The Saratoga Casino and Raceway kicked off its 2014 season of live horse racing on Sunday (March 2), and The Daily Gazette covered the event by sending a reporter to cover the festivities.

Writer Dustin Mason was at the upstate New York raceway on Sunday and filed a report, which focused in part on returning horseman Bob Trossbach and the atmosphere at the track.

Trossbach stated that his family, which has roots in the local racing industry, returned to the state’s racing industry after the racino opened in 2005.

The horseman was quoted as saying that it is “discouraging” that a general connection or crossover has not been made between the racing and gaming aspects of the Saratoga patron’s experience.

Nevertheless, the gaming aspect has helped bolster purses at Saratoga to the point that the local racing community can make a living and be a positive economic force in the area.

(With files from The Daily Gazette)

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