Posts Tagged ‘man o’ war’

A new program awaits backstretch workers when the New York Racing Association kicks off its summer meeting at Saratoga racetrack in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., on Wednesday, thanks to John Hendrickson and his wife, Marylou Whitney, the longtime Queen of Saratoga.

Mike Veitch wrote in the Saratogian newspaper on April 30 that Hendrickson was putting together a program for "themed" dinners every Sunday night in addition to movies five nights a week during the 36-day meeting that runs through Labor Day, Sept. 1.

The dinners are being prepared by the same caterers who do the fund-raising galas for which Marylou Whitney is so famous. Hendrickson is coordinating the program with the Racetrack Chaplaincy and the Backstretch Employees Services Team (BEST). According to Veitch’s article, the dinners will take place on the Yaddo grounds adjacent to the "Jockey Y" recreation facility on Union Avenue.

Next Sunday’s kickoff dinner, as a tribute to the many Hispanic workers on the backstretch, is a Mexican fiesta, and will be funded by Whitney and Hendrickson.

Groups or individuals funding the other dinners are: Aug. 3 (Chinese), Stewart’s Shops; Aug. 10 (Italian), Ron and Michelle Riggi, Gainesway Farm and Overbrook Farm; Aug. 17 (Cuban), Jack and Debby Oxley and Tracy and Carol Farmer; Aug. 24 (Barbecue), Price Chopper; and Aug. 31 (Thanksgiving), Three Chimneys Farm, Live Oak Plantation, and Lane’s End. Additional sponsors for the program include Ed and Maureen Lewi, Pomegranate Inc., Allerdice Rentals, Panza’s Restaurant, Dogwood Stables, NYRA, Racetrack Chaplaincy and BEST.

Movies will be shown Wednesday through Sunday nights throughout the meeting on a 9 x 12 screen, either with Spanish subtitles or in Spanish. Commercial popcorn machines have been purchased by sponsors for the movies.

"Everyone I asked to help out said ‘yes,’" said Hendrickson, recently named but not yet confirmed as a member of the reconstituted NYRA board of trustees by powerful Senate Majority leader Joe Bruno, who announced his retirement this year. "This is a way trustees should get involved," he added.

With Bruno gone, New York racing no longer will have a strong advocate in state government. David Paterson, who became New York governor in March following the sex-scandal resignation of Eliot Spitzer, has made public comments critical of NYRA since taking office. At one point he even hinted that the process to give NYRA a franchise renewal be reopened.

Paterson has an interesting family tie to the sport and to the Whitney family that he mentioned briefly during the Belmont Stakes telecast June 7. His great-grandfather was a farrier who shod Harry Payne Whitney’s Upset for his victory over Man o’ War in the 1919 Sanford Stakes. It was Man o’ War’s only career loss and it is widely believed to have brought the term "upset" into the English vernacular.

H.P. Whitney was so happy following the Sanford he gave houses to several of the men who contributed to Upset’s victory, including one to Paterson’s great-grandfather. That was the house Paterson lived in as a child, according to Hendrickson, who says the governor affectionately calls Marylou Whitney "Cuz."

I guess a governor can get away with that. Everyone else around the area calls her the Queen of Saratoga. And it’s easy to see why. She is a beloved figure who has raised money for charitable causes for decades, especially in New York’s Capital District.

One of my only experiences with Mrs. Whitney came in a very odd way. While visiting the area before the race meeting one summer a dozen or so years ago for an event at the National Museum of Racing in Saratoga Springs, I saw her in the lobby bar of the Marriott Hotel near the Albany airport. There she was in the middle of a big crowd, playing darts with college-aged kids in a fundraiser for some charity I’ve long since forgotten. Television cameras were there with live coverage of the event during the local news, and she was encouraging people to come down to the Marriott and challenge her to a game.

Her energy then was amazing, and her dedication to worthy causes like the new backstretch workers program at Saratoga remains strong to this day.

By Ray Paulick

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 He’s not quite Uncle Sam looking for a few good men and women to sign up for the U.S. Army, but Jess Jackson does want something from the public: their opinion. Specifically, the Paulick Report has learned that the California winemaker and Thoroughbred horseman is seeking input from both fans and horsemen in an online poll on where 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin should race next.

The debate on whether or not Curlin should continue on his ambitious path toward the Oct.  5 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in France began among Jackson, his family, trainer Steve Asmussen and Jackson’s advisers shortly after the 4-year-old son of Smart Strike finished second to 2006 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Red Rocks in last Saturday’s Man o’ War on the turf at Belmont Park. It was Curlin’s first start on grass.

Realizing the discussions and debate extend far beyond Curlin’s inner circle, Jackson decided to see where the public thinks Curlin should race next, so he asked for poll to be set up on his Stonestreet Farms web site at www.StonestreetFarms.com.

"It became obvious this weekend at Belmont Park that Curlin is not only a hero to me and my family but also to thousands of fans," Jackson said. "With so many people supporting Curlin and his future I wanted to ask the public where they think Curlin should go next."

The poll, which will be open through July 30, asks simply: "If you were Curlin’s owner, Jess Jackson, where should Curlin go next?"

A. Turf Campaign
B. Dirt Campaign
C. Synthetic Surface Campaign
D. Retire

In the meantime, Curlin has shipped from Belmont Park to Saratoga, where he will train for his next engagement, wherever that is.

Winner of last year’s Preakness Stakes, Jockey Club Gold Cup and Breeders’ Cup Classic en route to honors as champion 3-year-old male and Horse of the Year, Curlin has yet to race on a synthetic surface. This year’s Breeders’ Cup, held at Santa Anita during the Oak Tree Racing Association meeting, will be the first on synthetic track for the traditional dirt races. Santa Anita is installing a Pro-Ride synthetic surface this summer after experiencing drainage problems with the Cushion Track it had previously installed.

"Curlin is a true world class champion," Jackson said. "He continues to race at the age of four years old and stands as an inspiration and fresh change for the industry."

By Ray Paulick

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