SARATOGA SPRINGS —The National Museum nd Hall of Fame is open 7 days a week  from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with updated galleries, a brand new Hall of Fame and Race Day Gallery experience, a new Gift Shop, and more.

Hall of Fame Ceremony

The National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony, scheduled for Friday, Aug. 6 at Fasig-Tipton, will be open to the public and free to attend. The ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. and will also be streamed live on the Museum’s website at racingmuseum.org.

Public seating is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The doors will open at 9:30 a.m. This year’s induction ceremony will honor the Hall of Fame classes of 2020 and 2021. Legendary track announcer Tom Durkin will serve as the master of ceremonies. The 2020 inductees include racehorses Tom Bowling and Wise Dan; jockey Darrel McHargue; trainer Mark Casse; and Pillars of the Turf Alice Headley Chandler, J. Keene Daingerfield, Jr., and George D. Widener, Jr. The 2021 class is comprised of racehorse American Pharoah (a 2013 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale graduate) and trainers Jack Fisher and Todd Pletcher.

Tom Durkin Leads Guided Tours at Racing Museum

Retired racecaller Tom Durkin will lead personalized tours of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame throughout the Saratoga Race Course meeting this summer from July 20 through Sept. 3. 

Tours will be from 11 a.m. to noon Wednesday through Sunday with a cost of $20 for Museum members and $25 for non-members (includes Museum admission). Tours will be limited to 15 people and reservations are required. This is the third year Durkin will lead tours of the Museum. Durkin will be highlighting various aspects of the Museum and its collection, including the new The Test of the Champion exhibit celebrating 150 years of the Belmont Stakes, and relating personal anecdotes from his distinguished career in racing.

Tour reservations can be made by calling the Museum at 518-584-0400 ext. 107. There will be no Durkin-led tours on Mondays or Tuesdays or Aug. 3 and Aug. 15. The tour price includes the special tour, admission to the Museum, and a showing of the new signature film, What It Takes: Journey to the Hall of Fame. Tours will meet in the Museum lobby and will begin promptly at 11 a.m.

Oklahoma Training Track Tours: Find out why this beautiful and historic site, located across the street from the main track at Saratoga Race Course, is a favorite base for Hall of Fame trainers. The Museum’s behind-the-scenes tours, offered in cooperation with the NYRA, are available now through September. This walking tour covers approximately 1½ miles and lasts for 90 minutes. Adult: $15; Student/Senior: $10.

For insurance reasons, tour participants must be at least 10 years old. Oklahoma Training Track Tours are by reservation only. The tour begins promptly at 9 a.m. and leaves from the Museum parking lot. You will meet your tour guide by the back Museum entrance. Reservations are required and space is limited. Sturdy walking shoes are suggested for this tour.

Two exciting new exhibits: Muybridge and Motion: Selections from the Tang Teaching Museum Collection (On display in the Link Gallery through Jan. 2, 2022), and ’Chasing Summer: The Art of Steeplechase (On display in the von Stade Gallery through Sept. 30).

Muybridge and Motion features a series of groundbreaking animal locomotion photographic studies by English photographer Eadweard Muybridge (1830 – 1904) from the Tang Teaching Museum collection and paintings by American artist Henry Stull (1851 – 1913) from the National Museum of Racing collection.

This year’s fine art exhibition, ‘Chasing Summer celebrates the Steeplechase Hall of Fame induction year with 31 works of steeplechasing art by British and American sporting artists from the 19th and 20th centuries. ’Chasing Summer also celebrates the return of 13 works from the collection that were previously on loan and have not been exhibited at the Museum in decades.

For more information about the Museum, go to: www.racingmuseum.org.

Shin splints describe the third most common injury that impacts a runner’s training. Published studies have shown that shin splints account for 6–16% of injuries among runners. 

Shin splints can be described  as “exertional lower leg pain.” Most commonly it is related to the soft tissue (muscles) but can also be a sign of a stress fracture or compartment syndrome.  More specifically, it refers to an anatomical site of periostitis.

Periostitis is a medical condition caused by inflammation of the periosteum, a layer of connective tissue that surrounds bone. The condition is generally chronic and is marked by tenderness/pain and swelling of the bone. This condition typically affects people who run, repetitively jump,  or lift heavy weights.

Pain in the front of the shin region is typically the “anterior tibialis” muscle. 

Pain in the inner aspect of the lower leg is often called “Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome.”

The Medial Tibial region (inner calf) is often thought to be either tibial periostitis, tibial stress fracture or microfracture or distal deep posterior chronic compartment syndrome. Available information suggests that the medial tibial stress syndrome most likely represents a periostitis at this location of the leg. 

Risk Factors

Risk factors that play a part in sports injuries can be categorized as either intrinsic (or personal) risk factors, such as anatomic variations and physical fitness, or extrinsic (or environmental) factors related to the type of sport, such as the status of the field or running surface. 

Numerous reviews published about factors associated with lower limb injuries among runners, generally agree that several risk factors may be associated with injuries. 

These factors include:
• lack of running experience
• competitive running
• excessive weekly running distances
• poor physical condition
• previous injury (specifically shin splints)
• female
• Increased BMI
• Increased navicular drop (i.e. an indicator of pronation in the foot) 
• ankle plantarflexion ROM 
• Greater hip external rotation ROM (in males only)

Although there are commonly held beliefs about the best solutions to prevent and/or treat shin splints, there is little objective evidence to support the widespread use of any existing interventions to prevent shin splints. 

A randomized controlled study conducted among more than 1500 Australian military recruits found no decrease in injury risk with stretching. In fact, there is evidence that stretching may affect performance adversely. 

Another sensitive subject is the use of orthotics. Although there is a time and place for the use of orthotics, foot orthoses were NOT found to be effective for preventing soft-tissue injuries like shin splints. 

In the recent past, it has also become popular to hear the benefits of “shock-absorbing” shoes or insoles, but no evidence was found to be effective for preventing any injury.

I was unable to find any study using prophylactic programs for the prevention of shin splints that were effective. 

Similarly, regarding common treatment options, the evidence of effectiveness for any interventions is limited. 

Review after review that I examined yielded that the most effective strategy for dealing with shin splints is “conservative therapy.” 

The main goal of therapy should initially aim to correct functional, gait, and biomechanical overload factors. In other words, strengthen where weak, modify foot strike position (i.e. avoid toeing out), and modify mileage and/or frequency of runs to reduce overloading the system. 

Recommendations/Exercises

The solutions that I have used focus primarily on identifying the source of the runner’s symptoms. Most commonly I have found the medial compartment to be related to the soleus, flexor digitorum longus, or posterior tibialis. In truth all muscles of the calf and foot are used with running but based on where the patient feels the most symptoms, the likely culprit becomes easier to identify. 

We follow the following steps:

1. Mobility First: This means improving tissue mobility and if there are any limitations in the joints of the foot or ankle, we address those areas as well.

Foam Rolling: Spend about a minute per region and perform before EVERY run and on days off from running. 

2. Stability/strength is second: Typically with the pain, there is the inhibition or avoidance of your normal strike and stride. This will affect the muscle’s ability to handle a load. It may seem like the calf would be strong due to the running, but often the shin splint is the clue pointing towards the weakness/imbalance of the muscles. 

It is important to work on the calf strength with the knees straight AND knees bent. 

Perform 3 sets of 10-15 reps 3x’s/week. 

Progressively increase the resistance to challenge the muscles and progress to one leg at a time to ensure both legs are working equally hard. 

3. Balance/proprioception is third: Due to the misinformation about the importance of “arch support” and the overuse of inserts/orthotics, the foot itself loses it’s natural ability to respond to forces and changes in terrain. Often too much cushion will negatively affect the reaction as well. In the end, the inability to sense what the foot is doing will lead to changes in gait and workload for lower leg muscles and contribute to shin splint pain. 

Progress from balancing on one foot holding for 30 seconds 3-5 sets. 

Next balance on one leg while kicking opposite in different directions around an imaginary clock. 

Finally, try balancing on one leg while reaching to the floor and touching different targets in different positions. 

Try all movements with no shoes and when you feel it is easy to try looking in different locations or closing your eyes. 

Shin splints are the third most common injury complaints made by runners. Soft tissue injuries require improving mobility, improving strength, and working on your balance/proprioception.

Thanks for reading my articles. If you want to contact my office, please call 518-306-6894, email me at goodemotept@gmail.com, or at www.Goodemotept.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, — The return of the Saratoga Racing Season is cause for celebration in Saratoga Springs! The Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Association, in collaboration with NYRA and the Saratoga Springs Downtown Special Assessment District, is excited to host a first -time event called Celebrate Saratoga! The event takes place in downtown Saratoga Springs on Opening Day of the Saratoga Race Course, Thursday, July 15 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Association welcomes racing fans, visitors and the local community back to enjoy the vibrancy of our charming City with live music performances throughout the downtown area including Hot Club of Saratoga at the Visitors Center; Seth Warden and Company at Ben & Jerry’s; Erin Harkes at the Spa City Motor Lodge; Kevin Mckrell at the Adirondack Trust Company Drive-Thru; and Lifeline at Impressions of Saratoga.

Other performances include Tim Wechgalear and Chris Carey at the Arcade Building; Jeanine Ouderkirk at Henry Street Taproom; Jacksland at the corner of Caroline and Main Street; Pat Decker at Palette; and Steve Candlen at Toga Heritage.

In combination with the Celebrate Saratoga event, storefront windows in the downtown area will be decorated as part of the celebration welcoming racing fans back to the Saratoga Race Course. Window decorations will be judged on July 14 at 2 p.m. by the legendary horse racing announcer Tom Durkin, popular CBS6 news anchor Liz Bishop and 93.3FM Star Radio’s award-winning veteran broadcaster Walt Adams. The drawing will be held on Saturday, July 17 and announced on the Saratoga DBA Facebook page.

“Saratoga’s vibrant downtown and outstanding shops, hotels and restaurants are a big part of what draws so many visitors to the Spa each year,” said NYRA Senior Director of Communications Pat McKenna. “We thank the Downtown Business Association for their support as we welcome the return of racing fans to Saratoga this summer.”

For more information on the Celebrate Saratoga event call 518-587-8635 or visit www.saratogaspringsdowntown.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The 15th annual Firecracker 4 Road Race was this past weekend on Sunday, July 4, 2021. Over 2,000 runners competed in the 4-mile road race, and 700 runners competed virtually. 

“With only 30 days preparation the 15th annual Firecracker 4 Road Race was reestablished, organized, marketed, and permitted,” said Peter C. Goutos, Race Director. “This could not have occurred without the support of our community leaders, very responsive sponsors, and the exceptional neighbors who were in our streets to welcome the runners back to Saratoga Springs.” 

Top male finisher, and overall winner, was Shea Weilbaker, 20, of Saratoga Springs, with a time of 19:14. Top female finisher was Cara Sherman, 24, from Ballston Spa, with a time of 22:01. 

Race organizers want to give special thanks to the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, Discover Saratoga, and the Saratoga Springs City Center for sponsoring and promoting the event.

“We needed a boost, and this race presented an opportunity for Saratoga Springs to welcome our community, friends, and visitors back,” said Goutos. 

And, this year’s race compared favorably to previous years, considering the sudden lift of COVID restrictions and the limited time to plan – the largest Firecracker had over 3,000 participants and the first Firecracker had only 157 runners.

Planning has already begun for the 16th annual Firecracker 4, and as Goutos said, “the Firecracker is a very welcoming road race in a city that is truly a recreational destination.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Join the Saratoga Hospital Foundation and explore the beauty of the Adirondacks through the Above & Beyond Challenge, presented by Pacira BioSciences, Inc. 

The Above & Beyond Challenge is a summer-long hiking program that invites individuals and businesses to raise funds in support of the Addiction Medicine Program at the Saratoga Community Health Center. 

Teams can come in all sizes and members can be of all different skill levels – it only takes two people to get started. Sponsor tiers are based on team size, and all funds generated go to the Addiction Medicine Program. Individual cost is $150.00, and sponsor tiers range from $250.00 for a team of 2 to $5,000.00 for a team of 20. Registration is continuous from June to September of this year, allowing hikers to pick their own date and hike at their convenience. Challenge organizers encourage that you hike one of the Adirondack 46er, Lake George 12ster, or Saranac 6er peaks in the Adirondacks, but want hikers to ultimately pick a peak they have previously hiked and/or familiar with the terrain. 

“The beauty of it is that they can pick any day, time, and peak,” said Laura Greenaway, Manager of Special Events for the Saratoga Hospital Foundation. “It is an independent initiative.” 

The Challenge wants participants to go social as well. Hikers will be fitted with an Above & Beyond shirt and teams will receive a banner to take a picture with at the summit. Group pictures should be shared to Facebook and Instagram using #aboveandbeyond2021, and the Saratoga Hospital Foundation will repost. 

“There is strong, research-based evidence that correlates hiking or other outdoor activity with more successful addiction program outcomes,” states the Mission of the Addiction Medicine Program. 

Established in 2018 by former Adirondack Trust President and CEO, Stephan von Schenk, the Challenge has raised $153,000 to date. Joining as an individual promotes the healthy body, healthy mind mission just as much, but joining as team can promote employee health, camaraderie, and more. The Challenge’s webpage states that simply put it is “a team building experience with a mission that impacts the local community.”

Launched in March of 2017, the Addiction Medicine Program is now fully integrated in the Saratoga Community Health Center. With its collaborative physical and mental approach to health, the impact of the program in 2020 was serving over 604 new patients through over 5,700 visits – no patient is turned away. 

“Addiction medicine is growing, especially with the pandemic we all went through,” said Greenaway. “The Challenge is a great way to help support the program.” 

Teams can register at www.saratogahospital.org/above-and-beyond-challenge.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will feature several new and returning special exhibitions this summer for the upcoming Saratoga racing season. All summer exhibitions debuted on Thursday, July 1.

New Exhibitions 

• Muybridge and Motion: Selections from the Tang Teaching Museum Collection

This exhibition features a series of groundbreaking animal locomotion photographic studies by English photographer Eadweard Muybridge (1830 – 1904) from the Tang Teaching Museum collection and paintings by American artist Henry Stull (1851 – 1913) from the National Museum of Racing collection. 

Exhibited together, these works from two separate museum collections illustrate how the technological advancements in photography made by Muybridge forever changed the way motion is depicted and understood, particularly in the field of equine art. Muybridge and Motion is part of All Together Now, a regional collection-sharing project organized by The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College with the support of the Henry Luce Foundation. For the duration of this exhibition, the Museum will offer complimentary admission to any visitor with a Skidmore College ID.

• ’Chasing Summer:The Art of Steeplechase. 

This year’s fine art exhibition celebrates the Steeplechase Hall of Fame induction year with 31 works of steeplechasing art by British and American sporting artists from the 19th and 20th centuries. ’Chasing Summer also celebrates the return of 13 works from the collection that were previously on loan and have not been exhibited at the Museum in decades. Artists represented in this exhibition include Henry Alken, Samuel Henry Alken, Ann Collins, W. Smithson Broadhead, Paul Brown, June Harrah, Sir Alfred J. Munnings, Frederic Remington, Henry Stull, Franklin Brooke Voss, Eleanor Iselin Wade, and Charles Morris Young, among others.

New Exhibit Updates and Ongoing Exhibitions 

The Triple Crown Gallery features text panels and artifacts related to Triple Crown history and an interactive exhibit that allows visitors to learn about the 13 Triple Crown winners through historic race footage and photographs. Renovated in recent years to include America’s 12th Triple Crown winner and 2021 Hall of Fame inductee, American Pharoah, additional gallery updates were added in 2019 to honor the most recent Triple Crown winner, Justify. This year marks the 75th anniversary of Assault’s Triple Crown sweep of 1946. In honor of this milestone anniversary year, artifacts on loan from King Ranch Archives — including race-worn silks and photographs — will be featured in this gallery through 2022. 

The Edward P. Evans Gallery allows the Museum to showcase more of the treasures from its diverse permanent collection and honor the legacy of Mr. Evans and his passion for the sport of thoroughbred racing. Current featured exhibits include: Selections from the Edward P. Evans Trophy Collection, The Triple Crown, Selections from the James E. “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons Collection, The Legacy of Man o’ War, The Grand National, Tiffany & Co. in the National Museum of Racing Collection, and A Salute to Hollywood Park. New for 2021, Fifty Years Ago, an exhibit highlighting the racing achievements of 1971 and showcasing trophies won by Hall of Fame horses Shuvee and Riva Ridge and Eclipse Awards won by Hall of Fame trainer Charlie Whittingham and Hall of Fame Pillar of the Turf Paul Mellon.

Women in Racing: Women have been involved in the sport of thoroughbred racing in America for more than 100 years. The pioneers and trailblazers of the past paved the way for future generations of horse lovers and racing enthusiasts, allowing them to continue to break boundaries in a male-dominated sport and industry. Featuring art, photographs, and multimedia from the Museum Collection and on loan, this special exhibition honors the women involved in every aspect of thoroughbred racing.

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about the Museum, including special events and program offerings, call 518-584-0400 or visit: www.racingmuseum.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony, scheduled for Friday, Aug. 6 at Fasig-Tipton, will be open to the public and free to attend. The ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. and will also be streamed live on the Museum’s website at racingmuseum.org. 

Public seating is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The doors will be open at 9:30 a.m. This year’s induction ceremony will honor the Hall of Fame classes of 2020 and 2021. Legendary track announcer Tom Durkin will serve as the master of ceremonies. The 2020 inductees include racehorses Tom Bowling and Wise Dan: jockey Darrel McHargue; trainer Mark Casse; and Pillars of the Turf Alice Headley Chandler, J. Keene Daingerfield, Jr., and George D. Widener, Jr. The 2021 class is comprised of racehorse American Pharoah (a 2013 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale graduate) and trainers Jack Fisher and Todd Pletcher. 

“The Museum would like to thank Fasig-Tipton for their longtime support and use of their beautiful facility for the Hall of Fame ceremony, especially as they celebrate their 100th year of the Saratoga Sale this summer,” said Cate Masterson, the Museum Director. “It’s a special place to host such an important event as the Hall of Fame ceremony. We are really looking forward to honoring the 2020 and 2021 inductees on Aug. 6.” 

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about the Museum, special events and program offerings, call 518-584-0400 or visit www.racingmuseum.org. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will invite racing fans to continue a summer tradition during Breakfast at Saratoga, driven by the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA).

Breakfast at Saratoga welcomes guests to enjoy a morning meal on The Porch of the Clubhouse at Saratoga Race Course while the thoroughbreds train on the main track. Breakfast is held daily from 7 to 9:30 a.m. and is available on a first-come, first-served basis; reservations are not accepted. There is no breakfast on Runhappy Travers Day, Saturday, Aug. 28 and Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 6.

The morning breakfast buffet is $20 for adults and $12 for kids under 12 years of age. Admission is free during breakfast hours. NYRA TV analyst and handicapper Anthony Stabile, who also serves as the host of Breakfast at Belmont, will provide commentary and conduct interviews with trainers and connections during Breakfast at Saratoga.

Tram tours run from 7:30 to 9 a.m. and depart from the Clubhouse entrance approximately every 15 minutes. 

For more information about Saratoga Race Course, visit NYRA.com/Saratoga. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — ESPN 104.5 The Team, the Capital Region’s radio home for New York sports, will feature live, full card coverage of all the exciting action from Saratoga Race Course each weekend during the 2021 season. 

Live coverage of thoroughbred racing from Saratoga will begin each Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. and include every race through final post broadcast on 104.5 FM, as well as streamed worldwide at 1045theteam.com or available by downloading the free 104.5 The Team App. 

Presented by NYRA Bets, NYSCOPBA, Tech East Fire and Water Restoration, and Michelob Ultra, the weekend broadcasts will simulcast a portion of Saratoga Live, the nationally acclaimed horse racing telecast produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports. The audio simulcast will feature expert commentary and analysis from the paddock to post time of each race. 

On Fridays, the station will also air live race calls by NYRA track announcer John Imbriale during “The Drive with Charlie and Dan” which will originate from Saratoga beginning at 3 p.m.

In the event of Yankees baseball broadcasts, racing coverage will be available via 1045theteam.com and on the free 104.5 The Team App. 

MASSAPEQUA — David Cassidy memorabilia, including a surprise, one-of-a-kind item donated by horse trainer Gary Contessa, will be auctioned off only on ithinkiloveyou.org starting Friday, July 9 at 7 p.m. through 10 p.m. on July 16. 

The I Think I Love You Animal Foundation®, Inc. will hold its first world-wide online event, on Facebook: “David Cassidy: Then & Now” starting on Friday, July 9 at 7 p.m. Special guests include David’s friends from the “Then” years – award-winning R&R photographer Henry Diltz and life-long friend Sam Hyman. Representing the “Now” or more recent years, is David’s friend and American horse trainer Gary Contessa. Rick Segall, who played young, raven-haired Ricky, the four-year-old Partridge Family neighbor who sang with the group in season four, will host the online event.

Primary photographer during both the Partridge Family era and Cassidy’s ‘70’s solo career, Henry Diltz of Henry Diltz Photography and Morrison Hotel Gallery, has generously granted the use of rare photos of David Cassidy with animals from his extensive vintage catalog to I Think I Love You Animal Foundation®. Many of the photos were taken during David Cassidy’s domestic and world tours from the ‘70’s and while he starred on The Partridge Family television series, which aired on ABC from 1970 – 1974 and not made available since the ‘70s. Five of these photos will be signed by Henry Diltz.

I Think I Love You Animal Foundation®, Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit organization based in New York and formed in the memory of late actor and singer David Cassidy. I Think I Love You Animal Foundation® provides financial support to animals in need of sanctuary or medical attention, especially retired thoroughbred racehorses who require rescue from emergent situations, restoring spirit and dignity and creating new “Happy Trails” for all animal friends. The Foundation supports this mission by providing financial assistance through grants, awards, and scholarships to bona-fide 501c3 charities whose activities promote improved animal welfare and quality of life through rescue operations, adoption placement, disaster relief, equine retirement assistance, and programs of education. 

In addition to owning domestic animals and a beloved parrot named Elmer, David Cassidy was an owner of thoroughbreds and he supported safe retirement programs for racehorses. Gary Contessa, David’s friend and horse trainer, is a co-founder and director of I Think I Love You Animal Foundation®. 

“His love of horses was second to none,” said Contessa. “By honoring his memory in this way, we are carrying on his genuine love of horses and his desire to see them all have the care they deserve, long after their racing career is over.”

Bidding starts on Friday at 7 p.m. EST and ends July 16 at 10 p.m. EST. Bids are accepted only on the official website for ITILY™, the non-for-profit animal foundation. For more information or to make a donation visit the website ithinkiloveyou.org.