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On Thursday, August 26th the first race was an allowance steeplechase for a purse of $50,000. The Trophy was given in memory Michael G. Walsh. Some readers will remember Mickey Walsh from horse shows prior to World War II, when he rode the famous pony jumper Little Squire to many jumping records. More readers will remember Mickey as the originator of the Stoneybrook Steeplchase meeting in Southern Pines, NC, now re-established at the Carolina Horse Park. (The field in the Michael G. Walsh is pictured above left, the second of three times around. Foretold is directly above the letter "P", in white blinkers. Imperial Gold is barely visible behind Blair Waterman's right elbow.)

Many of the best known steeplechase trainers were represented - Jonathan Sheppard, Bruce Miller, an MFH of the Cheshire, Janet Elliot, Sanna Hendriks, her sister Katherine Neilson and her husband Ricky Hendriks - Pennsylvanians all, from the environs of Unionville. Nonetheless, the laurels would go to a horse named Imperial Gold, trained by Virginia's Doug Fout. (In the small world department, Doug Fout is the brother of well known Eventing Olympic Medalist Nina Fout.)

Imperial Gold was ridden by Matthew McCarron to a thrilling nose victory over the Jonathan Shephard trained Foretold, ridden by Blair Waterman. (Imperial Gold, # 6, and Foretold are pictured at the right in their stretch duel in the Michael G. Walsh.)

Saratoga, along with Colonial Downs, in Virginia, is one of the few major race tracks which still maintains the sport of steeplechasing more frequently seen at Hunt Meetings in the spring and fall. Steeplechasing is part of Saratoga Tradition.

Friday, August 27th brought one of the great filly and mare stakes of the year - the 57th running of the Personal Ensign Handicap, a Grade I for a purse of $400,000 at 1 1/4 miles. Two Champions met in this renewal. Storm Flag Flying, Breeders Cup Juvenile Filly winner and Eclipse Award winning two year old, of 2002, would meet Azeri, the 2002 Horse of the Year, and Eclipse Award Champion Older Filly and Mare, of 2003. Each is trained by a Hall of Fame Trainer - Storm Flag Flying by Shug McGaughey, Azeri by D. Wayne Lucas. What more could one ask? (Storm Flag Flying is pictured at the left leaving the Paddock with a lead pony. She is ridden by John R. Velazquez. Friday was a warm day and Storm Flag Flying is somewhat broken out.)

Azeri runs on the head end. Storm Flag Flying comes from behind. In this race there was another speed filly, Roar Emotion, who went straight to the lead under Jerry Bailey. Azeri ran with her. The pair set incredibly fast fractions of 22 4/5;46 1/5; and 1:09 3/5. After a mile in 1:35 4/5 Azeri , ridden by Pat Day, put Roar Emotion away. Would she be able to hold off the charge of Storm Flag Flying? Azeri held on gamely like the champion she is until mid-stretch when the fast early fractions took their toll. (At the right Storm Flag Flying, on the outside, hooks Azeri inside the 1/8th pole. Note how dirty Storm Flag Flying, who has been behind horses, is by comparison to Azeri, who has been on or near the lead.) Storm Flag Flag Flying challenged the gallant Azeri and prevailed to win by a length and a half under Saratoga's leading jockey John Velazquez.

Storm Flag Flying is owned by Ogden Mills Phipps. How wonderful it was for the Phipps family to win the Personal Ensign, named for a champion filly owned by the late Ogden Phipps, patriach of the Phipps clan. In addition, Storm Flag Flying is a Phipps homebred and a granddaughter of Personal Ensign.

Storm Flag Flying (# 1) crosses the wire a length and a half to the good of Azeri (partially hidden). Nevermore (# 3) closed to be third.

Saturday, August 28th brought the long awaited 135th Running of the Travers at 1 1/4 miles for three year old colts. Often called The Mid-Summer Derby, the Travers would pit the Belmont winner Birdstone against the Haskell (Monmouth Park) winner Lion Heart. Birdstone had ended Smarty Jones' quest for the Triple Crown. The Travers would be his first race back since that effort. The Jim Dandy is Saratoga's prep for the Travers. Purge, the Jim Dandy winner and The Cliff's Edge, 2nd, and Eddington, third in the Jim Dandy, were also in the race.

No one who was among the throng of 66,122 fans in attendance will ever forget this renewal of the Travers. Shortly before the running of the race prior to the Travers, the 7 furlong sprint stake, the King's Bishop, the skys began to darken ominously. It seemed a Rip van Winkle thunderstorm might be on its way. As the horses crossed the finish line in the King's Bishop it began to spit rain. The Saratoga management quicky decided to move post time for the Travers up several minutes and shorten the post parade.

The above photograph shows how dark it was just prior to the start of the Travers.
The tote board is at the left and the large screen TV in the infield, showing the crowd in the grandstand, is at the right.

Lion Heart, as expected, took the lead under Joe Bravo. He set reasonable fractions of 24 2/5; 49; and 1:12 4/5 and then stopped suddenly when challenged by Purge, the Jim Dandy winner. Meanwhile. Birdstone, under Edgar Prado, was working his way gradually forward from 6th place. Birdstone took over in mid-stretch to go on to win by 2 1/2 lengths. His Belmont win was not a fluke!

Before Birdstone could return to the winners circle, the heavens opened. Mary Lou Whitney, the doyenne of Saratoga and owner of Birdstone, was soaked by the deluge which no umbrella could fend off. She would later say that this time the crowd was supportive and thrilled for her. After the Belmont, when Birdstone had beaten the popular icon Smarty Jones, Mrs. Whitney had been booed and had beer throw at her.

What a great race! What a monsoon-like thunder storm. The parking lot at Ciro's, the well known watering hole near the Saratoga paddock, was under four inches of water. The tote board ceased to function. The final race was cancelled. Electricity went out all over Saratoga Springs.

The 135th running of the Travers was in the record books. Birdstone had been triumphant. Indeed! - no one present would ever forget the 2004 renewal of the Mid-Summer Derby!

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Racing at Saratoga is the best; nonetheless, there are lots of other things to do and see at The Spa. Saratoga Springs is often referred to as The Spa because that is actually how it's popularity began in the middle of the nineteenth century. There are many natural mineral springs in and around the city. Saratoga is cooler than New York City. People travelled to the north to take the waters. Other entertainment grew up around the popular tourist destination such as racing and gambling. In the Victorian era Saratoga was popular with such celebrities as Diamond Jim Brady and Lillian Russell.

The statue of Sea Biscuit stands outside the National Museum of Racing on Union Avenue.

The inscription on the plinth reads, " 'Biscuit's courage, honesty and physical prowess definitely place him among the thoroughbred immortals of turf history. He had intelligence and understanding almost spiritual in quality."

If one walks down Union Avenue from the race track towards Congress Park the first important building, across from the track, is the National Museum of Racing. First opened in 1955, The Museum has grown exponentially. It contains racing memorabilia of every variety. It is the home of the Racing Hall of Fame where famous jockeys, trainers and horses are immortalized. Each year The Museum puts on one or two special exibitions. This year The Museum celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the cartoons of Peb (Pierre Bellocq) as well as a retrospective on the racing career of Triple Crown Winner Affirmed. (The photograph at the right is of the banners proclaiming the special exhibits for the 2004 season.) A visit to the National Museum of Racing is an absolute must, whether one's visit to Saratoga is during the racing season or at another time of the year.

Continuing on towards Congress Park one passes some of the most beautiful and varied Victorian porches in the world.

These three examples of Union Avenue porches are only an hor d'oeuvre. The route from The National Museum of Racing to Congress Park must be walked slowly and contemplatively for full enjoyment of the Victorian ambiance.

After about four or five blocks one reaches Congress Park, where the date is displayed in flowers. The numbers are changed each morning.

Perhaps the floral date will bring back reality after a Victorian dream.