NYRA invites fans to take photos with new Triple Crown trophy to benefit The Lustgarten Foundation at Saratoga Race Course

by Pat McKenna/Mark Bardack

Photo opportunity with new trophy will benefit pancreatic cancer research in memory of the late trainer, Dominic Galluscio

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will welcome racing fans to get an up-close look at the new Triple Crown trophy in conjunction with Lustgarten Foundation Day at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, August 18.

The afternoon will feature the running of the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama for the nation's top 3-year-old fillies and the Grade 2, $300,000 Lake Placid for 3-year-old fillies on the turf. 

Fans can take their photo with the Triple Crown trophy at the Community Outreach Booth from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. with a suggested $5 donation to the Lustgarten Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to funding pancreatic cancer research. The Community Booth is located outside the Jockey Silks Room and across from the Saratoga Walk of Fame.

Fans who share their photo on Facebook and Twitter using #TCTrophy and #Saratoga will be entered to win a 2018 premium Saratoga giveaway. A total of four winners will be selected at random.

The annual Lustgarten Foundation Day at Saratoga honors the legacy of trainer Dominic Galluscio, who passed away in 2014 following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. A popular and respected figure amongst his peers, Galluscio trained more than 1,000 winners and earned more than $31 million in purses over a career that began in 1981 and was spent primarily on the New York circuit. 

"We invite our fans to get an up close look at this magnificent new Triple Crown trophy which was designed to reflect one of the greatest achievements in sports. The Triple Crown trophy is both classic and contemporary. We encourage fans to capture a one-of-a-kind memory by taking a photo with the trophy and sharing the image with family and friends," said NYRA CEO and President Chris Kay. "Fans who take advantage of this opportunity will help raise funds for pancreatic cancer research which impacts thousands of Americans and claimed the life of Dominic Galluscio, a beloved trainer on the New York circuit for more than three decades. All of us at NYRA are pleased to honor Dominic's legacy at the Community Outreach Booth with a chance for our guests to take their photo with the new Triple Crown trophy while helping to support a great cause." 

Commissioned by NYRA on behalf of Triple Crown Productions and created by world-renowned sculptor Roberto Santo, the sterling silver and 14-karat gold Triple Crown trophy stands more than three feet tall and features semi-precious stones representing the colors of the three Triple Crown tracks - green, red and green - with a horse and jockey on top. 

Santo's illustrious career includes commissions for multiple Olympics, including the 1984 Games in Los Angeles and the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta. His sculptures are featured in museums, galleries and private collections around the world.

The Triple Crown trophy was awarded in its inaugural season to trainer Bob Baffert and the connections of Justify following his successful Triple Crown campaign which culminated in a dominating win in the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park this past June. 

In recognition of that accomplishment, the new trophy will again be on display during the annual Red Jacket Ceremony at Saratoga Race Course on Friday, August 24, when Baffert is welcomed into the Saratoga Walk of Fame on the eve of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers. 

Lustgarten Day will also feature an autograph signing with Saratoga's leading trainers from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. near the paddock mutuel building. Autographs will be available for a suggested $10 donation, which will benefit The Lustgarten Foundation.

Hall of Famers Bill Mott and Shug McGaughey, and seven-time Eclipse Award winner Todd Pletcher are among the trainers scheduled to sign autographs. They will be joined by meet leading trainer Chad Brown, as well as by Gary Contessa, Linda Rice and a host of others.

Gates open at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday with first post scheduled for 1 p.m.

Guests are strongly advised to allot additional time for arrival on Alabama and Lustgarten Day due to enhanced screening. The morning schedule will be modified as follows: Breakfast at Saratoga, presented by the Capital District Transportation Authority, will be slightly abbreviated and will operate from 7 to 9 a.m. The final backstretch tram tour will depart at 8:30 a.m. All guests on track will be asked to depart the grounds by 9:30 a.m. in preparation for gates reopening at the traditional time of 10:30 a.m.

Grandstand admission for Saratoga Race Course is $5 and Clubhouse admission is $8 for guests who purchase their tickets prior to the day of the event. Grandstand admission is $7 and Clubhouse admission is $10 when purchased at the gate.  

The 2018 summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course continues through Labor Day, Monday, September 3. For more information about Saratoga Race Course, visit NYRA.com.