There is no shortage of ways to spend money in Saratoga Springs, New York. For more than a century, this town nestled among the Catskills, Berkshires, and Adirondacks has catered to the tastes of the wealthy, in the 19th
century attracting gamblers, spa-goers, and society’s elite, more recently attracting…gamblers, spa-goers, and society’s elite.
On Friday, the 144th Thoroughbred racing meet here will kick off, bringing thousands of visitors to this town of almost 30,000, thousands of visitors who will spend millions of dollars on hotels, meals, pari-mutuel tickets, spa treatments, and yearling Thoroughbreds. Saratoga is nothing if not sybaritic.
But those visitors—and residents—will also spend thousands, if not millions, of philanthropic dollars, too. When the horses come to town, so do the racing-related charities, many of which hold their major fundraisers during the racing meet.
Unsurprisingly, many of the organizations focus on equine welfare, particularly Thoroughbred aftercare: rescue, retirement, re-training, re-homing. Old Friends at Cabin Creek, a Thoroughbred retirement farm not far from Saratoga, is holding its event this Saturday, July 21; Equine Advocates follows with an awards dinner and auction on August 2; and the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation has its event three days later on August 5. Tickets for these events range from $75 to $350; all involve some combination of cocktails, dinner, dancing, and fund-raising through auctions.
A number of organizations support the people who ride and take care of the horses. Both the Racetrack Chaplaincy of America and Backstretch Employees Service Team (B.E.S.T.) offer a variety of services to grooms, hotwalkers, and exercise riders. The Chaplaincy will hold several events, including a jockeys’ basketball game on July 25 for a suggested donation of $15 (and before you scoff at the notion of jockeys playing basketball—some of these guys have serious game) and a series of jazz evenings on July 21 and August 11 and 18.
The announcer’s booth at Saratoga offers a stunning view of one of America’s most beautiful sporting venues, and nearly every day of the meet (which runs from July 20 to Labor Day), six track patrons can join Saratoga race caller Tom Durkin for the third race; a donation of $100 each goes to B.E.S.T.
The Belmont Child Care Association (full disclosure: I’m a board member) offers low-cost child care and pre-school education to the children of backstretch workers, opening at 5 a.m. every day of the year; you can join them at their “Denim and Diamonds” event on August 22 to sip cocktails, eat dinner, and bid on a wide variety of silent and live auction items.
You don’t have to be a millionaire to attend these events; while some are pricey, others offer the chance to contribute without breaking the bank, and many offer reasonably priced silent auction items.
With events nearly every night through the summer, one might expect charity fatigue to set in, but having attended many of these events through the years, I can attest to the enthusiasm and dedication with which many in the racing industry attend. Owners, trainers, and jockeys show up tirelessly, volunteering their time and spending their money, adding their donations to those of people outside the industry, people who come because they love racing and want to support the human and equine athletes who make it happen.
Details about these events are available on the websites of the organizations; if you’re interested in more information and can’t find it, leave a comment and I’ll see if I can steer you in the right direction.
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