Don't Mess With Bill
Saratoga Springs has several marquee events during the season - the Dave Matthews Weekend at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, opening day at the track and the arrival of the New York City Ballet and the Philadelphia Orchestra are examples. But one Saturday surpasses them all - the running of the Travers Stakes, a Grade 1 race which started in 1864. This year it happens on August 26th and it’s the single biggest draw in the entire month and a half-long meet. The winner is presented with a blanket of carnations that’s 10 feet long and requires 1,500 flowers. The carnations are red and white, the track’s colors, and the blanket’s created the night before by a local florist. But what’s really fascinating is Mr Travers himself.