A Saratoga Birthday in the Winner's Circle

One Hundred and Fifty Benjamins for 150 years

A weekend celebration that stepped off with a floral parade on Broadway Friday night resumed at the Saratoga Race Course on Saturday.

Sam the Bugler and a trumpet accompaniment

The day marked the official 150th anniversary of the first organized thoroughbred racing meet in Saratoga and simultaneously paid homage to the past while sparking new traditions.

There was cake

John Velazquez and Cross Traffic taking The Whitney

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A weekend celebration that stepped off with a floral parade on Broadway Friday night resumed at the Saratoga Race Course on Saturday.

The day marked the official 150th anniversary of the first organized thoroughbred racing meet in Saratoga and simultaneously paid homage to the past while sparking new traditions. - See more at: http://www.saratogawire.com/article/1359/130803-saratoga-race-track-150-celebration/#sthash.8KMc6LNf.dpuf

SARATOGA FLORAL FETE: 100,000 Spectators and Whole Town Illuminated

 

Magnificent weather to-day favored the floral fete given at Saratoga Springs, under the auspices of the Saratoga Floral Association, of which Col. Albert B. Hilton of New York City, a Summer cottager, is President.

The work of arranging the floral decorations was completed early this morning, and Saratoga this afternoon resembled a vast garden, radiant and gorgeous in the extreme.

 

All day long regular and special trains poured a stream of visitors into the town, and when the parade and battle of flowers took place this afternoon fully 100,000 spectators congregated in Circular street, Broadway, and other streets on the line of the procession. 

The whole town was illuminated this evening and the streets massed with merry-makers. The fete closed tonight with a grand floral ball in the big Convention Hall, which was lavishly decorated. Over 7,000 attended the ball.

Story:  New York Times, Sept. 8, 1899. 

Pictures: Thomas Dimopoulos Aug. 2, 2013.