Busy Day Back

cdawahare — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:13:00 GMT

Saratoga's first dark Tuesday gave maintenance men time to fix the fuzzy television sets and equip the infield tote board with working light bulbs. Returning fans who wore green received free admission to the grandstand as Mid-Summer St. Patrick's Day was celebrated. Cocoa Beach, looking to regain her winning form for Godolphin, survived an objection by the jockey on the filly that finished fourth in the featured eighth, a minor stakes called the De La Rose. There was a lot going on.

Even before the races began, Saratoga was abuzz with activity. At 7:15 am, Mine That Bird went out for a gallop on the main track. At 11:00 am, the Museum of Racing hosted its first of four Guests in the Gallery seminars. At noon, Cot Campbell entertained a tony crowd of 80 people at Dogwood Stable's 17^th annual Dominion Award luncheon at the Reading Room. One can tell that the season's in swing.

At the museum, Harry Rice, the senior valet (rhymes with ballot not ballet) on the NYRA circuit, was a surprisingly good guest for communications director Mike Kane to interview. Although the audience numbered 35, it was fully engaged and Rice obliged with some funny anecdotes. He revealed that Bill Shoemaker would get under the other jockeys' skin by feasting on ice cream in the hot box. He touched upon the romance of TV lovebugs Mike Smith and Chantal Sutherland. On a more serious note, he admitted that NYRA has no female valets and never had.

A block away, this year's Dominion Award went to Mary Lee-Butte, executive director of Blue Grass Farms Chaplaincy. Campbell's wife Anne said the grace, chicken salad and sherbet were served, Reggie's Red Hot Feet Warmers played Dixieland music, and the hour and a half passed by too quickly. As for speeches, it's not easy to one-up the host with words. But Lee-Butte had the line of the party. When describing all the good works that her organization does, the afternoon's honoree from Central Kentucky added, "We also teach women how to spot a bad man and get rid of him."

By the way, there was one happening that slowed down the widespread frivolity. Following the third race, Hidden Face, a Juddmonte-owned 3-year-old filly by Empire Maker, fell head first after crossing the finish line, causing alarm that her tumble might be tragic. Attendants set up a barrier to shield the public from seeing the horse suffer. But a little fresh water sprayed from a hose revived her.

Richie Migliore, enjoying only his third ride of the meet, won the sixth race on Too Amenable. Julien Leparoux and Ramon Dominguez bagged riding doubles.

Wedding Bells Ring

Blood-Horse Staff — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:05:00 GMT

The police blotter in the newspaper is what all the guests at Carmel Grey’s 75th birthday party were talking about when Grey, a visitor from Indianland, South Carolina, returned from the racetrack to her son Ken’s house for the surprise event, held earlier this closing week.

Granted, to delight in somebody else’s troubles may be a little twisted. But like fiction, the best of fact can’t be planned or made up.

Allegedly, two men participated in an intimate event on the post office steps at 4:25 am. It was reported that another man caused a crowd to gather when he tried to push over a mounted policeman’s horse outside a Caroline Street bar.

Saratoga Springs isn’t lawless, mind you. But the city has a natural giddiness, which comes about as a byproduct of stimulus. This sport, in particular, becomes a wasted experience once the party disappears, thus the importance of fixing the attendance problems.

To make the most of its remaining days, Saratoga will cram giveaway tote bags, a barbecue contest, Fan Appreciation Day and at least six more stakes in the spread of Saturday through Monday. Today there were two stakes. It was the second of two Sunset Racing days, so, for a change, the brunt of the crowd caught both features.

The second would have been the $80,000 With Anticipation Stakes, a 1 1/16 mile turf race for 2-year-olds. A $340,000 Stormy Atlantic colt named Bittel Road, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by J.R. Velasquez, got the decision over Skipadate. A lone filly, named High Cry, looked threatening at the top of the stretch and then faltered.

In the earlier stakes, there is a discrepancy regarding its name. Although the Daily Racing Form had listed the restricted 1 1/8 mile race for fillies and mares the $80,000 Clifton Park, the program referred to it as the Love Sign. Whichever name you prefer, Godolphin’s Cocoa Beach, the 3-5 favorite, made his North American debut a victorious effort.

There were three winners of the fourth race, one equine and two human. Kays and Jays snapped the winless streak of number one post position horses in 5 ½ furlong turf sprints at 21. Jim Barbetta and Michelle Mattiske, winners of the track’s Race to the Altar promotion, exchanged wedding vows in the winner’s circle immediately before Kays and Jays won, and stayed put to present Zayat Stables with a trophy.

By the way, Mattiske looked chi-chi in her strapless ivory satin gown with beaded netting and up-do hair style. Ten attendants, five in black laced-bodice dresses, plus 18,195 fans, witnessed Minister Robyn Posson, read the lyrics of a Diamond Rio song called “I Know How the River Flows.”

As for other goings-on, the opener ended in a dead heat. Mayor Scott Johnson gave the key to the city to Scott Blasi, representing Horse of the Year Curlin’s co-owners - Stonestreet Stable and a court-appointed receiver. John Kimmel, with only one winner entering Saturday, saddled three.

Vic Zast Saratoga Diary : Cocoa Beach

Busy Day Back

Wedding Bells Ring