Michael Veitch
Educator, Turf Writer, Historian
Fifth generation Saratogian Michael Veitch was born in 1948. Michael and his family lived in the Alexander Bryan house, overlooking High Rock Park. Like many kids who grew up downtown, he enjoyed the springs, his favorites being those near his home in the High Rock Park. He has childhood memories of playing at East Side Recreation Field and also fondly remembers when the new pool opened at the Spa State Park in 1961. These memories are trumped, however, by his affection for thoroughbreds.
When he was young, Michael’s father would take him to his Uncle Sylvester Veitch's barn at the Track.
Sylvester was a trainer for C.V. Whitney. Michael spent countless hours with his uncle every year learning about racing and horses. This developed into a lifelong love of the sport.
Michael graduated from Saratoga Springs High School in 1966. He was inspired by his teachers and truly enjoyed the school environment. Because of this, he attended SUNY Plattsburgh and pursued a career in education. In 1971 he married his wife Gail and also began a career as a teacher at Saratoga Springs High School, where for the next 33 years he would instill his love of history in his students. He wanted to educate and inspire his students to truly make a difference in their lives.
In 1979 Michael decided to apply for a job as a writer for The Saratogian. He wrote a letter to Turf Editor Landon Manning and asked for a job. Manning replied, “Write an article as if it was going in the paper tomorrow.” Michael did, and the next day he was hired.
Since then Michael Veitch's name has become synonymous with journalism on the horse racing sport, not just in New York but internationally. From 1983 to 1994 he served as editor of New York Thoroughbred. He has served as correspondent for the Racing Times and the Daily Racing Form and written for numerous periodicals including Thoroughbred Record, Horseman's Journal and Backstretch.
Michael is civic minded. He is a trustee of the National Museum of Racing and serves on the Museum's Hall of Fame Committee. He is also a member of the nominating committee of the Thoroughbred Division of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. He has published two books on the history of Racing in Saratoga Springs, Foundations of Fame and Summit of Champions. Today he is retired from teaching and is actively involved in the community and still reporting for The Saratogian on thoroughbred racing.