Coglianese / NYRA Photo Photo

NYRA to raise funds and awareness for pancreatic cancer research during Lustgarten Foundation Day at Saratoga Race Course

by Pat McKenna / Mark Bardack

Annual event held in memory of the late trainer Dominic Galluscio to feature trainer autograph session

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will honor the legacy of late trainer Dominic Galluscio while raising funds and awareness for pancreatic cancer research during Lustgarten Foundation Day at Saratoga Race Course on Sunday, August 18.

The day's first race will be named in honor of 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.

The centerpiece of the day will be a trainer autograph session from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Jockey Silks Room Porch to benefit The Lustgarten Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing scientific and medical research related to pancreatic cancer. The first 200 fans will receive a limited-edition poster of Diversify, winner of the 2018 Grade 1 Whitney, and Saratoga hat with a donation to The Lustgarten Foundation.

"Dominic was a beloved trainer here in New York for more than three decades and we look forward to hosting a day in his honor while shining a spotlight on The Lustgarten Foundation," said NYRA CEO & President Dave O'Rourke. "We encourage fans to join us as we celebrate Dominic's legacy while raising funds for pancreatic cancer research."

Hall of Famers D. Wayne Lukas, Shug McGaughey and Nick Zito are among the trainers scheduled to sign autographs (lineup subject to change). They will be joined by seven-time Eclipse Award winner Todd Pletcher as well as Chad Brown who currently sits atop the 2019 leaderboard and is seeking to defend his 2018 title.

Saratoga Race Course will feature purple décor in honor of The Lustgarten Foundation and donation bins will be positioned throughout the track grounds.

Gates open at 11 a.m. on Sunday with first post scheduled for 1 p.m. The day's feature is the $100,000 Summer Colony for fillies and mares.

Sunday will mark one of two mandatory payout days for the new Empire 6, a jackpot-style multi-race wager which requires the bettor to select the first-place finisher of the final six races of the card and features a $0.20 bet minimum and a 20 percent takeout. On Sunday, the entire net pool plus any carryover jackpot amount will be distributed to those selecting the greatest number of winners on Sunday's card, regardless of whether there is a unique, single-ticket winner. Thursday's Empire 6 jackpot carryover stands at $254,404.

Racing at Saratoga Race Course is held five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays. Closing week will run Wednesday, August 28 through Labor Day. For more information about Saratoga Race Course, visit NYRA.com.