Joe Durso

Potentially, there's a lot to like about last Friday's announcement that the New York Racing Association (NYRA) will be resurrecting Saratoga's long-dormant chute adjacent to the clubhouse turn to enable the running of one-mile dirt races for the first time in decades. Any nod to history--especially at America's most history-steeped track--is generally a welcome idea. Originally dubbed the "Wilson Chute" in honor of Richard T. Wilson, the president of the Saratoga Racing Association during the early 20th century, the perpendicular-to-the-stands starting area that ran more or less parallel to Nelson...