September 1, 2025
My initial thought for this month’s article was to write about a place that was once a very big part of my life, and a place that I just recently returned from. The place? Can you guess? Read on as I relive some of my earlier experiences at this special place.
- John’s Farm. It is now the late 1950s in Astoria, Queens. George Connolly, the Sunday day shift bartender of Killeen’s Tavern (I would own it during 1961-3) – home of the legendary Killeen’s Tavern basketball team, for which I served as coach – decided to take a host of patrons for a 4-day weekend vacation at John’s Farm, located somewhere in the Catskills. Fun times. The second or third year finds the vacationing crew making a 2 ½ hour drive north for a day at the races. Enter Saratoga Springs and its accompanying racetrack. The saga begins with an annual visit to the track from this time forth (less one year for Covid). I assume this has got to be a record .
- Holiday Inn. After the first visit to Saratoga, three members of the group (including your favorite author) continue the tradition with one week summer vacations at Saratoga. The price tag for the first visit to the HI: $19.95 per day. Enter great restaurants.
- The Wishing Well. W2 was located 3 miles north of Saratoga on Route 9. It was the most expensive restaurant in town. It was owned by Bob and Benda Lee, and the bartender was 6’8” Peter. The piano bar player was Paula, who had to be at least a century old. I loved the lamb chops with their tomatoes and cornbread. The place was always mobbed during those early years.
- DeGregory’s. This was a bar located due southeast of Route 9 in town. The band featured Vince DeGregory (the owner’s son) on the sax, who also served as jockey Angel Cordero’s agent. The place was jumping every night and the place was infested with jockeys, agents, owners, and trainers. One night, I tried to dance (the Theodore Shuffle) on the bar and nearly killed myself. And yes, I was not sober — I drank in those days. Wild times. Who said you can’t have fun in a college (Skidmore) town?
- Green Mountain Racetrack. An evening visit to GMR, located in Pownall, VT, was another highlight during that period. I still remember crossing the tracks prior to entering the track. The place was a real dump, but I loved the place. There was racing for not only horses, but also trotters and dogs.
- Grand Union Motel. We “graduated” to the GUM when the rate at the HI started approaching $300/night. We loved this place with a beautiful swimming pool and something less than pleasant owners (a brother and sister). The place went to pot soon after they sold the motel several years later.
- Depe Dene. Located on Lake George 30 miles north of SS. Now married with three kids, this motel served as our summer residence for 3 years. It was lots of fun, particularly for the kids, but there was the 30 mile drive to the races.
- Hinsdale, New Hampshire. It is here where my group really got introduced to off-track betting. In addition to dog racing, this facility provided – for the first time – betting at nearly every pari-mutual track in the U.S. You would hear the words “it is now post time” approximately every 15 seconds. We also came to love this place as our interest in SS racing started to wane. It was initially two racing days here and three at SS.
- Albany. It is now a new century. We soon moved our early stay from Hinsdale to the OTB facility in Albany, followed by checkout, followed by a day at SS, followed by the trip home – effectively eliminating a stay at SS. Evenings continued to be spent in SS because of the great restaurants.
- Pennell’s. When you talk great restaurants in SS, Pennel’s heads my list. The kids and grandkids also love Solevo’s Kitchen and Osteria Danny. Pennell’s (a family restaurant since 1922), owned by Bruce Cerone (from the Mama Leone family in NYC) was always jumping. A great bar complimented a great restaurant. In addition to their salad, my two favorite dishes are the meatballs and the strip steak. You really can’t go wrong here; it is the Four Seasons restaurant of SS.
- The Triangle. The Triangle Diner – owned by Pat and Laura Diggins – is located 500 feet north of town on Route 9. The place is small and dated, parking is always a problem, there are flies outdoors, and you usually have to wait for a table. But trust me, it is worth it. All the breakfast and lunch items are great. Make it a point to stop by this joint.
- The Gideon Putman Hotel. Located on 2200 breathtaking, beautiful acres in the heart of the Saratoga Spa State Park (a National Historic landmark, referred to by some of the Jewel of Saratoga), it has become our three-day vacation spot at the end of the meet in late August / early September. I don’t care for the place; it needs some major renovations. But Mary likes it. The kids love it. And, the grandkids really love it. However, I have to admit that it has a classic country-setting charm, even though it is only about a mile from the track, casino, and center of town. It features a beautiful pool, tennis courts, a golf course, a putting green, trails for hiking, and a massive number of exquisite trees.
But that was then. There is no question that Saratoga has become NYRA’s (New York Racing Association) premiere race meet. But here’s more. It features senseless 30+ minutes between races, shocking calls (and non-calls by stewards that deserve investigation), disseminated cards, cancelled races, small fields, a race run at the wrong distance (how is this possible?) and horses breaking down (and dying). According to NYRA it’s the in-place to be. However, it’s also the in-place to get gouged. I attended the races in late August this year and got treated to a $10 entrance fee, a $25 grandstand seat, a $20 parking fee, a $9 program, and some truly outrageous prices on food, drinks, souvenirs, etc. Naturally, the local businesses have adopted NYRA policies: $400 a night room accommodation (with no maid service the previous year), dinner prices that are something to behold, drinks, etc. There was a good crowd that race day but many of the grandstand seats were not occupied. Thank you, NYRA! Obviously, the locals chose to stand in tight quarters, packed together, rather than being bilked. Meanwhile, the state officials who support NYRA and the thoroughbred industry look the other way. When my crowd thinks of NYRA the words corrupt and (in particular) incompetence resonate.
Despite it all, Saratoga is still worth a one-day visit during the racing season. Time permitted, take a walk through the original racetrack grandstand that is still a fire trap and consider a brief drive through the beautiful Skidmore College campus
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OCTOBER 1: On the Stoop (Down Memory Lane)
NOVEMBER 1: Hello Basketball, Goodbye Baseball
DECEMBER 1: Undecided
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