There
is no consistently better racing than at Saratoga Springs, NY, in August. Spending
several days at "The Spa" renews one's enthusiasm for art, horses and
life.
No
matter the size of one's pocket book there is art available. The Frost and Reed
exhibit, at the Prime Hotel and Conference Center, was simply fabulous. It ranged
from Munnings and Peter Smith to Booth Malone - well known painter of Eventing
- and Anthony Alonzo. Alonzo has his own exhibit at The Gideon Putnam Hotel with
many originals as well as prints for sale. The Racing Museum and Hall of Fame
has a wonderful permanent collection as well as annual special exhibitions.
A
trip out to Greenwich, NY, leads to the Washington County Fair and the wonderful
Hand Melon Farm Stand - Hand Melons are world famous and well worth the trip,
which should include a visit to the Saratoga Battle Monument, in Schuylerville.
Mrs.
London's
is a do not miss patisserie and breakfast place. The late Alfred Vanderbilt, who
actually arranged the match race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral when he was
President of Pimlico, ate breakfast at Mrs. London's, in its former incarnation,
every morning of the meeting.
This
year Saratoga was overwhelmed by Funny Cide mania and Funny Cide 
memorabilia.
The New York Bred 3-year old who won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, and ran
3rd in the Belmont, was scheduled to run in the August 23rd Travers. There was
Funny Cide ice cream available at Stewart's; Funny Cide light beer made at the
Sackett's Harbor Brewery; Funny Cide wine, Chardonnay and Cabernet, from The Millbrook
Vineyard; prints of a Funny Cide's painting by Leroy Neiman, poster signings of
Funny Cide by Peb, the racing cartoonist and on and on. (The photo at right
is the jockey hitching post in front of the Sackatoga Stables house, in Saratoga
Springs, NY.)
The
centerpiece of Saratoga is thoroughbred racing, six days a week with steeplechase
races on Wednesday and Thursday.
The
$1,000,000 Travers had been scheduled to be a renewal of the rivalry between Funny
Cide and Empire Maker, who had beaten him in the Belmont - 
no
such luck! Funny Cide had not recovered from a temperature he ran after the Haskell
in early August, although he did work 4 furlongs early in the week. Empire Maker
came down with a cough. Both had been scratched by the day before the Travers.
(Pictured at left is Peace Rules, ridden by Jerry Bailey, on his way to the
post for The Travers. Peace Rules and Empire Maker are both trained by Bobby Frankel.)
Nonetheless,
a record crowd of 66,000 plus squeezed their way into the race track to see six
good three year olds go to the post in the 134 Running of the Travers.
Peace Rules, (Pictured above left.)a stable mate of Empire Maker - both
are trained 
by
Bobby Frankel - went off favored at a bit over 2-1. Peace Rules, ridden by Jerry
Bailey, won the $1 million Haskell, at Monmouth Park, beating Funny Cide, in early
August.
John
Oxley's Sky Mesa, second in the Haskell, was 2nd favorite at 5-2, along with Ten
Most Wanted, trained by Wally Dollase, who shipped in from California, having
been beaten only a head in the Swaps at Hollywood Park, on the 13th of July. Pat
Day rode Ten Most Wanted in the Swaps and in the Belmont, where he finished 2nd
behind Empire Maker. (Ten Most Wanted and Pat Day are pictured at right on
their way to the post for The Travers.)
Strong
Hope, the Jim Dandy winner, Congrats, 3rd in the Jim Dandy, and Wild and Wicked,
fourth in the Haskell, completed the field.
The
Travers set up exactly as it looked as though it would on paper. Strong Hope and
Peace Rules battled on the head end through fractions of 23 2/5, 46 1/5, and 1:09
4/5 only to collapse under the attack of the closing Ten Most Wanted and Pat Day,
who drew off to win by 4 1/2 lengths in a time of 2:02 flat. (Pictured above
left are Pat Day on Ten Most Wanted, Jerry Bailey on Peace Rules, and John Velazquez
on Strong Hope at the head of the stretch in The Travers. Note the dirt on Ten
Most Wanted's face and chest from having been behind horses for the first six
furlongs of The Travers.)
Saratoga
is racing as it ought to be - breakfast at the track to watch the morning work
outs and families picnicing under the old trees near the paddock, during the races,
are perfect bookends for the racing history that is written every year at The
Spa..
Pictured
above are Pat Day on Ten Most Wanted, Jerry Bailey on Peace Rules and John Velazquez
on Strong Hope, who already is beginning to give way. Ten Most Wanted went on
to win The 134th Running of The Travers by 4 1/2 lengths from Peace Rules and
Strong Hope.
