SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Central Catholic softball program will be led by a familiar face to Capital Region softball fans.

Abby Arceneaux, former head coach at The College of St. Rose and standout player at Mechanicville High School and Union College, has been announced as the next head coach of the Saints’ varsity softball team.

Arceneaux’s partner, Shea Bromirski, is head coach of the Saratoga Catholic varsity boys basketball team, and Arceneaux said she thought the school would be “a good fit.”

“I love how Coach (Alphonse) Lambert runs (things) as an athletic director,” said Arceneaux. “I saw that with Shea, and how he supported him and the student-athletes. … It was all about finding a good fit. I knew how much Shea enjoyed coaching there, and I really liked the girls I had spoken with.”

Arceneaux served as head coach at St. Rose from 2014 to 2022. Prior to starting her coaching career, Arceneaux was a standout as a player at Mechanicville High School and Union College. 

Arceneaux was twice named NYS Class C Player of the Year, and helped lead Mechanicville to three state championships. She finished her collegiate career as Union’s all-time leader in numerous categories, and has been inducted into the Mechanicville, Union College Athletics, and New York State Softball Halls of Fame, according to her bio on the St. Rose Athletics website.

She served as an assistant coach at Union and at Cornell University, and served as pitching coach at Siena College for three seasons prior to becoming head coach at St. Rose. 

Now, after a year away, Arceneaux has returned to coaching. But while she took a year off, she was still involved in the game, helping assist her father, Don Arceneaux, and Mechanicville varsity coach Jim Kenyon coach a travel team.

“It was really nice, taking a step back and watching a lot of games,” Arceneaux said. “You’re so used to being on the field, so taking a step back made me really appreciate (it), and kind of changed my mindset. It kind of filled my tank back up.”

The Saints have a young team, with the entire squad set to return in 2024 after they competed without any seniors on the roster this spring.

Arceneaux said she has already begun working with several players on the team, and as a former college coach, said she is also looking forward to assisting players with the recruiting process.

“One thing I’m really excited to bring to the table is guidance on the recruiting process, from beginning to end,” Arceneaux said. “In talking with their parents, I’m like, ‘Ask me as many questions as you want.’”

Arceneaux said she is excited to be “an asset” to the student-athletes in the recruitment process. Bromirski will also be working with Arceneaux as an assistant coach, she said.

“And not just for the softball girls, too. I understand that a lot of the softball players play multiple sports,” said Arceneaux. “Whatever they want to do at the next level, if any of them do, I’m going to be there to help them.”

Arceneaux said she has begun working to set up optional workouts for the program, and said the team’s goal is “to get better each day in practice.”

“If we’re going to get better each day in practice, we’re going to win more games,” said Arceneaux. “There’s a few seniors, I want to give them the best senior year that they can possibly have, while really building up the seventh and eighth-grade girls and all the returners for the varsity team.”

“As coaches, I’m confident that we’re going to give them the tools, the knowledge, and the skills, and help them get better, to do that,” Arceneaux added. “And they want it. The bunch that I’ve talked to, they want to win. They believe that we have a core that can really bring us there. Our goal is to win, but just be better. Every day, get better.”

WILTON — The historic McGregor Links Country Club has seen several improvements and additions in recent years, adding a driving range, expanding its pro shop, and establishing or bringing back events.

Head Golf Professional Michael Decker, who joined McGregor in 2021 after three years as the assistant professional at Shaker Ridge Country Club in Albany, said the course offers “a little something for everybody.”

Since arriving at McGregor, Decker has taken ownership of the pro shop, established and grown a large PGA Junior League, and overseen the introduction and return of numerous events.

Decker said he had heard “nothing but great things” about McGregor prior to accepting the job.

“I think it went through a little stretch where it was a little rocky, so my goal when I took the job was to come in, do whatever I can with the new owner, Joe Kehn, and help turn the place around,” Decker said.

While McGregor is a country club, Decker emphasized that it is not fully private. McGregor is open to the public Mondays all day; 10 a.m. and later Tuesday through Friday; noon and later on Saturdays and Sundays, Decker said.

“It’s semi-private, so it’s open to the public,” said Decker. “We are limited at certain times. … But we absolutely are open to the public.”

Decker said one of his major efforts since taking the job has been to build McGregor’s Junior League program. Last year, the program featured 89 kids, Decker said, noting he was awarded the ‘Gamechanger Award’ from the PGA for having the largest junior league in PGA’s Northeastern New York section.

This year, McGregor’s junior program has 100 kids, Decker said. He said running the program is “extremely rewarding,” noting he feels part of his job as a PGA professional is to grow the game.

“I spend a lot of time doing that, and to watch a place that didn’t have any PGA Junior League three years ago to now having the biggest one in the entire section, and one of the biggest in the country, is actually amazing,” Decker said. “It’s something that I definitely pride myself on, and look to keep growing year after year.”

The Junior League is open to the public, allowing all kids under age 15 to participate regardless of prior experience. The program offers six practices and six matches at McGregor Links, according to the course’s website.

“We shut down the front nine of the course,” said Decker. “We’ll have 150-plus people out there any given PGA Junior League match, with the parents following the kids, riding in the fairways, having some drinks and food. It’s a sight to see.”

The club hosts a ‘Links Together’ program on Tuesdays and Thursdays as well, which Decker described as “a summer camp for kids.”

“They get to use the pool, they get to learn a little golf, they can do arts and crafts, they can learn pickleball,” Decker said. “That’s awesome. … We’re using basically all the facilities that we have here.”

In addition to a new driving range, McGregor features a pool, six pickleball courts, and a tennis court, all of which have been recently renovated, Decker said.

Decker has also taken over ownership of McGregor’s pro shop, he said, and was awarded 2021 Merchandiser of the Year by Northeastern New York PGA for his efforts.

The shop offers a wide variety of products, with Decker saying golfers can find “anything you can really think of,” including major brands of golf clubs, balls, footwear, clothing, as well as other equipment such as range-finders and ball markers. 

McGregor Links also works with the on-site restaurant, Hills and Hollows, to host a variety of events, including Nine and Dine events and Cigar and Bourbon Nights, and private events such as bachelor parties.

Decker has additionally helped reintroduce events such as the McGregor Links Invitational, a two-day event featuring two-person teams. This year’s Invitational is scheduled for July 28-29, according to McGregor’s website.

“I brought that back probably for the first time in 10 years, and we’re starting to grow that again, which is great to show off the course, show off all the stuff that Joe Kehn and his staff have done out on the course,” said Decker. 

Decker, a native of Pine Bush, said he initially accepted the job after recognizing McGregor as “an opportunity.”

“The potential of it that I saw, I mean, you’re in Saratoga, you’ve got one of the best golf courses around, and you’ve got a new owner (Joe Kehn) who loves the place more than anyone and is putting money into it,” said Decker. “I saw that as an opportunity. I liked the sounds of that, and wanted to grow with McGregor.”

Saratoga Race Course opens its 2023 season on Wednesday July 13. 

The opening comes amid news of both renewal of the sport with state-sponsored financing for a rebuilding of Belmont Park and threats to the existence of the sport from a rash of fatalities at numerous high-profile North American thoroughbred racetracks. Draped over these seemingly contradictory developments is the new enhanced federal oversight of the sport under the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (“HIWU”). The HIWU was recently established in 2022 by Drug Free Sport International (“DFSI”) to administer the rules and enforcement mechanisms of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (“HISA”) Anti-Doping and Medication Control (“ADMC”) Program. 

It’s a mouthful and if it sounds confusing – that’s because it is. Suffice it to say, the testing and enforcement of the prohibitions on the use of banned or controlled substances in race horses has recently become much stricter under federal oversight. Fans can expect to see many more reported violations and concomitant trainer suspensions.  This oversight is an effort to protect the integrity of the sport and health and safety of its participants – both equine and human.  

The National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (“HBPA”), despite lengthy mission and position statements, is waging a pitched legal battle against this Congressionally created oversight by challenging the authority of the new program in litigation in numerous places. While the details are too many to enumerate here it is fair to say the HBPA is fighting tooth and nail against the federal regulation as currently constituted.  There are many who fear the combination of high-profile equine fatalities and the leading horseman’s group resisting further regulation is jeopardizing the sport’s social license to exist. Meanwhile, this enhanced testing has begun and with it a recent spate of trainer suspensions across the country. For bettors and fans whether this will impact who wins on the racetrack provides yet another uncertainty to the daily handicapping puzzle.

On the racetrack rather than the courtroom, the 2023 Saratoga meet begins without an obvious racing star among this year’s three-year-old division. Lacking star power, in some ways, makes the meet’s traditional marquee event – the Travers Stakes on August 26th more important than usual. A matchup between Kentucky Derby winner Mage and Belmont winner Arcangelo in the Travers is a possibility should each maintain their form through the summer and one can expect new stars to emerge from the 40 race cards to come. 

The racing at the spa is always instrumental in determining divisional championships with established runners and newly emerging stars shining on the bright stage of Saratoga. The Whitney Stakes on August 5 highlights the best older horses, as does the Jockey Club Gold Cup later in the meet on September 2 and two-year-olds are unveiled throughout the meet. As usual there will a generous amount of turf racing in all divisions.

This writer has always believed the Saratoga race meet to be as much about people as it is about horses and there are certain trainers that shine most brightly at this time of year and deserve extra attention at the betting windows. Among the trainers to whom bettors and fans should give extra consideration are H. James Bond; David Donk; John Terranova; Danny Gargan; and Carlos Martin. Trainer Keri Brion is expected to dominate the traditional steeplechase events run on certain weekdays. Of the larger barns expect Bill Mott trainees to have a big meet – including an unraced two-year-old half-brother to Cody’s Wish named Hunt Ball.

One change that fans will see this year is one admission for the full run of the grounds. Ending more than a century of delineation between the grandstand and clubhouse facilities, all attendees this year will be able to freely move through the building availing themselves of all concessions and restrooms. The iridescent hand stamps historically needed for movement from the grandstand to the clubhouse will be destined for antiquity.   

As mentioned earlier in this article, New York State has approved credit support for funding of a $455 million renewal of Belmont Park. The duration of the project will affect the Saratoga meets in 2024 and 2025 with the possibility of the Belmont Stakes being run at an abbreviated three-day meet in June 2025.

This year’s Saratoga meet runs from Wednesday July 13 through Labor Day September 4. Racing will be conducted five days per week with Mondays and Tuesdays being dark (except Labor Day). Admission is $10 on the day of admission discounted to $7 if purchased in advance.

Already with success at Saratoga, the former assistant to Doug O’Neill brings a select group of horses about two months before the meet begins.

Some trainers look forward to the middle or the end of April, depending on the weather, to bring their horses to the Oklahoma Training Track as way of preparing for the Saratoga Race Course meet while racing them at Belmont Park.

In the mix of horses from Chad Brown, Todd Pletcher, Christophe Clement, Bill Mott, Kenny McPeek, Jorge Abreu, and Jeremiah Englehart who are breezing or galloping over the Oklahoma Training Track, there is another trainer who is looking to follow this trend that has proven to be successful: Jack Sisterson.

About a week after the Kentucky Derby, Sisterson brought his stable and team from Keeneland to Barn 84 near the Oklahoma Track to get his horses acclimated to the area.

“It’s nice to be back here. It’s a nice barn,” said Sisterson, who was once a hotwalker for Pletcher at Churchill Downs. “If you ship in a week before a race, you have to give them adequate time to adjust and settle. Over the two months before the meet starts, the horses have settled quickly and continue to forward in the right direction and compete for me.”

Over the last five years, Sisterson has solidified himself at Saratoga and on the New York Racing Association circuit. This includes two upsets in Grade 1 races at Saratoga for Calumet Farm: Lexitonian in the 2022 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap and Vexatious in the 2020 Personal Ensign Stakes. He also won the Man o’ War Stakes with Channel Cat in 2022 and Cigar Mile Handicap with True Timber in 2020.

This year, Sisterson has seen the Winner’s Circle over 20 percent of the time from nearly 50 runners, including Malleymoo who won the Penn Oaks last month at Penn National. On that same day, British-bred Behind Enemy Lines came up three-quarters of a length short to multiple graded stakes winner Major Dude in the Penn Mile.

Sisterson knows that it’s not an easy task to compete against the top-level horses and trainers at Saratoga and the New York circuit, but he’s grateful for the opportunities.

“It’s humbling to complete at a level like Saratoga and the New York circuit,” he said. “It’s so difficult to have a horse to compete at this level. I have to thank the owners for supporting me to send those type of horses to compete here.”

He also attributes his success to his staff – and the horses are aware of it, too.

“I have a great staff,” he said. “They are a small group of guys who are part of a team environment. We say ‘good morning’ and chat with each other. The horses sense that. They seem to gravitate to the front of the stalls and bright-eyed. They are happy and we have seen good results.”

Prior to becoming a private trainer for Calumet Farm in 2018 and recently taking other clients, Sisterson gained valuable experience by working with horses throughout the East Coast as an assistant for California-based trainer Doug O’Neill.

Sisterson had a unique starting experience with O’Neill when I’ll Have Another won his career debut in July 2011 at Hollywood Park. Then the following year, the horse continued an impressive streak of victories in the Santa Anita Derby, the Kentucky Derby, and the Preakness before it was abruptly due to a tendon injury in the left front leg that forced him out of the Belmont a day before the race.

Four years later, Sisterson was part of Nyquist’s undefeated streak that included the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, the Florida Derby, and the Kentucky Derby. From there, Sisterson helped set up O’Neill’s small stable of horses at Saratoga, which included stakes winners Irap, Mopotism, Pavel, and Cause We Are Loyal.

Toward the end of the Saratoga meet that year, Sisterson just moved to Keeneland to prepare for the meet, which meant he didn’t saddle Ralis to win the 2015 Hopeful Stakes. However, he did get a chance to see another 2-year-old win a Grade 1 stakes that fall: Gomo taking the Darley Alcibiades.

“A lot of times, I was traveling back and forth between the East Coast and West Coast,” Sisterson said. “I enjoyed traveling. I didn’t have any commitments. It was really enjoyable traveling with good horses.”

“I also learned how to treat the horses and people well,” he added. “You are only good as the horses and the staff. You have to treat your staff with a lot of respect. In return, they will give that back to you.”

Going into the Saratoga meet, Sisterson is hoping that at least one of his select group of 21 horses will give something back to him as well. Despite prior success at Saratoga, he still knows the meet can be a daunting task.

So far, besides Mallymoo and Behind Enemy Lines, he has other horses at Saratoga who have already won a race this year: Baby Billy, Detroit City, and Cartographer. While Behind Enemy Lines is considering the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes on Aug. 4, Sisterson indicated that he will leave his options open for Mallymoo. As for the remaining horses, including his two-year-olds, Sisterson knows he has to strategize.

“I guess you have to be selective with the horses to bring to Saratoga. It’s not easy,” he said. “It’s all about putting them in the right spots and places. They have greatly settled here. We’ll have to see how they train and where they fit in the condition book.”

The Saratoga meet starts July 13 for the four-day weekend and closes on Sept. 4 as part of the Labor Day Weekend. Along with by the 154th edition of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers for 3-year-olds on Aug. 26, older horses will be competing in the 95th the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on Aug. 5.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — FC4 Events hosted the annual Firecracker4 Road Race in downtown Saratoga Springs on July 4.

The Firecracker4 Road Race is in its 17th year, held each Independence Day in downtown Saratoga. It is the longest and largest Independence Day race in the Northeast, according to a press release.

The four-mile course started on Broadway in front of the Saratoga Springs City Center, taking runners through the city.

EUGENE, Oregon — Ballston Spa junior standout Harriet Healey went west on June 15, competing at the 2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals in Eugene, Oregon.

Healey placed sixth in 400-meters in the Emerging Elites division, with a time of 57.35 seconds. She also placed 26th in the Championship division 400-meter hurdles, with a time of 1:06.44 seconds.

On Saturday, June 10, Healey won the NYSPHSAA Division 1 state championship in the 400-meter hurdles, with a time of 1:02.01 seconds.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — FC4 Events will be hosting two annual road races this month: The Firecracker4 Road Race and Silks & Satins 5K.

The Firecracker4 Road Race is held each Independence Day in downtown Saratoga Springs. In its 17th year supporting more than 2,500 runners, it is the longest and largest Independence Day race in the Northeast, with a growing Kid’s .02 mile run immediately before, starting at 8:15 a.m.

The four-mile course starts on Broadway in front of the Saratoga Springs City Center. Runners will start down Broadway and turn into the city. This race draws people from all over the country (and world!), so be sure to register: areep.com/events/fc4/.

Silks & Satins 5K will take place Saturday, July 15 from 8-10 a.m. in Saratoga Springs. Held on the first Saturday of track season, the Silks and Satins 5K is a celebration of the Saratoga Springs community and the opening of the track. 

Register to run the Silks and Satins 5K online at www.zippy-reg.com/online_reg/index.php?e=1828. Register to volunteer at www.zippy-reg.com/volunteer/sign-up/?eventID=1828.