It’s the August Place to be! Those words echo through my history. Saratoga is, after all, a horse-racing, summer resort. My young life revolved around a lot of that culture. My grandmothers all have ties. One of my favorite photographs that I took is a portrait of a family friend, who worked at the Saratoga race course (exercising the horses). I miss him a lot since his passing. It’s tough to let go of the regulars in your life.
When I think of jockeys, I often think of this man. I thought it would be nice to draw Miss Zo in the silks, no horses allowed.
Disclaimer: Now, I don’t support the races any longer, but I do love history, and I do love cultural iconography. There’s nothing more iconic than a jockey. They’re considered celebrities in their own right, and make a good living off the events. I just wish, and I am sure they feel this too, that the horses were treated better than they are. I won’t get into it any further, because this can cause a lot of arguments from enthusiasts. As someone close to the inside, I already know the truths of the paddock, and I’m not going to entertain anyway at any level in an argument about the horses. I have taken photos at the meets and continue to sell them in my gallery, but no proceeds go to the track or NYRA.
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