The Saratoga Special heads into its 23rd season in 2023 and with the racing newspaper comes the opportunity for aspiring journalists and industry professionals.
The Special is again seeking editorial interns and seasonal staff members for the summer racing season at Saratoga Race Course, which runs from Thursday, July 13 through Labor Day, Sept. 4. Interns are typically staff writers responsible for covering races, developing stories and generally working on the editorial staff of a fast-paced quality racing publication with thousands of readers in print and online.
Those working in the paid positions in the past have been college students, recent graduates, experienced journalists and even a 75-year-old retiree leaping into a new challenge. The Special's internship program received a boost for the 2023 season thanks to a stipend from the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters.
“The NTWAB is excited to provide funding for internships geared toward racing coverage,” said Natalie Voss, NTWAB board member and head of the organization's scholarship/internship committee. “Our organization has been involved with similar programs in the past, typically helping provide funds for scholarships or facilitating scholarships with other entities. What sets this program apart is the direct funding provided to news outlets to boost their existing or new programs, which we hope will one day produce the same professional journalists who make up our membership roster.”
In addition to writing, responsibilities include help with editing, proofreading and other tasks that may arise. The schedule involves mornings at the track, afternoons at the races and late nights on deadline.
The Special also hires seasonal staff to handle advertising and marketing – including social media – plus distribution and fulfillment.
Past team members at The Saratoga Special have a multitude of jobs in racing, from on-air and in-print journalists, communications specialists, racing executives, handicappers, photographers, track announcers, jockeys' agents and bloodstock agents. Others have found employment outside of racing, including reporters for CNN and ESPN and as a U.S. Army officer.
Editorial team members through the years include Kristin Brennan, Mary Eddy, Peter Thomas Fornatale, Gabby Gaudet, Ryan Jones, Quint Kessenich, Katie Bo Lillis, Linzay Marks, Ryan Martin, Annise Montplaisir, Jim Mulvihill, Brian Nadeau, John Panagot, Madison Scott, Michael Smith, Catlyn Spivey, Travis Stone, Shayna Tiller and David Woods; along with last year's duo of Timothy Littau and Spencer Ripchik and of course Terry Hill, the self-proclaimed “world's oldest intern.”
The Saratoga Special is the flagship publication of ST Publishing Inc., which also produces editorial content for Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred, The Horsemen's Journal and New York Thoroughbred Breeders.
Founded in 2001, The Special covers racing like no other publication – upfront, in-depth, personal, immediate and original. Our writers, handicappers and photographers are some of the best in racing and look forward to delivering the coverage readers and advertisers appreciate.
The Special plans on 20 editions for 2023 – Opening Day (a Thursday) and then Wednesday and Saturday plus an expanded schedule during Fasig-Tipton's world-famous Sales Week Aug. 4-9.
Internship candidates should forward a resumes and pertinent work samples to ST Publishing Managing Editor Tom Law at tom@thisishorseracing.com. Applications will be reviewed this spring.
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