Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy and his co-hosts enjoy Shake Shack while broadcasting from the backyard of the Saratoga Race Course on Travers Stakes Day. Photo by Jonathon Norcross.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The 155th running of the Travers Stakes last Saturday at the Saratoga Race Course generated a record-setting $63 million all-sources wagering handle, and featured not one but two major sports broadcasters.
Both the usual Fox Sports crew, as well as Barstool Sports personalities such as Dave Portnoy, Jersey Jerry, and Elio Imbornone were on hand throughout the long day of racing. The Barstool crew had a broadcast booth set up in the backyard where they covered the races for nearly 7 hours.
While Portnoy and company discussed their wagers on air, more than 40,000 fans in attendance on Saturday bet $11.2 million at the track. The all-sources wagering handle of $63,023,405 broke the 2022 Travers Day record of $55,559,317, which was set in 2022.
The 2024 Saratoga summer meet will conclude on Monday, September 2.
A new dormitory with 68 residences for backstretch personnel was unveiled last week at the Saratoga Race Course. Photo via Governor Kathy Hochul’s office.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Last week, a new 6,000 square-foot dormitory on the Oklahoma Training Track side of the Saratoga Race Course was unveiled. The building adds 68 residences for backstretch workers and their families.
The New York Racing Association (NYRA) is also renovating existing backstretch housing on both the Oklahoma and main track sides of the property. Work is expected to continue through 2025. Once completed, the projects will become the largest upgrade to backstretch housing in the history of the Saratoga Race Course.
Miami Dolphins Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver. Photo via the team’s website.
MIAMI, FLORIDA — “He does a great job.” “A good person.” “Super dope.” “An exciting culture.” “I love where we are.”
These are just some of the flattering quotes from Miami Dolphins players and personnel about the team’s new Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver, a Saratoga Springs native and member of the Blue Streaks Hall of Fame.
Weaver, who interviewed with both the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders for their head coaching positions in January, was named Miami’s new defensive coordinator the following month. Since then, early feedback on his tenure has been resoundingly positive.
“Bringing in [Weaver], too, from Baltimore, watching the defense in [organized team activities] and minicamp was spooky. The looks, the disguises, the weapons that he has, and the way that he’s using those guys, I love where we are,” Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead told Kay Adams on the “Up & Adams Show” last month.
“It’s been really cool getting to know him,” defensive tackle Zach Sieler said about Weaver in an interview with CBS 12 News in June. “Obviously being a former player and also him coming from [the Baltimore Ravens], I see a lot of crossover from that and that Baltimore mindset. It’s been cool circling back to that and kind of feeling him out and just again how he views football and how he is off the field, on the field. Building that rapport with him has been really fun.”
“What I like about Weaver, he doesn’t force it,” linebacker Jordyn Brooks told ESPN earlier this month. “You can tell when somebody is kind of forcing a relationship or trying to just do things. He’s kind of really natural and organic, just literally, you might be standing off and he might tap you on the shoulder and talk about whatever. Little moments, like I said, they go a long way. It’s like, ‘Oh, I thought you were going to talk to me about ball,’ and he asked me something personal. That just goes a long way, and I think he does a great job of just doing that, just being who he is, and I don’t think it’s forced at all. So I think in the long run, you’ll see a lot of guys playing hard for him just because he’s able to reach guys on a personal level.”
The kind words about Weaver are probably no surprise to those familiar with his reputation in Saratoga Springs, where he started playing football for the Blue Streaks as a 9th grader in 1995.
“Anthony is one of the nicest people you will ever meet,” Saratoga Springs varsity football coach Eric Hayden told Saratoga TODAY in February. “His Athletic achievements are amazing, but his personality is what separates him.”
“One of the biggest qualities that you notice about him is his adaptability to people and his love for people,” said Blaise Juliano, Weaver’s high school football coach. “He’s really a great person.”
Despite all the praise, Weaver still has a daunting task in front of him. Miami’s offense last year was stellar, leading the league in both total offensive yards per game (401.3) and passing yards per game (265.5), while ranking sixth in rushing yards per game (135.8). But the Dolphins’ defense was generally good-but-not-great, ranking 10th in yards allowed per game, 14th in turnover ratio, and 14th in allowing opponents to convert to a new set of downs.
How much Weaver is able to bolster Miami’s defense will begin to become clear when the Dolphins take the field against the Jacksonville Jaguars in their first game of the regular season on Sunday, September 8.
Saratoga NFL Flag Football logo via the league’s website.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga NFL Flag Football, a co-ed youth league, is seeking additional coaches prior to the start of its regular season on September 7.
As of August 13, the league needed coaches and assistants for the 5th and 6th grade division, 3rd and 4th grade division, and 7th through 9th grade division.
“If you have any ability to coach, we can use you,” read a post on the league’s Facebook page. “We are willing to help in any way possible which includes helping run a practice or two and also helping with game planning and logistics for game day. We really can’t stress enough the need for these coaches.”
The post positions for the 2024 Grade 1 Travers Stakes. Image via the New York Racing Association (NYRA).
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Thorpedo Anna, a 3-year-old filly trained by part-time Saratoga resident Kenny McPeek, will compete against the boys in the 155th running of the Travers Stakes on Saturday at the Saratoga Race Course. Should Anna prevail, she would become the first filly to win the Travers in more than a century.
Anna is undefeated thus far in 2024, earning $1.8 million in four starts. In her career, she’s won 6 of 7 starts, placing second only once. But she’ll be up against some tough competitors, including 2024 Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch.
The last filly to take the Travers was Lady Rotha in 1915, who was declared the winner when Trial by Jury was controversially disqualified.
The Travers Stakes is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. on Saturday, August 24. Those not in attendance can catch the race at home on FOX.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs City School District was criticized for rehiring cross-country and track coaches Art and Linda Kranick in a letter written on behalf of S.A.F.E. (Safe Athletics For Everyone), a group of athletes and parents concerned about their experiences with Saratoga Springs athletics programs.
“We are very disappointed in the actions of the Saratoga Springs School District’s decision to continue the employment of the Kranicks and hope that at some point the inevitable turnover of administrators will end the cycle that has supported and encouraged their behavior for 30 years,” the letter said. “Letters of support do not negate the alleged damage that has been done to other athletes, some of whom continue to suffer medical issues to this day related to their training.”
The letter, dated August 7, was written by attorney Martin J. Greenberg and addressed to Superintendent Dr. Michael Patton. Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Leticia James were cc’d.
“A school district holds the trust of the community,” the letter continued. “As such, we believe there is an implied agreement with that community to ensure the wellbeing and safety of the children which attend their schools. We believe that the Saratoga Springs School District has breached that implied agreement through its failure to provide proper oversight of its coaches in this instance. As the school district has insisted on renewing the Kranicks term as coaches once again, we hope that the school district does better with respect to oversight and holds the coaches’ feet to the fire with respect to proper coaching methods and behavior.”
Superintendent Patton told Saratoga TODAY that he does not have any concerns about the Kranicks moving forward. “I’ve been here for seven years and have gotten to know the Kranicks very well,” Patton said. He added that, in the past year, the Kranicks have met all of the athletic department’s expectations.
In March, the results of an independent investigation stemming from claims of “a toxic culture of alleged abusive coaching” determined that the Saratoga Springs School District investigated “most, but not all” complaints made about the school’s cross-country and track and field program.
The report from the Harris Beach law firm also seemed to question the district’s decision to rehire the Kranicks, stating that “while the District received complaints regarding student athletes across multiple years concerning alleged improper conduct of the Kranicks, the District continued their annual appointment as coaches, even after they had no rights under the CBA to those appointments due to their retirements from teaching.”
When the report was released in March, Superintendent Patton said the district would conduct a second review of its athletic programs with assistance from the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, review its coaches’ policies and practices, and possibly revise its Coaches Handbook. Dr. Patton also said he would recommend policy changes regarding corrective actions taken against coaches.
As both the Harris Beach report and Greenberg’s August 7 letter noted, many student-athletes and parents have spoken out in defense of the Kranicks, arguing that the coaches’ program is demanding and successful, not abusive. Dr. Patton also said that he’s received a number of messages in support of rehiring the Kranicks.
David Bostick has joined Skidmore College as its new women’s basketball head coach. Photo via Skidmore Athletics.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Skidmore College announced last weekend that it had hired David Bostick as the new head coach of the women’s basketball team.
Bostick has more than a decade of head coaching experience at the Division III level. Most recently, he was head women’s basketball coach for three seasons at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA).
“I am very excited about the opportunity to lead this great Thoroughbred basketball program,” Bostick said in a statement. “Skidmore College has a rich tradition of being successful on and off the court and I look forward to working with the talented student-athletes and staff to build on that success.”
While a coach at Becker College from 2014 until 2021, Bostick helped lead his team to a 2018 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship, as well as an NCAA Tournament appearance. He won NECC Coach of the Year twice, in 2016 and 2018.
Bostick will officially assume his duties at Skidmore on August 19.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Springs High School varsity football schedule was released this week.
All games will be played on Fridays at 7 p.m., except for the Thursday, October 10 game at Albany, which will be played at 6 p.m.
September 6 – Christian Brothers Academy (away) September 13 – Schenectady (home) September 20 – Queensbury (home) September 27 – Niskayuna (home) October 4 – Colonie (home) October 10 – Albany (away) October 18 – Guilderland (away) October 25 – Shaker (home) November 1 – Shen (away)
Photo of white home jersey via the Saratoga Racers.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Racers, an American Basketball Association (ABA) team, had its first public exhibition game last Saturday in the Gavin Park gym, falling short of the Bennington Martens, 63 to 78.
The Racers only trailed by three at the end of the first quarter, then were down eight at halftime. The Martens pulled further ahead in the third quarter, forcing Saratoga to play catch-up.
As of press time, the team was scheduled to play its next scrimmage game on Thursday, August 15 at Hackett Park in Albany.
The team also unveiled its jersey designs earlier this month. Both the white home jersey and black away jersey feature the racehorse logo above a mountain design.
The Racers will kick off their inaugural season in late October, playing home games in the Saratoga Central Catholic gym.
Kristi Wagner competed in the women’s double sculls B final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Lauren O’Connor competed in the women’s quadruple sculls B final. Photos via US Rowing.
PARIS, FRANCE — Saratoga rowers Kristi Wagner and Lauren O’Connor both finished ninth overall in their respective events at the 2024 Paris Olympics last week.
Wagner and partner Sophia Vitas took third place in the women’s double sculls B final, with a time of 6:50.74. This placed them ninth overall in double sculls.
O’Connor competed in the quadruple sculls B final, finishing third with a time of 6:31.71. Her quad team placed ninth overall as well.
Wagner and Vitas were fifth in double sculls at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. O’Connor made her Olympics debut in Paris.
Both Wagner and O’Connor are Saratoga Springs residents and members of the Saratoga Rowing Association.
