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Police: 1870 Fountain Linked To Racetrack Founder Damaged

Horses Racing at Saratoga
WAMC/stock
Horses Racing at Saratoga

Police are looking for a man suspected of vandalizing a nearly 150-year-old fountain linked to the founder of thoroughbred racing in Saratoga Springs.

Police say Tuesday that the Morrissey Fountain was pushed off its base overnight in Congress Park in downtown Saratoga. Police say the extent of the damage isn't known yet. They’ve released surveillance photos of a man being sought in the case.

Local historians say the fountain dates to 1870, when John Morrissey installed it outside his new casino, later renamed the Canfield Casino.

Morrissey was an Irish immigrant who grew up in Troy and became a champion prizefighter. He organized the first thoroughbred races in Saratoga in 1863 and opened Saratoga Race Course the following year.

He later served in Congress and the state Senate.

(C) AP 2018

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.