Saratoga Diaries: Life Is Good

Saratoga became a vacation destination in the Gilded Age because the spring water was rumored to have replenishing effects on one’s health. People back then may have been onto something, because there’s something about this place that has me energized even beyond my usual overcaffeinated hyperactivity. (My poor colleagues!) As such, I woke up about an hour before my alarm went off this morning, and I headed to the racetrack bright-eyed and bushy tailed to take in the early scene. I was in for a treat, too: it was another sensational morning, and I decided to head over to Oklahoma, Saratoga’s legendary training track.

The Oklahoma course has its rather unusual nickname for a funny reason. Way back in the day, some trainers used to be a little put out that they were stabled at the training track and as the story goes, someone quipped, “We may as well be in Oklahoma!” and thus the area’s moniker was born.
In reality, Oklahoma really isn’t that far from the main oval of Saratoga Race Course, and the training track has its own unique and tranquil beauty. Horses are happy here, and the quiet environment lends an air of incredible peace over an already bucolic scene. 

Once I arrived, I headed straight to trainer Jimmy Jerkens’s barn. The son of legendary horseman Allen Jerkens, Jimmy is an outstanding conditioner in his own right: he trained last year’s Travers Stakes winner V.E. Day as well as 2014 Wood Memorial winner Wicked Strong. But I have to admit, I was at his stable with an agenda. Jimmy Jerkens also trains Twitter’s favorite racehorse, Juba. The gutsy gray (who tweets under the handle @JubaColt) was meant to run yesterday on Saratoga’s opening day, but ended up scratching because he wasn’t feeling 100% healthy. I’m happy to report that he’s much improved, and he kindly interrupted his breakfast to check out my taste in denim as well as strike a pose or two for me. This is a horse who knows how to cater to his public!

I also managed to see one of my favorite fillies around who’s also under the care of Jimmy Jerkens, House Rules. She’s a very talented, very beautiful horse, and I couldn’t help but snap a frame of her while she was cooling off after her workout. 

After a few more minutes of ogling the equines at the Jerkens barn, I decided to head over to the main track for a few minutes to take in training hours. I’m so glad that I did, since I spied this breathtaking chestnut Thoroughbred with a flowing flaxen tale. 

Thanks to key information from my friend Alysse Jacobs, I learned that this handsome horse is named All Included. I shared his photo on ABR’s social media, and he became that morning’s celebrity horse for us. It’s no wonder – he’s truly stunning!
At that point, I needed to skip out get some work done, so I headed up to the press box and got down to business. After clacking away at my computer for a while, the races kicked off and I decided to take a walk around the grounds and just enjoy some of the beautiful sights of an afternoon at the Spa. 

Turns out that I wasn’t the only one having a blast today – I caught some of the other photographers enjoying the outstanding afternoon as well!

One of my favorite moments of the day came during the fifth race, when Saratoga Mischief won and paid $14 for a $2 win bet. I happened to be in the backyard area, and I spied a group of friends who were rooting hard for him at one of the many televisions. I decided to take some photos of them as the race progressed, and I’m so glad they did! I don’t know if the force of human will can affect a race through a television; but if it can, then Saratoga Mischief’s connection owe these guys some thanks for getting that horse home in front. It was so fun to see them celebrating, and everyone around them was congratulating them on their victory. 

Don’t worry – I got their email information and sent them the photos. I have a feeling that they’ll want to remember that score!
Before I knew it, the major races of the afternoon were underway. The first big stakes was the Sanford, which is a test for two-year-olds run at 3/4 of a mile. This race had attracted ten promising youngsters, each of whom were shining and dressed in their best for the biggest start of their young lives.

While Magna Light was the first to cross the finish line in the Sanford, in the middle of the stretch he bolted from the inside rail to the outside of the pack of horses charging to the finish line. He was disqualified for interference for this, so #11 Uncle Vinny was declared the official winner of the race.
The very next contest was the Diana Stakes. This race, which is for fillies and mares 3 years old and older going 1 1/8 miles on the grass, comes with a $500,000 purse. This year’s edition had attracted seven very tough competitors, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see most of them again in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at the World Championships on October 31 at Keeneland Race Course.  

This was destined to be a good race, but I don’t think anyone knew just how amazingly these horse would perform. In an effort that set a new course record, Hard Not to Like powered to the front of the pack at the last moment to win the race by a nose in a perfectly timed ride from Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez. You can see a sequence of her powerful move below; she really ate up the ground in the last few jumps before the wire.

It was an incredibly athletic feat by Hard Not to Like, and the perfect way to close out the first Saturday of this year’s Saratoga meet. To quote the mare’s trainer Christophe Clement after the race, “Life is good!” So it is when you’re at the Spa!