More than $1.9 million was bet on the Pick 6 at Saratoga yesterday -- the biggest one day Pick 6 "handle" (the amount bet) since 2000. The total pool for the Pick Six was $2,368,342, the second highest total during the last 10 years. (The amount of money up for grabs carries over to the next day if no one wins.)

But get this: NYRA says none of the winning tickets was bought at Saratoga. Two were sold online, one at Connecticut OTB and one at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.

Look at the split between Democrats and Republicans for confidence about the future of the economy. There's also a relatively wide split between upstate and NYC.

From SRI director Doug Lonnstrom:

Statewide our numbers are weak and depict worried consumers very reluctant to spend. Under the hood, we see Democrats saying the economic glass is nearly half full, but Republicans, 25 future index points lower, are now more pessimistic about their own prospects as well as the five-year state outlook than they have been since we began measuring consumer confidence in 1999. Over six of every ten Republicans expect poor business conditions in New York this year and widespread unemployment through 2015. Democrats forecast a somewhat rosier picture for the state and are much more likely than Republicans to insist that somehow, someway, they personally will be better off in a year.

As NYT reported earlier this week, New York City has fared relatively well during the recession (relative being the key word) -- and things are looking up there. That might explain some of the split -- both political and geographic.

Earlier on AOA: Optimism for the Capital Region housing market

table: Siena Research Institute

And the central event is the Grand Tasting on Saturday, September 11th from 1 to 5:30. More that 100 Italian and international wines will be available for sampling, there will be wine and cheese seminars, delicacies from local chefs and lots of Ferraris and other beautiful cars. Not a bad way to kill an afternoon.

Over 35 importers of Italian wines and food products will be offering tastings. Tickets to the Grand Tasting are $75 a piece -- but we've got 4 pair to give away.

Gourmet food, fine wine and fancy cars had us daydreaming about living like the other half does. Which brings us to the question we'd like you to answer to enter the drawing:

How do you "live rich" in the Capital Region?

Maybe it's where you go to splurge or treat yourself when you've got a few extra dollars. Maybe it doesn't cost anything at all but makes you feel like a million bucks. Anyway, tell us what it is and we'll enter you into the drawing. And of course, let us know what's so great about it in case we want to try it too. That part's not a requirement, but it's more fun to share.

The deadline to enter is Friday, September 3rd at 8PM.

Very, very important: One entry per person. You must answer the question to be eligible. You must post your comment by 8 pm on Friday, September 3rd, 2010. You must include a working email address (that you check regularly) with your comment. The winners will be notified by email by noon on Saturday-- and must respond by 5PM Tuesday, September 7th.

Good or bad, we'll let you decide...

Over US$ 100 billion dollars of environmentally harmful foams are used each year, depleting finite fossil fuel reserves and causing serious environmental impact during production and disposal. Ecovative's technology has the potential to eliminate a significant amount of environmentally harmful foams, including the expanded polystyrene used worldwide in packaging, automobiles, building construction and consumer goods.

Ecovative has developed packaging and insulation that made with seed husks and mushroom roots. The two founders, Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre, are RPI grads. The company's gotten a lot of attention -- it was even name-checked on CSI:NY.

From 2008 on AOA: A (very cool) fungus grows in Troy

photo: Ecovative Design

Brittany is not Indian, and she wasn't raised in the Hindu culture, but she's been wearing bindis and writing about them for years.

Now she's making bindis. And from her studio in Albany, her new twist on the ancient custom -- the Om body bindi -- has made it to Yoga studios and new age shops around the country.

Term limits were one of the most-discussed issues at the debate between Democratic state Senate debate between Neil Breslin and Luke Martland. Said Martland of the incumbent: "If you believe that New York state is on the right track and that the status quo is working, then you should vote for Neil Breslin." Said Breslin: "... when people see the accomplishments, that I've had, see what I've done in terms of reform and cleaning up the Senate, I'm sure I'll be re-elected." [YNN] [TU] [WTEN]

Cohoes mayor John McDonald says the city has fixed the pumps whose failure had resulted in sewage being discharged into a tributary of the Hudson. He says the rags that damaged the pumps have been identified as children's clothing and underwear -- and police are investigating where they came from. [CBS6] [Troy Record]

Troy police say a man died yesterday after being hit by a car while crossing River Street (map). They say the man may have walked into the street from between two parked cars. [YNN] [Troy Record]

The Troy Fire Department says an elderly man died during a fire in his apartment early Wednesday morning. They say the fire may have been started by a cigarette. [Troy Record] [TU]

So where does Albany get this great-tasting water? The answer is... Coeymans. The city has two reservoirs near there -- the Alcove Reservoir and the Basic Creek Reservoir (which is in Westerlo). The Alcove Reservoir was created in 1928 by damming the Hannacroix Creek, which flooded the village of Indian Fields. (They did, apparently, move the village cemetery.)

While we're on the subject We recently heard about a project -- called "Tap" -- aimed at getting local people to switch from bottled water to tap:

"Tap" is an organized effort to educate and persuade Albanites to reduce their carbon footprint by refusing bottled water and utilizing the city's municipal water supply. We aim to teach people ways to be healthy, save money, save the environment and support the local community by using tap water for hydrating needs.

If one plan from before the Civil War had succeeded, the Northeast might have been on Albany Time.

It started in 1851, with the founding of the Dudley Observatory.

The Tour de Habitat gives riders a choice of pedaling a 100, 50, 25 or family-friendly 10 mile route to benefit Capital District Habitat for Humanity. All rides start and finish at the Albany Pump Station, with a post-ride reception featuring food and beer.

The entry fee is $100, for which the org is hoping people will get sponsors. The fee includes "riding a fully supported route, pre- and post-ride meals at the Albany Pump Station, two pints of any Evans beer after the ride and a souvenir t-shirt."

Earlier on AOA: Scoring your very own urinal at Habitat ReStore

The former director of the state prison system's food production operation -- and his staff -- "routinely traded favors and gifts with favored businesses that were rewarded with millions of dollars in state purchases," according to report from the state comptroller and state inspector general. The former director, who's since retired, has previously been accused of taking every Friday off for 17 years. [NYS OSC] [TU]

Neil Breslin says David Paterson "has been an absolute, total failure" as governor. Luke Martland, Breslin's Democratic primary opponent, says the state legislature "doesn't do what's right by anybody" except themselves. Breslin and Martland debate tonight at St. Rose. [TU CapCon] [Troy Record]

A gambling police expert on New York's use of racino money to prop up horse racing: "For New York, the public policy question comes down to this: Should we spend $400 million to save racetracks or to save education and other things that are also in great need?" [NYT]