The Saratoga Regional YMCA has programs for everyone from toddler and parent classes to youth sports, to teen and adult archery at both the Saratoga and Wilton Branches. Come check out everything that the Y has to offer to keep your family healthy, active, and learning. Registration is open, and classes run from Jan. 17 to March 13. 

PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN:
These programs are designed for a caregiver and child to engage in together, socialize, learn, and meet new friends. 

Roc-n-Tots and Baby Jamboree are fun music and movement classes at the Saratoga Branch. Roc-N-Tots is Wednesdays from 11:15 to 11:45 a.m. for 18 months to 2 yrs. Baby Jamboree, for ages 6-18 months is Fridays from 10 to 10:30 a.m. 

Story Time is a class that combines a story with activities and an art project. Story time at the Wilton Branch is Mondays from 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Story Time at the Saratoga Branch is Fridays from 10:45 to 11:15 a.m. 

Mini Activity Play Group is a playgroup for toddlers ages 18 months to 3 years. Each week the Y puts out gross motor activities for children to engage in. The playgroup at the Wilton Branch meets in the gymnastics studio on Mondays from 9:45 to 10:30 a.m. The playgroup at the Saratoga Branch meets in the gym on Thursdays from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. 

DANCE CLASSES:
Tiny Tutus: Children learn the basics of ballet in this beginner class for ages 3-5 yrs. Classes will be held on Tuesdays, 4:30 to 5:10 p.m., and Saturdays, 10:15 to 10:55 a.m. or 11:05 to 11:50 a.m. 

Twinkle Toes: Ballet and tap basics are combined in this class for ages 4-6 yrs. Classes will be held Tuesdays, 5:15 to 6 p.m., or Saturdays, 12:05 to 1:05 p.m. 

Jazz: This beginner jazz class introduces a new dance style for children ages 6-9 yrs. Classes will be held on Tuesdays from 6:05 to 6:50 p.m. 

All dance classes will be held at the Saratoga Springs Branch in the multipurpose room. 

LEGO CLUB:
Children meet once a week to find imaginative solutions to building challenges and spend time on their own Lego masterpiece. Lego Club will be held at the Wilton Branch on Thursdays. Ages 5-7 yrs. will meet from 4:15 to 5 p.m. Ages 1-10 yrs. will meet from 5 to 5:45 p.m. For more information, contact Kristi Savage at Kristi.savage@srymca.org or 518-583-9622 ext. 123. 

Out of the corner of your eye you see it, a “tip up” has gone off and the flag sways back and forth a few times, before settling straight up in the air.

You hear someone shout, “Flag!!!!” The race is on to see who will get to it first and will have the chance at landing the fish of a lifetime. 

There’s nothing quite like witnessing a monster fish come through a 6″ hole on a frozen lake. It’s the kind of moment that you can share at every family get together and can forever hold over your fishing buddies. The sport of Ice Fishing is a socially distant outdoor activity that you can try with your friends and family this winter.

Despite an unusually warm start to the winter season, some of our local lakes are beginning to freeze and for winter enthusiasts like me, that can only mean one thing: Ice Fishing. Like many other socially distant outdoor activities, Ice Fishing allows one to get outside during the gloomy and frigid winter months. It also presents a great opportunity for shore anglers and families that are without a boat during openwater months because once the ice is safe enough, all those places you couldn’t fish before are now accessible.

To get started with ice fishing, there are a few tips, tools, and guidelines that will ensure you are safe and can maximize your enjoyment on the ice. First and Foremost, I always recommend visiting the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website before you head out, where they list out guidelines, lake maps, and regulations on the different bodies of water in New York. You can also see which species are in each lake, so you know what you are targeting.

As a general safety guideline, to begin ice fishing and walking on the ice, it has been determined that you need at least 4″ of ice. Regardless of how much ice there is, there is never a guarantee that it is completely safe.The safest ice you can be on is referred to as “Black Ice,” which will have a clear blue/black appearance. Ice that’s white in color is weaker because of the processes in which it formed, so if you are going to walk on it, I recommend at least 6″ of white ice. Also, you want to be careful while getting on and off the ice, as shoreline ice is always shifting and can be weakened rapidly by rain.

The three ice safety tools I bring with me on every trip are Ice cleats, Ice Spikes, and a Spud Bar. Having traction is extremely important when you are doing anything on the ice, so by attaching ice cleats to the bottom of your boots, you can safely run to tip ups all day long. Next, I always recommend wearing a pair of Ice Picks around your neck. If you ever did fall in, you can stab the ice to pull yourself out. Then lastly, a Spud Bar allows you to test the integrity of the ice before you step on it. A spud bar is basically a 4-5′ piece of steel with a chisel on the end. The number of times you can strike the ice before the bar goes through lets you know if the ice is safe or not. For experienced ice anglers, three strikes tends to deem the ice safe to walk on, but I like to advise people to try and be on ice that can withstand four to five strikes. Most spud bars also have a loop in the top where you can tie a rope in case it slips out of your hands. I usually tie around ten feet of rope to my spud bar which would be useful in rescuing someone.

As far as fishing equipment goes, there’s a few things you can get that will have you catching fish immediately. Without overcomplicating anything, a good setup to get you started would be a hand auger, some tip ups, a jigging rod, a live bait bucket, and a sled to drag it all out there. Tip ups are one of the most efficient ways to catch fish through the ice because you can cover a bunch of water at once. They are normally plastic or wood, have a plastic spool full of line, and a flag to indicate when a fish has taken your bait. There is nothing more exhilarating than watching a tip up flag go up and racing your friends to get their first.

For current ice conditions I recommend calling Gary Ingles, owner of Wiggly Worm Bait Supply located at 885 Saratoga Rd, Ballston Lake. Wiggly Worm Bait Supply has been in the bait industry since 1932, and Gary will always go out of his way to make sure everyone has exactly what they need to hit the ice. For more store details you can visit Wigglywormbaitsupply.com

If you want to speed up the learning process, book a trip with Ziehnert Guide Service, where all rods, reels, bait, tackle, transportation, and heated ice shelters are provided. I am currently booking trips on Ziehnertguideservice.com and can accommodate up to eight people this season. Contact Drew Ziehnert  at Ziehnertguideservice.com, Ziehnertguideservice@gmail.com, and 518-390-0282.

BASKETBALL

MONDAY, 12/27 

• Spa Catholic (Boys) Catholic Central 
  Christmas Tournament
  7:30 p.m. at Saratoga Central Catholic 

TUESDAY, 12/28 

• Spa Catholic (Boys) Catholic Central
   Christmas Tournament
   TBD at Saratoga Central Catholic 

• BH-BL (Boys) v. Saugerties
  7 p.m. at BH-BL High School 

WEDNESDAY, 12/29

• Saratoga (Boys) v. LaSalle Institute 
  5:30 p.m. at LaSalle Institute 

• BH-BL (Girls) v. Queensbury 
  11:30 a.m. at Impact Athletic Center 

THURSDAY, 12/30

• BH-BL (Girls) v. Liverpool 
  11 a.m. at Impact Athletic Center 

• Schuylerville (Boys) v. Greenwich 
  7 p.m. at Schuylerville High School 

MONDAY, 1/3

• Schuylerville (Girls) v. South Glens Falls 
  7 p.m. at Schuylerville High School 

TUESDAY, 1/4

• Saratoga (Girls) v. Troy 
  6 p.m. at Troy High School 

• Saratoga (Boys) v. Troy 
  7 p.m. at Saratoga Springs High School

• Ballston Spa (Girls) v. Guilderland 
  6 p.m. at Ballston Spa High School 

• Ballston Spa (Boys) v. Guilderland 
  7 p.m. at Guilderland High School 

• BH-BL (Girls) v. Columbia 
  7 p.m. at BH-BL High School

• BH-BL (Boys) v. Columbia High School 
  7 p.m. at Columbia High School 

• Schuylerville (Boys) v. South Glens Falls 
  7 p.m. at South Glens Falls High School

THURSDAY, 1/6

• Saratoga (Girls) v. Albany 
  7:15 p.m. at Saratoga Springs High School

• Schuylerville (Girls) v. Hudson Falls 
  7 p.m. at Hudson Falls High School 

BOWLING 

TUESDAY, 1/4   

• Saratoga (Boys) v. Christian Brothers Academy
  4:15 p.m. at Saratoga Strike Zone

• BH-BL v. Colonie
  4:15 p.m. at Spare Time Latham 

• Schuylerville v. Gloversville 
  4:30 p.m. at Arterial Lanes 

WEDNESDAY, 1/5 

• Saratoga (Girls) v. Averill Park 
  4:15 p.m. at East Greenbush Bowling Center 

• Ballston Spa (Girls) v. Columbia
  4:15 p.m. at East Greenbush Bowling Center 

• Schuylerville v. Scotia-Glenville 
  4:30 p.m. at Old Saratoga Bowl

THURSDAY, 1/6

• BH-BL v. Schenectady
  4:15 p.m. at Boulevard Bowl 

• Schuylerville v. Amsterdam 
  4:30 p.m. at Old Saratoga Bowl 

GYMNASTICS

WEDNESDAY, 12/29   

• Saratoga v. Shaker, Guilderland, Bethlehem
  4:30 p.m. at Guilderland High School 

TUESDAY, 1/4 

• Saratoga v. Shaker 
  6 p.m. at YMCA Wilton Branch 

CROSS COUNTRY SKIING

TUESDAY, 1/4

• Saratoga (Boys and Girls) v. Johnstown
  3 p.m. at Cole’s Woods

ICE HOCKEY

MONDAY, 12/27 

• Saratoga v. Rye 
  4:30 p.m. at Ice Hutch 

TUESDAY, 12/28 

• Saratoga v. Pelham 
  2:30 p.m. at Ice Hutch 

WEDNESDAY, 12/29

• Ballston Spa v. Shenendehowa
  11:40 a.m. at Clifton Park Ice Arena 

TUESDAY, 1/4

• Saratoga v. Albany Academies 
  5:15 p.m. at Albany Academies 

SWIMMING/DIVING

TUESDAY, 1/4

• Saratoga (Boys) v. Guilderland 
  4:30 p.m. at Skidmore College 

• Ballston Spa (Boys) v. Albany
  4:30 p.m. at Albany High School 

WRESTLING

THURSDAY, 12/30 

• Schuylerville/Greenwich v. Hudson Falls, Queensbury,
   Shaker, HL/LG WarEagles, Glens Falls, Salem-
   Cambridge, South Glens Falls, Coxsackie Athens,
   Rome Free Academy, Guilderland 
   9 a.m. at Queensbury High School 

TUESDAY, 1/4

• Schuylerville/Greenwich v. Hoosick Falls 
   6 p.m. at Schuylerville High School 

WEDNESDAY, 1/5

• Saratoga v. Niskayuna 
  5:30 p.m. at Saratoga Springs High School 

• Ballston Spa v. Columbia 
  6 p.m. at Columbia High School 

• BH-BL v. Bethlehem
  6 p.m. at Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School 

• Schuylerville/Greenwich v. Scotia-Glenville 
  6 p.m. at Scotia-Glenville High School 

Gavin Park Jr. NBA Scores & Top Scorers – Week 6

Division 1

76ers vs. Celtics   

76ers-19: Joseph Trimarchi 6, Ethan Ferrara 5 
Celtics-13: Tyler Rhodes 12, Danny Harms 1

Hornets vs. Warriors    

Hornets-26: Mason Jones 8, Michael Windelspecht 6
Warriors-10: Carter Varcoe 6, Ramzi Ali 4 

Knicks vs. 76ers 

Knicks-29: Mason Elie 8, Iskander Baaklini 6 
76ers-12: Brooks Casey 6, Brodie Hansen 2 

Division 2

Lakers vs. Knicks 

Lakers-20: Will Schaefer 8, Chase Warren 7 
Knicks-19: Wes LaFrance 8, Cooper Palmer 4 

Celtics  vs. Warriors    

Celtics 43: Colby Phelps 13, Cameron Jones 12 
Warriors 8: Lars Beckett 2, Liam Nero 2   

Nets vs. 76ers 

Nets-28: Connor Day 11, Jameson Doyle 4 
76ers-20: Connor Hogan 7, Nicholas Cameron 7 

Division 3

Wizards vs. Grizzlies 

Wizards-38: Damon Kelly 10, Palmer Tomkinson 7 
Grizzlies-9: Kenadee Culver 6, Sam Corp 2   

Lakers vs. Suns   

Lakers-38: Nick Humowitz 21, Owen Fear 8
Suns-27: Chris Seeley 10, Brody Moore 6 

Bucks vs. Rockets   

Bucks-32: Chase Palmer 12, Jojo Birnby 11
Rockets-27: Aaron Stuart 9, Ronan Doyle 5

Division 4

Warriors vs. Nets 

Warriors-42: Jacob Hernandez 11, Landen Seguin 9 
Nets-14: Lira Bonitatibus 4, Jake Barbaro 3 

Celtics vs. Suns    

Celtics-23: Henry Hanrahan 8, Jake Schaefer 7 
Suns-16: Luke Manuel 7, Peyton Keegan 4 

Bowling the Perfect Game

Congrats to this week’s Athlete of the Week – Brady Jennings!

Brady is a senior on the Saratoga Springs Varsity Boys Bowling Team. Brady bowled a 300 game and a 784 series to lead Saratoga to a 32-0 win over Schenectady on Nov. 30. A 300 is the highest possible score, achieved by bowling 12 strikes in a row – one strike in each of the first nine frames and three more in the tenth frame. 

Also this season, Brady has bowled at 299 game and a 754 series and, most recently, a 801 series against Albany on Dec. 16. Brady has the leading league average in the Suburban Council with a 239. 

The Saints defeated Stillwater on Dec. 17, 43-41, with just seconds remaining. Katie Cronin’s 2 foul shots with 3.9 seconds left were the winning points for Spa Catholic. 

Katie Cronin, in addition to her game-winning foul shots, scored 10 other points to help her team to victory. Teammate Ashley Upson was the lead scorer of the game with 21 points, and Allison Motler added another 8 points for the Saints. 

Miranda Price led Stillwater with 14 points, followed by Charisma Salecker with 11. Peyton Morris and Bella Toleman also added 6 points for Stillwater. 

As 2021 winds to an end, the state of thoroughbred racing in the United States is a decidedly mixed bag. The economics of the industry have seen healthy numbers impelled in part by additional cash injected into the economy at large, the resumption of full racing cards compared to 2020, and increased visibility on television and via the internet. The sales of thoroughbreds at auction have seen robust gains in most categories and increased pricing on yearlings and breeding stock. The combination of a healing economy, inflationary increases in cash in the economy and a workforce increasingly at home with access to daily television and online betting have led to healthy betting handles for most American racetracks.  Lest one get too confident over the health of the sport there are ominous clouds ahead amid evidence of significant criminal malfeasance and ineffective oversight within the industry.

The industry in general, including New York racing, survives in large part with hefty subsidies from the casino gaming activities that encroached upon racing’s previously exclusive territory. These subsidies were the price of admission for casino operators to establish legal gaming activities in areas that previously permitted only horse racing or other parimutuel gambling. In many jurisdictions these subsidies were guaranteed only for a certain period and as is the case in New York authorities are now questioning to what extent they should continue. A proposal to eradicate these subsidies to racing and direct them to more generalized needs has already been proposed in New York State. While this current proposal is unlikely to succeed it would be naïve to think it will be the last attempt to “decouple” casino revenues from racing subsidies. Decoupling much like Gwyneth Paltrow’s term “conscious uncoupling” means divorce and this is and should be a frightening word to the racing industry as it is unclear which if any racing circuits could survive a full decoupling.

Additionally, regulation of horse racing by the Federal Government has arrived with the passage of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (“HISA”) which promises to provide oversight of the myriad racing interests. It is axiomatic that the power to regulate includes the power to outlaw. Those that think horse racing is too important or too ingrained in American culture to face extinction should be mindful of the recent history of live animal circuses and theme parks like Seaworld. Public sentiment and regulations can turn quickly and dramatically. Whether horse racing likes it or not it is now subject (more than ever) to political (and by extension public) opinion. 

The past year certainly did not burnish racing’s reputation but instead provided much fodder for racing’s growing number of detractors. For a full explanation of the numerous 2021 scandals that threaten horse racing’s survival you can read John Pricci’s detailed and superb recap and observations at www.horseraceinsider.com/what-becomes-of-american-thoroughbred-racing-now Two of those scandals stand out for their infliction of damage on racing’s public standing.

The criminal guilty pleas of former wonder trainer – Jorge Navarro (and his sentence to five year imprisonment this week) and the ongoing prosecution of another wonder trainer – Jason Servis publicly portray an industry that sees the criminal use of performance enhancing drugs on animals by numerous players in both large and small roles and a general acceptance of such misdeeds by a host of industry members, licensed professionals, regulators, advertisers and gamblers. The official and public documents in the federal court cases are a damning condemnation of the sport and its participants. If you like racing it is a painful read bereft of “good guys.” 

It is truly sobering that these multiple guilty pleas and the future incarceration of former trainers and veterinarians is not the biggest scandal of 2021 racing. Sadly, that distinction lies with the sudden, yet unexplained, death of this year’s Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit. As is well chronicled, Medina Spirit was trained by racing’s best-known trainer and celebrity Bob Baffert. After his Kentucky Derby win the gallant thoroughbred tested positive for a prohibited substance – an event that spawned a spate of denials then retraction of some of the denials, lawsuits, public ridicule on Saturday Night Live, accusations of corruption at heretofore respected testing facilities, an attempted ban of Baffert by the New York Racing Association, federal court intervention preventing that ban on United States Constitutional grounds and uncertainty as to which horse won the 2021 Kentucky Derby and which horses will be allowed to compete in the 2022 Kentucky Derby.

While most, or all, of the above is still to be finally determined the outcome almost does not matter for racing’s reputation and by extension – its future. While I certainly believe there is a case for racing’s future – its participants and regulators are providing ample ammunition to its growing detractors. The warning signs are apparent – it remains to be seen whether the industry is up to the coming challenge or whether it will be its own worst enemy. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Daily Racing Form national correspondent Jay Privman and the late turf writers Walter Haight and Jack Mann have been selected to the National Museum of Racing’s Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor. 

The National Museum of Racing’s Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor was established in 2010 to recognize individuals whose careers have been dedicated to, or substantially involved in, writing about thoroughbred racing (non-fiction), and who distinguished themselves as journalists. The criteria has since been expanded to allow the consideration of other forms of media. 

Often referred to as the dean of thoroughbred racing writers, Hirsch won both the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Writing and the Lord Derby Award in London from the Horserace Writers and Reporters Association of Great Britain. He also received the Eclipse Award of Merit (1993), the Big Spot of Turfdom Award (1983), The Jockey Club Medal (1989), and was designated as the honored guest at the 1994 Thoroughbred Club of America’s testimonial dinner. The annual Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational at Belmont Park is named in his honor. Hirsch, who died in 2009, was also a former chair of the National Museum of Racing and Halls of Fame Nominating Committee and the founder of the National Turf Writers Association. 

Last year’s selections to the Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor were Pierre “Peb” Bellocq and William Leggett. 

For more information about the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, including upcoming events, please visit www.racingmuseum.org or call 518-584-0400. 

SCHUYLERVILLE ­— Schuylerville dairy Farmer Neil Peck, of Welcome Stock Farm, surprised his hometown football team at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Class C Championship game at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse on Dec. 3. 

Peck presented a post-game award to the Schuylerville football team, which finished as the runner-up to Chenango Forks, and handed out chocolate milk to the student-athletes to help them refuel. 

“As a dairy farmer, I’m proud of the nutritious, wholesome milk our cows produce,” said Peck. “It’s especially meaningful to me to help distribute chocolate milk after the game because I have nephews and a cousin on the Schuylerville team.” 

Chocolate milk is the ideal sports recovery drink for student-athletes to consume after a hard-fought game. It contains the golden ratio of carbohydrates to protein – about three to four grams of carbohydrates for every one gram of protein. This ratio helps to rehydrate the body, repair muscles, and replenish energy after exercise. 

“Refuel With Chocolate Milk” a campaign funded by dairy farmers through American Dairy Association North East (ADANE), is the presenting sponsor of the NYSPHSAA State Football Championships and the official beverage of the Association’s athletics. ADANE’s sponsorship provides funding for all NYSPHSAA championships, chocolate milk for athletes after each event, and nutrition tips for coaches through monthly newsletters. 

For more information about the ADANE, visit www.americandairy.com.