SARATOGA NOTEBOOK

JULY 22, 2010

by Albie Johnson

This year's Saratoga meet opens on Friday with a short four-day week that will be followed by the full six week session that ends on Labor Day, September 6. This will be the first time that the season will run for 40 days and, if successful, another two days making it a full seven weeks of racing won't be far behind.

Post time is at 1 p.m. (EDT) each day excepting a pair of Fridays, July 30 and September 3 when the post will be at 2:30. An early post will also take place on August 28 when the meet's highlight, the $1 million Travers S. (G1), will be run.

The opening day card features 10 races (five dirt and five turf), with the featured contest being the Schuylerville S. (G3) for juvenile fillies traveling six furlongs. That stakes is one of 35 graded contests to be run during the 40-day meet, with 17 of those being of the Grade 1 variety.

Last year's session was a very successful and historic one as Linda Rice became the first woman to win the trainer's title at the Spa. She did it in an unusual way, as every one of her winners came in either a scheduled turf contest or a race that came of-the-turf due to weather-related issues.

Rachel Alexandra's (Medaglia d'Oro) exciting win in the Woodward S. (G1) capped off the 36-day season, and that win left everyone who witnessed it as something that they'll remember for the rest of their lives.

A few random thoughts

Each year as opening day approaches, a flood of great memories come rushing back for the 47 years that I've been going to Saratoga.

I have a picture that was given to me by my Uncle Bill when I was very young. It's of Native Dancer and recounts his exploits during the 1952 twenty-four day meet. He won the Flash S. on August 4, the Saratoga Special on August 16, the Grand Union Hotel S. on August 23 and the Hopeful S. on August 30. To most of today's newer fans this would almost be a year's accomplishments for a modern-day runner.

I also can recall fondly when I was 14 and sat on a bench by the paddock and listened to a pair of Hall of Fame trainers (George "Major" Odom and Max Hirsch) discuss the sale of a stable pony to a young man just getting started in the business, whose name I didn't recognize at the time but that I remembered (Mackenzie "Mack" Miller), who now is also enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

For those of us who love this sport Saratoga conjures up the best of everything good that's still in it. From the large crowds, to the up-close-and-personal way you can view the participants, to the lovely 100 year-old elm tress that still dot the grounds, it's something that is still very special. And by the way, the racing is also pretty darn good.

If you have a chance, by all means go and enjoy Thoroughbred racing at the highest level possible in this country.