SPECIAL DEDICATION
Gov. Cuomo announces plans to create ‘The Marylou Whitney Pavilion’ at Saratoga track
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced plans for the creation of the Marylou Whitney Pavilion at the Saratoga Race Course on Saturday to honor the late prolific philanthropist and racehorse owner and breeder.
Cuomo also declared August 3 as “Marylou Whitney Day in NewYork.” Whitney passed away at the age of 93 on July 19.
Whitney was known for her support of local charities and Saratoga Race Course backstretch workers.
In recent years, Whitney and her husband, John Hendrickson, began sponsoring a series of functions for the backstretch workers who care for the thoroughbreds at the Saratoga Race Course, including hosting and attending Sunday dinners in a temporary tent every racing season.
The Marylou Backstretch Pavilion will replace the temporary tent used by Whitney and Hendrickson with a permanent building that holds up to 400 people.
The Marylou Whitney Backstretch Pavilion is expected to be completed in July 2020.
“Marylou was the heart, the spirit, the personality, the mystique, the beauty and the charisma that represents the best of New York’s horseracing industry,” Cuomo said. “Marylou and her husband John were the drivers for the industry’s success, and they were extraordinarily devoted to the wellbeing of the many seasonal backstretch workers who are the backbone of Saratoga Race Course. And that is why I ampleased to announce today that we are going to honor Marylou’s legacy by building a permanent Marylou Whitney Pavil
ion on the Oklahoma Backstretch to continue to serve the backstretch workers.”
“Marylou’s commitment to the backstretch community, alongside her husband John, was unmatched,” New York Racing Association CEO and President Dave O’Rourke added. “Her decades of consistent support improved the lives of the men and women who sustain racing not only here in Saratoga but around New York State. The Marylou Whitney Pavilion is a fitting tribute to the life and legacy of someone who meant so much to the fabric of Saratoga Race Course. Thanks to Governor Cuomo, the Backstretch Appreciation Program will now have [a] permanent home.”
State officials said New York has provided critical support and protections for backstretch workers, including partnering with the New York State Gaming Commission to establish regulations and standards for backstretch worker housing and periodic inspections, a $5 million renovation of the housing and its facilities and $50,000 to the Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council to provide immigration services.
On Friday, officials from the city of Saratoga Springs also unveiled a plaque that will be placed at the newly renamed “Marylou Whitney Park,” formerly known as Centennial Park.
Located at the base of Union Avenue, the park is home to the statue of Native Dancer, who suffered only one defeat in his Hall of Fame career that included wins in the 1953 Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes.
The park was built in 2015 with funding provided by Whitney and Hendrickson, who commissioned the statue of Native Dancer and donated it as a gift to the residents of Saratoga Springs.
“Marylou’s generosity to this community holds no bounds. She was a tireless advocate of Saratoga as a true summer destination. The rededication will honor and remember her work and reaffirm her commitment to the City that she loved,” said Saratoga Springs Mayor Meg Kelly. “The park is a special place and a part of the legacy that Mrs. Whitney leaves to us. To family, friends and to me, Mrs. Whitney is the soul of Saratoga.”
Also in attendance on Friday were leaders and workers from the backstretch community, who discussed Whitney’s many contributions to Saratoga.
“We are so thankful for Marylou’s contributions and her work to make Saratoga such a very special place to live and work on the backstretch,” said New York Racetrack Chaplaincy Chaplain Humberto Chavez. “Her smile and generosity will always be remembered in our hearts, especially in the backstretch community.”
For seven decades, Whitney was among the most successful owners in thoroughbred racing, but her contributions to Saratoga went beyond trips to the winner’s circle.
In the 1970s, when wagering and attendance sagged during the summer meet, she helped convince NYRA to keep Saratoga Race Course open as a viable part of its racing calendar.
Following her husband Cornelius Vanderbilt “Sonny” Whitney’s death in 1992, Marylou Whitney opened her own stable which quickly became synonymous with racing excellence. When Bird Town, trained by Nick Zito, captured the Kentucky Oaks in 2003, Whitney became the first woman in 80 years to own and breed a Kentucky Oaks winner.
The following year, she and Hendrickson campaigned Birdstone to memorable wins in the Belmont Stakes and the Travers.
In all, Marylou Whitney Stables earned nine graded stakes victories among more than 190 winners from 2000-2019.
Whitney’s contributions to the arts resonate strongly today. As a founding member of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and the National Museum of Dance, she helped lead the renaissance for Saratoga Springs and contributed to its emergence as one of the nation’s leading summer tourism destinations: “the Summer Place to Be.”
Alongside Hendrickson, she later spearheaded the highly-regarded Saratoga Backstretch Appreciation program, which continues to serve as a vital resource for stable workers who are away from home during the Saratoga meet.
Whitney was presented with an Eclipse Award of Merit in 2010 for her contributions to racing and was elected to the Jockey Club in 2011.