The Beat

Schenectady, N.Y. (August 3, 2021) – The US Tennis Association’s Eastern Section is returning to Schenectady’s Central park with their Adult League Sectional Championships over 3 weekends in August and 2 weekends in September.

Beginning this weekend, Schenectady will welcome hundreds of amateur tennis players from throughout New York State, Northern & Central New Jersey and Southern Connecticut. Men & women players will compete in age brackets of 18 & over, 40 & over, 55 & over and 65 & over. This marks a return to the area after the 2020 event was cancelled due to the pandemic. This year’s event will operate at 50% capacity, due to the ongoing concerns of the pandemic, with the balance of the tournament being held at a facility downstate. 

Bath, NY — On Sunday, August 8th, Mossy Bank Park will host the 2^nd annual The Hills on Fire Enduro XC which is a new kind of mountain bike race. The course is located in a young Hemlock stand with easy access for spectators and family and friends to watch. The course will be about 7-8 miles in length with a good mix of single and double track. There will be a 6 hour window to complete 4 laps of the course (solo riders will need to complete all four laps, while riders for two-person teams will need to do two laps each). The event is a fundraiser for the park. A Chicken BBQ will also be available as an additional fundraiser for the park. Award-winning Steuben Brewing Company will be on hand for craft beer tasting as well.

Saratoga Springs, N.Y. — The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will offer a variety of tours, programming, and special events this summer, as well as eight daily showings of the Museum’s new signature film, What It Takes: Journey to the Hall of Fame. Here are some of the highlights at the Museum this summer:  

Tom Durkin Museum Tours
Take a guided tour of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame with legendary track announcer Tom Durkin from July 15 through Sept. 6. Tours are Wednesday through Sunday and begin at 11 a.m. and are limited to 12 people. There are no tours on Mondays or Tuesdays. Reservations are required, and payment is required at the time of booking. The cost is $35 for the general public and $30 for Museum members. …

“On the Water: Angling Adventures” Showcases Erie Canal & World-Class NY Fishing Opportunities Enhanced by the Reimagine the Canals Initiative

The New York State Canal Corporation today announced the Reimagine the Canals initiative was recently featured on the NBC Sports program “On the Water: Angling Adventures.” The television show highlighted the successful launch of a pilot program that strategically used water from the Erie Canal to enhance already renowned fishing opportunities in Western New York during the fall of 2020. The full episode can be found here.

Saratoga Springs, N.Y. — Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (KY), seven-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher, and 13-time champion steeplechase trainer Jack Fisher comprise the National Museum of Racing’s 2021 Hall of Fame class. American Pharoah and Pletcher were elected in the contemporary category in their first year of eligibility and Fisher was chosen by the Museum’s Steeplechase Review Committee, which meets once every four years.

The class of 2021 will be enshrined along with the 2020 inductees — trainer Mark Casse, jockey Darrel McHargue, horses Tom Bowling and Wise Dan, and Pillars of the Turf Alice Headley Chandler, J. Keene Daingerfield, Jr., and George D. Widener, Jr. — on Friday, Aug. 6, at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion in Saratoga Springs at 10:30 a.m.

Part of National Museum of Racing’s Foal Patrol Season 4

Saratoga Springs, N.Y. — To the Moon Alice, an 8-year-old mare owned by Old Tavern Farm, delivered a filly by stallion Uncle Mo at 2 a.m. on April 7 at Old Tavern as part of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame’s Foal Patrol Season 4. Both the mare and foal are healthy and doing well. This is the second foal of the season delivered on Foal Patrol, following Miss Chapin colt by Oscar Performance at Mill Ridge in Kentucky on Feb. 26.

Saratoga Springs, N.Y. — Six racehorses, three trainers, and one jockey account for the 10 finalists that will comprise the National Museum of Racing’s 2021 Hall of Fame ballot, as chosen by the Museum’s Hall of Fame Nominating Committee. The finalists are racehorses American Pharoah (first year of eligibility), Blind Luck, Game On Dude, Havre de Grace, Kona Gold, and Rags to Riches; trainers Christophe Clement, Doug O’Neill, and Todd Pletcher (first year of eligibility); and jockey Corey Nakatani.

Hall of Fame voters may select as many or as few candidates as they believe are worthy of induction to the Hall of Fame. All candidates that receive 50 percent plus one vote (majority approval) from the voting panel will be elected to the Hall of Fame. All of the finalists were required to receive support from two-thirds of the 15-member Nominating Committee to qualify for the ballot.

Saratoga Springs, N.Y. — Coinciding with the 2020 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Race Course, a new interactive exhibit will debut at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame to showcase the history of the Breeders’ Cup and the Eclipse Awards — two annual thoroughbred racing events that celebrate the best competitors of the sport.

Museum visitors can explore a searchable race footage archive containing replays of every Breeders’ Cup race since the inaugural championship weekend was held at Hollywood Park in 1984 and view a historical listing of Eclipse Award winners by category on two interactive touchscreens in the Museum lobby.

With new state-of-the-art Hall of Fame and multiple exhibit openings

Saratoga Springs, N.Y. — The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will reopen to the public on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 9 a.m. The Museum has been closed since January for the installation of a new state-of-the-art Hall of Fame experience as well as multiple new and updated exhibitions. The Museum has put in place a number of enhanced safety protocols in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and is a Saratoga Cares Stay Safe Pledge institution with a commitment to the health of Saratoga County residents, workers, and visitors.

Saratoga Springs, N.Y. — The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will present a summer virtual children’s program series beginning Thursday, July 16, geared toward ages 3 through 8. These free online programs will be prerecorded and posted to the Museum’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NMRHOF each week for families to experience at their convenience. A new program will be posted every Thursday through Aug. 27. This week’s program, “Get Ready for the Races,” focuses on fun facts for children about the role of jockeys. There will also be opportunities for children to draw their own racing silks on a downloadable coloring sheet.