Medical issues sideline ‘Sam the Bugler’ for 2022 Saratoga racing season

Sam Grossman, also known as “Sam the Bugler,” has been a high profile, red-coated staple of the track for much of three decades. Unfortunately, he can’t be there this year.

When he’s not tooting his horn for NYRA, Sam teaches 10th grade English in a suburb of Miami. He recently changed health insurances. The new company required some bloodwork.

Sam says that bloodwork came up with “a catastrophically bad result.”

He spent a week in the hospital for kidney failure and other things.

The good news – he’s on the mend, but still has to recover.

Hear him talk about how much he’ll miss Saratoga this year, and his thoughts on if he’ll be back next year by watching the video of Mark Mulholland’s story.