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by Vic Zast A crowd of 31,894 fans pushed its way into the racecourse to see the reigning Horse of the Year. From his humble beginnings to his strolls through the streets to the bars of the city to his amazing eight-year win streak, Richie Bomze’s “Sultan of Saratoga” - Fourstardave, became a horse of the people.  On a sparkling summer day, ...

The best action of the day began in a cool, fan-packed room where about a dozen and a half heroes of the sport gathered to welcome six more to their circle.  Calvin Borel and five horses, including Invasor - a Horse of the Year in three countries and a champion on three continents, became new members in the National Museum of Racing and ...

Sunday, Saratoga, Race 10, 5:45 PM EDTThe Grade 2 Saratoga Special, Six and a Half Furlongs, Two-Year Olds And Up, Main Track Foal crop sizes have gotten smaller since the mid 1980s, and as a consequence, trainers have become much more patient in their handling of juveniles. When City Zip won the 2000 edition of the Saratoga Special, he did ...

Unbeaten filly Stopshoppingdebbie, a daughter of Curlin (TrueNicks), will try to become the first horse to sweep the Emerald Downs 3-year-old filly stakes division in tomorrow's Washington Oaks. She's bred on the emerging nick of Smart Strike (TrueNicks) and his sons over Wild Again mares. Photo: Erin Palmer/Emerald ...

Thursdays have become known as Steeplechase Days.  But the racetrack tried something new this Thursday that fell flat on its face.  The inaugural International Day, a promotional event aimed to replace and expand on the upbeat Irish Day, was a snoozer.  Imagine belly dancers instead of cute little girls in bubbly wigs tapping ...

It is looking more and more as if Wise Dan will remain doing what he’s been doing best and will not venture back on the dirt for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. There had been talk about a possible start in the Whitney, but that didn’t happen, and his big brother, Successful Dan, proved to be an able substitute, running one of the best races of his ...

Luv Dakota Skye will run for the first time this week at Saratoga, but he's already a winner SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (Aug. 8, 2013) -- Luv Dakota Skye loves the camera, and this should come as no surprise. Before he even ran a lick, his image was enlarged upon shiny steel art prints, displayed in New York and Kentucky and South Carolina as those ...

Over 650 people in the backyard, as if in uniform, wore the same clothes to the racecourse.  Saratoga’s biggest supporter, horse racing fan Ray Price of Mechanicville, NY, threw the season’s biggest party to celebrate his birthday and presented everyone there with a tee-shirt. Ray's Sweet 16 party tee shirts worn by many of the 650 ...

The following is a tribute to Invasor, who will be inducted into racing’s Hall of Fame on Friday and who holds a special place in my heart. The strains of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” blared over the public address system, as jockey Carlos Mendez, aboard Gran Premio José Pedro Ramírez winner Rock Ascot, stood up in the saddle, flung his arms ...

You know how it is when you board an airplane to Paris at O’Hare and you hear English being spoken on board and you feel secure that you’re among friends even though you’re off to a foreign country?   And then just before landing in Paris you no longer hear English but French and you know that everything’s going to be just a little ...