The New York Times, Joe Drape, has confirmed that super filly and Preakness winner, Rachel Alexandra, will race against the boys again the the Woodward Stakes here in Saratoga on Saturday, September 5th.  Saratoga Arms does have limited availability left for that weekend (Labor Day) and would welcome anyone who would like to continue to watch history.  Run like a girl Rachel!!!

 Opening Day and the excitement throughout the city of Saratoga Springs is palpable.  Up and down the crowded sidewalks visitors mingle with townsfolk, darting in and out of shops and restaurants, chatting on the benches, admiring the artistic horse sculptures, and the lush hanging baskets.  Flags are waving proclaiming the arrival of the 141st meet at Saratoga Race Course.  The Daily Racing Form is the preferred reading choice.  The town is hopping and we are ready.

The Smith family and the staff of Saratoga Arms are welcoming back old friends who return year after year to their favorite Saratoga Springs Hotel.  We are confident that first time guests will fast become part of the Saratoga Arms growing circle of regulars.

The Saratoga Arms dining room this morning was abuzz with racing talk and old friends catching up on the events of last year that passed so quickly.  Noel continuus to delight diners with his usual scrumptious breakfasts and Kathleen shares Saratoga news and offers up tips for an enjoyable stay.

Come join us…the Racing Meet only lasts until Labor Day.  The talk in the racing community is that the quality of horses and the racing will be the best ever.  Don’t miss the fun. 

There has been many doings about the date 8/8/08.  Weddings were all the rage for that Friday.  During one of our spring brainstorming sessions about how to market Saratoga Arms in the 8/8/08 hysteria, our Director of Sales and Marketing came up with a brilliant idea…

Saratoga Springs is in the middle of our thoroughbred racing season.  The town is jammed and our rooms are filled.  Our director thought it would be fabulous to buy a racing ticket for each room on 8/8/08, betting the eighth horse in the eighth race.  Great idea!  Wouldn’t you know, after the second race that Friday a torrential thunderstorm with golf ball sized hail rained down on Saratoga and the racetrack.  The rest of that day’s racing was cancelled.

We all wondered if we would have a dining room full of winners on 8/9/08.  We’ll never know.  

Any ideas for 9/9/09? 

I returned to Saratoga Springs last week after a wonderful winter on Sanibel Island.  I drove down in January by way of a fabric mill in South Carolina.  (The sign on the door of the mill advised, “No Loaded Firearms Allowed Inside”.)  I stopped in Atlanta for America’s Mart, where I ordered some wonderful lamps and furniture and rugs for the terraces.  I arrived back at Saratoga Arms in time for the US Food show across the street at the City Center where I chose the new china pattern for the hotel.  We have been using a service for three hundred that we purchased nearly thirty years ago when we were in the restaurant game.

Even though I get to spend my winters in sunny Florida, I try to use that time to expedite the constant refreshing that enables us to earn the title of the nicest hotel in town. It’s obvious I didn’t use my Florida time to refresh my blog.