Author: Jonathon Norcross

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Few places in Saratoga Springs invoke the city’s grand history like the Canfield Casino, which was an appropriate setting for Patricia McQueen’s presentation last week, “Secretariat’s Legacy: The Greatest Racehorse and His Enduring Impact on Saratoga Springs.”

McQueen, a longtime thoroughbred photographer, is the author of the book “Secretariat’s Legacy,” which explores the lasting impact of both Secretariat himself and his many successful offspring. In her presentation, McQueen also explored the Triple Crown-winner’s history at the Saratoga Race Course.

“I basically saw him race on TV when I was ten,” McQueen said. “I was hooked and so I followed his racing career, and when he retired, I followed his offspring. I’ve been doing it for fifty years.”

Secretariat at Saratoga

Secretariat’s most successful year at the Spa was probably 1972, when he won all three starts as a two-year-old. That year’s Sanford Stakes was the only race in Big Red’s career in which he was not the betting favorite. Nonetheless, he easily defeated the favorite, Linda’s Chief. Ten days later, he notched another dominant victory in the Hopeful Stakes. 

“He loved Saratoga,” McQueen said.

But the 1973 Saratoga summer meet would prove to be a frustrating one. Secretariat was set to compete in both the Whitney and the Travers. But in the Whitney, he was famously upset by Onion. Following the race, he came down with a fever and was sidelined for the rest of the meet.

The Next Generations

Secretariat’s son General Assembly would avenge his father at the Travers in 1979, a year in which he went undefeated in four starts at the Spa. Perhaps just to place an exclamation point on his success, Assembly also set a new track record in the ‘79 Travers that remained unbroken for 37 years.

In 1986, it would be Secretariat’s daughter Lady’s Secret who avenged her father’s loss to Onion in the Whitney by becoming the first female horse to win the race since 1948. Lady’s Secret previously won two races as a three-year-old at the 1985 Saratoga meet.

Over the decades, Secretariat’s lineage has continued to impress in the Spa City. Weekend Surprise won the 1982 Schuylerville Stakes. Summer Squall won the Saratoga Special and the Hopeful in 1989. Chief’s Crown won the Travers in 1985. The list goes on.

All told, six of the last seven Travers winners (prior to the 2024 race) were Secretariat descendants. Ten of the last eleven Whitney winners came from the Big Red genealogical tree. Fourteen of the last sixteen Alabama champions are descended from Secretariat. Perhaps most impressive of all, the eight competitors in the 2024 Travers are all related in some way to Secretariat.

“To me, and to many people, [Secretariat] was the greatest racehorse who ever lived,” McQueen said.

With a legacy like this, it’s hard to disagree.  

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The 155th running of the Travers Stakes last Saturday at the Saratoga Race Course generated a record-setting $63 million all-sources wagering handle, and featured not one but two major sports broadcasters.

Both the usual Fox Sports crew, as well as Barstool Sports personalities such as Dave Portnoy, Jersey Jerry, and Elio Imbornone were on hand throughout the long day of racing. The Barstool crew had a broadcast booth set up in the backyard where they covered the races for nearly 7 hours.

While Portnoy and company discussed their wagers on air, more than 40,000 fans in attendance on Saturday bet $11.2 million at the track. The all-sources wagering handle of $63,023,405 broke the 2022 Travers Day record of $55,559,317, which was set in 2022.

The 2024 Saratoga summer meet will conclude on Monday, September 2.

MIAMI, FLORIDA — “He does a great job.” “A good person.” “Super dope.” “An exciting culture.” “I love where we are.” 

These are just some of the flattering quotes from Miami Dolphins players and personnel about the team’s new Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver, a Saratoga Springs native and member of the Blue Streaks Hall of Fame.

Weaver, who interviewed with both the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders for their head coaching positions in January, was named Miami’s new defensive coordinator the following month. Since then, early feedback on his tenure has been resoundingly positive.

“Bringing in [Weaver], too, from Baltimore, watching the defense in [organized team activities] and minicamp was spooky. The looks, the disguises, the weapons that he has, and the way that he’s using those guys, I love where we are,” Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead told Kay Adams on the “Up & Adams Show” last month.

“It’s been really cool getting to know him,” defensive tackle Zach Sieler said about Weaver in an interview with CBS 12 News in June. “Obviously being a former player and also him coming from [the Baltimore Ravens], I see a lot of crossover from that and that Baltimore mindset. It’s been cool circling back to that and kind of feeling him out and just again how he views football and how he is off the field, on the field. Building that rapport with him has been really fun.”

“What I like about Weaver, he doesn’t force it,” linebacker Jordyn Brooks told ESPN earlier this month. “You can tell when somebody is kind of forcing a relationship or trying to just do things. He’s kind of really natural and organic, just literally, you might be standing off and he might tap you on the shoulder and talk about whatever. Little moments, like I said, they go a long way. It’s like, ‘Oh, I thought you were going to talk to me about ball,’ and he asked me something personal. That just goes a long way, and I think he does a great job of just doing that, just being who he is, and I don’t think it’s forced at all. So I think in the long run, you’ll see a lot of guys playing hard for him just because he’s able to reach guys on a personal level.”

The kind words about Weaver are probably no surprise to those familiar with his reputation in Saratoga Springs, where he started playing football for the Blue Streaks as a 9th grader in 1995.

“Anthony is one of the nicest people you will ever meet,” Saratoga Springs varsity football coach Eric Hayden told Saratoga TODAY in February. “His Athletic achievements are amazing, but his personality is what separates him.”

“One of the biggest qualities that you notice about him is his adaptability to people and his love for people,” said Blaise Juliano, Weaver’s high school football coach. “He’s really a great person.”

Despite all the praise, Weaver still has a daunting task in front of him. Miami’s offense last year was stellar, leading the league in both total offensive yards per game (401.3) and passing yards per game (265.5), while ranking sixth in rushing yards per game (135.8). But the Dolphins’ defense was generally good-but-not-great, ranking 10th in yards allowed per game, 14th in turnover ratio, and 14th in allowing opponents to convert to a new set of downs.

How much Weaver is able to bolster Miami’s defense will begin to become clear when the Dolphins take the field against the Jacksonville Jaguars in their first game of the regular season on Sunday, September 8.  

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Thorpedo Anna, a 3-year-old filly trained by part-time Saratoga resident Kenny McPeek, will compete against the boys in the 155th running of the Travers Stakes on Saturday at the Saratoga Race Course. Should Anna prevail, she would become the first filly to win the Travers in more than a century.

Anna is undefeated thus far in 2024, earning $1.8 million in four starts. In her career, she’s won 6 of 7 starts, placing second only once. But she’ll be up against some tough competitors, including 2024 Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch.

The last filly to take the Travers was Lady Rotha in 1915, who was declared the winner when Trial by Jury was controversially disqualified.

The Travers Stakes is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. on Saturday, August 24. Those not in attendance can catch the race at home on FOX.