Sackatoga isn’t a regular old stable. It’s a syndicate, which means you or I could pony up for a slice of ownership in a racing champion-or at least enough to impress your friends at dinner parties! The stable’s name, Sackatoga, is a mashup of Sackets Harbor-where Jack Knowlton, the head honcho, grew up-and Saratoga Springs, his adopted hometown. So, right here is the fusion point of small-town roots and big-time dreams.
Now, here’s where things get legendary. In 2003, Jack Knowlton teamed up with trainer Barclay Tagg and a remarkable group to buy a $75,000 gelding named Funny Cide-a horse so ordinary-looking, some might have called him the "class clown" of the track. But of course, the joke was on everyone else, because that funny horse charged through the field to win the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. Not bad for an underdog! If hearts could win races, Funny Cide would have lapped the field twice.
Fast forward to 2020, and Sackatoga’s magic strikes again with Tiz the Law, a New York-bred who thundered down the stretch to win the Belmont Stakes-the first from New York State to do it in over a century! It was like lightning had struck the stable twice, and who says that never happens?
The stable’s not just about glory, though. Behind the scenes, they believe in training young horses-yearlings and two-year-olds-giving them a good start at the New Episode Center in Florida before sending them to Tagg for racing. It’s a true team effort-like a relay race but with more hay and less running for the humans.
So, as you take in the scene, remember: Sackatoga Stable is proof that big dreams and big wins can come from the most unexpected places-sometimes, all it takes is a funny horse and a little faith!
