From Mary Lou to Tom; Jim Dandy to Fourstardave; Siro’s to backyard tailgating; and morning workouts to give aways; Saratoga has a cast of heroes, customs, and institutions which make it, in our opinion, the most unique sporting venue on Earth. Over the next 40 Days, we will profile 40 of these legends and traditions, adding our own memories and experiences from 30 plus years of summering at the Spa. It’s our Salute to Saratoga. We hope you enjoy following along.

Any place that has been in business for over two hundred years as a daytime sporting event location must have some special and unique concessions to keep  the fans nourished all day. Saratoga Race Course is no exception. As “the summer place to be”, many people think of  Italian ice,  lemonade, hot dogs and sausage and peppers as the staples on the race track diet. We have seen concessions come and go. The Italian Ice Truck is no more, as is the delicious Saratoga Chicken Company. The years haveseen new, more mainstream commercial items added to this “regular” list. Current track-goers list Mac and Cheese, Moe’s Mexican Tacos, Shake-shack Burgers and Hattie’s Chicken Sandwich as the favorite go-to places for on track eats.

But there has been a constant figure at Saratoga in the 25 plus years we have graced its hallowed grounds. Often overlooked by the causal observed, but beloved by many regulars and members of the old guard, the Chowder Bar, located under grandstand section G, dishes out what we believe to be the unofficial food item of Saratoga Race Course: Manhattan Clam Chowder.

At first glance, it seems strange that hot seafood soup would take the lead for food vendors at summer destination in the foothills of the Adirondacks. But people flock to the Chowder Bar and its standing tables day after day to get a bite of that clam-filled tomatey-spicy goodness. And although it is summer, on a chilly afternoon where the track itself might resemble soup, a bowl of chowder provides the perfect meal to make the day a winner no matter how cold your picks are.

Many who venture here are gluttons for punishment (like myself) and douse the stuff with  as much black pepper and Tabasco as can fit in the steaming bowl. It’s like some sort of pagan ritual, where everyone is trying to sweat out the demons of a previous bad-beat. Curious first-timers often balk at the Chowder Bar serving Manhattan instead of the more mainstream New England Clam Chowder. But those who try it, almost always come back for more. Served with saltines, the tomato-based soup is full of other potatoes, carrots, celery onion and of course chopped clams to make a salty-spicy flavor like no other.

So if you haven’t been, or have been side-tracked by the Mac and Cheese Truck, make a trip down to the Chowder Bar and experience a Saratoga tradition that does not always get it’s due.

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From Mary Lou to Tom; Jim Dandy to Fourstardave; Siro’s to backyard tailgating; and morning workouts to give aways; Saratoga has a cast of heroes, customs, and institutions which make it, in our opinion, the most unique sporting venue on Earth. Over the next 40 Days, we will profile 40 of these legends and traditions, adding our own memories and experiences from 30 plus years of summering at the Spa. It’s our Salute to Saratoga. We hope you enjoy following along.

During racing season, there are really two interrelated parts to Saratoga: the world class racing that happens in the afternoon, and then the social and nightlife scene that happens after the races are over.  Nothing connects those two parts better than today’s Salute to Saratoga item:  Hats Off to Saratoga.

Continue reading 40 Days: A Salute To Saratoga–Hats Off to Saratoga →

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Throughout the Saratoga meet, we will be posting our handicapping and analysis for the major stake races on the big days.  What better place to start than the two stake races on Opening Day?  Here are our thoughts on The Schuylerville and The Lake George:

Race 4 – The Schuylerville, 6f on the Main Track, 2YO Fillies

This stake for 2 year old fillies has been run since 1918. In that time, it has seen winners who have gone on to great careers. To name a few: Cicada, La Prevoyante, Turnback the Alarm, Ashado, and Mine That Bird. Fine, I made one of those up. But this race, for many of these horses, will be a make or break moment – can they hang with stakes company? Will they start down the road to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies? Or will they return to allowance company and try to move through their conditions before jumping back into stakes races? This year’s renewal, which kicks off the 2015 stakes schedule at the Spa, is a solid bunch of two year old fillies.

In the top spot, I am going with Decked Out. This one has to tangle with Moment is Right again, but should benefit from the added 1/16th of a mile in this race, and should also save ground starting from the rail, as opposed to the 3 wide trip she endured last time. The Desormeaux brothers hook up as the jockey-trainer combo, and offer nice ROI numbers in both stake races and off layoffs between 31 and 60 days. At 4/1, the price offers some value – and she may drift up, as the betting public hammers the Pletcher 2 year old Positively Royal.

In second, I have to go with Positively Royal. Todd Pletcher’s numbers at Saratoga with 2 year olds in stake races is absurd. He teams up with Castellano on this one, and Pletcher and Castellano have an unbelievable $2.09 ROI over 361 starts as a jockey-trainer combo. While this one offers little value on the tote board, there is no doubt that Pletcher will have her primed to run her best race on opening day. Leave her off your tickets at your own risk.

Finally, to round out the trifecta, I am going with Banree, the “other” Wesley Ward horse in here. She looked like a star in winning her maiden at Keeneland, drawing away to win by four lengths in a 4.5 furlong dash (classic Wes Ward). She came back against the boys in the Tremont on June 5th, and lost all chance at the start, tossing her head and then racing 5 wide throughout the race. She has trained very nicely for this race, firing two bullets in her last three works, including a first of 13 at the distance at Keeneland on July 17. Wes Ward runners have not run up to their prior numbers in recent Saratoga meetings, and that’s why I moved this one down a notch or two. But she offers more value than Moment is Right.

One note on Moment is Right – she is obviously a nice filly, but she has had it her way on the front end in both starts, getting clear by four lengths early in both her career efforts. I think there is little chance that she clears this field by that margin, and as a result, she will be forced to do something she has never done before. At 5/2, if she wins, it will be at my expense.

Race 9—The Lake George, 1 and 1/16^th Miles on the Turf, 3YO Fillies

There is no shortage of speed in the 20^th edition of the Lake George.  I count as many as eight horses who have a propensity to be at or on the lead.  Thus, I think the race sets up for a stalking or closing type.  Unfortunately, most of those candidates appeared slow to me, so I instead focused on trying to find a pressing type who has shown the ability to rate.

Using that approach, I like Mrs. McDougal in the top spot.  There is no disputing Chad Brown’s turf route record at Saratoga—32% over the last three meets and 64% in the money.  Mrs. McD. gets a strong jockey/trainer connection adding Ortiz—who won on her two back.  I also love the turn back angle here.  Combine that with the stalking effort she showed in her debut and I like her chances to get first run on the leaders, yet have the stamina to hold on. My biggest concern is the post.  With speed inside her there is potential she goes very wide around the first turn.  Posts 9-12 were just 1 for 35 going 1 and 1/16^th last year on the main turf course.

McGaughey’s All In Fun is coming off of her best effort—a strong second to Miss Temple City at Pimlico over two months back.  We liked her that day and see no reason to be scared off here.  She’s lightly raced, has been improving, and with the time off (Shug is 31% and an insane 85% in the money with thirteen starters coming off 60-90 day layoffs at Saratoga the last three years), could be ready for her career best—which should be good enough here.

After those two, the race is really wide open, with arguments for several horses, namely the 1, 3, 8, 10  11, and 12.  I probably like the 11 and 12 best, but the outside posts scare me.  That said, I’ll go with Robillard third despite the post concerns.  McLaughlin has strong in the money percentages both in stakes andwith horses coming off two month layoffs at Saratoga.  She’s very lightly raced but has improved each time and showed a nice stalking style two back.

Finally, given the odds, I will use Lady Zuzu, despite Lukas’ rough Saratoga record over the last few years.  If you can overlook her last effort—where she went 47 and change on the lead going 1 and ¼ miles against superstar Lady Eli—she seems to fit.  Again, lots of speed in here, but she’s turning back and has been tested at this distance while some of the other speedy fillies have not.

We wish you the best of luck and, above all, enjoy the first day of Saratoga!!

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