Hot pink for the win
Junior Alvarado aboard Sovereignty, a favorite to win the Whitney. (Photo by Sharon Wood)
From the editor
Happy Whitney,
There’s a new hot pink (which I hear is a very hot hue right now) Whitney logo, and tens of thousands are headed to the track for the big day — which Fox Sports is predicting will out-sell this year’s Belmont.
Our final Belatoga landed at just over 46,000 spectators.
The last “tickets sold” number I saw for today: 44,000.
Looking good for a sell-out!
— Abby
In this issue:
💘 Does true love have a price?
🏇 Why everybody’s talking about Manny Franco
👒 Who’s up for the big 6-0-0-0 — and the filly that could make history today
👉 Dinner Club resumes on September 9. Join 50+ of your neighbors who can’t wait to meet you.
How it works:
Take a (very) quick quiz like it’s 1999 and you just got the new Cosmopolitan magazine
Get matched with 5 other Dispatchers based on your answers (yes, you can bring a Plus 1)
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💌 DISPATCH IN THE NEWS
The price of love
But seriously, can the younger generation even afford to date anymore? Earlier this week, we wrote a story about local bars catering to Gen X over Gen Z. Saratoga Civic Pulse moved the story forward today by digging into the financials. So much does a date cost these days? Civic Pulse breaks it down — and so much more.
The Manny show
Before we get to the Whitney, all eyes on Manny Franco for a moment please.
Yesterday, he kept the crowd on the edges of their Saratoga Race Course seats as he rode to a whopping five victories in a row (races 2-6). For the day, he tied the Saratoga record for six wins in one day, which Jose Ortiz also tied just two weeks ago.
Others to hold the distinction: Ramon Dominguez, Johnny V and Irad.
Manny’s sixth win? The National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes with trainer Miguel Clement — on the day that his legend of a dad, Christophe Clement, got inducted. Go, Manny, go!
Whitney Day: The filly who’s seeing pink (and everything else to watch out for)
The gorgeous White Abarrio is one of eight horses in the star-studded Whitney field. (Photo by Sharon Wood)
The Whitney is my favorite race day of the year — I’m a fan of pink for anyone who’s new here. (Alas, I’m out of town so will be watching on TV...) And this year’s A-list field doesn’t disappoint. Plus, the rain now looks like it might hold off. Shaping up to be a gorgeous day for racing!
It’s hard to not get starry-eyed around Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty, who boasts Saratoga wins in the Belmont, Jim Dandy and Travers.
But … Magnitude. And our girl (!) Nitrogen.
Here’s a quick primer for this year’s $1 million Stakes:
There’s one filly in the A-list field: Nitrogen, who was profiled by the Times Union.
The last two fillies to win the Whitney were in the ‘80s. Local Brien Bouyea takes a look back at Lady’s Secret (‘86) and Personal Ensign (‘88).
A quick run-down of the Whitney’s eight horses and their recent wins (and losses) was distributed by Yahoo! Sports.
Horse Racing Nation has their eye on Magnitude.
Play a quick round of Whitney trivia with News10.
👉 For receive a full morning briefing of the Whitney, head over to our partners at the Tracksider. 🏇🏇🏇
📌 ICYMI…
Eyes on Todd Pletcher
“I did see a couple months ago that we were getting close, and I thought to myself it would be cool if it could happen at Saratoga.”
Super-trainer Todd Pletcher is going into today with 5,999 wins. Not only could he hit 6,000 via the actual Whitney — with his longshot Antiquarian — but he has numerous other chances, too. Keep your eyes peeled throughout the day (starting with Race 1) for horses such as With Luck Forward, Bold Leadership, Vibe, Classicist and Djokovic.
📰 IN BRIEF
Flavorfest won’t return this fall, reports The Daily Gazette.
Headed to Lake George with the littles? Mommy Poppins has a three-day itinerary ready for you.
Daily Racing Form profiles Buttah, owned by Saratoga’s Eddie F’s Racing, after his John Morrissey win.
📸 GRAND OPENING
Photo provided by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce
Slice, slice baby: Congrats to Kim's Place (39 Front St., Ballston Spa) for celebrating its grand opening. The new pizza place and deli is owned by Kim Tribley, who also owns the nearby hotspot Coffee Planet. For more info, visit facebook.com/Kimsplacebspa.
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