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Saratoga Racing Season 2003

Week Six

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Week One ** Week Two ** Week Three ** Week Four ** Week Five ** Week Six

Wed 8/27

In the center of the paddock is a statue of Sea Hero, winner of both the Kentucky Derby and Travers in 1994. The horse was owned by Paul Mellon, trained by Mac Miller, and ridden by Jerry Bailey.

Wed 8/27
Attendance: 18140.
Weather: Very nice.
Highlights: *** Strangely the highlight might've been seeing the red-hot team of Pletcher/Velazquez stuck in a mini-slump -- they failed with three on the afternoon, including two favorites. That didn't happen too often at this meet.

Thurs 8/28

Thursday afternoon vs Opening Day Closing week traditionally provides some more 'elbow room' for fans who partake of the post-Travers season. Left, the crowd on this Thursday afternoon. Right, similar view of the opening day crowd five weeks earlier.

Praise The Prince and jock Gus Brown make their way to the track for the running of the G1 NY Turf Writers Steeplechase.

Thurs 8/28
Attendance: 17494.
Weather: Nice.
Highlights: *** 8YO Praise The Prince, never off the board in 18 tries over the jumps, rallies down the stretch to capture the G1 $100K NY Turf Writers Cup Steeplechase.

Fri 8/29

The rain held off but the sky was overcast and the wind kicked up a few times early in the afternoon.

Left, Ashado in the paddock prior to the G1 Spinaway. Right, post time favorite Daydreaming and jockey John Velazquez.

Fri 8/29
Attendance: 19065.
Weather: Warm but overcast. Some wind early.
Highlights: *** Todd Pletcher's promising 2YO filly Ashado proves she's more than a mudlark winning the G1 $200K Spinaway with Edgar Prado aboard. The McGaughey/Phipps entrant, Daydreaming, an impressive winner in her debut here on 7/27, goes off as the 6-5 fave and finishes third - beaten ten lengths.
*** 16YO apprentice Shannon Uske gets another Spa win, this time aboard Allen Jerkens' 2YO first-time starter, 25-1 Smokume in the 6th.

Sat 8/30

Left, Jerry Bailey and Silver Wagon. Right, John Velazquez and Chapel Royal.

Winning trainer Ralph Ziadie and jock Jerry Bailey are interviewed by Mike Battaglia after the G1 Hopeful for the CNBC telecast.

And, in similar fashion to the season kick-off Hat's Off Music Fest, the Down The Stretch Music Fest features musical acts performing all up and down Saratoga's main drag. The entertainment was free both Saturday and Sunday nights from 7-11pm and the streets were packed with fun-seekers.

Sat 8/30
Attendance: 23137.
Weather: Nice, but perhaps a little unseasonably cool.
Highlights: *** Florida-based trainer Ralph Ziadie pulls a mild upset, winning the G1 $200K Hopeful with 12-1 Silver Wagon, a nice maiden winner here on 8/8 in his second career start. Bailey was aboard for both wins. Silver Wagon was far back early, but charged through an opening in the stretch and pulled away to score by four over 3-5 fave Chapel Royal from Todd Pletcher's team.
*** Godolphin's 3YO Qais stays undefeated, taking his third start (a NW2) in a facile manner, winning off by nine under Jerry Bailey.
*** Jockey John Velazquez wins four on the day to set a new mark for wins in a season at 59. The previous mark of 55 was set by Jerry Bailey.

Sun 8/31

Left, Gygistar and jockey Pat Day. Right, Jerry Bailey and Aldebaran.

Sun 8/31
Attendance: 68029 -- 'spinner'-inflated for the Funny Cide T-shirt giveaway.
Weather: Sunny and comfortable.
Highlights: *** Trainer Frankel snaps his Spa slump as Aldebaran proves a convincing winner in the G1 $250K Forego.
*** 9YO Durimente continues to show his affinity for Saratoga taking the 1st, a $35K claimer, to raise his lifetime record on the track to 7-3-3-0.

Mon 9/01

Jockey John Velazquez zooms back to the jocks room after winning the G3 Saranac, his last race of the meet. The win established a new record for wins in a Saratoga season at 61.

And by about 6:30pm EDT on Monday the season was over and the crowd filed out for the last time in 2003, leaving only the clean-up job to be completed.

Mon 9/01
Attendance: 19661.
Weather: Some rain early. Comfortable later.
Highlights: *** Canadian invader Shoal Water, fresh from a defeat at the hands of the talented Wando, easily scored against a short field of 3YO turfers to take the G3 $100K Saranac.
*** Jockey John Velazquez won the stake in his last ride of the meet and established a new record for wins in a season at Saratoga scoring 61 times over the course of the 36-day meet.

Week One ** Week Two ** Week Three ** Week Four ** Week Five ** Week Six

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