Saratoga Race Course: The August Place to Be

by Kim Gatto

Overview

In the early 1800s, Saratoga Springs was mostly a tourist destination because of its natural mineral waters and their healing powers.

But that changed in 1863 with the opening of the Saratoga Race Course. From then on, summers in the Spa City came alive with the excitement of the sport of kings. Since the victory of the great horse Kentucky in the introductory Travers Stakes, the racecourse has showcased the sport's greatest champions. Otherwise seemingly uncatchable thoroughbreds—including Man o' War and Secretariat—faced unexpected defeat on its turf, earning Saratoga the nickname the Graveyard of Champions. Author Kimberly Gatto chronicles the story of the oldest thoroughbred racetrack in the country, with tales of the famous people and horses that contributed to its illustrious history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781609491048
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	04/29/2011
Series:	Sports
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Kimberly Gatto is a professional writer specializing in equestrian and sports books. Her published works to date include four horse-related titles and several athlete biographies. Kim's work has been included in various publications, including the Blood-Horse, the Chronicle of the Horse, the Equine Journal and Chicken Soup for the Horse Lover's Soul. Gatto is an honors graduate of Boston Latin School and Wheaton College. A lifelong rider and horsewoman, she is the proud owner of a lovely off-the-track thoroughbred.

Table of Contents

Introduction Michael Blowen 9

Foreword Alex Brown 13

Acknowledgements 15

1 History of Horse Racing in New York 17

2 The Place of Swift Water 25

3 The Pugilist 33

4 A World-Class Racecourse 39

5 Early Years 45

6 A New Beginning 53

7 "The Mostest Hoss" 65

8 The Roaring Twenties 71

9 The Fox, the Biscuit and the Admiral 75

10 Wartime and Winners 83

11 The Age of Media 87

12 One Hundred Years of Greatness 93

13 A Tale of Two Champions 101

14 Talk of the Town 107

15 Fan Favorites 113

16 Saratoga's Old Friends 119

17 The New Millennium 127

18 Rachel and Beyond 137

Afterword. History of the National Museum of Racing Brien Bouyea 143

Appendix A Stakes Races as of 2010 147

Appendix B Winners of die Travers Stakes 149

Appendix C Winners of the Whitney Handicap 159

Appendix D Winners of the Alabama Stakes 165

Notes 171

About the Author 175