Saratoga Springs

Stone Bridge Farms, Estate of the Day

Filed under: Estates

Saratoga Springs is famous for horse racing and it's hard to find an equestrian property in the area more ready for horses than Stone Bridge Farms. The estate is a thoroughbred breeding and training facility. The property is three parcels together, a total of more than 425 acres near Saratoga Springs.

There are two parcels currently being utilized for the broodmare operation that measure approximately 335 acres total. That property contains two 12-stall broodmare barns with modern foaling facilities, a 24-stall yearling barn, round barn, mega-dome arena, 27 paddocks, run-in sheds, including two large sheds with four stalls each, and two residences. A 92-acre parcel includes the Georgian Neo-classical main residence and the Cape style guest house. It's also home to the only year-round operating synthetic track on the east coast, an indoor riding arena, 2 enclosed eurosizers, 47 stalls, 31 paddocks of which 17 are covered. The entire property is priced at $13.5 million, with the 92-acre parcel available separately for $7 million.

Gallery: Stone Bridge Farm

Tags: equestrian, equestrian estate, equestrian property, estate of the day, new york real estate, saratoga springs

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Celebrating the Hudson River's Rich Heritage

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art, Green, Books

A number of American artists and writers have contributed to Lives of the Hudson, a compelling new book on the artistic, literary, and environmental history of the Hudson River from Prestel. The site of stunning historic estates like Astor Courts and Marienruh, the river is much more than mere scenery. The companion volume to an exhibition of the same name staged at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, the book explores the river's complex history via sections entitled The Natural River, The Imagined River, The Human River, and The Working River. Along with important works by famed Hudson River School painters such as Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Cole, the book features literary contributions from the likes of Rick Moody, Carolyn Forche, Philip Lopate and others. Cultural artifacts provide a fascinating background of the river's many lives while contemporary artwork asks us to "reconsider our use of the river and our relationship with nature and history."

Tags: art, coffee table books, environment, exhibition, Hudson River, Hudson River School, museum, New York, Rick Moody, river, Saratoga Springs, Skidmore

"Entourage" Pals Collaborate On Restaurant Deal

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

On television Kevin Dillon and Kevin Connolly play buddies in the popular series "Entourage" and in real life they are taking up a popular Hollywood past time, investing in restaurants. The pair are part of a newly formed investment group that purchased Siro's Restaurant, a seasonal restaurant located trackside at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.

The investment group, called Racing Restaurants of America, is headed by president Keith Kantrowitz, president of New York City-based Power Express Mortgage; with managing partners Paul Carlucci, publisher of the New York Post; and Steven Schoenfeld, managing partner with MPS Global Securities, several jockey and horse trainers and Connolly and Dillon. The restaurant has been in existence for more than 70 years serving the horse racing aficionados who converge on Saratoga Springs each summer. The Albany Business Review reports that the restaurant went on the market early last year for $3.1 million but the price was later reduced to $2.7 million. The sale price isn't known but the group has already gotten to work investing in the property, installing new televisions and granite countertops and improving the patio. Kantrowitz, a longtime patron of the restaurant and racing fan expects the revenue to be $6 million in just the six weeks of the racing season. The restaurant is traditionally only open during track season but will remain open on weekends through October.

A menu posted on the Siro's website shows that the restaurant serves pricey dishes including seared Hudson Valley foie gras, broiled aged prime sirloin, roasted rack of Cassel Farm lamb and Maine lobster. Entries cost upwards from $30.

Gallery: Celebrity Restaurants

Tags: celebrity restaurants, entourage, kevin connolly, Kevin Dillon, saratoga springs, siros

The Classicist: America's Finest Equestrian Architecture

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates, Sports, The Classicist, Wealth

Kathryn Masson, author of the book on Hunt Country Style which we wrote about back in 2008, has returned with another brilliant exposition on equestrian style for our enjoyment. Stables: Beautiful Paddocks, Horse Barns, and Tack Rooms takes us on an alluring journey through America's horse country. Collaborating once again with Hunt Country photographer Paul Rocheleau, Masson visits some of the most notable stables and equestrian centers from coast to coast. Ranging from private to historic to state-of-the-art, from homes for retired racehorses to lodgings for polo ponies, thoroughbreds and world champions, 25 distinctive examples of equestrian architecture and interiors are profiled, showcasing their design, construction, and landscaping.

Each of the featured buildings evokes its distinctive regional heritage, from an enormous 1830s English-style barn near the Saratoga Springs Racetrack, to the Mediterranean aesthetic of one of the world's leading Arabian breeding farms, Om El Arab International in California's Santa Ynez Valley. Also highlighted are the world-famous racing stable Newstead Farm in Upperville, Virginia, home of Kentucky Derby winner Genuine Risk, and the quintessential Western working ranch Centennial Ranch in Ridgeway, Colorado. Three historic Vanderbilt family stables are featured: The Breakers in Newport, Sandy Point Stables in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and the newly restored project of Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, Sagamore Farm in Glyndon, Maryland.

Avid equestrienne and professor Dr. Perky Beisel explores the history of the American stable and the long tradition of horsemanship in this United States in an informative preface. "For some Americans, horse ownership and participation in horse sports became a lifestyle and, for others, a way to join the upper class," She notes. "Families who reaped the benefits of 19th-century expansion in industries such as railroads and manufacturing had seemingly unlimited wealth with which to satisfy their desires. While some became notable art collectors, yachtsmen, or horticulturalists, others became active participants in horse sports. In so doing, not only did they create a new upper class, but they also transformed the physical landscape of equestrian recreation and leisure."

Gallery: Great American Stables

U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation Center, Gladstone, NJ

Tags: architecture, book, California, coffee table book, coffee table books, Colorado, equestrian, foxhunting, horseracing, horses, hunt country, Kathryn Masson, Kentucky Derby, luxury book, Maryland, polo, Rhode Island, Saratoga Springs, stables, The Breakers, upper class, Vanderbilt, Virginia

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Saratoga Springs Victorian, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

This charming home in Saratoga Springs, New York is a big old rambling Victorian home that has had upgrades but hasn't lost all of its original details. Stained glass, carved fireplace surrounds, wainscoting and some of the most beautiful fireplace tiles I have ever seen are part of what make me love this one. The home has a third floor three-bedroom apartment, and a carriage house and the backyard includes an inground pool and hot tub. It is listed at $1.75 million but Zillow reports that it sold for less than half that ($850,000) in 2003.

Source

Tags: estate of the day, luxury real estate, new york real estate, saratoga springs, SaratogaSprings

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