SARATOGA SPRINGS — Sally Sells has seen and done it all. As a Pan Am employee, she flew across the Atlantic with none other than Charles Lindbergh (more on that story later). After seeing the world as a stewardess, she settled down and launched her own travel agency in 1963. But today, the one place Sells really wants to visit is the Saratoga Race Course.

“This will be going down memory lane for me and I’m truly looking forward to it,” Sells told Saratoga TODAY about her upcoming trip to the Spa.

Sells, a lifelong horseracing fan, said she last visited the historic track about 30 years ago. On Aug. 15, a couple of her friends are bringing her back to Saratoga, both because returning to the Spa has long been on Sells’ bucket list, and because she’s hoping to catch a glimpse of Reputation, a horse she co-owns via MyRacehorse. (Reputation won the Tyson Gilpin Stakes at Colonial Downs on Aug. 9 and may be headed to Saratoga next.)

“To own even a minor share in this horse has been an exciting adventure for me,” Sells said.

The former world traveler first saw horse races when she was only five. “My mother said I could read the racing form before I could read ‘Dick and Jane’ in kindergarten,” she said. As a child, Sells would scan the forms, studying horses’ pedigree and past performances, before then taking a trip to the paddock to eyeball them in person. Her passion for the sport has stayed with her for 96 years. “My interest in horse racing and breeding and so forth never waned,” she said.

As for her flight with Lindbergh, Sells once recalled the story to the Independent Women’s Forum (IWF). Many years ago, she was chosen by Pan Am to train stewards for international flights. “We had to ferry an empty plane to Germany,” Sells told IWF. “There was a pilot and a crew but only one passenger…There was no one in this giant aircraft but Charles Lindbergh and me. I sat next to him, and we had dinner together, in this big, big old airplane. It was a wonderful moment. That was one of the most exciting things in my life, that I flew the Atlantic with Lindbergh.”

Though perhaps not quite as memorable as a flight with Lindbergh, Sells will travel from Philadelphia to Saratoga on Friday with her friends, finally achieving a long-held dream.

A lot of teenagers and young adults have summer jobs, which includes those at Saratoga Race Course.

While some of these jobs include concession stands, cleaning, and even a possible internship that provides some experience, Noah Goodson’s summer job has educated him in being a future horseman or something in a related field.

Over the last three years, the recent Shenendehowa graduate has been working for trainer Dale Romans by handling a variety of tasks around the barn, which is in the background of the half-mile pole on the main track. While Goodson has worked with horses, some of his friends have been handling junk removal or doing other mainstream summer jobs.

“I hot walk and groom the horses. I do a little bit of everything,” Goodson said as he was removing the dirt around the hooves of Rockies Balboa, an unraced 2 year old. “My friends think it’s cool that I work with horses.”

That was one of Goodson’s last tasks for Romans before he left for the University of Louisville last weekend to start studying in the Equine Industry Program, which starts on Aug. 18. He believes Louisville is the ideal school to prepare him in perhaps becoming a trainer or something related to the business aspect of horse racing.

“My goal is to be a trainer,” he said. “Though, to be in this industry, you need to know how to run a business. You can do all the internships that you want, but nothing’s going to really help with the business part of it, especially financially.”

It is seldom that teenagers and young adults remember their first day on a job. However, Goodson still remembered the first time he worked for Romans: July 18, 2023 at 8 a.m. Since then, that starting time has shifted.

Goodson was typically out of bed by 4 a.m., then left his home from Exit 11 to arrive at the barn by 5 a.m. and worked until 10 a.m. or when training was finished. He came back to the barn around 3:30 p.m. for about two hours to finish any remaining tasks.

The early morning hours and sometimes longer days never bothered Goodson, especially since he enjoys working with horses and being at the track. Not only that, he used his strong work ethic to balance his schedule between helping Romans and going to football practice when he played for Shenendehowa.

“It didn’t come easy and it was a little stressful,” Goodson said. “It was basically day-to-day and I wasn’t sure what was going to happen the next day. So, I just went out there 100% of the time.”

Goodson’s passion for horses and races started when his parents, Chris Goodson and Andrea Gallo, brought him to the track as a baby. From there, he kept going to the track with his father.

“I was in a stroller when I first came out here,” he said. “I just grew up in the industry and came up here with my dad. We went to the clubhouse. We would be just sitting there and watching the horses, and then I just grew in love with the sport.”

The turning point for Goodson may have come when his father met Romans at the family-owned James and Sons Tobacconist shop in downtown Saratoga Springs. Along with sharing their affinity for cigars, both Romans and Chris Goodson also talked about horse racing, which became part of a friendship and a pathway for Noah Goodson in getting a job at the track.

At 12, Noah Goodson finally got to meet Romans, as well as West Point Thoroughbreds President and CEO Terry Finley. Romans then encouraged Goodson to work for him when he turned 16.

As soon as he turned 16, Goodson came to Roman’s barn and started working with his first horse: Coppola, a now 6-year-old horse who has won several black type stakes races in Florida and Indiana.

Goodson admitted that working with horses didn’t come naturally despite having a little experience through riding lessons when he was in eighth grade. With the help of Romans and groom William Parada, Goodson quickly learned how to apply ice wraps, provide feed to the horses in the mornings and afternoons, and clean the stalls.

“When I first got here, I was green,” he said. “I had a little experience on how to work with horses. It took me probably a week to get the handle of it. Willie has been great help for the past three years. I have learned a lot. I wouldn’t have learned as much as I did without him.”

Romans, who has won 3-of-5 races going into the sixth week of the meet, has also noticed Goodson’s progression in working with other horses that include recent maiden winner Gallo de Fuego and stakes-placing Maui Strong.

“When he started, he couldn’t walk a horse,” Romans said. “It’s just giving him the experience. He’s come a long way and can handle anything. He took his first horse to the paddock for a race [this meet] and it won.”

That winning horse led by Goodson was Bobrovsky, a 2-year-old colt co-owned by Romans with Steve Berg and entered in Saturday’s Skidmore Stakes. Goodson has become fond of Bobrovsky, who won by 10½ lengths in the maiden race on July 24. “He’s just so sweet and strong, just like me,” Goodson said. “I can kind of see myself in him.”

Even though Goodson is now bound for Louisville, that does not mean his job with Romans has ended. In fact, Romans is planning for Goodson to work for him at his Churchill Downs base, which is about two miles from the university.

“I will miss him, but he will be back down there [at Churchill]. It’s part of his education,” Romans said. “His classes are first. I’m going to be checking his grades. So, if the grades are good, he can keep coming to the barn.”

In his near-four-decade career, Romans recognizes the characteristics of trusted stable hands, especially those who have helped him with horses Roses in May, Kitten’s Joy, Little Mike, Shackleford, and Keen Ice, who beat American Pharoah, one of Goodson’s favorite horses. He believes Goodson has a future in working with horses based on those trusted characteristics.

“Noah will be good in whatever he decides to do,” Romans said “There are a lot of people who like the races. They think they like horses until they get into the barn, and they realize they just like racing. They are different things. He happens to be one of the kids who likes both.”

In the song “Lord, I’m Discouraged” by the alternative rock group The Hold Steady, the lyrics depict a deeply concerned man watching a woman he loves (relationship unclear) repeatedly inflict self-harm. He feels helpless as he watches the accumulating damage to the object of his love.

With dramatically less serious consequences, those lyrics came to mind for me when the New York Racing Association ran a race at the wrong distance in the final race last Saturday. The self-harm to our sport continues to add up.

Obviously, mistakes happen – it’s why there are accidents – but the more serious the endeavor is, the more precautions are required. In horse racing, other than human and equine safety, there should be nothing more sacrosanct than the integrity of the race. Despite the taped apology from two of the three stewards and the senior vice president of racing operations, the number and manner of mistakes occurring in racing makes one think that the actual racing is not taken as seriously as it should be by the entire industry. The stilted, taped apology spread blame among dozens of people (which actually is more of a condemnation than an excuse) and as the number of races run and the dependence on exotic wagers increase, the importance and sanctity of each actual race seems to decrease.  Sometimes I leave a full day’s racing and question whether anyone, save a handful of people, could name even five of the winners on the completed card. The food, the drink, the giveaways, the music, the Corgi races are all garnish on the plate. The racing is the main dish and it deserves the most attention.

Maybe that is too deep, maybe it can simply be chalked up to Saratoga, as this column warned less than three weeks ago, where strange things happen.

Strange Doings 

This column has pointed out many times that strange things happen each year at the Saratoga Race Course. Races have been run at the wrong distances, races have been halted mid-race by outriders thinking there was a fallen rider in danger, famously the wrong horse was disqualified from a victory…anomalies abound. Last week added one to the list. Two horses were placed into the wrong starting positions. The horses were to be loaded in stalls three and four respectively, but those positions were transposed and no one noticed prior to the race.   Mistakes – they happen – they just seem to happen up here more than elsewhere.

It is discouraging that despite this incident just a few weeks ago and the fact that races have been run at the wrong distance twice before at NYRA tracks in the last decade, no one seemed to take the needed precautions. 

Why the Error Matters

Lest one think last week’s error was inconsequential, the single most important aspect of that race from a handicapping perspective was its distance, and countless handicapping hours were spent pondering its effect. To horse players, solving this puzzle – not betting – is the most attractive part of this sport. (Mindless random betting can now be had on anything, anywhere, anyhow. It’s the process of handicapping that matters to horse players.) To dismiss the change in distance as anything other than dispositive upon the outcome is disingenuous. The race as run was fundamentally different than planned and a “no contest” could have and should have been immediately declared, if someone in authority had noticed.

Sadly, this incident is not unique in the self-harm racing inflicts. Some other examples are:

– The Computer Assisted Wagering (CAW) groups discussed in this column and elsewhere continue to wreak havoc on the betting pools and in some instances are partly owned by the race tracks. The advantage these groups have is so strong that one of the most respected long-term handicappers in the sport has publicly expressed his suspicion that CAWs (or someone else) is betting after the starting gate opens. Whether or not this is factual, the growing lack of confidence in the integrity of the races by the core non-CAW bettor is very real. 

– Claiming voids. In recent weeks, several claiming races have seen the winner draw off to victory, be claimed by another owner, only to then have the veterinarian “void the claim” thereby nullifying the change of ownership. This was done on the grounds the horse is/was injured. It seems counterintuitive that a decisive winner is unfit to change hands and remains with its prior owner/trainer. Even if the intention is good, it is a bad look and undercuts confidence.

– The Wilson Chute. This week there will be at least nine races starting out of the Wilson Chute, which a prominent horseman and many bettors believe is an unfair configuration. 

These Self-Inflicted Wounds Add Up

The final line of “Lord, I’m Discouraged” is chilling and applicable to horse racing’s current state. It reads, “mostly I just pray she don’t die.”

The summer of 1963 was the centenary of thoroughbred racing in the Adirondack foothills, and the citizens of Saratoga Springs marked the celebration with pomp and circumstance. Some years later the Saratogian Sports Editor Landon C. Manning would recall that the gardeners were busy, “helping to carry out Saratoga’s continuing theme of red and white, which was started in the centennial.” 

Especially for the occasion, pioneering horticulturist Eugene Boerner at the Jackson & Perkins Company of Newark, New York had developed a gardenia-like pure white floribunda, which was named the Saratoga All-American Rose, that was dedicated at the celebratory race course in mid-June.

In June of 1963, as part of the 100th commemoration, the Saratoga Rose was placed in several locations in Congress Park. In order to correct what had been a continuing problem with the reflecting pool in front of the Spirit of Life sculpture, workers from the City’s Department of Public Works filled the basin with sand and soil instead of water. The plan was to plant the Saratoga Rose in the hastily created flowerbed.

The Spencer Trask Memorial concrete reflecting pool floor and walls had failed to hold water. Rather than welcome centennial visitors with a broken and cordoned-off component of Saratoga’s iconic sculpture, City Historian Evelyn Britten and DPW Commissioner Charles McTygue decided the Saratoga Rose display was an acceptable, quick and economic “fix” to the monument created by Daniel Chester French.

Mrs. Britten further pointed out that when the City contracted with Elvin C. Eaton to raze the Congress Hall Hotel in record-breaking time in 1913, in order to create the location for the Spirit of Life, that the foundation of the former structure was left in place as an expedient for accepting the setting created by Henry Bacon and Landscape Architect Charles Leavitt.

Reaction to the filled-in pool was swift, strong and negative. Robert McKelvey of 90 Lake Ave, a fervent preservationist who would later play a key role in the creation of SPAC, led the citizen charge on the City Council chambers in a special session. Mr. McKelvey was armed with a letter from Margaret French Cresson, the daughter of Daniel Chester French who had assumed his Chesterwood Studio in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. She wrote of the flowerbed, “It’s disgraceful. Saratoga Springs should be ashamed of itself.”

Evelyn Britten, who was also president of the local garden club, maintained that her motivation with the Saratoga Rose was to beautify Congress Park and was sensible and justifiable in light of the circumstances. Many others felt that a memorial to Spencer Trask, who had done so much to restore the springs in Saratoga, and was in fact killed in a New Year’s Eve 1909 train wreck while traveling to advocate on their behalf, needed to include the original flowing water element.

Mayor James E. Benton concluded that the DPW action of filling in the reflecting pool was “arbitrary and unauthorized” and the City Council voted unanimously, including DPW Commissioner McTygue, to provide funds immediately for a proper repair to the pool. The basin bottom was resurfaced, and walls rebuilt, so that shortly after Labor Day 1963, the Spirit of Life again flowed with its symbolic water from the bowl of the seraph who had come on wings.

As for the author, I am wondering what was left behind in the Congress Hall wine cellar, and if this is where the ghosts who haunt the Canfield Casino resort to during daylight hours?

Michael Veitch is a lifelong resident of Saratoga Springs. His lineage includes his great uncle, trainer Sylvester Veitch, along with a cousin John who conditioned the likes of Alydar and Davona Dale. Both of those relatives are members of the Hall of Fame. With a family tree bearing that kind of fruit, Mike was destined to a life that would be consumed by “the sport of kings.”

Let’s take a quick look at his resume. Mike has authored four books pertaining to the sport. (It seems apropos that the publication of my interview with him will coincide with the running of the Alabama Stakes; the history of that major event is the subject of his latest book, due out this fall.) He has written articles for virtually every important racing publication in the country. He also co-hosted a television program “Down the Stretch” on the OTB channel for many years. It was a must-see for anyone with a keen interest in horse racing. He is also a former trustee of the National Museum of Racing and now holds the position of Museum Historian. Oh, I almost forgot one more thing: How about a coveted place on the Joe Hirsch Media Roll of Honor? The list is a who’s who of the greatest writers horse racing has ever known.

We are at our usual meeting place, Spot Coffee, adjacent to Franklin Square. This morning we will discuss Mike’s fabulous career and illuminating thoughts on various aspects of the sport that he cherishes. So without further delay, let the conversation begin. The questions are mine. The answers are word-for-word those of the maestro.

I asked Mike to explain the importance of the National Museum of Racing and whatmakes it so special.

“The National Museum of Racing is a living institution of our great horses, jockeys, trainers, and Pillars of the Turf, as well as a repository of arts, exhibits and historical records. The leaders of its creation in 1950 were C.V. Whitney and fellow patrons, along with the city of Saratoga Springs, and the Saratoga Racing Association.”

The museum has been totally renovated. Can you give us some of your thoughts on that?

“The trustees of the National Museum of Racing have done a wonderful job with the renovation.

It is first-class and always being upgraded. The late John Hendrickson promised that it would be a world-class museum and he and the trustees certainly delivered. It is a wonderful institution.”

What would you like to see happen that would be beneficial to the sport in the years ahead?

“I would like to see a comprehensive study of racetrack composition, along with a lesser emphasis on early speed and a greater emphasis on stamina in races for four-year-olds and up.”

Being a historian of the highest caliber, explain the allure of Saratoga as a premier destination on the worldwide horse racing map?

“Organized racing began at Saratoga in 1863, in the middle of the Civil War. Alluring, no? Coupled with its location in a small and historic, yet vibrant and world-famous city, the combination is magic. I have always loved a quote from the late judge Mike Sweeney,

‘If I am dropped out of the sky and land in Bombay, India and tell the folks I am from Saratoga Springs, they will know what I am talking about.’”

You are a huge fan of the great filly, Ruffian. Can you tell us what makes her so special to you,

and what other racehorses do you admire?

“Ruffian was a near-black filly who I truly believe was the best of either sex among the foals of 1972. She was simply in her own league. I saw her win the 1974 Spinaway Stakes, running six furlongs in 1:08 3/5 by 13 lengths. Other greats  come to mind that I have witnessed include Secretariat, Bold Ruler, Kelso, Forego, Seattle Slew, and Personal Ensign.”

You had a relationship with many of horse racing’s greatest figures. Alfred G. Vanderbilt was one of them. Is there anything that you would like to share with us about him?

“He and my uncle Sylvester were backstretch neighbors. I chatted with him many mornings at his barn and again during the races. I believe he was happiest in those hours. Mr. V supported my position that the original NYRA owned the properties of Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga. He was a very major player in Saratoga racing history.”

Canadian horse racing is of major interest to you. Can you give some of your thoughts as to what makes it so special?

“I have always felt that the history and the quality of racing at Woodbine is under-appreciated on our side of the border. Canada has given us the likes of Northern Dancer, Dance Smartly, Le Prevoyante, Fanfreluche, Glorious Song, and Sky Classic, among others. Then there are horsemen like Lucien Laurin, Roger Attfield, and great jockeys such as Sandy Hawley and Ron Turcotte.”

The breeding of Thoroughbred racehorses is a subject that you have great familiarity with. Who do you consider America’s greatest sires and why?

“In my opinion, they are Northern Dancer, Mr. Prospector, Native Dancer, Bold Ruler, Danzig, Storm Cat, and Seattle Slew. There are many reasons, but perhaps most important is their potency in getting high class performers in so many crops.”

I asked Mike this final question: New York racing has lost Grade 1 status with many historic races. Is there one particular event that you would like to see regain that prestigious classification?

“It saddens me to see that the Wood Memorial is no longer a Grade 1 event. It is New York’s most important race for the Triple Crown series and produced the likes of Count Fleet, Native Dancer, Nashua, Damascus, Seattle Slew and Easy Goer. I would really like to see NYRA make a major effort at restoring this great race to Grade 1 status.”

In closing, I would like to thank Mike for his valuable time and great commentary. He is a Saratoga original. His expertise in the sport we love is unmatched in today’s horse racing environment. It’s our grand city’s good fortune to have him.

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the lineup of attractions, entertainment, and events for the 2025 summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course.

Highlighted by the 156th edition of the Grade I, $1.25 million DraftKings Travers on Saturday, August 23, and the Grade I, $1 million Whitney on Saturday, August 2, the 40-day summer meet will open on Thursday, July 10 and run through Monday, September 1.

Following the four-day opening week, racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, apart from the final week, when the meet will conclude on Labor Day.

First post will be 1:10 p.m. every day except Saturdays, when first post will be 12:35 p.m. The only exceptions are Whitney Day featuring a 12:05 p.m. first post and DraftKings Travers Day with first post at 11:40 a.m. Post times for Labor Day weekend will be announced at a later date.

Admission gates will open for live racing at 11 a.m. for all but Whitney Day, when gates will open at 10 a.m. and DraftKings Travers Day, when gates will open at 9 a.m.

Lustgarten Foundation and Alabama Day:

Saturday, August 16

Saratoga Race Course will honor the legacy of beloved trainer Dominic Galluscio with a day to benefit the Lustgarten Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance scientific and medical research related to pancreatic cancer. Many of the sport’s most popular trainers will sign autographs for fans with suggested donations to benefit the Lustgarten Foundation in Galluscio’s memory. 

New York Breds in the Spotlight:

Thursday & Friday, August 21-22; Sunday August 24

Travers Week features numerous stakes to showcase the depth of the New York breeding program with a pair of $200,000 New York-bred events taking center stage on Thursday, including the Albany presented by The Albany Distilling Company and the Fleet Indian. The state-bred action resumes on Friday with two $150,000 tilts in the Seeking the Ante and the Yaddo presented by STIHL. A pair of $150,000 state-bred races closes out the week on Sunday, including the West Point Handicap and the Funny Cide presented by Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital. 

Stake Races

FRIDAY, August 15

Smart and Fancy: F&M 4&UP, 5 1/2 Furlongs- Turf, Purse $150,000

Saturday, August 16

Alabama (G1) pres. by Keeneland Sales: F3YO, 1 1/4 – Dirt, Purse $600,000

Skidmore: 2YO,  5 1/2 Furlongs – Turf, Purse $150,000

Sunday, August 17

Bolton Landing: F2YO, 5 1/2 Furlongs- Turf, Purse $150,000

Wednesday, August 20

Jonathan Sheppard Memorial (G1): 4&UP, 2 3/8 – Turf (Steeplechase),
Purse $150,000

thursday, august 21
Albany (NYB) pres. by Albany Distilling Company: 3YO, 1 1/8 – Dirt,
Purse $200,000