Celeb Shot: Saratoga Report’s Dan De Federicis
Man with a plan (and impressive planner). PLUS: Whiskey goes to the dogs and a save-the-date you won't want to miss.
I should have seen it coming. Sometime during the busiest summer of my life, I casually mentioned to Dan De Federicis that I wanted to interview him for our Celeb Shot column—come fall, when things slowed down. I’m still in “slowing down” mode, and I invited the founder of the Saratoga Report and co-host of The Saratoga Podcast out for a beer and a casual interview. Dan, however, being the tireless entrepreneur who commits to a 5am wake-up call seven days a week for his Saratoga-focused news aggregator (sign up here to get it emailed straight to you), had other ideas.
As soon as he sat down at our corner table at The Brook Tavern, the impressive planner and manila envelopes of newspaper clippings were out…and the anecdotes and evidence of his enormous passion for Saratoga began to pour out, starting with a long story that goes back four and a half years but wrapped up tidily with effusive props to the current Commissioners, Minita Sanghvi in particular. His love for our town acts as his adrenaline—pretty handy for a guy who has dedicated all of his spare time to bringing the rest of us up to speed on what’s happening in Saratoga Springs.
—Abby
*Editor’s note: Keep scrolling down after Dan’s interview for some fun tidbits from around town!
[Abby presses “record” on her iPhone as Dan is already starting to speak.]
With careers, hobbies, even friends, you go up, you go down. It can be a roller-coaster, and sometimes you move on completely. But after 16 years, I’m still high on Saratoga. And I’ve changed! I came here as a single guy in 2006, got engaged, got married, had two kids [ages 5 and 9]—the whole while I’m just up here with Saratoga.
My wife, Margarita, is Colombian and moved here in 2005. She lived in Albany and when we met had only been to Saratoga once—in the dead of winter. She asked me, “Why do you live in Saratoga?” I wouldn’t answer. Instead, I said to come visit me. It was July, and I owned a condo right here on Union with a balcony. People would wave at me like I was a Whitney or something. And all I had was an 800-square-foot apartment behind me! So we had a glass of wine, and everyone’s walking by. I asked her, “Do you still want to ask me why I live in Saratoga?”
You often seem wistful for certain throwbacks.
I miss newspapers. It’s functional to read online, but it’s with zero enjoy-ability. And I miss going to the window to bet at the track. Some of those guys have been there 30 years and can give you tips. I miss that. Now I’m on my phone, which is efficient. It’s like reading a newspaper online: It’s functional but not fun. Before, just the betting process itself was fun…I have some other notes here. Oh! I have to tell my story.
Ok!
My wife and I went on a cruise, right before we had our daughters. We were literally the last ones to get off the ship—if you had to get off at noon, we were there until 11:58. There’s our luggage in the middle of emptiness, this cavernous warehouse of sorts. And there’s a security guard sitting with our luggage. He goes, “Do you guys live in Saratoga Springs? Oh, every year I wait all year to go to the track, and I spend four days there with my buddies. I saw your luggage tags and had to wait to meet you,” like we were celebrities or something. This Port security guard wanted to meet the people who lived on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs. Sam the Bugler told me the same thing. Saratoga is people’s escape.
You started a second podcast, The Saratoga Experience, about horse racing.
I hope horse racing lasts. Society is changing rapidly, and NYRA needs to address these things. They keep going for big money instead of investing in the future. First of all, they got rid of Family Day. The Sunday before track opening, they would have races with no betting, just for the kids. You talk to a guy my age at the track, the hardcore betters, and he’ll tell you that his father brought him there, his grandfather brought him there, since he was 4 years old. NYRA killed a developmental system because it costs them money that year. How many future fans did that bring? Get a sponsor for it!
They keep extending the Saratoga season earlier in the summer—why don’t they extend it just one week into September, when there are tens of thousands of college kids in Troy, Schenectady and at Skidmore. They would come back here every summer [if they became fans while here for college], and NYRA is just not fostering the future fan, going for quick hits instead. This is when Dan’s passion for Saratoga turns into frustration.
Is that why you single-handedly created a Saratoga news aggregator?
Saratoga needs and deserves a daily newspaper, whether it’s online or not. There’s no newspaper that’s worth reading every day about Saratoga, and I want to bring that back. Where Saratoga Report is succeeding is people, some very important people, tell me—and it just melts my heart to say it—that it’s the first thing they go to every morning. You may have been one of the ones who told me that!
Yeah! I do. And it makes me wonder…how do you do it? Do you get up at 5 in the morning and—
Yes.
[LOL]
I’ve got Google alerts on at least 50 search terms. Then I go to TU, the Gazette, all of the horse racing publications, probably 12 to 15 daily. I’m on 100 email lists. Or 200? I don’t know. So I look at those, then Twitter and Facebook—I get great news from What’s Going on, Saratoga? It bothers me, it enrages me, when I miss something that was obvious in Saratoga. So I’m pretty efficient.
What have been some of your favorite moments recording your podcasts?
On the horse racing side, we just interviewed Javier Castellano. He’s such a wonderful person, a great jockey. And he’s kind of a big shot! On the Saratoga podcast side…everybody! It’s the fabric of the community. When you’re on there, you give us, for lack of a better term, the sort of sexiness of Saratoga. We’re talking a podcast about City Hall here. You balance it out. We had [Saratoga Automobile Museum Executive Director] Carly [Connors] on there. The Auto Museum is just cool.
Quote of the Week
“Is this anyone’s roo?”
—What’s Going on Saratoga? Facebook post about a lost rooster found at the Airport
First Fill’s First Year
Whiskey shop First Fill Spirits celebrated its first year in business with a little party that included a raffle—money went to the Saratoga County Animal Shelter—for buying a curated list of bottles at retail. “Not only was it amazing to see the immense local support,” says co-owner Holly Seidewand, "but we also raised $2,600 for the Saratoga County Animal Shelter.” She explained the raffle: “We took all of those allocated, rare and special bourbons and ryes that we got throughout the year and did a raffle for the chance to purchase them. Most liquor stores have these types of bottles on the top shelf for crazy prices.”
As for the money, Holly and her co-owner Charles Grabitzky met with Penny, the director at the shelter to make the donation. “She was of course ecstatic!” Holly says. “Both Charles and I are as well. He has always had rescue cats and me dogs. We wish we could help more animals, especially with winter upon us and so many people surrendering their ‘Covid’ pets back to these shelters now that their lives are back to normal. So many shelters are extremely overwhelmed. We plan to grow this and do this celebration for our anniversary and the shelter every September.”
Save the Date!
AIM Services, which is fundraising for the winter needs of the families it serves through its community services program, is excited about its 8th annual Vin Le Soir, “A Night in Florence.” The evening will feature musical entertainment by Fresh, chef-curated foods by Longfellows, and wine tastings by Brian “the wine guy” Gwynn. “Vin Le Soir is always a really nice event,” says Bo Goliber, AIM’s Chief Development and Communications Officer. “This year will be our best yet!”
**We value our subscribers! Use discount code SUBSTACK for $50 off.**
This year’s Saratoga Motorcar Auction just got a little bit bougier. Join Saratoga Living from 10am-3pm on September 24 and 25 in the VIP lounge at the annual auction, which this year will be held at the Saratoga Casino Hotel. In the morning, grab a snack while sipping coffee and mimosas made with Mionetto Prosecco; for lunch, join Bocage Champagne Bar for a high tea featuring tarts and treats, plus Graham Beck Rosé 2017, tea from Saratoga Tea & Honey, One With Life tequila tasting and Misunderstood Whiskey Co. Old Fashioneds; and in the afternoon, indulge in charcuterie by The Charcutebrie, wine tastings by Freixent and mini spa treatments with Complexions! Get your tickets now.
This Week in Saratoga Living After Hours
On Monday, we tackled three ‘Toga word plexers.
Then, on Tuesday, we investigated (hey, somebody’s gotta do it!) Saratoga’s intense mug club scene.
New Here? Check out some favorite Saratoga Living After Hours Stories:
The Unwritten Rules of the Victoria Pool