Fun in Saratoga

Field Horne's 2014 Saratoga guide available

Field Horne initially wrote a Saratoga guidebook I believe in 2005, and he has updated a few times since, including his current 2014 edition.  Informative and enjoyable, it packs a lot of information in a compact book that is easily carried on the go.  It has everything from Saratoga history to a complete (and up-to-date) listing of the Spa City's attractions, hotels, restaurants, and other points of interest.  I got my book from PJ's/BarBQSA, so I am assuming it is available at various places in town.  You can also order it online.  Not a bad purchase for 9 bucks, which is actually $3 less than his 2009 edition was.

Fox Sports 1 televising of Saratoga and Belmont races is a good thing

I think it's great that another Sports Network will be showing races from Saratoga this summer.  Fox Sports 1 Network, a relative newcomer to the scene created by Fox Entertainment Group, will show the grade 1 American Oaks (July 20), the grade 2 Saratoga Special (August 10) and Grade 1 Sword Dancer Invitational (August 17).  They will also show a few Kentucky Derby prep races at Keeneland and in Dubai, as well as a few others in the U.S. and Canada, including the Man o' War Stakes at Belmont.  Click here for the full schedule of Fox's "Jockey Club Tour".

 

These televised races will be in addition to the Summer at Saratoga series on NBC and the NBC Sports Network that have been shown for the last several years.  I hope Fox does as stellar of a job showcasing the sport in general and Saratoga in particular as NBC does. 

This is certainly a good thing, and while I found blog entries on this news from the Times Union, Daily Gazette, and even The Buffalo News, there was nothing about this in the Saratogian.  While I appreciate the great work of Michael Veitch and Jeff Scott, they are columnists writing select days of the week and aren't expected to report breaking news.  I've said it before and now it's even more relevant with the Kentucky Derby preps heating up:  the Saratogian needs someone like their former reporter Andrew Champagne, who let very little get by him in the horse racing world and wrote many informative articles.

On a related note, read this upbeat blog post by the Buffalo News' Gene Kershner, who is a regular at Saratoga in August.  The Kentucky Derby is just 2-1/2 months away folks!  Take care.

 

Funsaratoga.com blog update

I've had some loyal readers for several years now so I hate dropping off the planet like this.  Work, married life, and fatherhood are all going great - just exhausting.  Our daughter Antonella is growing by leaps and bounds and she wakes up smiling every day :) 

 

As my regular readers know, I haven't been blogging much lately.  I will see if I get the energy and time in the coming weeks; perhaps the end of winter will fire up my creative spirits and I'll have something I just have to write.  Family life of course comes first so for now I am taking a bit of a break from blogging. Take care everybody!