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One of the meet’s best innovations has been having jockeys sign autographs and pose for photos on Thursday mornings at breakfast on the Clubhouse Porch. Considering the good that the program serves all people involved, you would hope that NYRA could figure out how to get it in an extra day or two a week. “We’ll do even better when more ...

The name Medaglia d’Oro has become elite in breeding circles, as the sire of the great Rachel Alexandria and the highest-priced yearling ($1,575,000) at the recent Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sales. In short, Medaglia d’Oro has emerged as a powerful force -- in the breeding shed and the sales ring. This was a natural progression from a successful ...

Nicole Russo, who used to write about 2-year-olds at Saratoga for the Pink Sheet, would advise her readers to keep an eye on those horses that competed but didn’t win in the maiden special weight races. They’re the juveniles that go on to their 3-year-old seasons and become stars, she would write.  I’ll Have Another ran sixth in the 2011 ...

Considering the frequency with which New York’s racecourses opened and closed in the last two centuries, Saratoga is fortunate to be open, claimed Paul Roberts, the British strategic development adviser to NYRA and historian, at a presentation held Thursday evening at Fasig-Tipton’s Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion. Roberts credited the city of ...

Even on College Day, the backyard of Saratoga should not be confused with the infield of Churchill Downs on Derby Day.   Except for the signs that welcomed students, the few tee-shirts that read, “My favorite course: Saratoga Racecourse,” and the $1000 scholarships awarded nine lucky people, it was difficult to tell that Friday’s ...

Rain entered the picture early. By 7 a.m. Thursday, it was teeming. Then it stopped and stayed dry for the rest of the day, although a few miles away there were downpours. The weekend forecast is spotty, calling for thunderstorms daily. One person, at least─Biz Zast of New York City, who’s being married on Saturday evening─would prefer that ...

It feels inadequate to refer to Tom Durkin as a race caller. He is a person of many interests--a philanthropist, a lover of language and the arts, an owner and breeder of world class trotting horses, and a raconteur par excellence--the kind of Monday night speaker you enjoy listening to before taking the day off from horse racing. Turf writer ...

Some intern in the Governor’s office must have forgotten to remind officials of the New York Racing Association that Saratoga Racecourse was to open.  Glitches occur on the first day of racing every summer.  But this summer, NYRA’s operators neglected to turn the running water on in the toilets and the sound system on in half the ...

In 2006, Uruguayan import Invasor burst on the racing scene with a victory in the Pimlico Special. Six consecutive grade I wins later, Invasor was the Horse of the World and Horse of the Year in America, with scores in such prestigious races as the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Dubai World Cup, and Whitney. Prior to that, few in America even knew where ...

The July 12 congressional hearing on racehorse medication in Washington, D.C., didn't determine any equine drug policy, but it did show why the industry struggles to get things right and how lawmakers and others have little grasp on how the industry works. Here are some of things that were said: Sen. Tom Udall: ''Chronic doping ...