Saratoga Race Course essentials: July 22, 2022 – The Daily Gazette

Today is Day 7 of the Saratoga Race Course meet. Racing starts at 1:05 p.m.

RECENT STORIES FROM THE DAILY GAZETTE AT THE TRACK

“Chatting with … Jason Blewitt,” by Will Springstead with photos from Erica Miller

Jason Blewitt is a familiar name to horse racing fans in New York. Now an account representative with West Point Thoroughbreds, Blewitt spent nearly 17 years with the New York Racing Association, first in the press box and later as television host. He was in front of the camera for NYRA’s initial seasons of Belmont Live and Saratoga Live.

From there, Blewitt moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he led the TV coverage at Gulfstream Park for the Stronach Group.

Blewitt grew up in Floral Park, one town over from Belmont Park, so he’s literally never been far from the horses. But Saratoga Race Course holds a special place in his heart.

“It’s a special, special place,” Blewitt said. “My wife is from Saratoga Springs, so one of the greatest gifts that’s ever happened to me in my life, Saratoga Race Course was the cause of that, and horse racing was the cause of that.”

~ Read More At The Track ~ 

“Secret Oath-Nest matchup makes for intriguing CCA Oaks on Saturday,” by Mike MacAdam with photos from Erica Miller

It’s the big rematch.

It’s the master against the former student.

It’s two fillies who were confidently sent to run against males in respective legs of the Triple Crown, and performed well, if not winning.

There are multiple juicy storylines heading into Saturday’s Grade I Coaching Club American Oaks at a mile and an eighth on the main track.

Meanwhile, trainers D.Wayne Lukas and Todd Pletcher are just trying to win a race.

~ Read More At The Track ~ 

“Practice Squad gets head bob over Dakota Gold in Rick Violette,” by Mike MacAdam with photos from Erica Miller

It took five starts, but Practice Squad finally won a race instead of simply finishing in the money.

He started his 2022 campaign with three straight second-place finishes, followed by a third three weeks ago at Belmont Park, but put it all together on Thursday to win the $125,000 Rick Violette at Saratoga Race Course on an inner turf course that had taken some heavy rain twice through the course of the day.

“He’s a little bit late-blooming, but that’s OK,” trainer Joe Sharp said. “He’s getting good at the right time.”

~ Read More At The Track ~ 

“Dream Central gives Schenectady native Fazzone a dream ride in Suzie O’Cain,” by Mike MacAdam with photos from Erica Miller

Eddie Fazzone could barely speak, his vocal chords shot from rooting for his filly Dream Central.

But he had plenty to say.

The Schenectady native and Mont Pleasant High school graduate, who runs the popular Eddie F’s seafood restaurant in Saratoga Springs with his wife, Lisa, a Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons grad, first owned Thoroughbreds in the 1990s, but had never won a race of any kind at his hometown track.

That changed on Wednesday, and in a big way, as Dream Central and jockey Jose Lezcano barely got up in time to beat even-money betting favorite She’s a Mia by a head in the $125,000 Suzie O’Cain stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies on the turf.

~ Read More At The Track ~ 

“TAG at the Track: Livingston delves deep to put together exhibit of Raftery’s racing photos,” by Teresa A. Genaro

You know that feeling when your phone storage is getting low, and you realize you have 10,000 photos on it, and you keep avoiding going through them to figure out which ones you should keep?

Multiply that by 250, and you’ll have some idea of the daunting task that faced award-winning photographer Barbara Livingston when she acquired Jim Raftery’s vast archive of horse racing negatives, all 300 boxes of them.

In 1998, Livingston acquired her first collection of negatives, those of James W. Sames III. Initially intending to buy one print, she ended up with a big box of negatives, discovering in it photographs of Triple Crown winners War Admiral (1937) and Whirlaway (1941).

“That box was full of history,” said Livingston, who grew up in East Glenville and attended Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake schools before graduating from Syracuse University with a degree in photography. “After that, I was on the lookout for people with collections of negatives that they didn’t know what to do with.” 

~ Read More At The Track ~ 

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