By Susan E. Campbell

Whenever people take medicine, there is a chance there was an influencer behind the scenes who worked to make the drug available to insured patients and at the “right” price.

Peregrine Market Access is such an influencer, an international consulting firm that recently opened an office in Saratoga Springs and made it the new headquarters.

The field of pharmaceutical market access ensures that patients have rapid and sustained access to a brand of drug by advocating for that product and recommending a price at which insurers, confident of the patient’s improved health outcome, will pay for it.

For the first time in history, the New York Racing Association Inc. (NYRA) generated more than $700 million in all-sources handle during the 2019 meet at Saratoga Race Course, which was conducted over a five-day race week and included the cancellation of a full Saturday card of racing.

NYRA officials said Wagering from all-sources totaled $705,343,949 an increase of more than $46 million, or 7 percent, over last year when racing was conducted for the full 40 days during a six-day week. This year’s handle eclipsed the previous record set in 2017 by nearly $29 million or 4.2 percent.

The milestone record was achieved despite the cancellation of a full racing card on the second Saturday of the season due to extreme heat, in addition to the cancellation of the final seven races on July 25 due to severe storms.

Tickets for the 2019 Saratoga Showcase of Homes are on sale.

The Saratoga Showcase of Homes will be presented over three weekends this month: Sept. 14-15, Sept. 21-22 and Sept. 28-29.

Tickets are $20 and allow people to visit each of the homes on those Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. This year’s edition has 10 locations from nine builders on display in Saratoga County.

Tickets are available at Adirondack Trust; Catskill Hudson Bank; Saratoga National Bank & Trustco bank locations; Curtis Lumber in Ballston Spa and Queensbury; Roohan Realty; Rebuilding Together Saratoga Store and Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

Tickets are always conveniently available at any showcase home during tour hours of 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. or can also be purchased online thru the website at www.saratogashowcaseofhomes.com.

Ravenous Restaurant will celebrate 20 years at 21 Phila St. in downtown Saratoga Springs in October.

The company said a month-long celebration will begin Oct. 1. The restaurant serves dishes like savory crepes and pommes frites and poutine.

Ravenous began on Phila Street when the mother-and-son team of Tina Laino and Francesco D’Amico, along with Francesco’s future wife, Lauren Wickizer, first opened the creperie store doors in 1999. Moving from Seattle and looking for a change and completely new, the trio made the decision to enter the hospitality business full time.

“When we arrived in 1998, there were really just a handful of mom-and-pop restaurants in town,” said Wickizer. “Hattie’s was here. Scallions, Sperry’s, Little India, Chianti’s, Wheatfield’s and Beverly’s, but not much more than that. It was a whole different world. The parking lot across from Ravenous wasn’t even there yet. It was just a small dirt lot.”