 6 saves.
On September 7, the Black Horses fell to Peru 3 to 0. The team was 1-1 on the year heading into their next regular season game against Broadalbin-Perth on September 13.
Girls Varsity Soccer: Spa Catholic Beats Middleburgh in Shutout
On September 7, the Saratoga Central Catholic girls varsity soccer team beat Middleburgh in a 2-0 shutout. Goalkeeper Alison Fuller had 4 saves in the first half, while Grace Schaefer had 6 saves in the second half. The Saints’ scoring was led by Sydney Caracci. Her first goal at approximately the 10 minute mark of the first half was off a pass from Schafer across the goal box from the right corner to a streaking Caracci who put the shot past the goalie. Caracci’s second goal at approximately the 15 minute mark in the second half was a one-timer with her left foot. Addison Quail made a cross in the air from outside the box, and Caracci one-timed it out of the air and into the back of the net at the far side goal post.
Girls Varsity Tennis: Blue Streaks Beat Bethlehem
The Saratoga Springs girls varsity tennis squad defeated Bethlehem 6 to 3 on September 10. In singles competition, Clare Dooley won both of her sets 6-2. Savannah Winter pulled through in her first set 6-3 but then dominated in the second set, 6-0. Nazek Gheith was forced to play three sets, winning the first 6-4, dropping the second 6-3, but then emerging victorious in the third, 6-4. Norah Hoke and Eleanor Hennessy both had close calls, battling to win sets 7-6.
In doubles play, Ella McGuinness and Allison Richard split the first two sets against Bethlehem but then won the third 6-4.
Skidmore Honors Saratoga’s Olivia Allen
The Skidmore College field hockey game against SUNY Geneseo on September 7 was played in honor of Saratoga Springs High School field hockey player Olivia Allen, who lost her battle with cancer last spring. Donations were accepted before and during the game for the Live Like Liv Foundation.
Women’s College Tennis: Saratoga Grad Awarded Player of the Week
Izzy Pecora, a 2022 graduate of Saratoga Springs High School, was named the Conference of New England’s Player of the Week for the week ending September 8. Pecora plays tennis for Roger Williams University in Rhode Island. She had a pair of singles wins on the week defeating her No. 2 singles opponents, 6-0, 6-0, and she clinched the match-winning point at Wheaton with a 6-2, 1-6, 6-1 match.
Girls Golf: Spa Catholic Defeats Broadalbin-Perth
On September 9, the Saratoga Central Catholic girls golf team defeated Broadalbin-Perth at the Fox Run Golf Course, 214 to 226. For the Saints, Aila Cartier and Maddison Norton both shot 47 and were medalists. Lily Norton shot a 58 and Eva Nucera a 62.
Women’s College Soccer: Skidmore Scores Comeback W
On September 8, the Skidmore College women’s soccer team scored a pair of clutch goals in the final 6:37 to cap off a three-goal second half, resulting in a 3-2 win over Trinity. The Thoroughbreds were 3-0-1 heading into a September 11 matchup against Plattsburgh.
BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa Central School District is offering two adult sports opportunities in the evenings this fall: co-ed indoor soccer on Tuesdays (beginning September 17) and men’s basketball on Wednesdays (beginning September 25). Each 10-week session program has a $35 registration fee for district residents and an additional $5 fee for non-district residents.
An adult fitness walkabout program will also be offered as a low-impact fitness activity beginning September 30, Monday through Thursday. There is a $20 registration fee for district residents and an additional $5 fee for non-district residents. Walkers may join the program at any time throughout the session. The walkabouts will end on March 25, 2025.
Pre-registration is required for all programs and fees are due at the beginning of each session. If interested in learning more about the Ballston Spa School District’s adult fitness programs, or to register, visit www.bscsd.org/community/community-resources/adult-fitness-opportunities-at-bscsd-clone.
Nayana Shankar from Saratoga Springs helps present trophies to the women’s singles finalists at the US Open Tennis Championships in New York City. Screenshot via the ESPN broadcast.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Nayana Shankar, a nine-year-old tennis player at the Saratoga Regional YMCA Wilton Branch, made an appearance at the US Open Tennis Championships in Queens last weekend when she helped present the trophies to the women’s singles finalists.
Following the match between Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula (a Buffalo native whose parents own the Buffalo Bills), Shankar carried out the trophy awarded to the second-place Pegula. Former tennis player and ESPN analyst Mary Joe Fernández introduced Shankar as a “future American tennis champion.” After Shankar brought the trophy to the podium, tennis legend Billie Jean King appeared to tell her that she did a “good job.”
Jed Murray, the Saratoga Regional YMCA’s director of tennis, said Shankar was nominated to participate in one of the the United States Tennis Association’s Orange Ball Early Development Camps. While there, Murray said, she showed “exemplary behavior” and earned a chance to present a trophy.
“It was a pretty amazing experience,” Murray said. “She was still pretty shocked that she got to be in that position where the whole stadium is seeing her and they announce her name like that.”
Despite her recent brush with fame, Shankar was back at the YMCA on Tuesday to continue honing her tennis skills.
The Stanley Cup on display at the Jockey Silks Porch at the Saratoga Racecourse on Saturday, August 31. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Amidst the hustle and bustle of a Saturday afternoon at the track, you’d be forgiven for missing an unusual sight: the NHL’s Stanley Cup being driven down East Avenue on a golf cart.
Such was the scene on August 31, when Vincent “Vinnie” Viola, the principal owner of the Florida Panthers, brought his team’s championship trophy to the Saratoga Racecourse. The Cup was on display for about an hour, and visitors were able to take photos with it for free.
“We are grateful to Vinnie Viola for bringing the iconic Stanley Cup to Saratoga Racecourse, an appropriate setting where champions compete every summer,” said NYRA President & CEO Dave O’Rourke in a statement. “We thank the Florida Panthers organization for allowing us to share in the celebration of their success.”
Viola, in addition to owning the Panthers, owns the thoroughbred racing operation St. Elias Stable, which produced the 2017 Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming. In 2016, the billionaire businessman was briefly President Donald Trump’s pick for the United States Secretary of the Army, before he withdrew from consideration.
The Stanley Cup last visited Saratoga in 2015, thanks to upstate New Yorker Kevin Dineen, who was assistant coach of the Chicago Blackhawks during their championship season.
Photo of Stillwater’s Scott Salvadore via the USA Mullet Championships.
STILLWATER — Scott Salvadore, a Stillwater resident and two-time USA Mullet Champion, placed second in the adult men’s category of this year’s best mullet competition. Salvadore had been hoping to earn a three-peat with his locks, which he calls “The Lord’s Drapes.”
The 2024 mullet champion, Todd Grubb of Michigan, was announced on the The Pat McAfee Show on August 29. Despite placing second, Salvadore earned more votes than Grubb, beating him by a count of 3,739 to 2,387. But Grubb had a higher judges score and raised considerably more money for charity, both of which are factors in determining the annual mullet champ.
“Win or lose we must remember that this is the God show, not the Scotty show,” Salvadore wrote in a Facebook post. “These Lord’s Drapes are more than just a haircut to me, they are a symbol of my faith in Christ. These Drapes are unique witness to the transformation power of Jesus!”
Salvadore is the owner of Salvadore Services LLC, a Stillwater-based landscaping company that specializes in outdoor living spaces. He also owns Salvadore Firewood Company.
A misplaced goose was nearly trampled to death during the fourth race at Saratoga on August 28. The feathered fella apparently survived the attack, judging by a frame-by-frame video analysis, though he likely suffered some pummeled plumage. Fox Sports analyst Acacia Courtney Clement also reported that the gander withstood the equine assault.
The goose in question is not to be confused with Spa Infield Goose, the popular X account that chronicles the daily goings-on at the track. Nor should it be mistaken for Goose, the jam band that’s playing at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center on September 6 and 7.
As the Travers showcased rising champions, Saratoga enters the transitional phrase of ending the racing season with some people heading back to the classroom
This year’s 155th running of the Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course provided another exciting finish with 2-year-old champion Fierceness holding off a determined run from 3-year-old filly divisional leader Thorpedo Anna.
The Travers is somewhat of the transitional point for the Saratoga meet, especially going into the last week and Labor Day weekend, for horses, those involved in the industry, and even seasonal and retired employees around the track.
While Fierceness and Thorpedo Anna, as well as Sierra Leone, Dornoch, and perhaps a couple of the other finishers coming out of the race, transition into the fall by preparing the Breeders’ Cup in November at Del Mar, many people in the Saratoga Springs region are also getting ready for the upcoming school year, whether it is being a student or a teacher.
One of those people is legendary track announcer, broadcaster, and speaker Tom Durkin, who is teaching public speaking at Saratoga Catholic High School starting in September.
This is not the first time that Durkin has taught a public speaking course. Shortly after retiring with a 24-year career as the track announcer for the New York Racing Association in 2014, he taught a public speaking class for the Saratoga Springs High School Continuing Education program.
“This is something that I always that I always wanted to do,” he said. “I did one for adults in the continuing education, and I liked that. I really wanted to teach high school-aged kids about public speaking.”
Durkin approached Saratoga Catholic principal and alumni Chris Signor about teaching the class. While Durkin’s approach and idea came as a surprise for Signor, he is excited about this learning opportunity for the students, which is a joint project in both the English and Business Departments.
“This came out of the blue. I never planned this in my wildest dreams,” Signor said. “He has some great ideas about teaching a course that he wanted to expand upon when he taught it as an adult continuing education class. This is going to be a popular course with the kids. This has been very well received.”
Durkin’s interest in public speaking started in a class at a catholic high school in Chicago where he grew up. Not only did Durkin only enjoy the small-sized class, he also found it beneficial as those skills became the foundation to his race calling for NYRA and the Breeders’ Cup, his sportscasting for NBC and ESPN, and speaking engagements that include the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Inductions.
While race calling, broadcasting, and being an emcee for the Hall of Fame inductions reflect an aspect of entertainment in public speaking, Durkin believes that rhetoric and discourse are important to both persuasion and analysis.
“There are all different kinds of discourse,” he said. “Rhetoric is the art or science on convincing someone to your point of view by the means of speech. If you want to ask your parents to borrow the car, you can use a lot of rhetorical skills to try to persuade them.”
By taking a student-centered approach to his teaching, one of Durkin’s objectives is providing students the skills and experience they need, which includes writing speeches, appearance, and body language, so they can deliver an effective speech.
“I will give them many of the tools,” he said. “The primary objective will be having the students get in front of other people and speak at least once every class. It’s just getting that experience of getting in front of people and communicate to them. It’s important for them to sound good. If you don’t sound good, it’s much harder to keep the audience’s attention.”
Durkin’s lesson plans also include teaching students about when to memorize speeches, how to use adrenaline to their benefit, and how to overcome perhaps the common challenge many public speakers – fear.
“It’s the No. 1 phobia in America,” Durkin said about fear. “People are more afraid of public speaking than they are afraid of dying. If there is any of that, we are going to deal with that off the bat. If you make a mistake, so what? The ceiling didn’t fall. You didn’t get struck by lightning.”
As part of the lesson, Durkin plans to emphasize that one of the ways for students to overcome the paralysis of fear and being confident is preparation.
“If you are over-the-top totally prepared, you are going to have a good experience because you will be confident,” he said. “If you are not prepared, all you will be thinking about is the mistakes that you are going to make.”
Durkin plans to share plenty of personal examples for being prepared, as well as other concepts covered in this class. Some of these include his retirement speech in the Saratoga Winner’s Circle, his speech for receiving the Eclipse Award for Merit, and his mother’s eulogy – all of which required a thorough revision process.
“The key to writing a good speech is rewrite and brevity,” he said. “Part of rewriting is editing out extraneous stuff, but adding stuff by using various rhetorical tropes to make it a good speech.”
While Durkin plans to cover the objectives for the course, he would also like to work with students on cultivating their creativity over the academic year.
“I really like to take somebody who was intrepid on public speaking. I want to foster creativity.” he said. “This course is going to teach creativity and conviction. I will point them in certain directions on how they can do that and how to convince people. There are several ways to do it: pathos, ethos, and logos.”
With a student-centered classroom, teaching can be a two-way street as the students gain knowledge and skills from the teacher, and the teacher learns from them as well. Durkin indicated that he wants to learn something from the students.
“I would like to have an ability to connect to younger people,” he said. “There is a lot of stuff that they do, which I don’t understand. I’m sure there is a lot of stuff that I do that they don’t understand. It’s just being around young people and open up my understanding about the real person behind the teenager.”
If the class goes well and he learns something from the students, Durkin said he would “absolutely” come back to do it again next year.
Author Patricia McQueen delivers a presentation on her book “Secretariat’s Legacy” at the Saratoga Springs History Museum on August 21. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Few places in Saratoga Springs invoke the city’s grand history like the Canfield Casino, which was an appropriate setting for Patricia McQueen’s presentation last week, “Secretariat’s Legacy: The Greatest Racehorse and His Enduring Impact on Saratoga Springs.”
McQueen, a longtime thoroughbred photographer, is the author of the book “Secretariat’s Legacy,” which explores the lasting impact of both Secretariat himself and his many successful offspring. In her presentation, McQueen also explored the Triple Crown-winner’s history at the Saratoga Race Course.
“I basically saw him race on TV when I was ten,” McQueen said. “I was hooked and so I followed his racing career, and when he retired, I followed his offspring. I’ve been doing it for fifty years.”
Secretariat at Saratoga
Secretariat’s most successful year at the Spa was probably 1972, when he won all three starts as a two-year-old. That year’s Sanford Stakes was the only race in Big Red’s career in which he was not the betting favorite. Nonetheless, he easily defeated the favorite, Linda’s Chief. Ten days later, he notched another dominant victory in the Hopeful Stakes.
“He loved Saratoga,” McQueen said.
But the 1973 Saratoga summer meet would prove to be a frustrating one. Secretariat was set to compete in both the Whitney and the Travers. But in the Whitney, he was famously upset by Onion. Following the race, he came down with a fever and was sidelined for the rest of the meet.
The Next Generations
Secretariat’s son General Assembly would avenge his father at the Travers in 1979, a year in which he went undefeated in four starts at the Spa. Perhaps just to place an exclamation point on his success, Assembly also set a new track record in the ‘79 Travers that remained unbroken for 37 years.
In 1986, it would be Secretariat’s daughter Lady’s Secret who avenged her father’s loss to Onion in the Whitney by becoming the first female horse to win the race since 1948. Lady’s Secret previously won two races as a three-year-old at the 1985 Saratoga meet.
Over the decades, Secretariat’s lineage has continued to impress in the Spa City. Weekend Surprise won the 1982 Schuylerville Stakes. Summer Squall won the Saratoga Special and the Hopeful in 1989. Chief’s Crown won the Travers in 1985. The list goes on.
All told, six of the last seven Travers winners (prior to the 2024 race) were Secretariat descendants. Ten of the last eleven Whitney winners came from the Big Red genealogical tree. Fourteen of the last sixteen Alabama champions are descended from Secretariat. Perhaps most impressive of all, the eight competitors in the 2024 Travers are all related in some way to Secretariat.
“To me, and to many people, [Secretariat] was the greatest racehorse who ever lived,” McQueen said.
Two retired racehorses enjoy some fresh air outside the Legacy Pickleball Club in Ballston Spa. Inside the club, pickleball players compete in a tournament that raised funds for Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga and the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. The “Pickle for the Ponies” event on August 26 included Hall of Fame jockeys, thoroughbred racing trainers, and other horse racing celebrities. Photos by Jonathon Norcross.
