Lil Wayne might make Belmont history
PLUS: Pride Month, history corner and how to get a free emergency kit.
Mother Nature isn’t listening to the Saratoga group chat — we are ready for summer, lady. Not this cold rain…
Luckily, some celeb news brightened my spirits last night.
Let’s get to it.
— Abby
Lil Wayne, Akon could make Belmont history
Run Fast Racing has officially entered Vitruvian Man in the Belmont, after the bay colt came in third place in the Santa Anita Derby. It’s a long shot, but if the horse wins, it will be the first known time a Black owner has ever won the third jewel.
That’s because the syndicate boasts none other than Lil Wayne, Akon and Lil Yachty as owners.
And for those keeping track, the singular known time in history that a Black owner has ever won a Triple Crown race was Dudley Allen’s Kentucky Derby triumph — back in 1891.
“They’re all about bringing horse racing to minorities,” says a source close to Run Fast Racing CEO Adam Kluger, who will be in town for the big race. That’s why the syndicate also has a micro-shareholder app, similar to the one that enjoyed a huge Preakness win with Seize the Grey in 2024.
So far — fast-changing celebrity schedules notwithstanding — Akon is scheduled to join Kluger in the owner’s box, along with fellow co-owner Rauw Alejandro, the Puerto Rican reggaeton mega-star. (A Hispanic owner winning the Belmont would be rare, but not unprecedented, with the last known record being the 1976, when Estéban Rodríguez Tizol — a Puerto Rican banker — won with Bold Forbes.)
Breaking through the sea of white men in the Sport of Kings, we already have this year’s Derby-winning female trainer going for her second jewel in front of a hometown crowd, and now we’ve got Black owners trying to make history.
I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
HISTORY CORNER
Past Saratoga greats
While hugely exciting to see Saratoga all over the news, a lot of the “Top 18 spots to grab a cocktail”-type stories are clearly written by out-of-towners … but this fun historical one caught my eye: Seven Influential People Who Helped Make Saratoga So Special, by America’s Great Racing. Who did they choose?
Saratoga Pride kicks off Pride Month on Monday
Help Saratoga Pride kick off Pride Month on Monday, June 1 at 12 p.m. After the launch event, pride flags will be on colorful display in the front window of City Hall and in banners along Broadway.
All month long, post your photo with a Saratoga Pride banner with the tag #SaratogaPride2026.
And on Fridays (3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.) at Pitney Meadows, the Rainbow Garden Club will host drop-in programs for youth ages 11-19 who identify as LBGTQ+ and their allies. (Think gardening, nature and art activities.)
Feeling hot, hot, hot
Sherry Hot Chicken is moving into the spot vacated by 13 North, reports the Times Union. And Suzanne Mangini found an insightful video of the brand’s Oneida location.
Free emergency kit: Citizen Preparedness Training announced
The city’s Office of Commissioner Accounts, in partnership with the New York State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency, has announced an upcoming Citizen Preparedness Training class. The free training is open to the public and will teach Saratogians how to prepare for “any type of disaster.” All attendees will even receive a free emergency preparedness kit.
To register (required) for the June 10 class at 6 p.m. at the Music Hall, visit prepare.ny.gov.
‘Happy End’: The reviews are in
After a sold-out show last night in Hudson, Happy End returns to UPH for its final Saratoga show before moving on to the Finger Lakes, a sold-out run at Glimmerglass Festival, and then NYC. The hard-hitting yet laugh-out-loud show, which is a fast 80 minutes long, is a collab between Opera Saratoga and Glimmerglass.
For tickets, visit atuph.org or stop by in-person at the box office.
📌 ICYMI…
BalletX & Belmont countdown: 🗓️ Events May 28-June 3
Best sale shopping? 🦞 Maine-core.
Driving from AZ for 🏇 Belmont? — and the classical/jazz schedule from now until June 11
Saratoga PLAN gets new ED
More than 50 people applied from across the country, but Saratoga PLAN’s new executive director ended up coming from right here in New York. Jamie Brown — who most recently served as New York senior program manager for the Land Trust Alliance — will take on the organization’s 2025-2030 strategic plan.
“Jamie Brown understands both the immense value of the landscapes we protect and the urgency of protecting them now,” said Jessica Schwartzman, board chair of Saratoga PLAN.
Brown also served as executive director of the Lake George Land Conservancy for more than six years.
🍎 Nearing last call: All aboard the Bike Bus!
By Lauren Behan
Students in Saratoga Springs have three more Fridays to join the Toga Safe to School Bike Bus — a group of students who cycle to school together along a set route with designated stops/times and adult supervision — which ends June 19.
This grassroots effort led by local moms (“I have to get them to school safely anyway,” says parent Lindley Hickey, “so it might as well be fun!”) has taken off into a community-wide effort to promote bike safety and alternative transportation to school.
“At the end of the 2025 school year we had four routes for Lake Avenue and a small route at Caroline Street,” says organizer Maddy Zanetti. “Now we have officially added two Caroline Street and one Division Street routes as well. We are working to get a route for Geyser, and if there are other schools interested and we can [get] the volunteers we will make it happen.”
Volunteer Katie Roque adds, “The Bike Bus is a way to give our kids a piece of childhood that many of us remember.”
To check out the current routes, visit TogaSafeToSchool.com. If you want to get involved, follow @TogaSafeToSchool on Instagram or contact TogaSafeToSchool@gmail.com
Bike Bus presented together with…
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 | A guest post by
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