We're at the half-way mark of the storied session and, Travers festivities notwithstanding, you would have to think that the people in charge here would like to get out of Dodge.

This was to be the meeting to end all meetings. The stars were aligned. Funny Cide. Seabiscuit. Now, star-crossed seems the more apt description. And suddenly a meeting to end all meetings takes on a whole new meaning.

To say things have not gone well here would be to understate developments. It began with some vitriolic re-write on State Street in Albany and could end badly courtesy of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of the State of New York.

Weather has conspired to wreak havoc on attendance and handle, both down significantly. Unlimited O.T.B. simulcasting hasn't helped. Consider, for instance, the numbers at Ellis Park, where they offer full fields but a product inferior to Saratoga's. Their handle is up 23 percent. Total handle at Saratoga is down eight percent, with off-track numbers leading the losses.

There have been more than a handful of unfortunate refunds here, to the detriment of the bottom line, but a refund that wasn't made last Saturday, to the detriment of an unfortunate public that made Silver Magic their 5-2 choice. 

There have been three disqualifications from the win position and a host more from other payoff spots which always seems to hurt more people than it helps, even though in reality it's more of a 50-50 thing.

The only winner, ironically, has been the state and that's because Saratoga is a great place to replenish claiming stock. Trainers are unafraid to drop horses in price for a chance to stand in the winners' circle here which, like many other quaint traditions, has gone the way of cement. But sales tax from fifty-five high-priced claims provides a windfall of revenue for New York. 

Saratoga 135 and we're halfway home. The Alabama and Travers are coming up strong and the juveniles are putting on their usual great show. Halfway home after 18 days. And only another 18 racing cards before a beleaguered association can head south again to Gotham, proving that you can still run as long as you don't run out of racetrack. 

Wednesday, August 6: Between Monday evening and first post, almost two inches of rain fell; sealed slop, no turf. The only people to do any good were Todd Pletcher, a training triple, and Jerry Bailey, whose mount in the feature, originally scheduled for turf at 11 furlongs but run at 9 furlongs on dirt. What about, say, 10 furlongs? We have always been told that when distance and surface changes are made, the priority was to maintain the integrity of the original event. Juvenile turf races at 1-1/16th mile are turned back to 7 furlongs, logical and proper when dealing with inexperienced youngsters. The argument for today's more abrupt turn-back was that the shorter distance would help keep the field in tact. May Gator, questionable even at 9 furlongs, got loose beneath J.D. in :24 4/5 and :48 4/5. Dance over. The remaining three marathoners had little chance given the conditions. Meanwhile, when will Bailey's rivals learn? They all seem intimidated into backing off when J.D. wants the lead. Well, diary has a solution. Import the aggressive Danny Cappello Jr. and John Stark Jr. from across the street. Somebody's got to go first over on this guy.... The interesting races of the afternoon were for babies, even though the second was a mess from the break. Debuting Zelig and Call the Lark were virtually eliminated at the start, the latter a bit more interesting since he finished with interest under intermittent urging in a good educational run. Debuting Run Mikey Run was bumped soundly then raced greenly the entire stretch... Nick Zito has worked hard trying to establish a reputation for giving his newcomers an educational run. So now he wins with two first-timers at the same meet! There was, of course, the extremely talented Birdstone. Today it was state-bred Aladdin's Lamp, a much-the-best winner, his rival's problems notwithstanding. After settling suddenly on the turn, youngster angled 8-wide into stretch beneath Edgar Prado and inhaled the group, drawing off late. A winning Zito firster? Can't count on anything anymore!

Thursday, August 7: Yesterday's question answered. Racing Secretary Mike Lakow, reiterating the association's wish to keep races in tact when turf events are rescheduled, altered the pattern of re-scheduling distances. Two-turn grass races for 2-year-olds will continue reverting to 7 furlongs. Mile turf races for older horses will turn back to seven-eighths. Races carded beyond one mile will continue to be run around two turns. Races of 1-1/16, 1-1/8, 1-3/16 and 1-3/8 will all be run at 9 furlongs. Races of 1-1/2 and 1-5/8 miles will be run at 1-3/16 miles. Diary still thinks true marathons should be run at 1-1/4 miles, preserving the integrity of the original event. Altering the liberal scratch policy in effect here would probably do more for field size than any new distance alterations... Anofferucantrefuse took advantage of yielding conditions to lead throughout the Smithwick Memorial steeplechase in a strong speed performance, the second Smithwick score for trainer Tom Voss, having his usual good meet. Praise the Prince finished well for place but Trebizond appeared uncomfortable in the last six furlongs, trapped inside and never able to gain full stride; could be an upsetter in the Grade 1 New York Turf Writers' Cup Handicap... Pletcher won a state-bred sprint for juvenile fillies with the scopey Capeside Lady authoritatively. Runner-up Bellanique impressed with a strong run too late on the fence, galloping out strongly. Yet another Phil Serpe trainee to fire at the meet... Steve Asmussen, America's second leading trainer in number of victories, is having a strong stand. Argentine-bred Bauhauser was bet with confidence to win the feature and did not disappoint after a strong, stalking handling from Richard Migliore... Johnny Velazquez won his fourth of the day and gave Pletcher a double with debuting Flawless Diamond, a comprehensive winner after Velazquez stole the march from the rail with a gutsy move into the turn. Just no stopping this team.

Friday, August 8: Yes, Quiet Challenge lugged in, intimidating Devil's Vintage while that one was bearing out under left-handed pressure. Dairy thought both horses contributed to the mid-stretch incident. The much-the-best winner was placed second. The good news is that there is a rule change under serious consideration in Albany that will free the judges from their role as traffic cops looking for lane violations. Some think the new rule could open Pandora's Box even wider. Diary's thinking is that it can't get worse so let's roll the dice. The next step, one that's overdue, is for stewards' rulings to be made public. The adjudication process is televised in Australia. Dairy will settle for knowing how each of the three judges voted. Bettors who feed billions of dollars into the pool each year are entitled to know. In every other sport, referees are accountable and their work is reviewed. Why not racing?... Horses to watch include juveniles Eurosilver and Apple Krisp. Winning Silver Wagon was clearly best but Hopeful-bound colt received clever rail handling from Trip Doctor Bailey. Debuting Eurosilver was very game after facing sustained pressure throughout. Apple Krisp would be well spotted turning back from 7 furlongs... Ellis Basin was extremely game...Bill Mott-trained Stockholder was explosive and appears stakes bound...Finality won the state-bred West Point under confident Velazquez handling. Late-rally Quiet Ruler lost too much stretch ground.

Saturday, August 9: Silver Magic was in the grasp of the assistant starter when she dwelt. All monies should have been refunded. They were not... Good for Shane Sellers. After being thrown from a juvenile in a morning workout, he returned from Saratoga Hospital to ride two consecutive winners. He probably could have won with Deb's Charm with both arms in traction. This juvenile miss is fast and impressive. Her connections are extremely high on her and she lived up to the billing, drawing off, much the best. Certainly looks like a Spinaway filly. Runnerup Oneofacat was much improved in her second start; follow...The Year of the New York-bred continues. Whitmore's Conn impressed winning Belmont's Bowling Green and handled Grade 1 ccompetition with facility, taking the Sword Dancer under clever handling from Jean-Luc Samyn. Good for Samyn, good for Randy Schulhofer, too, his first Grade 1 winner. And good for McMahon Thoroughbreds, birth place of Funny Cide and Whitmore's Conn. Race favorite Denon suffered through a wide trip--a very tough go at 12 furlongs on turf... Phil Gleaves obviously has Doc's Doll's whole card. The re-claim ran off the screen following the mid-race move.

Sunday, August 10: The sun came out today about five times, which is to say, it rained. And it rained and it rained, heavily before the third race. When the area above the quarter pole became a deep sea of slop and Fifth Edition unseated Pat Day in the post parade, ran off, refusing to be caught, the jockeys inspected the surface and, voila, race cancelled. Only at Saratoga, or at least it just seems that way... Durmiente, a victim of overconfident handling, was narrowly defeated by first-time gelding Lord Burleigh under the heady, aggressive Cornelio Velasquez. A $438,000 carryover was assured when odds on Shake You Down went down to defeat in the A.G. Vanderbilt... Velasquez did, however, rate Frost Warning into submission. Horse and rider deserve a chance to make amends; note... Private Horde, upset winner of the Vanderbilt, certainly doesn't cool his heels in one place very long. Since last summer, he's raced at Prairie Meadows, Kentucky Downs, Hoosier, Turfway, Churchill, Mountaineer and Calder. Add Saratoga to the list and, for a long-striding colt whose father, Brunswick, won the Whitney here 10 years ago, he certainly loves wet racetracks. The Vanderbilt was his fifth wet-track score in eight lifetime starts. ..Wesley Ward quietly having a big meet, with two wins from three starters, this time with 3-year-old maiden breaker Elusive Indian, second in his debut on Hollywood Park turf,  now a wet track winner in Saratoga, with a strong two-moves-on-the-lead open lengths score. Interesting gelding; follow.

Monday, August 11: As bad as things have gone for the association this meet, that's how good they've gone for Todd Pletcher. School For Scandal won the second race as easily as Pletcher will win his second consecutive training title here. The filly was his 24th winner in 18 days, which tied the record set by Sylvester Veitch in a 24-day meeting in1954. "What [Veitch] did was a phenomenal accomplishment," said Pletcher. "He had a small stable of horses and won at a high percentage. You really can't compare what he did because the business is different than it was fifty years ago." Pletcher is reported to have 192 horses in training, half of them 2-year-olds. It is one thing to have barns full of stock. It's another to have them perform at such a high level. Job very well done... The equine stars of the day were a pair of 2-year-old fillies. Trainer Pat Byrne unleashed a talented second-time starter, Everyday Angel, who broke her maiden by daylight and did so rapidly. Filly is stakes bound. Patrick Biancone unleashed a second-time starter in Whoppi Cat, who found another gear to run by a game Unbridled Beauty late in the 88th Adirondack Stakes, her second win in as many starts... There were 997 winners of Pick Six at $1,247 a copy from a pool that totaled nearly $2-million, including three in the press box alone. Don't ask.