SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY (November 1, 2016) – Saratoga Casino Hotel announced late last week the winner of the foal naming contest. The contest was held online and asked the general public for name submissions for the newest filly from Derue Stables.
Sired by ‘Flying Instructor’ and foaled by ‘Stage It Right,’ the 6-month old filly currently resides with another filly in the pasture adjacent to Saratoga Casino’s new hotel. Jordan Derue claimed the foal’s mare, Stage It Right, in the fall of 2015. When her performance on the track began to decline, Derue brought her in to the vet for a checkup. To everyone’s surprise, they discovered the mare was pregnant. On May of last year, she gave birth to the filly that Derue sought a name for.
A panel of judges from the casino vetted over 1,100 name submissions and selected the winning name: ‘Precious Cargo.’ The submission came from Denise Finn, who said she used the foal’s unique story as inspiration for her name.
“I chose ‘Precious Cargo’ because I envisioned her sire ‘Flying Instructor’ and dam ‘Stage It Right’ flying down the track, because they knew they had a secret precious cargo to protect,” remarked Finn. “I’ve loved horses all my life and knowing I named this beautiful filly definitely fulfills my elusive dream of owning a horse in the perfect way.”
As part of her winning the naming contest, Denise Finn will receive a complimentary night’s stay at Saratoga Casino Hotel, as well as a dinner at Morton’s® The Steakhouse.
“We were very pleased by the response from this contest,” said John Matarazzo, Director of Racing Operations at Saratoga Casino Hotel. “We thank everyone for their participation and hope that one day we get the chance to see Precious Cargo race at Saratoga Harness just like her parents.”
Live Racing takes place at Saratoga Casino Hotel Thursday – Sunday. For more information and complete post times, visit SaratogaCasino.com.
Pictured: The filly featured in Saratoga Casino Hotel’s Foal Naming Contest, now named ‘Precious Cargo.’
Saratoga Casino Hotel, located on Crescent Avenue in Saratoga Springs, NY, features over 1,700 slots, electronic table games, Vapor, two full-service restaurants with buffets, a casual dining restaurant, three full-service bars, deli and a variety of guest services including valet parking and coat check. The all-new 117-room luxury hotel featuring Morton’s® The Steakhouse is now open. Reservations are available now at www.saratogacasino.com. Operating hours for the gaming facility are 9 a.m. to 5 a.m. every day. Simulcast races can be viewed seven days a week and live harness racing runs March through mid-December. For a full racing schedule and additional information, please visit www.saratogacasino.com or call 800-727-2990. Must be 18 years of age or older to play video gaming machines or wager on horses. Please play responsibly.
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Tom Engle
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(518) 581-5730
