A great day at the races

Fleet Indian Day at Saratoga was an afternoon I’ll never forget. As the winners of the Fleet Indian and Youbet.com/ National Turf Writers Association Journalism Scholarships, respectively, Gabrielle D’Alessandro and I were treated to front row seats to watch all of the exhilarating action that the historic Saratoga Race Course has to offer, courtesy of Race for Education. Joining us at the track were RFE President Elisabeth Jensen and Treasurer Paul Saylor, both of whom couldn’t have been more generous. Besides treating us to food, drinks and the best seats in the house, they eased any jitters felt about the scholarship presentation ceremony scheduled in our honor with their easygoing and friendly demeanors. Past recipients of the Fleet Indian Scholarship Heather Cousins and Sarah Jones also attended, contributing to the excitement that consumed the afternoon.
After watching five heart-pounding races that didn’t include a single successful wager by yours truly, we all made the walk from the box seats to the Paddock area and from there to the finish line. It was in that location that Gabrielle and I were to be presented with our checks after the conclusion of the Fleet Indian Stakes. During some down time waiting for the race to commence Jeff True of Youbet.com approached me and casually stated, “You don’t get to watch a race from this close very often.” That simple sentence made me pause and reflect on just how fortunate I was to be in such a rare position, receiving a journalism scholarship in front of thousands of people, most importantly my loving family. Such moments are surely few and far between in life, so I made sure to fully absorb what happened next. Gabrielle was first to receive the symbolic award, posing for pictures with Mr. Saylor, the winning jockey of the Fleet Indian Stakes, her mother and others. I then joined Ms. D’Alessandro in front of the numerous cameras capturing the event and was granted my scholarship by Mr. True, whose kind words before and after the demonstration- it sounds strange to say- really made me feel deserving of such a generous prize. With the sun beating down on my face I did my best to form a smile as the cameras began snapping away, though not surprisingly this mild discomfort didn’t prevent the moment from being one of the very best of my life.
Patrick Raleigh