Track news and notes

[Northport]

Thanks, Tessa and Squeaky for the info! We ended up doing the Saratoga front side tour during racing on Friday afternoon, the backstretch tour first thing Saturday morning, and the Hall of Fame Oklahoma tour later Saturday morning. They were all great! Some of info got repetitive (happens when you cram as many tours as possible into 48 hours and are already obsessed with horse racing and racing history), but just to get access to the facilities was awesome. I dragged my poor mother with me to every tour, she was a good sport.

The highlight was definitely catching a bit of training Saturday morning. Didn't get to linger as long as I would have liked, or long enough to identify too many potential celebrity sightings. But I did catch a lovely bay mare with a Bill Mott saddle cloth walking right past us on the way back from a gallop on the Oklahoma. She looked familiar so I did a quick google search to see if she had the same star and she did - it was War Like Goddess.

I also picked White Beam to win the Diana, so overall a fantastic trip! Hopefully the first of many.

[Squeaky]

Glad you enjoyed the tours. I also felt they needed to give you more time at Oklahoma during the tour. Did you get a sense of whether you could walk into the Oklahoma area without a pass and if guards were checking credentials?

[Northport]

Glad you enjoyed the tours. I also felt they needed to give you more time at Oklahoma during the tour. Did you get a sense of whether you could walk into the Oklahoma area without a pass and if guards were checking credentials?

No one was checking credentials at the Oklahoma gate as far as I could tell. We just walked right in. They also had a sign on the Whitney pavilion saying that the public could only use it Saturday and Sunday, no problem for us since we were there Saturday. There were plenty of other unescorted civilians there watching the workouts. Next time I go, I'd definitely roll the dice and go without a guide so I could camp out a bit longer and properly watch the works.

[Squeaky]

Glad you enjoyed the tours. I also felt they needed to give you more time at Oklahoma during the tour. Did you get a sense of whether you could walk into the Oklahoma area without a pass and if guards were checking credentials?

No one was checking credentials at the Oklahoma gate as far as I could tell. We just walked right in. They also had a sign on the Whitney pavilion saying that the public could only use it Saturday and Sunday, no problem for us since we were there Saturday. There were plenty of other unescorted civilians there watching the workouts. Next time I go, I'd definitely roll the dice and go without a guide so I could camp out a bit longer and properly watch the works.

Good to know that was definitely different than last year. I would roll the dice too and try to walk in the next time we are there.

[Tessablue]

So glad to hear you had a great time, Northport! Sounds like you picked a great set of tours, and what an honor to see the Goddess herself Hope you get to return soon, I find that Saratoga is highly addictive!

[Tessablue]

Squeaky, we have our answer! From: https://www.drf.com/news/mcpeek-says-he ... na-travers

McPeek believes Thorpedo Anna has a growing fan base and said he would like to share her with the public. McPeek said that after three days off, Thorpedo Anna will return to the Oklahoma training track on Wednesday morning. Thorpedo Anna trains at 5:30 a.m. and she backs up to the Whitney viewing stand.

While traditionally the Oklahoma training track has not been open to the public until 7 a.m. daily, for the duration of the meet fans can gain access to the Whitney stand beginning at 5:30 a.m., a New York Racing Association spokesman said.

“I enjoy sharing her with everybody, if they want to see her at the Whitney Stand, and I’m open to people coming over to the annex and watching her cool out,” McPeek said.

[Squeaky]

Good to know! Since the top horses often work early that is good to hear. Looks like the viewing stand is not open to the public on weekends though, based on an earlier post ( unless part of Museum tour). Does anyone know if Clare Court is open to public? How do you get there??

[Northport]

Good to know! Since the top horses often work early that is good to hear. Looks like the viewing stand is not open to the public on weekends though, based on an earlier post ( unless part of Museum tour). Does anyone know if Clare Court is open to public? How do you get there??

My post above said Whitney viewing stand is open to the public on weekends, if that is the one you are referencing.

[Squeaky]

Good to know! Since the top horses often work early that is good to hear. Looks like the viewing stand is not open to the public on weekends though, based on an earlier post ( unless part of Museum tour). Does anyone know if Clare Court is open to public? How do you get there??

My post above said Whitney viewing stand is open to the public on weekends, if that is the one you are referencing.

Sorry my bad. Thanks for the correction. Wonder if you could sneak up on other days as Kenny makes it sound like you could.

[Flanders]

As per usual, Churchill is having problems with their turf course and has already canceled turf racing for the entire month of September.

https://x.com/jayemesssam/status/1816257770766922164

[Flanders]

As per usual, Churchill is having problems with their turf course and has already canceled turf racing for the entire month of September.

https://x.com/jayemesssam/status/1816257770766922164

https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing ... -september

Official statement and a picture of the turf(I actually typed dirt at first) course from about a week ago that looks like a second dirt track.

[Tessablue]

As per usual, Churchill is having problems with their turf course and has already canceled turf racing for the entire month of September.

https://x.com/jayemesssam/status/1816257770766922164

https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing ... -september

Official statement and a picture of the turf(I actually typed dirt at first) course from about a week ago that looks like a second dirt track.

Saw the photo and thought "oh that's not too bad," then I realized what I was actually looking at.. yikes. Good thing they killed one of the best turf courses in America for this!

[Flanders]

As per usual, Churchill is having problems with their turf course and has already canceled turf racing for the entire month of September.

https://x.com/jayemesssam/status/1816257770766922164

https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing ... -september

Official statement and a picture of the turf(I actually typed dirt at first) course from about a week ago that looks like a second dirt track.

Saw the photo and thought "oh that's not too bad," then I realized what I was actually looking at.. yikes. Good thing they killed one of the best turf courses in America for this!

Yeah they can go grow grass between the two courses really well. just not on the actual turf course.

[Squeaky]

Boy that 10 million dollar investment is just not panning out

[BaroqueAgain1]

Does it feel like the Racing Gods are having some "fun" with CDI, making it hard for the largest track in the Bluegrass to grow grass...after CDI destroyed arguably the finest turf racing facility in this country?

[BaroqueAgain1]

The FanDrool Talking Heads just announced that Delaware Park has cancelled the rest of their races today due to excessive heat. Delaware joins Monmouth, which cancelled earlier.

[stark]

Aqueduct cancelled racing Friday 8/9 in anticipation of more rain.

[BaroqueAgain1]

Aqueduct?

[stark]

Aqueduct?

oops
Aqueduct @ Saratoga.

[stark]

Aqueduct?

oops
Aqueduct @ Saratoga.

Also, the Saratoga Derby and Fourstardave will not be run Saturday. They will be run on Sunday.