Joe Labozzetta Photo

Jockeys versus Horsemen charity game set for Thursday, August 1

by Eleanor Poppe

The 15th annual jockeys-versus-horsemen charity basketball game, which benefits the programs of the New York Race Track Chaplaincy, this year in partnership with the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, (PDJF) will be played Thursday, August 1, 2024 at the Saratoga Springs Recreation Center at 7 p.m., it was announced today.

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 Fame jockey Ángel Cordero Jr., with trainer Todd Pletcher and agent Kiaran McLaughlin coaching 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.

“This annual game is one of the most unique and entertaining events on the Saratoga social calendar and we are always grateful to the players and the sponsors who participate and the hundreds of fans who attend each year,” said Humberto Chavez, the New York Race Track Chaplaincy lead chaplain and executive director. “Besides all the fun we have, the event helps the Chaplaincy provide critical support for the chaplaincy’s various programs serving the backstretch community.”

The Saratoga Springs Recreation Center is located at 15 Vanderbilt Avenue in Saratoga Springs, NY.

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy serves the New York backstretch and farming community with children's enrichment, teen mentoring, women’s programming, social service, recreational, and educational programming as well as non-denominational religious services.

The PDJF provides financial assistance to approximately 60 former jockeys who have suffered catastrophic on-track injuries.

Additional information about the New York Race Track Chaplaincy is available at www.rtcany.org.

Horsemen, individuals, or organizations who would like to sponsor the game may do so via the NY Chaplaincy website at www.rtcany.org.