NYRA/Coglianese Photo

1863 Club group hospitality reservations for 2019 season at Saratoga Race Course available beginning March 21

by Pat McKenna/Mark Bardack

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced that large group reservations for the 1863 Club - the three-story, climate-controlled, state-of-the-art building that will debut for the 2019 Saratoga season - will be accepted beginning Thursday, March 21 at 10 a.m. 

Group reservations will be available for The Rail at the 1863 Club, the first-floor banquet space which features floor-to-ceiling windows and offers table seating for up to 500 guests. Guests on the first floor will also have access to a private outdoor area on the apron, offering an outstanding trackside vantage point and thrilling views of thoroughbreds rounding the Clubhouse turn. 

Full-space reservations are also being accepted for the second-floor event space, accommodating up to 100 guests, as well as the third-floor luxury suites, with capacities ranging from 30 to 45 guests.

"The 1863 Club will be a tremendous addition to Saratoga Race Course, offering fans an unparalleled race day experience synonymous with a world-class sporting venue. Guests at the 1863 Club will enjoy modern-day amenities and spectacular views of the racing action in a building consistent with the renowned and historic Spa architecture," said NYRA Senior Vice President and Chief Experience Officer Lynn LaRocca. "We encourage racing fans to take advantage of this opportunity to experience the 1863 Club during its inaugural season."

Group hospitality bookings for full-space rentals and groups of 100 or more guests at the 1863 Club will be accepted beginning Thursday, March 21 at 10 a.m. Reservations for partial-space rentals and parties with fewer than 100 guests will be accepted beginning Thursday, March 28 at 10 a.m. (eight-guest minimum required).

All reservations for the 1863 Club will be processed through the NYRA Box Office by phone at (844) NYRA-TIX. 

Located on the Clubhouse turn, the 1863 Club is a 36,000-square foot building featuring differentiated hospitality options and modern amenities. In addition to the three floors of usable space for guests, the building will be equipped with a full-service kitchen. The 1863 Club is named in honor of the year of the first organized thoroughbred race meeting in Saratoga, which took place over the course of four days in August 1863.

Full-space reservations for additional group hospitality options at Saratoga Race Course will be available beginning Thursday, March 21 at 10 a.m. Partial space hospitality options will be available beginning Thursday, March 28 at 10 a.m. 

Group reservations will be available in the following hospitality areas: Paddock Tent; Festival Tent; Big Red Spring Tent; Top of the Stretch; Miller Lite Party Tent; and Easy Goer. Group sales reservations will be processed through the NYRA Box Office by phone at (844) NYRA-TIX or via email at [email protected].

The 40-day meet at historic Saratoga Race Course will begin on Thursday, July 11 and run through Labor Day, Monday, September 2. Following Opening Weekend, racing at Saratoga will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays. Closing week will run Wednesday, August 28 through Labor Day, Monday, September 2. 

Among the season's highlights are Opening Weekend, July 11-14; the 150th running of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers on Saturday, August 24; and the Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on Saturday, August 3.

Whitney weekend will include the second legs of the new Turf Triple Series, the three-race series at Belmont Park and Saratoga showcasing the best turf runners in the country and offering $5.25 million in purse money. The middle jewel of the Turf Tiara, the series restricted to 3-year-old fillies, will kick off Whitney weekend on Friday, August 2 with the inaugural $750,000 Saratoga Oaks. The middle leg of the Turf Trinity, the series restricted to 3-year-old males designed to emulate the American dirt classics, will bookend Whitney weekend with the inaugural $1 million Saratoga Derby. 

For more information about Saratoga Race Course, visit www.nyra.com/Saratoga