Horse Haven Stables
Because “all racing and running, pacing or trotting of horses, mares or geldings from any bet of stakes, in money, goods or chattels or other valuable thing” was declared illegal in New York in 1802, “trials of speed and exhibition of horses” were held. These early exhibitions took place in the form of plowing contents held at county fairs. The first county fair took place in Saratoga in 1822. By 1841 there was a regular annual schedule of county fairs. Plowing contests which evolved into harness contests largely contributed to the success of the fairs.
Capitalizing on the interest of harness racing, two local entrepreneurs – Alfonso Patten and James M. Cole – built the Saratoga Trotting Course in 1847 on the north side of Union Avenue, the present Horse Haven, in anticipation of the New York State Fair being held in Saratoga in September 1847. To ensure the success of their inaugural racing event, the owners invited the celebrated trotter named “Lady Suffolk” and a handful of well-known adversaries to participate in the first harness race held on August 14th. This race – won by Lady Suffolk before a crowd of 5000 – was the first organized horse race to be held in Saratoga.
The Saratoga Trotting Course would continue to be used for harness racing for the next 16 years. August 3, 1863, it hosted its first thoroughbred meet, drawing 27 horses from 14 stables. The day after the race – which attracted 15,000 people and was a huge success — John Morrissey, the former heavy weight boxing champion and casino-owner, began to form a new jockey club, the “Saratoga Association,” naming William Travers as president. The Saratoga Association declared the trotter track too small and tight for thoroughbreds, and purchased an additional 94 acres of land across Union Avenue to build a new kite-shaped track and grandstand, which would eventually change and evolve into the Grandstand and track that one sees today.
Over the years, the area of the original Saratoga Trotting Course would be expanded and developed. The original track would be lengthened and used as a practice track. Additional stables and buildings were built to handle the growing demand of the new race course. By the 1880s the area became known as “Horse Haven” as the horses could recover from hard work amongst the cool breezes of the pine grove.
In 1902 under the leadership of C. V. Whitney, the Saratoga Association would acquire a 120 additional acres north of Horse Haven to accommodate additional stables as well as a new practice track, which is known today as the Oklahoma Track. This replaced the original Saratoga Trotting Track as a practice track.
Parts of the original Saratoga Trotting Course still can be seen today along with the original buildings and stables that were built around the time of the first harness races that took place there in 1847. The next time you head to the track, be sure to look at the area across Union Avenue at the original Trotting Course. The pines that once were small have now grown tall, but you’ll see the original stables and buildings that date back to the original harness races. Take a moment to realize how far thoroughbred racing has come since that first race in 1863 and how remarkable it is that we still can see where it all happened. It has not been lost to progress, but preserved for future generations.
LEARN MORE
Learn more about the history of horse racing by attending a lecture “Race Tracks of New York” by Paul Roberts, Strategic Advisor to New York Racing Association, on Thursday, August 2nd at 7:00pm at Fasig-Tipton Humphrey S. Phinney Pavilion, 250 East Avenue. Cost is $10 for Saraotoga Springs Preservation Foundation members and $15 for non-members. Reservations are preferred. Please contact Sara Boivin, Membership & Programs Director (518) 587-5030 or email sboivin@saratogapreservation.org.