Talk of the Town: Belmont Edition
Talk of the Town: Belmont Edition
The celebs in town, what's happened so far and who to bet in today's big race. PLUS: a local chef's shot at fame and Whitman PrideFest pics.
For a (very) brief moment, I considered writing about something other than the Belmont this week. And while I’m sure there are plenty of other things going on around upstate New York…I certainly haven’t heard about them, so here we go.
All anyone can talk about—in person and on social media—is the third leg of the Triple Crown, which kicks off at 6:41pm today, and the hoopla surrounding it or the efforts of the misguided to avoid it. (Bah humbug.) Sure, the actual racing fans are talking about the actual Belmont Stakes field (more on that later), but the rest of us have plenty more to discuss:
What celebrities are in town for the weekend? Will there actually be 50,000 more people in town this weekend than normal? How much will the cover be at Siro’s tonight? Will the whole experiment of bringing the Belmont up to Saratoga be a bust?
Here’s what we’ve seen and heard:
Day 1 Report
When I got to the track on Thursday around 12:45pm, my first thought was that the backyard seemed pretty empty. Indeed, NewsChannel 13 reported that the mad dash for picnic tables typical of opening day of the Saratoga season was more of a “leisurely stroll” on the opening day of the Belmont Racing Festival. When I ran into the National Museum of Racing’s Brien Bouyea, who’d stopped by the track for a few hours before heading back to work to prep for Thursday night’s Belmont Gala, he said the crowd was pretty much what he expected, and that more people might show up in the afternoon for the larger stakes races.
Up in the Clubhouse and Cutwater Stretch boxes, the story was largely the same. At least one avid better was on a solo mission, after his wife bailed because of the weather forecast. (It was quite hot in the sun, but the rain ended up holding off and it was actually quite chilly in the late afternoon.) One bartender who’d traveled from St. Louis to work admitted he was disappointed at the lack of money he was making.
Speaking of bartenders, there are a few more than there usually are, given the Belmont policy prohibiting outside alcohol. “The fans are fed up that you can’t bring in alcohol,” one 20-something in a DraftKings hat said. “Beer is $15. Bullsh**.” He went on to explain that he was testing out sneaking some alcohol in later in the weekend; he’d only brought water with him Thursday, but the person at the gate barely dug around in his cooler.
Around the track, things looked largely like they normally do, with some added Belmont branding. One food truck was serving the “Belmont Steak” (who would order a steak at the track is beyond me) and cocktail tents set up around the picnic area were serving Belmont Jewels made with bourbon, lemonade and pomegranate, served in take-home souvenir cups. The Jim Dandy bar had been renovated, as had some of the bathrooms, much to one Saratogian’s dismay.
On my way out, I ran into a camera crew from LA shooting a Netflix documentary, though I couldn’t convince them to tell me what it was about.
That evening, the big winners were definitely the guys in charge of the food for the Stretch boxes. “It was def crazy,” said one. “We had a few bottles—it was one of the chef’s birthday.” Well done.
Day 2 Report
I stayed home yesterday, but when Abby got to the track in time to see Aubrey Allicock (who’s starring in both Opera Saratoga shows this summer) perform the National Anthem, she immediately texted me: “Today is already better.” She proceeded to send me updates throughout the day, including when the number 9 horse in the third race took off without a jockey (“there’s a jockey-less horse and nobody’s talking about it”), and when more Opera Saratoga performers took to a stage in the winner’s circle to sing the hits from this summer’s Guys and Dolls.
The day went off seemingly without a hitch—until a 4:30pm downpour. As everyone in the backyard ran for cover without even thinking of packing up, first-time visitors marveled that no one was worried about their stuff getting stolen.
Off the track, Saratoga’s Broadway Deli owner Dan Chessare was being his curmudgeonly self, posting on Instagram that business had been slow on Thursday and that the Hardy concert at SPAC didn’t sell well because of the hotel price inflation caused by the Belmont. Meanwhile, Saratoga Spring Water was delivering signature Belmont bottles to downtown businesses by way of horse-drawn carriage, and my friends were considering crashing the not-publicized Fasig-Tipton gala.
The storm knocked out power at UPH, forcing them to cancel their planned “MULLETT” concert, and at Chianti—sending masses of people to its sister restaurant Forno Bistro. The chaos was manageable, but it didn’t stop inebriated folks from slurring that they swore they knew Carina Rodriguez (“is that you?” one guy asked the bemused hostess). One guy ordered a bottle of Chianti before stumbling out and leaving only $70 on his $200 tab. “He’s just drunk,” shrugged the waiter after unsuccessfully trying to run after him.
Betting the Belmont
On Tuesday night, Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga hosted Embrace the Belmont, a handicapping seminar based around the Belmont, at the National Museum of Racing. The goal of the event was to demystify horse racing, and host Donna Brothers spent the first part of the evening teaching attendees how to read a horse’s past performances. After that, she welcomed pro handicappers Acacia Clement, Maggie Wolfendale-Morley and Seth Merrow on stage to discuss the field for the 156th running of the Test of the Champion.
“Nobody has stepped forward,” Seth said of this year’s 3-year-old crop of Thoroughbreds. Indeed, in 25 notable races run so far (including Derby prep races, plus the Derby itself and the Preakness) 21 different horses have won. Of the four that have won two races, Derby winner Mystik Dan and the Chad Brown–trained Sierra Leone, both of whom will run this afternoon, stand out to the pros. Also on their radar: Antiquarian, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez. “In Todd Pletcher we trust,” Maggie said.
Eyes are also on Preakness winner Seize the Grey, who was purchased at Fasig-Tipton in Saratoga just two years ago. The horse is trained by the legendary D. Wayne Lukas (who at 88 became the oldest trainer to win a Triple Crown race) and owned by MyRacehorse, an ownership platform that allows racing fans to buy shares of Thoroughbreds for as little as $100 a share. Seize the Grey has 2,570 micro-share owners and counting, including Wisconsin resident Andy Paar, who watched his horse win the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile Stakes on Kentucky Derby Day. “As a 53-year-old, there are not as many euphoric moments in life as there used to be,” Paar said. “This was one of them.” Last night, Seize the Grey owners who are in town for the big race gathered for a sold-out (“there are simply too many owners!” one lamented) Belmont pre-party at The Night Owl.
Throughout the week, devoted Seize the Grey fans gathered every morning to say “I love you, Grey!” to the horse while he was doing his runs with his training rider, Miguel. “It’s a ritual,” said Sue Jeffreys, who had high praises for Lukas’ behind-the-scenes folks. Word on the street is that unlike the ultra-organized Preakness, NYRA chose not to plan ahead in case of a Grey win—so if he wins, thousands could storm the winner’s circle.
Star Power
An occasion as momentous as the Belmont Stakes will naturally draw some big names, but this week, Saratogians may have gotten a little carried away with who they’ve “seen” around town. Celeb sightings that we know to be accurate: Afroman, who performed Thursday night at Putnam Place, and Joseph Gannascoli, who played Vito in The Sopranos.
Dave Portnoy was spotted at Coat Room after a rough day of betting (“it’s been a bloodbath,” he whined on Instagram) at the 1863 club.
Celeb chef Daniel Boulud took in some races before doing the food for the NYRA Foundation’s Belmont Ball (tickets were an eye-popping $650 apiece, and proceeds went to Thoroughbred aftercare and the backstretch)—and then hopping a private jet for a party at the Ritz-Carlton Montreal.
Today, Idina Menzel will be singing “New York, New York” at the track, and social media personality Anthony “Too Turnt Tony” Dawson will be hosting his second post-race party of the weekend at Siro’s later today.
Then there are the rumors, most notably about Post Malone. The singer is said to have been seen at Kings Tavern, with claims flying around social media that he’s staying at The Adelphi. Post does have a song with Hardy, who performed at SPAC last night, but someone on the What’s Going on Saratoga Facebook page found a post showing him in Nashville. “Sorry to burst your bubble but Posty can’t be in Nashville and Saratoga at the same time,” the anonymous poster wrote. While the post only had three likes, one comment had 11: “What if Pre Malone was the one in Saratoga?”
—Natalie and Abby
Quote of the Week
“I want a Redbull vodka to start my day.”
—Overheard at the track
Top Chef
Hamlet & Ghost Chef Alex Lempka (you may remember him from the cover of our Fall 2023 issue!) is in the running for The Favorite Chef competition hosted by celebrity chef Carla Hall. The winner of the contest will appear on the cover of Taste of Home, cook with Carla herself, and receive $25,000. What’ll Alex do with that money? Start a pop-up with the hope to grow it into a full-fledged project. Think Saratoga needs more restaurant pop-ups? Vote for Alex here through Thursday at 7pm.
Along for the Pride
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