July 2, 2024
SARATOGA — By Paulick Report
The 15th annual jockeys-versus-horsemen charity basketball game, which benefits the programs of the New York Race Track Chaplaincy, in partnership with the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, (PDJF) will be played Thursday, Aug. 1 at the Saratoga Springs Recreation Center at 7 p.m. (ET).
The game, one of the most popular events on the Saratoga social calendar, routinely attracts more than 300 fans. Admission is free.
The jockey team will once again be coached by Hall of Famer Ángel Cordero Jr., Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher and agent and former trainer Kiaran McLaughlin coach the horsemen team. Mitch Levites of the NYRA TV department will once again serve as the announcer and provide lively commentary in his inimitable style.
The game often has an NBA connection and this year will be no different. One of the sponsors is the Al Bianchi Racing stable operated by Al’s son Lucien Bianchi. Al Bianchi, was an NBA player and coach and served as the general manager of the New York Knicks in the late 1980s. He was also the coach and general manager of the Virginia Squires of the American Basketball Association (ABA), which featured a young Julius Erving. The racing stable’s silks resemble the red, white and blue basketball made popular by the ABA.
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