34 The Courier SUN • August 21, 2014 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com victoria’s secrets VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS vschneps@queenscourier.com tweet me @vschneps Trip to Saratoga Our group with St. John’s grad Michael Repole (center). Joe and Mary Ann Mattone Victor and Gail Gartenstein Dynamic $1000 off Lumineers $500 off Invisalign DENTAL WORK Free Whitening included the inViSiBle WAy to Some excluSionS Apply StrAighten teeth third generation dentist 175-15 Jamaica avenue, Jamaica 718-297-4100 • 718-297-4106 It was a picture-perfect full moon weekend in Saratoga, a city that has reinvented itself to be a treasure and tourist destination all year round. In summer it’s the races, in the other seasons it’s the Saratoga Arts Center featuring world-class performers. Of course, the highlight of the summer season is the 151-year-old racetrack. I was delighted to be a “member” of the Mattone circle. Joe and Mary Ann Mattone invited me to be part of the St. John’s University major donors weekend there. Getting ready for the races Saturday morning, I watched two race handicappers give their predictions for each race. Out came my pad and pencil and I recorded their suggestions. Then an old friend, former publisher of the New York Post Paul Carlucci, a Saratoga regular, sent me his picks for the day. So onto the bus I went armed with winning horses. My good fortune was to sit next to Richard and Barbara Naclerio who had owned horses for two decades and knew how to read the Racing Form giving all the stats on every race. As I sat in the glass enclosed luxury “trailer” with a rooftop open air viewing space a few yards from the finish line, eating and drinking to my heart’s content, Richard showed me how to evaluate the horse by the number of races it won, what the owner paid for the horse and most importantly the jockeys stats. I was a “player” for $1 a bet! With Richard’s advice and counsel I was a winner in every race! Of course at the level of my bets I didn’t get rich but I did have a ball and the thrill of the win! A big bonus to the day was to go with the Mattones, who had a race in their name, to the Winners Circle and watch the race and be there with the winning horse and jockey for a photo op. By coincidence my daughter Samantha was at the track with her friends, Stephanie and Bryan Staff, who own a vacation home on Lake George. They joined us in the Winners Circle and I was thrilled to share my fun with her! To add to the day we were taken on a tour by Mary Ryan of NYRA to the paddock (closed to the public) where the horses come out of the stables and prepare for the races, see the jockeys mount their horses and then parade onto the track. Excitement levels of our group were raised when we saw St. John’s graduate of 1991 Michael Repole, the former owner of Vitamin Water and now Body Armor, a new power drink. He walked his horse Dr. Disco into the paddock. His number was 4, so we rushed back to our suite so we could bet the horse to win. Sorry to report, but it came in the show position. I should have been more conservative because I could have bet to show and then I would have won but the return on this favored horse with 3 to 1 odds and it would have been pennies. I’m learning, and what fun when the loss is so little and the win such fun! With many of the meals provided by St. John’s, we did have dinner with our little group of 20 friends of the Mattones, eating at two great restaurants, my favorite being Prime on the grassy serene grounds of the National Country Club. We dined outside on the top terrace with the glowing full moon shining down on us. It was a coupling of great friends, great food and great setting. A memorable night in the magical city of Saratoga. Dr. Guy and Julie Bello My kids Samantha and Spencer Sohmer and their friends My tutors Richard and Barbara Naclerio At the Mattone race for the winner’s circle Judge Joe Golia and wife Rosalie Father Bernard Tracey and Linda DeSabato Roseann Capanegro and Linda Galdi Dean Michael Simons and Mary Ann Mattone
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