EXCLUSIVE: 🏇 Tom Durkin’s fave Saratoga moment
How to buy his book and relive the magic. PLUS: Super-star driver hospitalized, winning wines.
Tom Durkin has a book coming out, the weather is improving — and we could meet for an award-winning glass of wine on Spring Street right now.
Cheers.
— Abby
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EXCLUSIVE: Tom Durkin’s fave Saratoga moment
We chatted about travel, wine, the opera, and — of course — the day’s races. But Tom Durkin had beckoned me over to a quiet table at the private Principessa Elena Society to talk about his upcoming book.
And I’ve been holding out on you.
The legendary race caller’s autobiography, A Life’s Calling, drops May 28. And if you love this town — which I hope all 5,000+ of you do! — you’ll buy it on pre-order right now.
Written with veteran horse racing scribes Paul Volponi and Lenny Shulman, the book is a “riveting” behind-the-scenes racing memoir. It covers highlights — such as what went down at an A-list after-party with Frank Sinatra and Elizabeth Taylor — and his decision to step away, when it all become too much.
Durkin is characteristically self-deprecating about the whole thing (”it was Paul and Lenny’s idea, not mine”) — and says he hopes readers take away a lesson about careers and old-fashioned luck.
“There’s no such thing as a self-made man,” he told me as soon as we sat down. “My story involved genetics, birth order, being Irish, having parents who believed in education... and the fact that a friend of mine was hitchhiking down Highway 41 in 1971 and got picked up by a guy running county fair races in Wisconsin.” That chance encounter (and a well-timed white lie about his résumé) launched his entire career.
As for The Spa? “There’s a lot of Saratoga in it,” Durking promises. His favorite part? The day he retired: Sunday, August 31, 2014. “Thirty-eight thousand people showed up that day in the driving rain,” he says of his iconic retirement ceremony in the winner’s circle. “It just gives me goosebumps thinking about it. People were crying.”
Book signings are in the works — including one at the track. (And probably at the Racing museum, too.) Stay tuned!
Pre-order now at amazon.com.
Keep reading!
✍️ LOCALS CORNER
Empty storefronts, ‘Seinfeld’…and an adult bounce house?
No one’s out and about in Saratoga as much as Saratoga Report’s Dan De Federicis. And lucky for us, he’s newly devoted to his monthly (I’m manifesting) “Column As I See ‘Em.” His stream of little notes makes for an addicting read.
Saratogian super-star harness driver hospitalized, out ‘for sometime’
Saratogian Brett Beckwith — a fourth-generation harness driver who is currently the second-leading driver in North America — has been hospitalized following an accident at the Racino yesterday, reports Daily Racing Form.
“Beckwith was driving One More Bet for his mother, trainer Melissa Beckwith, when the horse fell behind the starting gate and was scratched,” writes the outlet, which quotes a Facebook message from Melissa for the medical update: “He is stable and his vitals have been great throughout the entire day. He unfortunately broke his wrist and jaw…He does have a minor brain bleed. The neurosurgeon described it to us as if your brain has bruises on it. He is very optimistic that it will heal on its own and requires no type of surgery at this time. To be safe, Brett will receive regular CT scans.” She said that her 22-year-old son was “alert” and “upset” that he’ll be sidelined “for sometime” — but she of course is “thankful that he is ok.” Speedy recovery, Brett.
🍔 LAST CALL
It’s an Albany expression
There are officially only a very “few tickets left” (thank you, Eventbrite) for the Steamed Hams event tomorrow night at the Albany Druthers (1053 Broadway, Albany). The writer behind the viral Simpsons “it’s an Albany expression” episode has never (!) been to Albany — so let’s pack the place and show him an Upstate welcome.
Did I mention that he trademarked “Steamed Hams” burgers and will be serving them tomorrow night for the very first time? Plus, themed Simpsons cocktails (The Marge or The Lisa, anyone?)...
Grab one of the last tickets on eventbrite.com.
Keep reading!
Birthday soup
Old Friends at Cabin Creek (483 Sand Hill Road, Greenfield Center) will host its 16th Annual Birthday Party for the Horses on Saturday. Originally held on or about January 1 — when Thoroughbred horses celebrate their birthdays — this event was moved to April in 2021.
Per tradition, guests sip on donated soups as they stroll the grounds to visit the 14 retired Thoroughbred racehorses (and one quarter horse!) that call the idyllic spot home.
The soups:
The Olde Bryan Inn (Roasted Ham and White Bean Vegetable); PDT Maison (Tuscan Kale and Sausage), Triangle Diner (Thanksgiving Chowder); Village Pizzeria and Ristorante (Pasta e Fagioli); and John Manganelli; (Manhattan Clam Chowder).
Admission is free; a $10 donation is suggested. For more info, call 518-698-2377 or visit oldfriendsatcabincreek.com.
📚 HEADS UP
Home-grown talent
Trinity Mouzon Wofford — yes, that Mouzon — is coming home to Saratoga for a 6 p.m. cookbook party at Northshire next Thursday. Read up ahead of time (85 recipes!) by purchasing Eating at Home starting tomorrow. Mouzon Wofford is the entrepreneur behind Golde wellness products (I’m addicted to her vanilla cream Collagen Boost myself), and is sitting down with me later this week to give us the inside scoop. Amazon.com
🍷 VINO
Winning wines
Keuka Spring Vineyards — which now has a stunning new tasting room on Spring Street — won over L.A. and returned home from the 2026 Los Angeles International Wine Competition with an armful of Oscar-level wins.
Seven gold medals.
Three Best of Class awards.
And the Best Late Harvest in the entire competition—one of only seven Best of Division honors awarded.
“Keuka Spring Vineyards didn’t just show up — we dominated,” says Autumn Manning, the brand’s East NY Region Manager. “Finger Lakes wines are competing at the highest level—and winning!”
Two of the wines are not yet released, but are available for a preview taste at the tasting room.
📌 ICYMI…
Dispatch Dinner Club launch recap
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— Abby