Last Tuesday morning's workouts...





And a nice bath afterwards...



A shot of the grandstand...



And another one up the backstretch...



The Morning Line Cafe...I sat down to eat my egg sandwich and next to me was...Johnny V! Great place to hang and hear all the gossip!



Forever Together a few days after the Diana...



And her buddy...her groom told us this little guy pretty much sleeps most of the day in front of her stall...



It was my maiden voyage to Saratoga. I surely hope to be back soon!

Nice shots, pbob! I'm just thankful you led with that first photo rather than the second one. (Do the math, guys) LOL

P.S. - I'm getting silly again. Those damn Silver bullets in the sun!

Great photos, PBob!!!

A question: how does one gain access to the backside?

GAM:

I was staying with my friend Sean Clancy, who publishes the Saratoga Special, so I was hanging out with him. Security was tight in a few spots, but in some access areas there was little to none. It looked like if you went in for breakfast through the main entrance on Union Street, if you hooked an immediate left and went around the top side of the track (top of stretch), you could get all the way back pretty easily. That Morning Line cafe is right in the middle of the backstretch, pretty much right off the track. At a certain point they don't ask for any kind of credentials, and it certainly seemed like there were a lot of (non-credentialed) fans/trackers there who just drove in somehow...

PB

Bob, didn't you know you were a friend of Clancy's! Please tell him I said hello; don't get to see him outside of Keeneland and the Derby much these days. And, NEVER go to the Partying Glass, nor an Irish Pub in the Fell's Point area with him and Joe. Those boys are crazy!! We'll, maybe fatherhood has softened them up a bit.... that was 10 years or so ago when that kind of stuff used to happen.

Ozzy, was that a play on words there? The Parting Glass had become one of my favorite Saratoga haunts the last few years I made it up. Guess, in that way, it might've become the Partying Glass, too. LOL.

To add a little to what P'bob wrote...it's easy to get to the Spa's backside if you "look like you belong" and walk over from the grandstand side. I doubt you'd be able to drive in without a pass because security for car entrance is much tighter.

During the morning works wear a pair of jeans and boots or sneakers and nobody will question you. Just look at P'Bob's photos!

Once the race day starts security is even more lax for people walking over from the grandstand.

Added bonuses - the food at the backside cafe is a lot cheaper than on the grandstand side, there are ample picnic tables to sit at and things are a lot quieter. And they have betting windows with practically no lines. Go over for couple of races mid-program, watch a 6F race, stand on the rail next to the starting gate and get yourself on TV! A great way to take a break from the grandstand crowds on a busy weekend raceday.

Great shots and excellent information!

http://upinclass.blogspot.com/

Yeah a trainer bud snuck me over there once--coffee-sandwiches-etc---about 50% of the price over on the track. Auction barns another place for --well I wouldn't call it "bargain" prices but a hell of a lot better than on-track.

GAM, you know what, never even noticed the Freudian Slip there! Partying Glass is more of an accurate description than Parting Glass any way!!

Have spent some time at the Parting Glass over the years especially when GAM used to religiously make it to town for the Travers. I remember one particulat Travers night when Cordero happened to show up. We were chatting at the bar while 3 deep trying to get a refill when Sam The Bugler strolled in and immediately climbed atop the bar and began playing. There's no better party place than Saratoga Travers week.

LL