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And they're off ... almost

Saratoga Race Course holds family friendly open house at track

By Thomas Dimopoulos tdimopoulos@poststar.com
Monday, July 23, 2007 1:52 AM EDT

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- In two days' time, the field will be crowded with the winners and losers, the oddsmakers and the horsemen with names like Frankel and Zito, Pletcher, Contessa and Tagg.

But like a scene pulled from a modern-day version of Alice in Wonderland, Sunday belonged to the baby cougars, the racing coffee cups and a community of more than 20,000 people who descended upon the Saratoga Race Course for the 27th annual gathering of the open house at the track.

Kevin Sablich, his wife and their three children were attending Sunday's event for the first time, since their recent relocation to the area from Binghamton.The $2 pony rides topped the list for the Sablich children, despite the long lines that snaked around the paddock area for the popular ride.

"The wait was worth it," said Sablich, as the upbeat swamp-rock boogie of Captain Squeeze and the Zydeco Moshers filled the air with music on an afternoon bathed in sunny skies.

For Len Armer and his young daughter Kaitlyn, the presentation by "celebrity naturalist" Andrew Simmons got high marks for the live presentation of animals that included a cougar cub, a snapping turtle, a golden eagle and a Burmese python.For others, the day was about pure sport.Mike Murnan and his 11-year-old son, Will, came to watch the races the horses in the steeplechase races and the costumed humans in mascot races, as well.The latter pitted iced-coffee cups against area sports teams' mascots in what was billed as the first-ever "Running of the Cups."As the giant cups battled their way down the track, regular coffee beat the flavored versions, while decaf brought up the rear.In the battle between the mascots, the Albany Conquest's "Kid Quest" bested the Albany River Rats' "Rowdy," the Siena Saints' "St. Bernard" and the Tri-City Valley Cats' "Southpaw.""Kid Quest" then went on to take the championship by beating the iced-regular-coffee-cup champion in a final showdown.The cup race was part of a promotion for Dunkin' Donuts new line of fresh-brewed iced tea. Samples of the product were for sale during the day to benefit local Saratoga charities.

New York Racing Association Chief Executive Officer Charlie Hayward took in the afternoon activities on a day that marked the return to Saratoga Springs by Gavin Landry.After 12 years as president of the Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau, Landry recently left that position to become NYRA's senior vice president for sales and marketing."I've been on the job for three weeks now. For me, it's great to be back in Saratoga," said Landry, who made the trip north from Belmont Park."If today is any indication of how the summer will be, it's going to be a tremendous meet," said Landry, watching the crowd as people ventured between the backyard circus and performances by the Islip Horsemen's Association Drill Team.

The afternoon also featured guided tours of the backstretch, handicappingseminars, line dancing with Crackers the dancing horse and a Special Olympics equestrian demonstration."I've been getting a real feel for the type of commitment this organization has," said Landry, on the final day of the meet at Belmont Park, before everything moves north to Saratoga. "We have some tremendous people working at NYRA."As far as thoroughbreds are concerned, Landry said he was looking forward to the arrivals of Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches and Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, two of the more notable horses in the racing world right now.

"The horses," he said, "are coming in from all over the world."NYRA is one of four groups vying for the contract to run Belmont, Aqueduct and Saratoga after the current contract expires at the end of this year.On Friday, Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced his intention of making a recommendation to the Legislature regarding disposition of the franchise no later than Sept. 4.Wednesday is opening day of the 139th season at Saratoga Race Course. The 36-day meet will run until Sept. 3.