John Morrissey — prizefighter, gangster, entrepreneur and congressman — is credited for bringing racing to Saratoga, personally organizing and financing the town's first thoroughbred contest in 1863. A bare-knuckle boxer known for his toughness, he once pulled off 37 rounds of fisticuffs, but he also had the charm and polish to sit down for drinks with the likes of William Travers, John D. Rockefeller, and Mark Twain.
