©2018 Saratoga Photographer.com
By Jill Nagy
People looking for a change from a pony or lizard on their polo shirt can replace it with an abstract racehorse and jockey, the “brand” of Embrace the Race, a horse racing-themed clothing store opening in a new location at 327 Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs.
The business was founded six years ago by Mike DeAnzeris III as a small retail store, also in Saratoga Springs, and an online presence. The business already has customers in all 50 states and seven or eight foreign countries, most of whom found them through the local shop, he said.
Embrace the Race, according to DeAnzeris, “serves the stylistic and emotional needs of horse racing enthusiasts.” In fact, they have registered both the “Embrace the Race” trademark and another one, “the apparel for the horse racing lifestyle.”
The apparel includes polo shirts, cashmere sweaters, ties, T-shirts, hats, jewelry, and pashmina shawls, all adorned with the horse and jockey logo.
The company also offers items for group and corporate gift-giving that can be customized with the logo of the gift-giving organization (along with the horse and jockey). They also claim a local retail partnership with the National Museum of Racing and the Roosevelt Spa, both in Saratoga Springs.
DeAnzeris said he is getting ready to release a new product line, including new colors and some new styles.
The new location is a little more than 1,000 square feet, on the same block with such national brands as the Gap and Banana Republic. “We are pleased to be joining them in this high profile location,” he said.
“We already have a year-round business,” DeAnzeris said, but he expects it to peak during the track season. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week He plans to add additional hours during the track season.
DeAnzeris is a New Englander who re-located to Saratoga Springs. His background is in marketing and college athletics. He played baseball for Division I Villanova University and the Cape Cod Baseball League, a summer league for college ballplayers. He was later an assistant coach at Dartmouth College.
He sees his current venture as an “opportunity to create a fashion brand around racing.”
The website for the business is www.embracetherace.com. Their telephone number is 857-472-2284.