The 154th Travers is in the books. Arcangelo was a commanding winner under 2023 Jockey of the Year Javier Castellano. Notably, trainer Jena Antonucci became only the second female trainer to saddle a Travers winner as Arcangelo stamped himself as the leading candidate for three-year-old of the year honors.  At this point is Arcangelo is considered a contender for the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November where a win would make him Horse of the Year. The penultimate Saratoga weekend was marred by another equine fatality on the undercard when New York Thunder suffered a catastrophic breakdown in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes. 

The headliner of the meet’s final weekend will be Saturday’s Jockey Club Gold Cup contested at the classic distance of a mile and a quarter. The final day of the 2023 meet is Labor Day September 4th.

Fatigue/Weariness

When participants in an endeavor begin to flag it is often said “fatigue has set in”. Fatigue is a synonym for weariness which is defined as “reluctance to see or experience any more of something”. Both words are apt descriptions of the collective mood of racing fans and participants this year at Saratoga Race Course. Weary of the incessant rain, weary of short fields in races moved to the main track from the grass courses, weary of controversies over decisions in the stewards’ booth and in the pari-mutuel offices, and most of all weary of defending the sport in the face of highly visible, highly emotional catastrophic breakdowns deep in the stretch on two of the biggest race days of the meet.

If the old show biz maxim “Always leave them wanting more” had a polar opposite, it would be “just let this race meet end”. These words have been said to me this week by many people who love racing and by many people who make their living in the sport. A perusal of the comments contained the words “cursed’, “overwhelming”, “flabbergasted”, “difficult”, “deflating” and in the most graphic comment “a ghastly soul-destroying meet”.  More than one person has expressed some disbelief in their heartfelt desire to get back to Aqueduct – the much maligned, but historically significant, downstate race track.

This weariness was evident in the stretch run of Saturday’s Ballerina Stakes when Echo Zulu put forth a tremendous front running win in front of a crowd that was noticeably reluctant to cheer or root loudly. Having worked and participated in this meet for almost five decades (and my father and grandfather decades before me) I am acutely aware of how much pride is taken in this marquee meet by employees at all levels on both the front and backside of the racetrack. This year they are wounded and mostly weary. When you see them give them all a nod – there are better meets ahead – but first we must get out of this one.

Jonathan Sheppard

Jonathan Sheppard passed away this week at the age of 82. He was a mainstay on the Saratoga stage with a list of accomplishments as a trainer as long as the steeplechase marathons his horses routinely won.

Jonathan Sheppard’s accomplishments were voluminous as you would glean from his induction into the National Museum and Racing Hall of Fame in 1990 at a young age. He was one of only two trainers (along with Sidney Watters) to train champions in both the steeplechase and flat divisions. He held every possible record as a steeplechase trainer.

While his full body of work during his 56-year career was awe-inspiring, his accomplishments at Saratoga are downright legendary. In addition to being the meet’s leading trainer in consecutive seasons in 1984 and 1985, he won the prestigious New York Turf Writers’ Cup a staggering fifteen times. However, even that record pales in comparison to his record that seems destined to last forever – having won at least one race at Saratoga for 47 consecutive years (1969-2015)! Repeat– 47 years!

Sheppard’s mentee – pre-eminent steeplechase trainer Keri Brion – told me this week “He was an incredible horseman and I am so blessed and grateful to have learned all that I did from him. I am trying my best to carry on his legacy in my training methods. Thank you wouldn’t even begin to be enough to say to him. We lost a true legend.” 

Katie Davis

Jockey Katie Davis continued her stellar meet with her talent and knack of getting the most from her mounts who routinely outrun their odds. She and husband Trevor McCarthy accomplished a racing rarity this week by each winning a race on the same card. As impressive as her riding ability is, it is matched by her charm. Katie Davis is quickly and increasingly becoming a fan favorite – seemingly always willing to oblige young fans who desire a smile and a photograph.  She is a tremendous ambassador of the sport. Watching younger fans, especially little girls, gravitate towards her before and after every race has truly been the highlight of the meet.

Nominated for the Travers, Drake’s Passage is likely taking a different route for Sunday’s Albany Stakes.

When the nominations for the 154th running of the Travers for 3-year-olds was released on Aug. 14, there wasn’t much a surprise of the likely runners: Kentucky Derby winner Mage, Preakness winner National Treasure, Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo, and Jim Dandy winner Forte.

However, there was one interesting nominee for Saratoga Race Course’s Grade 1, $1.25 million marquee race to be run at 1¼ miles on Saturday: Drake’s Passage.

Owner and breeder Robert Evans nominated Drake’s Passage for the Mid-summer Derby; simultaneously, Evans nominated the New York-bred for the $250,000 Albany Stakes on Sunday.

According to Miguel Clement, assistant trainer to his father Christophe Clement, believes Drake’s Passage has the ability to run in the Travers; however, he indicated the composite of the race has to change in order to entertain that idea.

“We wanted to keep our options open by putting him in the Travers,” Miguel Clement said. “If you look at the numbers, he’s not that far off from the leading three-year-olds in the division. If the Travers were to fall apart, we would consider him for the race because we do think he fits. However, I think the [other horses] are in good standing.”

Miguel Clement has been optimistic about Drake’s Passage since coming to his barn just a little more than a year ago, and he has every reason to be hopeful.

Bred at Berkshire Stud Farm in Pine Plains, Drake’s Passage is by Tonalist, a multiple Grade 1 winner that includes the 2014 Belmont Stakes; the New York-bred is also out of the stakes-winning mare Raucous.

Both Tonalist and Raucous were also owned by Evans and trained by Christophe Clement. For Miguel Clement, he can see the similarities, especially the white blaze on the bridge of the nose.

“Physically, he’s the closest thing to Tonalist with the markings, the way he moves, and the way he trains. He’s so much like his father,” he said. “The resemblance is striking.”

Drake’s Passage also follows the early racing pattern of his father. After failing to sustain a rally over the Aqueduct dirt track in his debut in November 2013, Tonalist came back nearly two months later at Gulfstream Park to win his second start.

Because of the turf and long-distance breeding, Miguel Clement found a maiden race for Drake’s Passage over the Aqueduct grass course going at 1 1/16 miles in October. However, the colt ran an even race to finish fifth.

“I wanted to run him longer,” he said. “There weren’t many options at the time for a 2-year-old to run longer on the dirt. I picked the right distance, but it was the wrong surface. Since he is out of Raucous, I thought I could get away with it.”

About a month later, Drake’s Passage showed a little more improvement over a muddy track while going a shorter distance – 7 furlongs. He chased the pace before tiring late in the race to finish third.

By his third outing going a mile in early December, Drake’s Passage made some headway by briefly stalking the pacesetter, then taking the lead at the half-mile pole to eventually win his first race comfortably.

“He came back in this second race and ran much better on the dirt, and he broke his maiden rather impressively on the slop,” Miguel Clement said. “He never quite put it all together. He was still unfurnished.”

During the winter break, Drake’s Passage became more developed, just like his sire. As soon as the Oklahoma Training Track opened in late April, Drake’s Passage came back to the Clement stable for a series of steady workouts that eventually led to another victory, this one against older New York-bred horses going a mile over a fast track on July 3 at Belmont Park. 

After taking the lead in the stretch, he edged away to a 1¼-length winning margin while finishing the race in 1:35.38, including the last eight of a mile in 12.54 seconds.

That race was promising for Miguel Clement and Drake’s Passage because Colloquy, the third-place finisher, came back to win a two-turn allowance race by 6¾ lengths here at Saratoga on July 28.

“When he came back this spring, he started to blossom,” Miguel Clement said about Drake’s Passage. “His works have been spectacular and he has been improving steadily. That was an impressive race off the layoff considering the layoff and going longer on dirt. If anything, he has improved off that race.”

“It’s no easy task for a 3-year-old to face older horses at that time of the year,” he added. “I think that race turned out to be okay. [Colloquy] came here to win impressively.”

Going into Travers week, the Clement Stable has its fair share of winners with 10, which puts them in fifth behind leader Chad Brown, Linda Rice, Todd Pletcher, and barn neighbor Bill Mott.

While they have won the Caress Stakes and the Suzie O’Cain Stakes, the Clement team has also been victims of this summer’s above-normal rainfall that has brought the races off the turf. They are hoping for a good week with Tawny Port in the John’s Call Stakes on Wednesday, the aforementioned Roses for Debora in Friday’s Smart N Fancy Stakes, and possibly Soldier Rising in the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer as part of the Travers’ undercard.

“We’ve done okay so far,” Miguel Clement said. “We’re slow in the win column, but we have been running in the right races. It’s a dream to have the quality. We have probably been more victimized by rain. We had two horses who were supposed to run the other day and couldn’t when the races came off the turf.”

Of at least 10 horses represented by Clement this weekend, Drake’s Passage may be the most exciting for the barn as he being trained up to the Albany Stakes where he is likely to meet New York Derby winner Allure of Money and Mike Lee Stakes winner Maker’s Candy. Going two turns for the first time, Miguel Clement believes he can handle it.

“The distance won’t be an issue for him,” he said. “He’s doing very well. We love him. we are very excited.”

Saratoga Race Course enters its biggest week with a star-studded card on Saturday anchored by the meet’s most important race The Travers. Known by the monicker – The Mid-Summer Derby – The Travers is a late season race for three-year-olds at the classic distance of a mile and one-quarter. Its placement on the calendar provides an opportunity for a decisive race among the late blooming three-year-olds that missed or underperformed in the Triple Crown classics and those that established their bona fides in those earlier races. It is rare when the winners of the Triple Crown races maintain their form and health to make it to square off in August but this is such a year.  The winners of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes – respectively Mage, National Treasure and Arcangelo are all entered Saturday. Jockey Javier Castellano who rode Mage to victory in the Kentucky Derby and then Arcangelo in the Belmont Stakes will ride Arcangelo in the Travers. Luis Saez picks up the mount on Mage. The field is completed by Forte, Disarm, Tapit Trice and Scotland.

This year’s Travers is reminiscent of both the 1982 and 2017 editions where the winners of all three triple crown races faced off but were beaten by Runaway Groom and West Coast, respectively. The morning line favorite this year is Forte, the two-year old champion, despite not winning one of the Triple Crown races. 

The most memorable Travers include 1962 where Jaipur and Ridan ran head to head for the entire mile and one-quarter; 1978  where Triple Crown winner Affirmed again defeated Alydar only to be disqualified for interference; 2004 where Mary Lou Whitney’s Birdstone won in apocalyptic weather conditions;  2012 when Alpha and Golden Ticket finished in a dead heat; and 2015 where Triple Crown winner American Pharoah was raced into submission by Frosted (who was ridden more to beat the favorite than win himself) and was worn down in the final yards by closer Keen Ice. 

(For a very interesting read that may have included skullduggery take the time to acquaint yourself with the 1921 running of the Travers.)

The Travers’ undercard, as usual, will feature top-class racing throughout the day and a large crowd is expected. Those coming to Saratoga Race Course to see history made should come early and expect to see many fans festooned in “Barbie” pink. 

Of circles – and friends – and circles of friends. 

The circle plays a huge role in science, physics, and philosophy. Geometry defines a circle as a plane in which all spots are equidistant from the center; Pi – the constant that measures a circle’s circumference in relation to its diameter – has so confounded mathematicians that it is said that it is “impossible to square the circle” (don’t ask me – I don’t know what it means – I just know you can’t). Philosophically, the “circle of life” represents no end and no beginning, while your circle of friends defines your life and greatly influences (for better or worse) your life choices.   

To horse race fans the “circle” that matters is the winner’s circle. Only the worthy (or their invitees) are permitted inside – and that entrance must be earned each and every time.

Unlike other exclusionary areas, the Winner’s Circle has no permanent occupant. Win a race and it is yours – but only for a moment of time.  It can’t be possessed; it can’t be reserved – but it can be shared. And that’s where the circles of friends intersect (pun intended) with history, accomplishment, and sportsmanship. 

The pursuit of a trip to the Winner’s Circle is made by people for differing reasons. For those with extraordinary means it’s a way of seeking meaning in a world where other material wants are easily satisfied. To those with lesser means it represents success on a large canvass without much paint. 

For some it is a victory after overcoming, or amid, personal adversity – for the very few it comes as easily as the rest of their lives. What binds together all who enter the Winner’s Circle, however, is a connection to history, a sense of accomplishment and a hope to return once more – and those things are best shared generously and freely. 

This week at Saratoga I witnessed and participated in Winner’s Circle celebrations that saw tears of gratitude, smiles of relief, and shows of pride for jobs well done. (I also saw a bright yellow sports jacket with a lucky horseshoe pattern that might have been visible from outer space). But what I mostly saw were moments in time where friendship was extended, accepted and strengthened – and the location, as temporary as it was, was meaningful and memorable. 

It can seem frivolous at times and somewhat flippant but there really aren’t too many places like it. Circles of friends, circles of joy, circles of life. 

Coordinated by Cathalene Hernandez Hagney, many remember her father Ramon “Mike” Hernandez following Sunday’s second race.

There are a lot of people who leave a legacy, and Ramon “Mike” Hernandez is one of those people.

That legacy was illustrated after Sunday’s second race at Saratoga Race Course with a plethora of owners, horseman, horsewomen, and other racing officials gathering in the Winner’s Circle to remember him.

Hernandez passed away on Nov. 6, the same day of his daughter Cathalene Hernandez  Hagney’s birthday, at the age of 99 following memorable career as a trainer on the New York Racing Association circuit and a fixture at Barn 76 near the Oklahoma Training Track. The next day, Hagney started planning the memorial race at Saratoga.

“I didn’t see it as a sad thing, but a happy thing for me to always remember him,” Hagney said. “I’ve thought about this for the past five years. I planned this in my thoughts and what we were going to do.”

Hernandez, born in Mexico, was a grassroots horseman by starting as a groom at Hippodromo de las Americas in Mexico City at 18 years old, then earning his trainers license in 1951. He came to the United States in 1967 to eventually establish a training career that resulted in 603 winners and more than $18.8 million in earnings. Prior to his retirement in 2011, Hernandez was the oldest active trainer in New York.

While Hernandez was successful on the track, he had more of an impact on others by offering jobs as an exercise rider, groom, or hotwalker, and he mentoring them. Because of that, many admired him, and Hagney finally saw that in the Winner’s Circle.

“He was loved by so many people,” she said. “[Sunday] was an accumulation of what he did for me to carry on his legacy. That allowed me to meet the people who he knew. For me, he allowed me into his world, which he really never wanted to do.”

One of those people was Carlos R. Figueroa, Jr., who always enjoyed horse racing and wanted to be part of the racetrack since he was 13 years old. He was captivated by Hall of Fame trainer Laz Barrera and his horse Bold Forbes, who beat the heavily-favored Honest Pleasure in the 1976 Kentucky Derby.

Two years later, Figueroa, Jr. and his family moved from Brooklyn to Bay Shore where he would meet another a neighbor who also wanted become involved in horse racing: Richard Migliore.

As both were riding their horses behind a junior high school field near their houses, Figueroa, Jr. was also looking for a job at Belmont Park. Hernandez was the first person to give him a job at the track, and it was eventually going to be at Saratoga.

“I was 15. I couldn’t even get a badge,” Figueroa, Jr. said. “I got dropped off at the track [Belmont] and stayed with one of the grooms. A couple of days later, we were here at Saratoga.”

Figueroa, Jr. started as a hotwalker before learning how to groom horses that included multiple stakes winners Dedicated Rullah, Fratello Ed, Vandy Sue, and Sallys Flight. While being near Barrera’s stable, who had Triple Crown winner Affirmed at the time, Figueroa, Jr. learned about being horseman while having a strong work ethic and being fair.

“He was the hardest-working guy I had seen,” Figueroa, Jr. said about Hernandez. “He was always up really early. In the morning of the races, he got on the horse and warm him up. I remember we worked a lot on the horses with the hoses and ice. It was the old-school horsemanship that stuck with me.”

“He worked you hard, but he was fair,” he added. “There was no elitism. He was a really good guy. He had that kind of confidence in me. He was an inspiration. He made me who I am today.”

Meanwhile, Migliore wanted to be a jockey. When Migliore was 13 years old, he had the opportunity to ride horses. However, it wasn’t at Belmont Park; rather it was at Clermont Farm in Germantown, N.Y. where Hernandez was the farm manager and the late Dominic Galluscio was the assistant.

“I was brought me to get on these New York-breds to see if I thought anything of them were good,” Migliore said. “I met Mr. Hernandez and he was an amazing and classy gentleman. He was a salt-of-the-earth horseman. He can do it at any level.”

After his retirement in 2011, Migliore continued to have a good relationship with Hernandez to the point where he could play a small practical joke. However, Hernandez took that jest more seriously and made it into an opportunity for another jockey trying to make a comeback after suffering an injury to his three fingers: Jean-Luc Samyn.

Migliore pretended to his jockey agent and suggested to Hernandez that Samyn should ride Belongs to Sheila in a claiming race at Aqueduct. Not aware of the prank, Hernandez still gave Samyn the opportunity.

“I was by the rail of the training track and said, ‘Mr. Hernandez, Jean-Luc is coming back and ready to ride.’ He said, ‘In the third race in the book on Friday, this horse will win.’ Later, I went back to his barn and said, ‘Mr. Henrandez, I’m not really working for Jean-Luc. I was just goofing around. I’m sorry.’ He said, ‘That’s OK. He can ride this horse. He’s going to run a big race.’”

Hernandez was correct: Belongs to Sheila ran a huge race with a last-to-first move in the stretch to win the race.

That’s just a couple many memories of those from the backstretch. However, perhaps the person who had the most memorable moment on the backstretch was Hagney.

About two weeks before Hernandez’s passing, she brought him to both the Saratoga main track and the Oklahoma Training Track. It was supposed to be a visit before going to Florida for the winter.

“I brought him where he wanted to go,” Hagney said. “We got ice cream, then drove to the main track. He wanted to see the trees all the way in back. We did the entire main track, then we went to the Oklahoma track. He said, ‘Stop by my trees. Look at them, they are so beautiful.’ We drove all around, but he really didn’t say anything. It was almost like he was taking everything in for the last time.”

It has been nine months since Hernandez’s passing. Today, across the street at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame where Hagney works, there is a bench outside the museum and a brick in the Whitney Garden in memory of her father.

“I try not to be sad,” she said. “A part of him will always be there. There were so many people he met and changed lives for. He had an amazing career.”

*Key: GI= Grade 1 Stakes  |  GII= Grade 2 Stakes  |  GIII= Grade 3 Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The 2023 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course is underway and will continue through Monday, Sept. 4. Racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, apart from the final week, when the meet will conclude on Labor Day. Admission gates will open for live racing at 11 a.m. First post time is 1:10 p.m. 

Week 5 Stake Races 

*Mondays and Tuesdays = Dark Days. No racing. 

Saratoga Live presents daily coverage of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit NYRA.com/SaratogaLive.

Friday, August 11 

Evan Shipman Handicap (NYB): 3&UP, 1 Mile – Dirt, Purse $125,000

GII National Museum of Racing Hall Of Fame: 3YO, 1 Mile – Turf, Purse $500,000

Union Avenue Handicap (NYB): F&M 3&UP, 6 Furlongs – Dirt, Purse $125,000

Saturday, August 12

GI Fourstardave Handicap (BC): 3&UP, 1 Mile – Turf, Purse $500,000

GII Herb Moelis Memorial Saratoga Special: 2YO, 6 1/2 Furlongs – Dirt, Purse $200,000

Galway: F3YO, 5 1/2 Furlongs – Turf, Purse $150,000

Sunday, August 13

Mahony: 3YO, 5 1/2 Furlongs – Turf, Purse $150,000

Wednesday, August 16

GI Jonathan Sheppard: 4&UP, 2 3/8 – Turf, Purse $150,000

Suzie O’Cain (NYB): F3YO, 1 1/16 – Turf, Purse $125,000

Thursday, August 17

Rick Violette (NYB): 3YO, 1 1/16 – Turf, Purse $150,000

Premium Giveaways

Friday, August 11

PERFORMANCE T-SHIRT PRESENTED BY FOX SPORTS

The second giveaway of the season: a red, performance T-shirt, emblazoned with the Saratoga, NYRA Bets and FOX Sports logos. The 100% polyester moisture-wicking material will help Saratoga devotees stay cool all season long.

Adirondack Day

Wednesday, August 16

Presented by the Adirondack Regional Tourism Council, Adirondack Day will include interactive exhibits inside the Taste NY Pavilion highlighting the seven New York counties that comprise the Adirondacks, supplemented by craft beverage tastings, cheese samples, apples, reenactors, live music and more.

SARATOGA Breakfast and Breeding Farm Tours

Every Wednesday – Friday 

Expanded for its second year, NYRA is continuing the Saratoga Breakfast and Breeding Farm Tour. Tours this year will be offered Wednesday through Friday throughout the meet. Wednesday tours will travel to Song Hill Thoroughbreds, while Thursday and Friday tours will visit Old Tavern Farm.

Guests will enjoy a buffet breakfast at Saratoga Race Course before taking a CDTA trolley to the designated farm, where they will participate in a 60- to 90-minute guided walking tour of a working thoroughbred breeding farm. Admission to the races in the afternoon is included in the package. Tickets, which are $85 for adults and $35 for children 12 and under, must be reserved in advance at NYRA.com.

NEW YORK Thoroughbred Aftercare Day

Thursday, August 17

Thoroughbred Aftercare Day pays tribute to an array of organizations involved in finding new homes and careers for retired racehorses. The featured race will be the Rick Violette Stakes, named for the late NYTHA President who was a founding member of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA).

Stewart’s Shops Day at the Races

Thursday, August 17

Stewart’s Shops will celebrate its longstanding partnership with Saratoga by providing free ice cream for horse racing fans, while supplies last.

Taste NY Pavilion

every Thursday – Sunday

New York-made food and beverages will be available for sample and purchase at the Taste NY Pavilion, located inside Gate A at the Top of the Stretch, where fans can enjoy New York craft beer, cider, wine, spirits, cheese, chocolate and gelato. This year marks a decade since the launch of the Taste NY program. 

SARATOGA LOW ROLLER CONTEST

Every Thursday And Sunday 

Horseplayers can enjoy the Saratoga Low Roller Contest held exclusively on-track every Thursday and Sunday at Saratoga Race Course. Fans can pre-register on contest days outside the Miller Time Fourstardave Sports Bar. There is a $40 buy-in, of which $30 will go to the player’s bankroll and $10 to the prize pool. The winner will receive a Saratoga Low Roller championship T-shirt in addition to the cash prize.

Berkshire Bank Family Sundays

Every Sunday

The popular family-friendly weekly event features a wide variety of free activities, games, attractions and educational experiences from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Berkshire Bank Family Zone, located inside Gate A near the Saratoga Race Course Box Office. For Sunday, Aug. 13, the theme is Sci-Fi Day and will feature a sci-fi DIY craft station, virtual reality space pods, giant games and more.

HANDICAPPING SEMINAR AND MEET-AND-GREET

Every Sunday

Spend a Sunday at the races learning betting strategies and tips from expert handicappers in the Spa’s newest hospitality venue, the climate-controlled Paddock Suite. Guests will also be treated to a meet-and-greet with Saratoga Race Course’s rotating cast of on-track talent. Tickets can be purchased through Fevo.

SUNDAY BRUNCH AT THE RAIL OF THE 1863 CLUB

Every Sunday 

Fans are invited to enjoy a brunch buffet while experiencing The Rail at the 1863 Club, the first-floor banquet space at the 1863 Club. Tickets start at $100 and include admission, a table seat for the day, brunch buffet, soft drinks, two mimosa or Bloody Mary drink tickets per person, Post Parade program book, tax and gratuity. Reservations are available by calling the NYRA Box Office at 844-NYRA-TIX or online at Ticketmaster.com.

Community Outreach Booth

As part of NYRA’s season-long commitment to spreading awareness of local non-profits, NYRA will again host one organization each day in the Community Outreach Booth, located adjacent to the Jockey Silks Room, inside Gate B. 

Friday, August 11: School of Music at Caffe Lena

Saturday, August 12: Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation

Sunday, August 13: Disabled American Veterans – Troy Chapter

Wednesday, August 16: Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation

Thursday, August 17: TAKE2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program/TAKE THE LEAD

Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage

The Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage will host live musical performances each afternoon of the season from popular local and regional bands. This year’s summer music stage is presented by Purdy’s Discount Wine & Liquor in Saratoga Springs.

Friday, August 11: The McKrells

Saturday, August 12: IMI

Sunday, August 13: The Switch

Wednesday, August 16: The Franklin Micare Band

Thursday, August 17: Steve Candlen Jazz Quartet

Breakfast at Saratoga

Breakfast at Saratoga welcomes guests to enjoy a morning buffet at The Porch with a view of the thoroughbreds training on the main track. Breakfast is available every live racing day from 7 to 9:30 a.m., excluding Travers Day and Labor Day. 

Fans can also go behind the scenes with a free, guided backstretch tram tour, driven by CDTA. Tram tours run from 7:30 to 9 a.m. and depart from the clubhouse entrance approximately every 15 minutes. Tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are 45 minutes in length. Tours are available every live racing day with the exception of Travers Day and Labor Day.

With trainer George Weaver’s four winners last week, Brocknardini made an impression at Saratoga Race Course for local owner Thomas Brockley.

It’s fair to say that trainer George Weaver had a good week as he won four races at Saratoga Race Course, especially with two of those winners representing a prominent Saratoga Springs resident and a Capital Region owner.

While Let’s Go Big Blue picked up his second career victory over the same Saratoga Inner Turf course nearly a year ago for Hall of Fame football coach and Saratoga Springs resident Bill Parcells with his August Dawn Farm, Brocknardini made an impression in her first start, also over the turf, for local owners Thomas Brockley and Daryn Brockley.

Brocknardini raced well-behind the pace under Saratoga’s current leading jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. before making a strong move at the three-sixteenths pole, then drawing away to a 4¾-length margin.

“You’re always happy to win at Saratoga,” Weaver said as he has won 5-of-19 races at the end of Sunday’s races. “Both horses ran really well. With Brocknardini, I wasn’t expecting to run that well because we wanted to get a race into her. So, for her to jump up there like that, it was obviously a surprise. She did well. Maybe she’s got a good future in her.”

Not only was Weaver surprised with the outcome, Thomas Brockey, a financial advisor and senior portfolio manager for RBC Management Wealth in Albany, was also amazed with the filly’s race.

“Starting a 2-year-old at mile and a sixteenth is a tough haul,” Brockley said. “They are learning; they are green. I was surprised with the way she won the race. When she got to the top of the stretch, Irad drifted her to the outside. Once she found an opening, she took off.”

Since coming to Saratoga in June, Brocknardini posted a variety of workouts over both the Oklahoma dirt and turf course, and a couple of those workouts were among the top ones for that morning. At the same time, there were moments in which the filly was challenging, especially from the starting gate.

“[She is] is 2-year-old without any experience who didn’t breeze through the gate for the first couple of times,” Brockley said. “When she came out of the gate, she almost threw the rider. I figured she needed some racing experience, but we knew she had talent.”

The filly displayed that talent by going 11 seconds for the last furlong of a brief workout about a week before Brockley purchased her for $35,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale on May 22. Along with her ability, he was interested in her for a couple of other reasons.

Brockley was lured by her breeding since her sire is Palace Malace, winner of the 2013 Belmont Stakes and Jim Dandy. Brocknardini’s mother, Broad Stripes, is by Bernardini, who won the Preakness, Jim Dandy, and Travers in 2006.

The other reason is the breeder: Kristen Esler’s Thirty-Year Farm, which is just on the east side of Saratoga Lake.

“Obviously, the back-breeding is something where I’ve had luck,” Brockley said. “[Kristen and I] got to watch the race together. She was really excited in having to bring the horse up on her farm. That’s a good connection with the local breeder, a local owner, and I think George [Weaver] is a local trainer. I’m glad we got a win in our back yard.”

Brocknardini is not the only Brockley-owned horse coming from the Thirty-Year Farm. Esler purchased the farm, formally known as Stepwise Farm, from Dr. Joan Taylor and Dr. Bill Wilmot where Twisted Tom was bred.

Brockley purchased Twisted Tom after the reserved price was not met at both the Fasig-Tipton Yearling Sale at Saratoga and the Fall Kentucky Sale in 2015. Twisted Tom showed some promise by winning his first race off his second career start. 

Brockley then sold Twisted Tom to Gary Biszantz, owner of Cobra Farm in Kentucky, and the gelding had a good season as a 3-year-old with victories in the New York Derby, Albany Stakes, and the Empire Classic Stakes.

Like Twisted Tom and Brocknardini, Brockley also likes to name his horses that derive from either his first or last name – and they have been winners: Connect the Brocks, Colonel Tom, Papa Tom B, Brock N Roll, and Brockmoninoff.

“I’ve seen to do better with horses named after me,” Brockley said with a little bit of a chuckle. “Perhaps we will continue that pattern.”

That winning pattern started on Aug. 17, 2002 when Brockley, with the help of the late trainer Dominic Galluscio, claimed Brocco Bob for $20,000 at Saratoga. Just over two weeks after that claim, Brocco Bob set the pace and held off a persistent Cliff Notes by a nose. Based on Brockley’s position, he thought his horse lost the photo.

“I still remember it,” Brockley said. “Dominic, my family, and I watched the race and saw Cliff Notes coming up on us. It was so close. We were angled. We thought, ‘Second-place for your first race isn’t bad.’”

“The finish was put up and we weren’t even near the Winner’s circle,” he added. “That was a good start. To say your first horse race on your own as an owner was a win at Saratoga, it’s a great thing to say.”

Over the last 21 years, Brockley has won 80 races at other racetracks that include Belmont, Aqueduct, Finger Lakes, Monmouth Park, and Tampa Bay Downs. He has even had a multiple-winning day at Saratoga on Aug. 24, 2018 when Colonel Tom came away with an allowance victory and Brockmoninoff won the last race.

Now, Brockley may have a future with Brocknardini, who is now being pointed for the P.G. Johnson Stakes over the Saratoga turf course on Aug. 30.

“I’m happily surprised in the position that we are in,” he said. “She is bred for the dirt, but we are not going to change something that she’s good at. She came out of the race really well. We’ll see what happens with her. I think she’ll be back at Saratoga at the end of the month. We’ll run her in the P.G. Johnson and see where she goes from there.”