Thank you for a great article making readers aware of the backstretch...Mrs. Whitney, too, deserves credit for that...
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"The man who dies rich dies disgraced." -- Andrew Carnegie
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My wife and I lived almost thirty years in a little house a couple of miles from the Whitney estate in Saratoga. I never heard anyone speak ill of that woman - ever. She was a class act. Reading this is the first sad news, to me, of her death. Summer in Saratoga. The track, early in the morning. At this moment I miss it all terribly.
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A caring, decent, dignified, intelligent, beautiful, kind and generous lady. A soul that gave and inspired others to give. A truly perfect husband and wife team for kindness and fairness. The perfect combination for those that have no voice.
I have visited the backstretch at Saratoga and people intuitively volunteer songs of praise to her and her husband when the topic of hardship in the backstretch comes up.
My eyes went instantly misty upon hearing the sad news...
For her. For him. For her beloved friends at the backstretch. I am waking up at 3am and driving to Saratoga Springs on Friday to even “on the outside looking in” offer my joy and honor for her posthumous induction into the Hall of Fame. She deserves it.
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How wonderful to hear about. A class act for certain!!!!!
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Better she had raised their salaries.
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@Daisy I suspect she was not the employer of 1,000 stablehands. Regardless, some things are worth more than money. Recognizing the inherent worth of people, elevating them with something to brighten their week and give them something to look forward to, to speak with them as people and not servants; these are the acts of someone who cared. Additionally, I have to wonder if, perhaps, other, more specific acts of generosity might have occured entirely out of the public eye. That, of course, is anyone's guess, but when you stop doing large shindigs for the rich, and start doing things for working people, it strikes me that you are beyond wanting your generosity noted in the social pages.
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I grew up in Saratoga. Marylou Whitney’s philanthropy elevated us all. Now there was a woman who knew what to do with money. It is as unsurprising that she lifted up the people who cared for the horses as it is that they are among the so many of us who mourn her passing.
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As a native Saratogian I saw Mrs. Whitney several times, she was always gracious to everyone and universally admired. Her life was indeed well lived
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I worked with Thoroughbred race horses for 12 years in the '70's and 80's. We migrated up and down the east coast with the horses and the season. The workers who populate the Backstretch are community. Working with the horses is a lifestyle as much as a job. You work 7 days a week with an occasional afternoon off. These are the people you work with, play with, live with and marry. We didn't make much money, but we loved the work and I cherish the memories and the lifelong friends I made. What Mrs. Whitney did for the workers shows she had a genuine appreciation for the lives of these dedicated folks. God bless her for a life well lived. And for her generous heart.
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@Susan M Lucky you! The best years. I, my dear, am envious. I just went to the last day of Suffolk Downs this year, and it broke my heart to see it face the wrecking ball, for housing no less. All that history, all those memories.
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It is nice that Mrs. Whitney provided the vocal support and morale booster events that she did to the stable hands but very unfortunate that such socioeconomic disparities exist in a world as glittery as horse racing. The imagery of this benevolent patron smacks uncomfortably of plantation-like paternalism. A wealthy, kindly white woman with the power and influence to address and rectify wage disparities and other inequities overwhelmingly affecting black and brown people being celebrated for providing catered dinners while not actually correcting the systemic issues that sustain their poverty -- not what I would call a champion of the people. If the roles of these workers are so critical to the sport, why are they so underpaid that they can't even afford to go out for a meal in town? It would have been great to see an article discussing her efforts to improve standards and conditions for the workers instead of social affairs where she gets to show up as patron saint of stable hands -- just, ew.
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@Vanessa Moses
While I don't disagree with you, that backstretch workers certainly deserve better pay and working conditions, I believe your ire, directed at Ms Whitney, is misguided.
As a White woman, who has actually spent considerable time, hot walking race horses at Churchill Downs, and Saratoga, I can share that aside from Kentucky Derby day, and the summer season at Saratoga, racing is far from "glittery."
Bravo to Ms Whitney, for showing respect to the men and women who show up every day, in the rain, heat, cold and snow, to do a job, many just could not do.
Notice I wrote, could not do, not wouldn't do.
I love taking care of Thoroughbreds. And have two, retired racehorses, whom I love dearly.
The fact that Ms Whitney chose in later years to forego the glittery party, and instead focused on giving back to those who make much of the so-called glitter happen, tells me a lot about her character.
May she rest in peace.
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@Vanessa Moses Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
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Sounds to me like you are taking about front line workers in every part of our economy.
I spend my days in Saratoga with the backstretch crowd. They work hard, have steady employment and housing. More than the vast majority of the world’s people.
Sure there should be more distribution of wealth but these workers are not unlike those behind the scenes in other sports. Oh wait, in many other sports people don’t get paid at all - like the athletes in NCAA football who are also scrambling their brains.
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This is lovely, about a world I knew nothing about. "The backstretch" has such a romance to it, although the article makes clear how hard the work is. What I wondered after reading this is whether Mrs. Whitney made any kind of arrangement for this generosity towards the backstretch workers to continue after her death?
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My trips to Saratoga Racetrack always are about the backstretch and the Oklahoma. That, to me, is the heartbeat of the culture. Early mornings, mist on the track, and the riders and the workers doing the daily workouts with the beautiful thoroughbreds. I don't want to give away the beauty, and the throngs can go to the races for it pays the way. But the heart of racing is in the backstretch.
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@Marilyn what is the Oklahoma?
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@Suzanne It is the track that the horses are trained on at Saratoga. They learn the starting gate there, and do their workouts. It's separate from the race track, a world of its own.
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