Saratoga Race Course

The August Place to Be

Kimberly Gatto

• Publisher: The History Press
• Year: 2011
• Edition: 0
• eBook ISBN:
  9781614236481
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

In the early 1800s, Saratoga Springs was mostly a tourist destination because of its natural mineral waters and their healing powers.

But that changed in 1863 with the opening of the Saratoga Race Course. From then on, summers in the Spa City came alive with the excitement of the "sport of kings." Since the victory of the great horse Kentucky in the introductory Travers Stakes, the racecourse has showcased the sport's greatest champions. Otherwise seemingly uncatchable thoroughbreds--including Man o' War and Secretariat--faced unexpected defeat on its turf, earning Saratoga the nickname the "Graveyard of Champions." Author Kimberly Gatto chronicles the story of the oldest thoroughbred racetrack in the country, with tales of the famous people and horses that contributed to its illustrious history.

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Introduction
• Foreword
• Acknowledgements
• 1. History of Horse Racing in New York
• 2. The Place of Swift Water
• 3. The Pugilist
• 4. A World-Class Racecourse
• 5. Early Years
• 6. A New Beginning
• 7. “The Mostest Hoss”
• 8. The Roaring Twenties
• 9. The Fox, the Biscuit and the Admiral
• 10. Wartime and Winners
• 11. The Age of Media
• 12. One Hundred Years of Greatness
• 13. A Tale of Two Champions
• 14. Talk of the Town
• 15. Fan Favorites
• 16. Saratoga’s Old Friends
• 17. The New Millennium
• 18. Rachel and Beyond
• Afterword. History of the National Museum of Racing
• Appendix A. Stakes Races as of 2010
• Appendix B. Winners of the Travers Stakes
• Appendix C. Winners of the Whitney Handicap
• Appendix D. Winners of the Alabama Stakes
• Notes
• About the Author