Vibe Check: "The Races!" With Acacia Clement
'Saratoga Living' celebrated the season in style at Panza's Restaurant.
On Tuesday evening, fans of Saratoga Living and Acacia Clement had free reign (or should we say “rein”?) of Panza’s, one of the Spa City’s most iconic Italian restaurants. The occasion was “The Races!” Issue release party, and our cover subject was the guest of honor.
“It was really wonderful to have a chance to show all the sides of me,” Acacia said about the article that ran in our most recent issue. “People used to think of me as that girl that was Miss Connecticut, but now I’ve established myself in my career and with Racing for Home.”
Acacia arrived with her parents, Connecticut residents Sherrie and Brian, in tow, and her husband, Miguel, came after work at the Clement stable at the track. Miguel himself was responsible for at least one guest’s attendance: Steve, who owns horses through West Point Thoroughbreds, remembers a time Miguel went out of his way to be nice to him, and has been fans of the Clement family ever since.
Other attendees were there in the spirit of racing season and in support of Saratoga Living: Mary Barker, who admitted she’d had a drink mid-afternoon over a game of Mahjong (it’s summer, after all!); Christina and Abby from Lift Marketing, who declared that their summer mission is to “get out more”; Kim McConchie, who assured Saratoga Living CEO Abby Tegnelia that “orange is the new pink” when discussing their outfits for the Whitney Stakes (Abby here: Don’t worry, Kim—I’ll be in pink! I’ll wear the orange Saturday at the Racing Museum/Carson Kressley party); Laurie Scott, who was spreading the word about her new nonprofit, Great Strides Equestrian Foundation; and the woman behind the much-wondered-about, anonymous @seeninsaratoga Instagram account, who entrusted us with her identity.
On the menu was an impressive Italian spread by Chef Tony Panza, who snuck out of the kitchen a few times to observe the party discreetly. Standout dishes included the spinach artichoke dip, peanut skewers and shrimp cocktail. In fact, the food was so good that many people never left the room where the food was served to mingle in the other room, where Acacia herself was holding court, happily smiling for photos with fans. The passed hors d’oeuvres were also a hit, though one guest had to turn a server away when he offered her an arancini ball stuffed with rice, cheese and mushrooms.
“You lost me on the mushrooms,” she said.
“I know.”
Mionetto, which is now available at the track this summer, provided the wine and prosecco, and guests were able to belly up to the Panza’s bar for any other drinks. (“I’m getting a martini for the olives,” said Dani Geils. When her date ate the last one, he quickly ran to the bar for a replacement skewer.)
Throughout the evening, Saratoga Living photographer Nate Seitelman snapped photos of the festivities, as did the aforementioned woman behind @seeninsaratoga (our lips are sealed on her name—for now!), who told me she’s in the process of transforming her controversial Instagram account into a local play on the cult celebrity gossip account @DeuxMoi. When I told her that I have a friend who’s afraid to leave the house in sweats for fear of being featured on her page, she assured me and the rest of the Saratoga public: “Maybe I’ll take an unflattering picture of your ex,” she said, “but never of you.”
Keep scrolling for party guest pictures by Nate Seitelman!
—Natalie
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