Whitney winner suspended, but racing for now
New nonprofit gets retail boost. Counties off sanctuary list.
Welcome to the “Lunch Break” email from the editors of Saratoga Dispatch.
Three stories in today’s lunch break:
Top Story: Flavien Prat suspended but racing.
Mid: Counties no longer on the sanctuary jurisdiction list.
Bottom: Nonprofit gets retail help.
Saturday’s Whitney-winning jockey suspended but will race today
A Friday incident at the Spa got the reigning Eclipse Award-winner a three-day suspension — midway through a fantastic season.
By: Abby Tegnelia
The day before Flavien Prat rode Sierra Leone to an epic come-from-behind Whitney Stakes win in front of 42,000 screaming fans, he got himself into trouble during the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Stakes, also at the Spa.
The reigning Eclipse Award-winner, 33, was aboard Zulu Kingdom — favored to win — when he cut in on both Luther and Tiz Dashing coming into the first turn. The two horses would end up coming in second and fourth, respectively.
Prat is on the card for the fourth, sixth, eighth and ninth races today, despite NYRA’s announcement that stewards have ruled on a three-day suspension as a result of the incident. According to a Monday, Aug. 4 report in Daily Racing Form, Prat will serve his suspension Aug. 13-15, which is the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday before the Alabama Stakes.
Zulu Kingdom’s disqualification changed the placing of Friday’s race-in-question to: Luther, first; Clever Again, second; Tiz Dashing third and Zulu Kingdon, fourth.
Prat began racing full-time in Saratoga during its meet in 2022, and his suspension comes midway through an especially exciting season.
He won four races in front of enormous crowds here on Friday, June 6 — the day before the Belmont Stakes — and five wins on July 5 during the Spa’s special July Fourth Racing Festival. As a result of those wins and 34 more during the Belmont at the Big A (the spring/summer meet split between Aqueduct and Saratoga), on July 6, he was awarded his first New York riding title.
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Warren, Saratoga counties off federal ‘sanctuary’ list
Counties say initial designation by federal government was erroneous.
By: Steve Thurston
The Warren County administrator’s office learned late Aug 5 that the county has been removed from an immigration-related “sanctuary county” list compiled earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Saratoga County has also been notified that they are off the list.
The new “sanctuary” list shows that New York State itself, New York City and Rochester are the only New York jurisdictions still on the list.
“We are pleased to report that all New York counties have been removed from the department's listing of sanctuary jurisdictions,” the New York State Association of Counties wrote in an email to county leaders.
“The New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) advocated vigorously on behalf of our members to ensure that the federal listing accurately reflects local policy and practice,” they wrote.
Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Phil Barrett (Clifton Park) said in a statement that he was “pleased” with the removal.
“We have never self-identified as a sanctuary county,” he said. “We are thankful to our congressional representatives, the U.S. DHS, and the New York State Association of Counties for their assistance in correcting this error.”
County officials from Warren County had also believed its initial designations was erroneous, and had also not self-identified as “sanctuary.” No explanation of how either location was named sanctuary was given by the federal government.
The federal government posted the list in late May and took it down shortly thereafter. The Trump Administration has made a crackdown on sanctuary locations that are “deliberately obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws,” as the administration interprets them.
'Inclusive Saratoga' Pop-Up Shop
Stop in to Violet's, help nonprofit
By: Stephen Thurston
Starting Wednesday Aug. 5, and running through the weekend, Violet's of Saratoga is spreading inclusivity, specifically the line of outer ware that supports the work of the nonprofit Inclusive Saratoga.
“Stop in to pick up your tank, tee or hoodie — spread positivity and help raise awareness,” Meghan Connolly Haupt said in a press release. She is the founder and executive director of Inclusive Saratoga.
Inclusive Saratoga has a mission to make venues, shops and public places more inclusive. That not only means that the spaces accommodate people with mobility issues, but also that the business is ready to work with and communicated effectively with people with disabilities.
“Hospitality and the arts are ripe for this type of work because they see so many people,” Connolly Haupt said. “There’s a real biz case for biz to be inclusive.”
Connolly Haupt cites studies that show how inclusivity helps the bottom line for businesses. If nothing else, inclusivity expands a company’s potential customer base to the people who might not feel included.
Connolly Haupt has two children, one with cerebral palsy. The nonprofit began in February 2025 as Connolly Haupt saw how differently each daughter made their way through the world.
“The idea at the core is bringing people together,” she said. “Disability inclusion is a key tenant of a healthy community.”
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