At the track, there is a good deal of security. Each gate is watched; uniformed guards walk about the grounds. But the front lines of security are, literally, out in front of the lines. Geoff Redick has more on the men in blue — and their mounts.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- On one hand, it seems a forgone conclusion -- of course the Saratoga Police would have officers mounted on horseback.
But on the other hand, it is really a productive and special partnership, between man and horse.
John Sesselman is a veteran cop. So is his partner: Jupiter. Together they are one mounted unit patrolling among thousands at Saratoga Race Course.
"From 9, 10 feet up in the air you can see when a crowd is getting disorderly. People will move right out of the way, there's no question about it," said Sesselman.
But there is also a softer side to Jupiter's tough guy image.
"They like being pet, they don't mind photos. We have a lot of with it," Susselman said.
And for a 25-year veteran cop, these last few years are the most special.
"I worked the midnight shift for 11, 12 years in a row, and you know, there's a lot of downtown bar traffic and disorderly people that you deal with for years," he said. "But the satisfaction you get from seeing the smiles on kids faces and the parents talking about how much they love the horses. I feel like I'm making a difference out there, and really bringing the community together with the police department."
Saratoga Police have one other horse in the unit, a big draft horse named King Tut you might remember him from a photo that went viral when Sesselman rode him through a Dunkin' Donuts drive-thru.