Pletchers Honored With Marylou Whitney Award For Commitment To The Backstretch Community

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, along with his wife Tracy, received the Marylou Whitney Award from the New York Race Track Chaplaincy for their continuing devotion and support of the backstretch community at the organization's 16th annual fundraising brunch at the Saratoga National Golf Club, the organization said in a release Wednesday.

“I can't say enough about what the New York Race Track Chaplaincy organization does for the backstretch community,” Pletcher said. “It provides so much more than spiritual help. I look at it like the mayor's office where everyone goes when they need help. On behalf of Tracy and our children, thank you very much for this honor and for your support of the New York Racetrack Chaplaincy.”

As is the custom, the Pletchers were presented with a framed racing scene created by equine artist Tom Chapman from the New York Race Track Chaplaincy. In a surprise appearance, Pletcher's mentor, fellow Hall of Famer trainer D. Wayne Lukas, made the presentation.

“God blessed Todd with extraordinary talent and he has shown class, dignity and integrity throughout his career,” Lukas said. “In addition to their own family, Todd and Tracy have also adopted the backstretch family and they are most deserving of this honor.”

The brunch attracted a record crowd of approximately 350 individuals from all segments of the racing industry and included such supporters as Mandy Pope, Jo Ann and Paul Oreffice and Len Green.

Among those in attendance were: Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY), NYS Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Agriculture and Markets Elizabeth Wolters, trainer Jena Antonucci and Hall of Famer riders Javier Castellano, Angel Cordero Jr., Edgar Prado, and John Velazquez. Liz Bishop, the longtime television news anchor for the CBS affiliate in Albany, once again served as emcee.

Previous honorees have included Andy Serling, Irad Ortiz Jr., Anne Campbell, Edgar Prado, Michael Dubb, Fay and David Donk, Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson, Letty and Kiaran McLaughlin, Lisa and Kenny Troutt, Debbie and Terry Finley and the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association.

 

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Roth, Dubb Unveil The Residences at the Adelphi Hotel

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Four years into their business partnership, longtime friends Larry Roth and Michael Dubb are ready to unveil and start selling condominiums in their massive downtown project, The Residences at the Adelphi Hotel.

Roth and Dubb have scheduled an informational brunch at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 6 at the Adelphi Hotel, 365 Broadway. The event is by RSVP only. The Residences at the Adelphi Hotel features 79 condominiums that are part of a $90-million development on the corner of Broadway and Washington Street. A decade ago, Roth was a partner in the purchase, reconstruction and rebirth of the historic Adelphi into a 32-room luxury boutique hotel that melded the past with the present. It opened in Octtober 2017.

In 2019, after splitting with his partners in the Adelphi, Roth joined forces with Dubb–a highly successful real estate developer based on Long Island–and bought the Rip Van Dam building next door. The Rip Van Dam was built as a hotel in 1840s, but in recent decades the building housed businesses and offices. Their original plan was to expand the hotel, add amenities and build apartments. Last year, following some test marketing, the Thoroughbred owners and businessmen changed course a bit and decided to build condominiums instead of apartments. The first group of condos are expected to be completed and ready for occupancy in February 2024. The entire project will be finished by September 2024.

Roth and Dubb scheduled their meeting right in the middle of a very busy period during the Saratoga racing season. In addition to the programs at Saratoga Race Course, which include the $1-million GI Whitney S. on Saturday, The Jockey Club's annual Round Table Conference will be held Thursday, the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame Class of 2023 will be inducted Friday and the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale of select yearlings will be held Monday and Tuesday evenings.

“We have so many people who are interested,” Dubb said. “that we thought we would just do an informational brunch, where Larry and I would introduce the team around us, talk about the vision, talk about the lifestyle, and the amenities and kind of let people get a glimpse.”

A residence interior | courtesy Adelphi

Dubb said the offering plan for condominium sales required by New York State was approved by the Attorney General's office last week. He said the condos in the five-story new building will range in price from the high $700,000s for studios to a pair of penthouse spaces priced at $3.5 million.

“We are actually now in a position to sign sales contracts and take binders to hold the units until people go to sales,” Dubb said. “Our sales reps are almost now working 24/7, keeping up with the interest in it.

“We thought, everybody's in town that week, let's get everybody in one room and let's talk and then let's answer the questions. It's one thing to hear it's nice, it's another thing to really get the deep-down on it. I know what it will be. I've done this before, but it's my job to kind of convey to people what the finished product Larry and I have created will look like.”

The nine condo unit types: five studios; 10 studios with den; 21 one-bedrooms; five one-bedrooms with den; 20 two-bedrooms; nine two-bedrooms with den; two three-bedrooms; five three-bedrooms with den; two penthouse suites.

In 2012, Roth and Richbell Capital headed by Simon Milde and his son Toby, acquired the Adelphi Hotel property for $4.5 million. The Adelphi opened in 1877 and is the last of the major hotels that operated on Broadway in the 19th century. The new owners made some improvements to the rundown hotel, had it open for one season while developing a plan then embarked on the major overhaul that took four years. Roth said the hotel has proven to be popular and that occupancy has been at about 100% during the racing season and at an average of approximately 80% for the year.

Roth wanted to continue to grow, incorporating the Rip Van Dam and land behind it on Washington Street, with an even bigger undertaking.

“Basically, the reason I had to separate with my partners was because they did not have the same vision I had,” he said. “I said to them, 'We should do something with the rest of the property because someone's going to do something. Someone's going to take that parking lot and they're going to build a competing hotel. You don't want to compete with a hotel next to the Adelphi because we're getting very good rates at the Adelphi and that hotel was not going to get the same rates.' That's when we completely separated. They said, 'No, we're not going to buy it.' I said, 'Yes, we are.' That's when we separated and I decided to buy the Rip Van Dam and that's when Michael got involved.

“He saw the vision too. We both grew up in that same area of Long Island. We both had the same vision of what this property could be.”

What Roth and Dubb–equal partners in the entire development of the hotel and the Residences–settled on was the expansion into the Rip Van Dam, increasing the Adelphi from its 32 to 45 rooms. Eight more rooms have just become available in a new adjoining structure. The final 12 to reach the total of 65 are expected to go on-line by mid-August.

One of the two penthouses | courtesy Adelphi

Rather than 85 apartments, they opted for the 79 condos in a building being constructed on Washington Street. Among the many amenities available is an underground parking for 100 cars, which includes EV charging stations. A key element of the concept, modeled after top resorts around the world is that amenities, such as gyms, spas, meeting rooms and game rooms, security, as well as hotel concierge and housekeeping services will be available to condominium residents and hotel guests. Condominium owners will be able to rent their properties through the Adelphi, which will handle all the details.

“It's really not just unusual to Saratoga, but I think this is unusual to the entire upstate of New York,” Dubb said.

The foundation of the complex are the historic buildings with their distinctive facades that face Broadway. They required extensive upgrades and the new structures were built behind them. What had been something of a quiet corner on busy Broadway has undergone a dramatic change in the last 10 years.

“This is really born out of a passion and a love for Saratoga. In my case, decades and decades long,” Dubb said. “It's actually 50 years this year since the first time I came to Saratoga and for Larry, kind of love at first sight and he totally immersed himself in it.”

Dubb said the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic slowed the project by six months to a year and added 30% to the cost. Interior work was ongoing for a couple of years, and at the end of last summer, with the permits in place, the structures started to rise.

“In September, there was nothing,” Dubb said. “After Labor Day, we started construction on the additional hotel rooms that would be located in the new building, as well as the 79 condominiums. So if you left Saratoga as a horse person, and left on Labor Day, you came back and you said, 'Wow, there's a whole building standing here.'”

Long gone are the days when Saratoga Springs reverted to a sleepy little upstate city when the 24-day four-week racing season wrapped up in late August.

“What we're finding is Saratoga really stands on its own as a very prominent area in New York state,” Dubb said. “A lot of people who are involved in Thoroughbreds think Saratoga begins and ends with the Thoroughbred season, but it doesn't. It's busy here all year round. In the wintertime, people will come here and use it as a base to ski. Leaf season. Springtime. Skidmore graduation. Parents Weekend in October.”

Roth said his experience through five years with the Adelphi proved there is plenty of demand for luxury accommodations.

“I'm telling you from our own records that the hotel is busy pretty much all year round,” he said.

Construction currently underway, shot from the corner of Broadway and Washington Streets | Mike Kane photo

The purchase of the Rip Van Dam and construction of the building directly behind it has enabled Roth and Dubb to create space to increase the size of the Salt & Char steakhouse on the first floor of the Rip Van Dam. Also, the relocation of a kitchen to a new space, will lead to a larger lobby for the Adelphi Hotel. They have also increased the size of the ballroom.

The condos have open floor plans, are bright with plenty of glass and have balconies.

“We really wanted to provide the highest level of detail,” Dubb said. “Take the detail and the luxury of the hotel rooms, carry it through to the residences. The residences have high ceilings, nice trim, Andersen Windows, Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, Restoration Hardware (now RH) vanities, seven-inch hardwood flooring. All of the really high-end details that you would find in a hotel room. And large bathrooms.”

The Residences are connected to the Adelphi Hotel with its Morrissey's Lounge and Bistro, Salt & Char, Wine Cellar and the ballroom. A salon will be located in the Residences. The Starbucks coffee shop on the corner has been closed during the reconstruction phase, but will re-open. Nearby on Broadway and side streets are many restaurants, bars and shops. Dubb said that through experience with other properties, he knows the combination is an attractive package.

“I strongly believe in this concept, in this way of living,” he said. “We also own apartment buildings, and retail and industrial, so I have a pretty good sense of what people want. Even in large residential communities I've built, I tried to put in a retail shopping area as an amenity to the community. It's a lifestyle.”

Roth and Dubb will be part of the community at Broadway and Washington.

“I kid everybody that Larry and I love it so much the first two homes we sold to ourselves,” Dubb said. “Then our sales representative also bought one. There's no higher testament to what you believe in than putting your money where your mouth is and wanting to live there. I think both of us look forward to living the dream that we've envisioned and work so hard for. And, trust me, we have worked hard on this project.”

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Therapist Upsets United Nations to Score First Grade I Victory at Eight

With the most starts in the field at 41 and the most claims under his girth in the last year with three, Therapist (g, 8, Freud–Lady Renaissance, by Smart Strike) may not have appeared to be the one most likely headed back to the barn after Monmouth Park's GI United Nations S. as the winner. But like fine wine, he has improved with age, winning his first graded race earlier this year and adding his first Grade I score in Monmouth's Haskell undercard highlight. Therapist is 8-years-young.

Off at 12-1 in the $600,000 United Nations, Therapist broke cleanly from the inside and settled into a nice midpack spot as 58-1 longshot So High (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) showed the way through early :24.76 and :49.32 quarters. Unhurried, Therapist bided his time until the final turn, where he kicked on wide and rallied down the lane to reel in favored last-out GIII Monmouth S. winner Catnip (Kitten's Joy), who had tracked So High all the way before tackling him in the stretch. Therapist also held off a surging Red Knight (Pure Prize), a fellow older model who has had a resurgence of his own to win the GI Man o' War S. in May. Red Knight, like Therapist, hails from the barn of Michael Maker, who has now won this race three times since 2017.

“He's a really good horse,” said jockey Javier Castellano of the winner. “He's a long-distance horse. He seems to always maintain his rhythm. I knew that horse on the lead was going to stop. I just rode my race. I knew he was going to come back to us. I didn't want to chase him and not have anything left. It's a long distance. You have to have a lot of patience and have a lot of confidence in the horse. It's amazing that he won a Grade I race at 8-years-old. He's just a professional horse.”

Therapist has had a long career, breaking his maiden in 2017–three years before the competitors in the GI Haskell S., the next race on Monmouth's card–were even born. A multiple listed winner at two and winner of several black-type races in the ensuing years, he has clearly improved over time, adding his first graded win in Gulfstream's GII Pan American S. just this April. Last seen finishing second in the Chorleywood Overnight S. at Ellis Park June 17, Therapist was picked up by owner Michael Dubb for $50,000 at Gulfstream in January after he lost a $25,000 shake for him in December.

“I followed this horse throughout his career,” said Dubb, who was winning his third consecutive United Nations, although the last two were in partnership. “I knew the ability he had and that's why I claimed him.

“This is Mike Maker's sweet spot. When we got him the horse hadn't been racing this long and I asked Mike why he wanted to go this long. He said, 'I see it in the breeding.'”

Pedigree Notes:

Therapist is the fifth Grade I winner for New York's veteran star sire, Freud. The 25-year-old Sequel Stallions stalwart, a full-brother to the late Giant's Causeway, has 61 black-type winners bred in the Northern Hemisphere and 11 graded winners. Freud has three stakes performers out of Smart Strike mares, with two of those being Therapist and his younger full-sister, Fresco. Smart Strike currently sits second on the 2023 list of leading broodmare sires and has 164 black-type winners out of his daughters.

Now 20, Lady Renaissance has been sold since foaling Therapist and Fresco in the Empire State. She brought $52,000 at the 2018 Keeneland January sale from Dennis Yokum and was shipped to California. Her most recent produce is Seize the Derby (Carpe Diem), an unraced 3-year-old gelding. Lady Renaissance's lovely extended pedigree includes a granddam who is a half-sister to 1994 Broodmare of the Year Fall Aspen (Pretense), whose influence is still felt today.

Saturday, Monmouth Park
UNITED NATIONS S.-GI, $612,000, Monmouth, 7-22,
3yo/up, 1 3/8mT, 2:14.50, fm.
1–THERAPIST, 124, g, 8, by Freud
               1st Dam: Lady Renaissance, by Smart Strike
                2nd Dam: Artistic, by Pirate's Bounty
                3rd Dam: Paintbrush, by Bold Hour
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($8,000 RNA Ylg '16 SARAUG). O-Michael Dubb; B-Oak Bluff Stable, LLC & C. Clement (NY); T-Michael J. Maker; J-Javier Castellano. $360,000. Lifetime Record: 42-13-5-8, $1,353,815. *Full to Fresco, SW, $125,350. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Catnip, 124, g, 4, Kitten's Joy–Masquerade, by Silent Name (Jpn). 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-John Moore & Susan Moore (KY); T-Michael Stidham. $120,000.
3–Red Knight, 124, g, 9, Pure Prize–Isabel Away, by Skip Away. O/B-Trinity Farm, LLC (NY); T-Michael J. Maker. $60,000.
Margins: 1HF, 3/4, NO. Odds: 12.30, 1.20, 2.70.
Also Ran: Limited Liability, Planetario (Brz), Foreign Relations,
So High (GB), Yamato, Kygo (Ger). Scratched: Oceans Map.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV .

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Son Of Justify, Rebellious Stage Unfazed In Debut At Pimlico

3rd-Pimlico, $52,600, Msw, 5-13, 3yo, 6f, 1:12.92, ft, 7 lengths.
REBELLIOUS STAGE (c, 3, Justify–Spark {MSP, $119,443}, by Speightstown) debuted with Lasix as the 4-5 favorite and allowed first-time gelding Donegal Danny (Maclean's Music) to take over the lead down the backstretch. The chestnut colt launched his bid on the turn for home, collared the pacesetter from there and ran on nicely in the stretch to declare victory over that rival by a comfortable seven lengths. Derby champion Monarchos (Maria's Mon) is a full-brother to the winner's second dam Mon Belle (Maria's Mon), who is the granddam of GISW Silver State (Hard Spun). Rebellious Stage has a 2-year-old half-sister named Launch (Omaha Beach), who was purchased for $50,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling sale by Robson Aguiar and placed in her first start in Ireland last week. He also has a yearling half Dynamite (Authentic), and his dam was bred back to Justify last year. Sales History: $400,000 RNA Wlg '20 FTKNOV; $450,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $31,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Spendthrift Farm LLC, Steve Landers LLC, Martin S. Schwartz, Michael Dubb, Ten Strike Racing, Jim Bakke, Titletown Racing, LLC, Kueber Racing, LLC, Big Easy Racing LLC, Winners Win & Michael J. Caruso; B-Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Brittany T. Russell.

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