Displaying items by tag: Saratoga Race Course

Week three of the 2021 racing season at Saratoga Race Course beginning July 28 will contain 8 stakes races, 5 of which are graded.

The highlight is expected to be the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at the sprint distance of 6 furlongs, but the richest race will be the Grade II Jim Dandy for three-year-olds at one mile and an eighth. Both will be run on Saturday. The full week offers stakes races at a wide array of distances, surfaces, ages and gender.

The biggest race of the week will be Saturday’s Grade II Jim Dandy at a mile and an eighth for three-year-olds. The race is named after the winner of the 1930 Travers – Jim Dandy - who pulled off one of the most famous upsets in racing history. The longest shot in a small field of four, Jim Dandy defeated Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox and multiple Saratoga winner Whichone.  Taking advantage of a sloppy track that he relished and a speed duel between the two favorites, Jim Dandy bounded up along the rail to an astonishing winning margin of 8 lengths at odds of 100-1.  Legend has it that the win was such a windfall for the bookmakers and so devastating a loss for the betting public that many fans left immediately for the train station to return south to New York City.  Attempting to save the remainder of the race meet the suddenly flush bookmakers sent people to intercept the dejected fans before they boarded the train.  With promises of free meals and free drinks all night at local establishments many bettors did return to town to drown their sorrows. The phrase heard for many years of “that was a Jim Dandy of a night!” paid homage to the Travers winner and the circumstances that ensued. The gambit of the bet takers was successful as once Monday rolled around the New York City bettors had forgotten their losses and faced a fresh week of betting challenges.    

Traditionally a prep race for the Travers’ Stakes to be later in the meet (eleven runners have won both), the $600,000 purse assures a quality field and this year the expected favorite is Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality.  The Godolphin homebred has won 6 of 7 lifetime races, with his only loss coming in a good effort in the Kentucky Derby. Widely considered the best three-year-old in the country – wins in the Jim Dandy and Travers would assure his spot as champion three-year-old of 2021.

The Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap also on the Saturday card is a top-notch Grade I affair. This sprint at 6 furlongs offers a purse of $350,000 and is named after racing icon Alfred G. Vanderbilt Jr., the former Chairman of the Board of the New York Racing Association and owner of Champion racehorse Native Dancer.  This race is a handicap race with runners carrying different weights to make the race competitive among all runners. The expected high weight and race favorite is Whitmore an 8-year-old gelding who won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint and was named Champion Sprinter of the Year. Whitmore was second in this race last year and despite being second in two of his three starts this year seems to have maintained his form. A winner of 15 races and $4.4 million, Whitmore is a fan favorite and is taken to find the winner’s circle here as he seeks to make it to the Breeders’ Cup sprint again to defend his title.

Saturday will also feature the Bowling Green, a grade II run on the grass at the marathon distance of one mile and three-eighths. The Bowling Green is expected to produce a large field with nominees including last year’s winner Cross Border and stakes winners Arklow, Colonel Liam, Channel Maker and Gufo.

Before the big Saturday races, Wednesday features a sprint handicap at six furlongs for fillies and mares. The Honorable Miss is named after the stretch running stakes winner of the mid 1970s who had a penchant for beating males with her tremendous closing kick. This year the expected high weight and favorite is Kimari, a filly trained by Wesley Ward who has won 6 of 10 races, including one at Saratoga and notably has been second twice at Royal Ascot. 

Wednesday also has the New York Sire Stakes series named after famed musician Cab Calloway. At a mile on the grass for New York breds the race is expected to produce a competitive field.

Thursday again features horses bred in New York with the John Morrissey – a handicap at 6 ½ furlongs offering a purse of $100,000. 

Friday’s stakes race is a restricted stake named after Curlin at a mile and one-eighth. This race is restricted to aspiring three-year-olds who have not won a stakes race at over a mile in 2021. Despite its restricted status, the Curlin has produced Travers runners in the past. 

SUNDAY completes the week with another stakes for three-year-olds - the Amsterdam. This race is at 6 and ½ furlongs and will draw from the same pool of entrants as the Curlin. 

If you were raised here or have spent time in Saratoga during racing season, chances are that you know the jingle mentioned in the above title. The words have a special meaning to fans throughout the horse racing universe. Since its inception in 1863, Saratoga has strived to present “The finest racing in the world.” 

The track has played host to a myriad of the greatest horses that ever graced the American Turf. Man O’ War, Secretariat, Buckpasser, Kelso, American Pharaoh and so many enormously talented thoroughbred champions have thrilled generations of fans who have made their way to this Mecca of Racing. 

A once-in-a-lifetime earthshaking event, the onset of Covid-19, in effect derailed the entire sports world last year. Major League Baseball teams played their games in front of cardboard cutouts. Professional basketball and the NFL faced similar constraints. Horse racing was no exception to the new covid rules. There would be racing at Saratoga for wagering purposes only. The racing meet technically speaking took place at the Spa. Fans however would not be admitted to the track. As for its impact on the city, it may as well have been run on another continent. Saratoga like so much of America was a ghost town. The normally thriving hotels saw empty rooms and desolated parking lots. Restaurant owners were mostly relegated with to go orders. Despair and hopelessness became the norm. Then American ingenuity took command of the situation. It came in the way of a government-led coalition with pharmaceutical companies asked to do the impossible. In less than a year a miracle took place. A highly effective vaccine was created. Within six months it had brought the dreaded Covid to its knees. The sporting world along with the rest of society’s norms are thriving again. Which means as the following subtitle suggests.

All ROADS LEAD TO SARATOGA

The festivities are about to begin. Mark it on your calendar, Thursday, July 15, 2021. At 11 in the morning, the gates of the ancient racecourse will open again and the two-year hiatus will be over. Saratoga is primed for a season to topple all prior records. If history has taught us anything, it does repeat itself. 1946 was the last time the track reopened to the public in the post World War Two era. Opening day the fans came out in droves to welcome back the Grand Dame of American racing. Over 15,000 fans converged on the grounds. It was in that timeframe a massive crowd attended a weekday racing card. 

Changing times have made Saratoga more accessible with the advent of modern transportation, superior accommodations, and fabulous restaurants. This along with a city filled with wonders that have similarities to some of Europe’s great capitols has made Saratoga “The Summer Place To Be.” 

A walk down Broadway has the feel of the world’s greatest boulevard, the Champs Elysee. With it’s outdoor dining, the street musicians, and the huge crowds that are drawn here, one can sense the experience of Paris on a warm summer night. Close by is one of Saratoga’s more beautiful settings. Congress Park is a marvel of architecture and landscaping. It has an uncanny resemblance to Rome’s fabulous public grounds, the Villa Borghese. A stroll through the park leads to Union Avenue. With its staid mansions and wide expanse, it is the perfect setting leading to the racetrack entrance. 

Now it’s time for what Saratoga is famous for, horse racing on a grand scale. It’s opening day and the old stands will overflow with a crowd that is as diverse as the sporting world can offer. The paddock area will be filled with fans that enjoy the outdoor picnic tables. The clubhouse restaurants will be alive with those who appreciate a more traditional approach to a day at the races. The box seat area will play host to the dignitaries and hierarchy of the racing world. Here you can feel history. The great purveyors of the American Turf were at home here. The Whitneys, Vanderbilt and the Wideners once graced these same box seats during the glory years of the sport. The options don’t end there. Thousands of reserved seats are available for those who appreciate a fine view of the races in a relaxed atmosphere. Then there is the backbone of the racing game, the true horseplayer. He doesn’t care if he sits or stands. He’s not at the track for the food or the sightseeing. He comes from cities and towns across the country to try his luck at the Spa. This is the guy that goes out after the races, win or lose, has a bite to eat and a couple of drinks. He knows the score and won’t disappoint when it comes time to leave the tip. 

Expect to see them all this coming Thursday. The thrills begin at 1 p.m. It is now post time. The massive crowd awaits. The tension builds. The bell rings. The starting gate opens. And they’re off at Saratoga...

SARATOGA SPRINGS — In advance of the summer meet, the thoroughbreds are returning to the Spa City. 

Training got underway at Saratoga Race Course on April 18, and will be staged on the main track to accommodate the completion of a major renovation of the Oklahoma Training Track facility, which is anticipated to open in early May.

The 40-day summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which will feature 76 stakes worth $21.5 million in total purses, will open on Thursday, July 15, and conclude on Monday, Sept. 6. 

Allowed in-person attendance during the summer meet has yet to be announced by NYRA. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Race Course will open for spring training at 6 a.m. on Saturday, April 17. The barn area at the Oklahoma Training Track will open to horsemen on Thursday, April 15.

To accommodate the completion of a major renovation of the Oklahoma Training Track facility, training will begin on the main track at Saratoga Race Course, according to a statement issued by the New York Racing Association. 

When training resumes at the Oklahoma in early May, horses and riders will be met with a completely reconstructed track featuring a limestone base, renovated surface layer and modernized drainage systems. In addition, the training track has been widened by 10-14 feet in most areas to address the increasing population of horses training over the Oklahoma annually from April-October. 

Additionally, to enhance safety for exercise riders and jockeys, the inner rail at the Oklahoma has been replaced with a rider protection system designed by Horsemen’s Track and Equipment. The renovation of the Oklahoma Training Track was modeled after the work that was done to the Saratoga main track in 2020, which involved general improvements to the base and surface of the track, as well as a complete overhaul of the drainage system and installation of a new rider safety rail. 

In consultation with the New York State Gaming Commission as well as state and local public health officials, NYRA will maintain a number of health and safety protocols implemented at all NYRA properties to mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19 and reduce risk for employees, horsemen, backstretch workers and the community. Facial coverings and social distancing are mandatory at all times at Saratoga Race Course. 

Beginning on April 17, personnel working in support of training activities must provide a negative COVID-19 test or proof of full vaccination in order to access the property. This applies to both local personnel as well as those arriving from other regions. All personnel will be subject to a daily temperature check prior to entering the property.

The 40-day summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course will open on Thursday, July 15. New York State COVID-19 protocols do not currently allow for spectators at racetracks. NYRA says is is working closely with New York State to secure the requisite approvals to welcome fans back to Belmont Park this spring and to Saratoga Race Course this summer.

Photo: Work continues at Oklahoma Training Track earlier this month. Photo by SuperSource Media. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The New York Racing Association this week installed the sign for the forthcoming Belmont Child Care Association, Inc. (BCCA) childcare center at Saratoga Race Course, which is set to begin serving families and children of the backstretch community in summer 2021.

Located on the Oklahoma side of the Saratoga backstretch, the colorful sign for the 4,300-square-foot childcare center features the BCCA logo underneath the facility’s official name: Faith’s House. Funded by Michael and Lee Dubb, the center is named in honor of Faith Dubb, mother of BCCA founder and board chairman Michael Dubb.

Faith’s House will provide child care and early education programs for infants, toddlers and preschool-aged children. The center will be open seven days a week from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. to accommodate the schedules of backstretch workers and horsemen. 

The anticipated summer 2021 opening coincides with the annual summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which brings approximately 950 backstretch workers and their families to the Spa. The opening of the new center is contingent upon licensing approval from New York State and the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) successfully concluded its 2020 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course without interruption and with all-sources handle topping $700 million for the second consecutive year. 

Highlighted by Tiz the Law's dominant performance in winning the 151st running of the Grade 1, $1 million Runhappy Travers, the meet was conducted without spectators and with only a limited number of essential personnel, horsemen and owners on-site due to the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

All-sources handle for the 2020 summer meet totaled $702,535,468 compared to $705,343,949 wagered from all sources on Saratoga in 2019.

Average daily handle for the 40-day meet was $17,563,387. The 2019 meet, which was run across 39 days due to the cancellation of a full card due to weather, generated average daily handle of $18,085,742.

Pari-mutuel wagering funds the majority of the NYRA purse account, which is awarded to horsemen and, in turn, benefits hundreds of small businesses operating at NYRA tracks and others dependent on the thoroughbred racing industry.

While the 2020 Saratoga meet was a success in many ways, it will most be remembered for the absence of our passionate fans and the irreplaceable energy that they bring to Saratoga each summer. Despite not being able to attend in person, horseplayers watched and wagered with tremendous enthusiasm, and we thank them for their continued support," said NYRA President & CEO Dave O'Rourke. "We would also like to thank city and county leaders for their efforts in working with us to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants, and the Saratoga community for welcoming us without reservation.” 

A total of 409 races were run this summer including 226 on dirt and 183 on the turf. 32 races were taken off the turf due to weather. Average field size over the 409 races was 7.4. This compares to 403 total races run in 2019, including 225 on dirt and 178 on turf. 38 were taken off the turf due to weather. Average field size in 2019 was 7.9.

New York state currently requires all racetracks to operate without spectators in attendance to combat the spread of COVID-19. 

As the Saratoga Race Course season ends its 2020 season, James W. Ferraro is also wrapping up his 30th year as a trainer at the track. While he may not be a household name to current horse racing fans, he does come from a unique horse racing background that does merit some attention. 

His father – James Ferraro – was a trainer and later a bloodstock agent, as well as a close friend to late Hall of Fame trainer H. Allen Jerkens, often known as “The Chief.” Because of that, the younger Ferraro had good insight on training horses.

“My father and him were good friends,” he said. “Some of my best memories are going out to dinner with them and listen to them talk about training philosophies, taking care of horses, how to handle certain problems, and what to do about them.” 

After spending his teenage years by helping his father train horses, Ferraro eventually became a stablehand for Jerkens from 1974-1977. At that point, “The Chief” thought it was time for Ferraro to train horses on his own.

“He said get out there and learn now,” Ferraro said. “His theory was go out there and start training because you are going to make the same mistakes now that you will also make five years from now.  I learned that from both my father and the Chief. I knew I could always go back to them for advice.” 

As soon as he got his trainer’s license, Ferraro saddled his first winner with a maiden claimer coincidently named Talking Partner on Dec. 20, 1977 at Aqueduct, which has been part of his home base for over three decades.

Ferraro’s thought of coming to Saratoga didn’t happen until three years later after his first winner. When Ferraro came to Saratoga, he made it worth the trip with just two horses: Lorine who finished first and second in two claiming races, and Table for John, who was second twice in an allowance race. 

While Ferraro continued to train horses throughout the 1980s, his father stopped training horses to become a bloodstock agent.

It has been reported that his father was the one who helped Sam Rubin purchase the great Hall of Fame gelding John Henry for $25,000. Later, John Henry earned several accolades that include becoming the oldest horse to win the Eclipse Award for Horse and a Grade 1 race at the age of 9 in 1984 after earning the same honor in 1981.

Over the years, the younger Ferraro has posted a respectable career with more than 300 winners and earnings over $11 million from horses that include New York-bred stakes-winning mares Double Dee’s, Board Elligible and Aunt Babe. However, there is still a mare who has Ferraro’s memory: Courageous Karen, whose 2-of-10 career wins came at Saratoga.

Even though she never won a stakes race, Courageous Karen was a versatile mare on both turf and off track. In fact, Ferraro recalls one moment at Saratoga where she dominated an off-the-turf event in 1988. 

“We had shipped up here a day before the race, which was supposed to be on the turf,” Ferraro said. “That night, it started downpouring. That filly won on the turf, but she loved the mud, too. Once that race came off the turf, she took off and won. I still remember that race well.” 

Today at 64-years-old, Ferraro believes his “old school” style of training is still effective for his stable, just as he learned from his father and “The Chief.” However, he doesn’t dismiss some of today’s technology and science that can benefit horses.

“That was definitely old school then with the way they took care of problems with the horses,” Ferraro said about their approach to training horses. “Years ago, you were able to give horses time. You didn’t necessarily rely so much on the veterinarians. I’m not closed-minded. I try to mix it up a little bit. You have to still use technology and modern medications.”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March that halted New York racing, it seemed like things were moving forward for Ferraro as his horses found the Winner’s Circle at Aqueduct five times while finishing in-the-money 10 other times. However, with New York racing not resuming until the beginning of June at Belmont, some of his horses were kept on idle. 

“Some of my horses were taken out of training and they lost all of that conditioning,” he said. “All we did was hand-walk them for 45 days. That’s kind of frustrating because you see the track right there and you are losing conditioning every day.”

Now that racing has resumed, Ferraro’s horses have gotten back into shape with two of them winning near the end of the Belmont meet and Bank Gala winning her first career race halfway through the Saratoga meet. 

“We had a slow start at Belmont, then we picked up a couple of wins during the last week,” Ferraro said. “Saratoga is nearly impossible to win up here, especially with small stables.”

As challenging as it may be to compete at Saratoga, Ferraro, who is on multiple committees for the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association that include backstretch and safety, as well as a representative for the trainers, still enjoys the scene and people around the Saratoga backstretch. 

“Saratoga is fantastic,” he said. “A lot of people say the same thing. It’s that banter. Even though we are very competitive, we are close-knit. We rekindle friendships. It’s that comradery.”

It is not often that trainers handle both harness and Thoroughbred horses. In fact, it is challenging for a lot of horsemen and horsewomen to make that transition of working with both types of equine athletes.

For nearly 40 years, Francis Raia II has made a career of training both harness and Thoroughbreds, well as driving the trotters and pacers at various tracks.

One of those moments occurred Aug. 18 when Raia was in the sulky – the two-wheeled cart – driving T’s Electric at Saratoga Gaming and Casino. Within the next 24 hours, he was hoping to saddle his 4-year-old filly homebred Renninas Rose at Saratoga Race Course.

However, a small physical setback for Renninas Rose forced Raia to scratch from the last race on Aug. 19. That would have been his first Thoroughbred runner since December 2018 and his first Saratoga in nearly two years.

“I have no luck,” Raia said while shaking off the disappointment. “I would get a horse ready for a race. I would train them. I would have a rider on them once a week, then something would happen.”

While it can be frustrating for the 64-year-old Raia from Mechanicville, he has learned how to manage these situations based on his experience and extensive family background in both Thoroughbred and harness racing.

His 90-year-old father, Francis Raia Sr., played an integral part by purchasing a 20-acre farm with a third-mile track in Tolland, Conn.

At the farm, Raia learned how to jog harness horses at nine years old. A year later, his father brought him to Foxboro Raceway for a summer job through driver Irving Foster by caring for four horses at $5 a day.

During the summer when he was 14, Raia worked at Belmont Park for his idol Phil Horn Jr. before coming to Saratoga where they were stabled on Clare Court. In the evenings, Raia crossed Nelson Avenue to the harness track to watch the races.

While Raia was learning how to care for and handle horses, he really wanted to be a jockey. His desire of becoming a rider stemmed from his uncle John Raia, who was a successful jockey in New York and Florida, and at one time, he rode the 1958 juvenile filly champion Quill early in her career. 

Approaching his last year at Tolland High School, Raia needed just two credits to complete his high school diploma. Because he had an opportunity to ride in Florida, Raia made a proposal to the superintendent that he could complete the all of the required classwork outside of school.

“I told the superintendent that I had a shot to ride and wanted to go now,” Raia said. “He let me do it as long as I got the work done. I went back to high school and graduated with my class and I never went back.”

Once the superintendent agreed on the proposal, Raia went to Calder to gallop horses for Nick Gianos Jr. in 1975. At that point, his uncle John Raia had stopped riding, but he was also getting other riders from Hialeah Park.

“There were riders who came from Hialeah to work horses at Calder,” Raia said. “My uncle picked me up in the morning to gallop horses. I would sit on horses 10 a day for time.”

While Raia was learning how to ride through galloping horses, his dream of becoming a jockey started fading because of his growing body.

“I was close to getting my license of being a jockey at Calder, but I was too heavy,” he said.

Rather than staying in Florida, Raia came back to the northeast and worked for the late veterinarian Dr. Albert “Doc” Grass of West Brattleboro Harness, was training and driving horses at Saratoga, Vermont and New Hampshire, in fall of 1976.

During his time with Grass, Raia became familiar with the northeast harness circuit and eventually made his own career in training and driving horses going into the 1980s for the next two decades between Saratoga and Foxboro.

Raia had good horses, including Mountain Jester who once held the Saratoga Raceway record for a gelding before being retired with 14 honors in 1989. However, he knew that ride could not last forever since many of his owners passed away and it became a challenge finding new owners. 

 “I had as much as 30 heads where I would drive 5-6 races a night for about 20 years,” Raia said. “I was doing good, but all of my owners had passed away. It’s hard to replace them.”

By 1997, along with training and driving Standardbreds, Raia went back to working with Thoroughbreds across the street with his first horse being Jr. Lord, a gelding who was easily outrun at Saratoga and Belmont. After purchasing Jr. Lord for owner Helen Casson, Raia sent the horse to Finger Lakes under the guidance of Robert Attanasio where the gelding won his only race.

Over the last 23 years, Raia has picked up Thoroughbred winners at small circuit tracks like Finger Lakes and Northampton Fair. One of his multi-winners was Shrewd, a horse he bought at Finger Lakes before owner Nick Barone brought the horse

With very little success from Shrewd competing in West Virginia, Raia convinced Barone to bring the roan gelding back to his barn. After working with Shrewd for two months, Raia confidently brought him to Northampton where he won two races with his first one by a nine-length margin.

“He was taken from me and brought to Mountaineer,” Raia said. “I told him to bring him back. I know what I have to do for the horse. When I brought him to Northampton, I told the owners that we are going to win for fun and they laughed at me. He won by the length of the stretch.”

Today, Raia is working with a small stable of his filly Renninas Rose and three Standardbreds – his “old class horse” T’s Electric, stakes-placing Fifth Son and hopeful pacer Jack Rock. Like many owners and trainers, as well as drivers, Raia is still chasing the dream after four decades.

“It’s the dream,” he said. “I could never let go of the dream. I’m always waiting to get the big one.”

Through diligence, tryouts, and education, Anthony Affruniti has moved from the ice rink to the top of the racetrack – literally.

The 45-year-old Affruniti is in his second year as the official timer and photo finish camera operator for American Teletimer that covers Saratoga Race Course, Belmont Park and Aqueduct.

While it may look easy to time a race and take a picture of the horses passing the finish line, Affrunti vouches there is a lot more to the job that includes knowing the pole markers for fractional times of each race and making sure the beam signals and camera are ready when the horses cross that mark.

“There is a lot of pressure to be on point,” he said. “There are ways to double check everything. I have to be sure I’m at the right course, the backup camera is working and in focus, and I have the right time on the timer.”

Affrunti has always been involved in some aspect of horse racing as a fan and employee since his years at Garden City High School when his uncle, who owned both harness horses and Thoroughbreds, suggested he should work for the late Dominic Galluscio in 1992.

Every weekend for $50, Affrunti learned how to walk horses and work around the shed row. Perhaps one of the challenging experiences for him as a hotwalker was handling slow horses, in particular a claiming gelding named Mapale.

“Mapale was so slow,” he said. “It took me 30 minutes to walk him once around the shed row because he walked so slow, but I wanted to learn how to walk horses. Eventually, Galluscio gave me more horses to walk, then then I started raking the shed row.”

Following the short experience with Galluscio, Affrunti worked for trainer Robert Klesaris for the next 1½ years that included a 5:30 a.m. start time during the winter. Affruniti also played high school hockey through his senior year until he broke his ankle during a game in January 1993 that sidelined him in the barn.

“I walked about six horses a day,” he said. “Then, I would be hosing water on the horse. I remember one brutal winter when it was 12 degrees and I was standing there with a hose for 45 minutes. Everything was a learning experience. My parents had no idea about what they had sent me to do. I have learned a lot working back there.”

For his first two years at C.W. Post, Affrunti still went to Aqueduct and Belmont as a fan. However, it wasn’t until Fall 2001 when he transferred to St. John’s University to eventually earn his bachelor’s degree in sports management.

Heading into senior year at St. John’s, Affrunti also returned to work at the racetrack. This time, he was an intern for the New York Racing Association’s communications office where he wrote daily backstretch notes, feature race previews and recap stories during the Saratoga meet for two seasons.

About halfway through Affrunti’s second season at Saratoga, writer and handicapper Ed Fontaine informed him about a position at the New York Post where he would handle the horse racing entries and results on the pages. However, Affrunti would have to wait until the end of the meet to “try out” for the position.

Also going into that fall, Affrunti made the commitment of coaching hockey at Killenberg High School in Uniondale and other jobs included working on an “overnight” video project featuring former New York Islander center Alexei Yashin and hockey historian and announcer Stan Fischler on how to play hockey.

With that video project starting at 9 p.m. for the next 12 hours, Affrunti had very little time – and barely any sleep – to go home to shower, then get to Manhattan in the early afternoon for the newspaper tryout.

“At one point when I was sitting at the computer, I caught myself dozing off. I couldn’t believe I was about to fall asleep during my tryout,” he said. “I came back the next day and Friday. On Monday, I got the job.”

For the next eight years, Affrunti went from typing and paginating horse racing entries and results to becoming one of the New York Post’s handicappers. As technology quickly paginated information, the New York Post cut 13 positions, including Affrunti, Fontaine and John DaSilva – the day before the 2013 Belmont Stakes that silenced the press box.

“I saw it coming,” he said. “After being told that, we went to Belmont. Everyone knew it in the press box. Everyone was mumbling and whispering. It got dead quiet. Everyone got nervous.”

That layoff did not discourage Affunti as he became a freelance writer for NYRA, co-host for the Horse Racing Radio Network, and even a Zamboni driver and ice maintenance manager for the New York Islanders. Then, his next opportunity arrived when Morehouse retired after four decades of being the timer and camera operator for Teletimer.

“Don asked me if I was interested in the job and he could train me,” Affrunti said. “He said I had been around long enough to know everything about racing. I started training 1-2 times a week at Aqueduct and Belmont. He eventually took off one day and I did it on my own. It was a test run and everything went fine.”

Affrunti officially took over in November 2018. Besides the pressure of accuracy, there is also the importance of being at the track every day, especially since he doesn’t have a backup or replacement.

“I think I have taken five days off,” he said. “If something happens to me, there is no one who can time the races.”

Affrunti also still finds time to handicap races for the Albany Times Union. Along with selecting horses, he also provides entertaining banter at Tim Wilkin, who also returns the humor by often calling Affrunti as “Herbie.”

Since walking horses nearly 30 years ago, as well as attending and working the 30 consecutive Belmont Stakes races that include Triple Crown winners American Pharaoh and Justify, Affrunti believes he has made it to the top -- literally.

“I’ve worked the backstretch during the Belmont,” he said. “I worked for the press. I’ve gotten quotes after the race for the press office. Here I am, all the way up at the top.”

Earlier this week I was given the opportunity to interview Jack Knowlton and discuss his meteoric rise to the top of the horse racing universe. It all began twenty- five years ago.

THE FORMATIVE YEARS

In 1995 Jack and five pals of his formed Sackatoga Stable. The name was a play on words. A combination of letters from the crew’s hometown of Sackets Harbor along with Jack’s residency in Saratoga Springs creating an amusing name for the enterprise. They chose the staid checkered colors of maroon and gray that matched those of their high school for the stable’s jockey silks.

They liked the name so much that they named their first horse Sackets Six. Little did they know that eight years later lightning would strike them in the form of a three-year-old gelding with the name Funny Cide.

ON THE FUNNY CIDE OF THE STREET

In 2002 Jack and his partners paid Seventy-five thousand dollars for the chestnut gelding. By that time the ownership group had risen to ten members including a crusty, colorful character, Delmar businessman Gus Williams. Funny Cide would not disappoint. As a two-year-old he took all three of his starts, two of them easily. He didn’t show much as a three-year-old until the Wood Memorial, New York’s major Kentucky Derby prep. There he gave the favorite Empire Maker all he could handle, finishing a game second. Jack and his merry men were heading for Louisville for a shot at the “Run for the Roses.” Along with them was a bus load of friends and associates clamoring to be a part of the action.

Jack saw it like this.The sheiks and blue bloods were coming in private cars and limousines. They, on the other hand were considered a bunch of local yokels, coming to the Derby on a school bus with a New York State bred gelding. The fact that a gelding hadn’t won the race in fifty-five years and a New York bred had never won it didn’t add much prestige to their presence at the big event.

Empire Maker was the favorite to win the race. He had all the earmarks of a champion. He was owned by Prince Khalid Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. With impeccable breeding and a resume to go along with it, this Goliath looked like he was about to put the Derby field in his back pocket.

Jack Knowlton and trainer Barclay Tagg had other ideas. They knew that horse races aren’t won at the breeding shed or the magnificent horse farms in Kentucky. They are won on the racetrack. And Funny Cide was about to prove it.

The seventeen horse field approached the gate. Funny Cide took his place in the 6 slot under the reins of one of America’s top jockeys, Jose Santos. At 12 to 1 he was overlooked by the bettors, who had their eyes firmly fixed on Empire Maker.

The bell rang and Santos tucked the chestnut to the inside. He stayed there until they hit the half mile pole. Then he made his move. Funny Cide blew by the leaders. In hot pursuit Empire Maker followed. Santos hit the gas and was two lengths clear of Empire Maker at the wire. The race was over and a legend was born.

Jack Knowlton, Funny Cide and his crew were now household names in the sporting world. David had taken down Goliath and the average guy loved them for it.

Two weeks later all roads led to Baltimore for the running of the Preakness Stakes. Funny Cide took this one in a laugher, cruising home by almost ten lengths.

The gelding that was just another Derby starter two weeks earlier, was heading to Belmont Park with a chance to win the Triple Crown and immortality.

Jack was on clouds number one through nine. He and his high school buddies made an appearance on The Today Show being Interviewed by Katie Curic. If that wasn’t enough, he rubbed shoulders with the premier sports artist in the world, Leroy Neiman. They spent an afternoon together at Manhattan’s fabled eatery and watering hole “21 Club.” With its row of jockey statues adorning the entrance to the restaurant, it was the perfect setting. There Neiman invited Jack to his gallery and also spent a day with him at Belmont. To add icing to the cake, Neiman painted a beautiful rendition of Funny Cide. The original was sold at a charity event. A signed print of it hangs proudly in Jack’s office.

A BRUSH WITH IMMORTALITY

If Jack wasn’t busy enough with his new-found celebrity, his main thoughts were obviously with winning a Triple Crown. It rained all of Belmont Day in the New York area. The torrential downpour wouldn’t stop a near record crowd of over one hundred thousand fans from converging on Belmont Park to root their newfound hero to victory.

The big guy was facing five opponents in his quest for immortality. Derby favorite Empire Maker was back for this one. For whatever reason Funny Cide wasn’t quite up to the mile and a half test that day. He took the lead out of the gate and was hounded by Empire Maker until he gave way on the far turn. Down the stretch Empire Maker drew clear. The Saudi Arabian Prince had his taste of revenge. As for Funny Cide his popularity would only grow in leaps and bounds.

THE FUNNY CIDE BRAND

Funny Cide was about to take on his own zip code. He was so popular that beers and wines were named after him. Ice cream flavors showcased his name. Novelty bobble heads became a sought after collectible for the Funny Cide fans.

As for Jack, he travelled the country as a good will ambassador for the breeding of New York State Thoroughbreds..And who better than the soft spoken visionary that had done so much for the sport in his native state.

A STAR IS BORN

Let’s move ahead to the present. it’s been almost two decades since Jack and his crew pulled off the miracle in Louisville.

Again he has raised eyebrows throughout the horse racing community. Along with his trainer Barclay Tagg and a new set of owners he is poised to get a second Derby.

This chapter differs a bit from the legend of Funny Cide. This time Jack has a colt that could very well become Horse of the Year and a World Class Champion before this racing year ends.

A product of the 2018 Fasig – Tipton sales here at Saratoga, Jack laid out 110,000 dollars for the rights to the New York State bred yearling. 

He was given the striking name Tiz The Law. It was apropos that he would break his maiden at Saratoga as a two-year-old last year. Then in only his second start he won the Grade One Champagne at Belmont. Jack Knowlton knew from that moment he had another New York Bred racehorse poised to run in the Kentucky Derby.

This year has been all Tiz The Law. In four starts as a three year old he has reeled off the Holy Bull Stakes, then the Florida Derby, The Belmont Stakes and Saratoga’s Crown Jewel, the Travers.

In this Covid-19 year of surprises, the Belmont and Travers were scheduled to run prior to the Kentucky Derby. The distance for the Belmont Stakes was shortened to a mile and an eighth. Tiz The Law took the race easily. As far as Jack is concerned they could have gone two miles and nobody in that field would have touched him.

Jack is convinced that the chances are strong that his colt will get the Derby and go on to Triple Crown glory. It is difficult to fault that evaluation.

If everything goes according to Hoyle horse racing fans will get to see Tiz The Law next year. Jack would like to see him go to the Pegasus to start the campaign, then on to Dubai. He sees the Whitney Stakes here at the Spa also a distinct possibility. Jack puts it this way. “Each one is a mountain to climb.”

FINAL REMARKS

Jack had a few things to discuss that are very important to him. Foremost he would like to see his trainer Barclay Tagg inducted into the Horse Racing Hall of Fame here on Union Avenue. He points out that the eighty-two-year-old Tagg is one of only four contemporary trainers to win all three Triple Crown Races.

He also would like to see uniform drug testing on a nationwide basis. He sees too many rules and regulations that differ in the various states that conduct thoroughbred racing.

Jack is proud of the fact that he has taken two relatively inexpensive horses to the top of the sport. He expresses that it is proof with a small investment a partnership of shareholders can participate in the game at the highest level.

Finally, Jack has become the face of New York State Thoroughbred Breeding. His success with that breed is unparalleled. In fact he has done literally the impossible. Jack has taken on the Crème de la Crème of the sport. Where the Middle Eastern Sheiks and blue bloods have an open check book to conduct business, Jack has taken them on successfully with a small stable and limited funds. He is quietly proud of that astonishing fact.

Jack Knowlton is one of a kind. When asked about the many successes in his life, he would start the answer with the word “Incredible.” It is safe to say that same word fits Jack to a tee. The life that he leads surely is incredible.