New book by alumnae captures life at Saratoga Race Course

Race Course Reflections: Ashley Halsey's Saratoga Race Course, featuring watercolors of historic Saratoga Race Course and comments by people whose lives are intertwined with the racing season, has been released by the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation.

The publication, illustrated by Ashley Halsey ?07 and edited by Helen Susan Edelman ?74, will benefit the Preservation Foundation by the sale of both the limited-edition book and the original art, according to Samantha Bosshart, executive director of the not-for-profit organization.

?The foundation is excited to have this opportunity to highlight Saratoga Race Course, especially areas that many people who go to the track do not often have the opportunity to see,? said Bosshart. ?The foundation commissioned Ashley Halsey to paint watercolors of the historic Saratoga Race Course to capture its unique sense of place as part of an ongoing effort to advocate for the preservation of the track as a living legacy for future generations.?

Race Course Reflections: Ashley Halsey's Saratoga Race Course is available for $12.95, plus tax and shipping/handling, by calling 518-587-5030. The original watercolor paintings are for sale and can be viewed online here. Half the price of an original watercolor is a tax-deductible donation to the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation.

Note cards featuring images from the book will be for sale at a reception celebrating its release, Thursday, Dec. 11, 6 pm - 8 pm, Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation, 112 Spring St., Saratoga Springs.

Illustrator Ashley Halsey, a native of Stonington, Conn., is a devoted equestrian and an artist whose passion for the horse culture is expressed through her favorite medium, watercolor. In her visits beyond the grandstand, she captured lush vignettes including images of the barns, recreation building, training gate, and clubhouse entrance.

Said Halsey, ?It was a privilege to study the culture behind the scenes, especially the complex personalities and interconnected roles of individuals in this setting.?

Halsey also designed and wrote Saratoga: A Historical Guide and painted a sculpture for ?Horses, Saratoga Style 2007,? a public art event. Currently a resident of Brooklyn, she is a graphic designer for HarperCollins Publishers and a freelance artist.

Race Course Reflections editor Helen Susan Edelman, of Wilton, interviewed the individuals who contributed their observations and shaped the book's content. Edelman is a journalist and editor who writes about people, places, cultural phenomena, social history, the arts, health care, and education. A Skidmore graduate with a master's degree in anthropology from the State University at Albany, she has lived in and around Saratoga Springs since 1970.

?Saratoga Race Course is a vivid symbol of this city that excites people as a visual and sensory experience,? said Edelman. ?The track and the horses also evoke powerful emotions. I culled quotes that represent multi-dimensional responses."

Saratoga Springs resident Susan Rosenberg provided additional editorial insights for Race Course Reflections. Rosenberg is editor of Skidmore?s Scope quarterly magazine.

Support for printing the book came from The Nordlys Foundation directed by Saratogian Barbara Glaser. ?The Nordlys Foundation is proud to support a project that features a young, local artist; highlights the efforts of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation; and celebrates the historic structures at Saratoga Race Course,? said Glaser

More information about preservation efforts on behalf of the track is available here.