Backstretch Employee Service Team

Nancy Underwood has been named executive director of the Backstretch Employee Service Team. Underwood succeeds Paul Ruchames, who retired in December after 14 years leading the organization. Founded in 1989, BEST is a non-profit organization devoted to supporting the health and well-being of the backstretch community living and working at Saratoga Race Course and Belmont Park. BEST provides on-site counseling and primary healthcare services, access to health insurance, and case management assistance. Much of this work is accomplished by the dedicated BEST staff located at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race...

Friday's first race at Saratoga is named in honor of Bob Coglianese, the late NYRA track photographer who passed away in December. Coglianese, who would have been celebrating his 89th birthday, spent more than half of a century documenting racing history. Friends from his decades at the track are welcome to join in the winner's circle presentation following the race and all are encouraged to turn their attention to the on-track screens for a video tribute. If you would like to honor his legacy, the Coglianese family recommends donations to...

Sunday evening dinners have always been a hit among the many backstretch appreciation events that go on throughout the Saratoga race meet, but this summer the affair has become an ever bigger attraction now that Morrissey's Lounge and Bistro at the Adelphi Hotel is catering the weekly celebration. Every Sunday just before 6 p.m., upbeat music and savory smells reach Union Avenue as a crowd gathers at the Marylou Whitney Pavilion. With dozens of volunteers on hand, the vast smorgasbord of food remains open until 8:30 so that workers who...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. joined Assemblymember Carrie Woerner, philanthropist John Hendrickson and representatives from Saratoga Hospital, the Backstretch Employee Service Team and the New York Thoroughbred Horseman's Association for a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the opening of the new Saratoga Backstretch Clinic at historic Saratoga Race Course on Tuesday. The Saratoga Backstretch Clinic will allow Saratoga Hospital and BEST to expand on the existing healthcare services offered to members of NYRA's backstretch community. Located just inside Gate 16, the backstretch clinic was constructed over the past year to replace...

Officials from the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will welcome Assemblymember Carrie Woerner, philanthropist John Hendrickson and representatives from Saratoga Hospital and the Backstretch Employee Service Team (BEST) for a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the opening of the new Saratoga Backstretch Clinic next Tuesday, July 11, the organization said in a release Friday. The new clinic will allow Saratoga Hospital and BEST to expand on the existing healthcare services offered to members of NYRA's backstretch community. The modern healthcare clinic was constructed over the past year to replace a doublewide...

In collaboration with Northwell Health, the New York Racing Association and the Backstretch Employee Service Team, a new health clinic will open for Belmont Park workers, it was announced Wednesday. The $200,000, 1,000-square-foot health clinic will provide a continuum of care and offer wellness programs for the thousands of backstretch workers at Belmont Park. The free program is part of Northwell's commitment to providing equitable care to all New Yorkers. "Clinics like this one are important because they allow quick access to care, before health issues become health care emergencies,"...

The Backstretch Employee Service Team, in coordination with the Northeast New York Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (NENY-COSH) will provide one-on-one demonstrations on the proper use of personal protective equipment to the essential workers of the backstretch at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 24-25. Each worker in attendance will receive a PPE kit including a mask with filtering respirator, gloves, and hand sanitizer. The project was made possible with the help of a grant from the Hispanics in Philanthropy Essential Fund. "Since the start, we have been working hard to...

The Marylou Whitney Collection Auction, an online event featuring items owned by the late philanthropist, will benefit the new backstretch medical clinic operated at Saratoga Race Course by Saratoga Hospital and the Backstretch Employee Service Team. Among the offerings up for auction are a diamond choker necklace and a pristine 1985 red Jaguar XJ6, as well as couture ensembles and cocktail dresses by Bill Blass, Arnold Scassi, and Chanel; evening purses by Judith Lieber Couture and Chanel; fur coats; hats; vintage dresses; and designer scarves by Hermes and Tiffany. The...

MyRacehorse, the micro-shares ownership syndicate, has pledged to donate 10% of proceeds derived in the month of May to three charities which support backstretch workers: Backside Learning Center, Backstretch Employee Service Team, and the Edwin J. Gregson Foundation. "We knew we wanted to use our platform to raise funds to assist the backstretch workers during this difficult time, and by partnering with the three selected non-profits, we are thrilled to know the funds will be put in very capable hands and optimized to the fullest," said My Racehorse founder Michael...