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Saratoga Highlights: Week 3

by Pat McKenna and Mark Bardack

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27

Honorable Miss Handicap:

Last year’s Grade 1 Longines Test winner Bella Sofia headlines the Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap, a six-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares at Saratoga Race Course.

Breakfast at Saratoga driven by CDTA:

Guests are invited to enjoy a breakfast buffet at The Porch every live racing day (excluding Runhappy Travers Day and Labor Day) from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The buffet is $25 for adults and $12 for children under 12. Fans can watch thoroughbreds train on the main track before taking a free tram tour of the backstretch driven by CDTA. Breakfast is available on a first-come, first-served basis; reservations are not accepted. Admission to the track is free during breakfast hours.

NYRA Bets Gift Cards:

NYRA Bets Gift Cards are available for purchase at nearly 180 Capital Region Stewart’s Shops. NYRA Bets Gift Cards are preloaded with $50 for immediate use with a NYRA Bets account to bet Saratoga online along with hundreds of other racetracks. NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and available for download on iOS and Android at NYRABets.com.

Saratoga Live:

Saratoga Live presents daily coverage and analysis of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit NYRA.com/SaratogaLive.

Community Outreach Booth:

The Veterans & Community Housing Coalition of New York, which is committed to providing housing and support services to all homeless military veterans and their families, will lead off the racing week at the Community Outreach Booth.

Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage:

The Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage will host live music from The Bluebillies.

THURSDAY, JULY 28

Birdstone:

Lone Rock will be making his 42nd career start as he seeks a repeat victory in Thursday’s $200,000 Birdstone, a 1 3/4-mile marathon for older horses over the main track.

First Responders Day:

NYRA will pay tribute to first responders with a series of events and activities throughout the day. All first responders will receive free grandstand admission with proper ID. The afternoon will include performances by the New York State Police Pipes and Drums and a demonstration featuring a New York State Police K-9 unit. A fire engine from the Saratoga Springs Fire Department will be on display in addition to a vintage New York State Police car. 

NYRA will donate a portion of proceeds to the Saratoga Springs Fire Department from all sales on track of the limited-edition, Josh Cellars Reserve Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine will be available in dining areas and at the Josh Cellars gazebo exclusively on First Responders Day in honor of Joseph Carr’s father, who was a volunteer firefighter from Rensselaer County. A native of the Capital Region, Joe Carr is the founder of Josh Cellars wines.

Several first responder agencies will host a recruiting event on track between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the Jockey Silks Room Porch.

A Pair of Wine Samplings:

Fans can enjoy samples of Banfi San Angelo Pinot Grigio and Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc at Longshots, presented by Proper No. Twelve, located beneath the grandstand on the lower level. Complimentary samples will be available from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for guests 21 and over while supplies last.

Taste NY Pavilion:

The Taste NY Pavilion, located inside Gate A at the Top of the Stretch, features New York craft beer, cider, wine and spirits products, including offerings from: Bolton Landing Brewing Company, Brooklyn Brewery, Common Roots Brewing Company, Druthers Brewing Co., Frog Alley Brewing Co., Northway Brewing Company, Paradox Brewery, Nine Pin Cider Works, Brotherhood Winery and Old Tavern Farm Winery, and spirits from Cooperstown Distillery, Great Jones and Pick Six Vodka. Open from noon until 5 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and from noon until 4 p.m. on Sundays.

Community Outreach Booth:

NYRA will host the Saratoga Springs Fire Department, which is dedicated to the protection of life, property and the environment for those who live, work or visit the Saratoga Springs community.

Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage:

The Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage will host live music from Heard World Music.

FRIDAY, JULY 29

The Curlin:

Friday’s feature is the restricted $135,000 Curlin for sophomores at nine furlongs over the main track and a possible gateway to the Runhappy Travers. First run in 2009, the Curlin is named after the two-time Horse of the Year who won the 2007 Preakness, 2007 Breeders’ Cup Classic and 2008 Grade 1 Woodward at Saratoga.

Giveaway: Saratoga Picnic Blanket Presented By Saratoga Casino Hotel:

Fans will enjoy the first premium giveaway of the 2022 season: a Saratoga-branded picnic blanket. Presented by Saratoga Casino Hotel, the black and red plaid patterned blanket folds up for easy storage while traveling to and from the track. All fans with paid admission will receive a coupon for the giveaway, while supplies last. Season ticket and season pass holders are not guaranteed a giveaway. Fans must present a coupon at designated locations on track to receive the complimentary item.

Old Tavern Farm Winery and Pick Six Vodka Samplings:

Fans can enjoy samples of Old Tavern Farm Winery’s signature Rosé, vinted and canned in Saratoga Springs. Samples will be available free of charge for guests 21 and older outside the Clubhouse Porch from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. while supplies last.

Complimentary samples of Saratoga Courage Distillery’s Pick Six Vodka will also be available at Longshots, located beneath the grandstand on the lower level, for guests 21 and older from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. while supplies last.

NYRA Triple Play:

Offered for the first time at Saratoga Race Course, the NYRA Triple Play is a Pick 3 wager with a $3 bet minimum and a takeout rate of 19 percent. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at the Saratoga meet, the NYRA Triple Play will feature a trifecta of specially selected races. Each NYRA Triple Play will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool. Wagering on the NYRA Triple Play will be available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country.

Community Outreach Booth:

North Country Wild Care helps wildlife rehabilitators with the care of injured and orphaned wildlife. Members are drawn from a network of home-based wildlife rehabilitators and volunteers in Schenectady, Warren, Washington, Saratoga, Albany, Rensselaer, Montgomery, Fulton and Essex counties. 

Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage:

The Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage will host live music from Dealt The Blues.

SATURDAY, JULY 30

Jim Dandy and Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap:

The traditional Saratoga prep for the Runhappy Travers, the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy is expected to feature Early Voting, winner of the Preakness Stakes, and Zandon, who finished third in the Kentucky Derby. Reigning Eclipse Award-winning Male Sprinter Jackie’s Warrior headlines the Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt, a six-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up.

Jim Dandy on FOX:

For the first time in history, FOX will present live coverage and analysis of the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy as part of a 90-minute broadcast, which will begin at 4:30 p.m. and include the Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt.

Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund Awareness Day:

Uniting with racetracks across the country to support the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF) Day, riders competing at Saratoga Race Course will participate in a host of activities to raise awareness and funding for the PDJF. Highlighting the day’s events will be a special meet and greet and autograph session with riders from the Saratoga jockey colony, who will sign autographs on the Jockey Silks Room Porch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Fans who make a donation to the PDJF will receive a commemorative poster. 

Cutwater Canned Cocktails and Woodchuck Hard Cider Samplings:

Cutwater Sprits canned cocktails will be available for guests 21 and over to sample from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cutwater gazebo near Guest Services.

Woodchuck Hard Cider, the official hard cider of Saratoga Race Course, produced in neighboring Vermont, will offer complimentary samples from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. to guests 21 and over at the Day Chaser gazebo, across from the Clubhouse exchange.

Community Outreach Booth:

The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund provides financial assistance to former jockeys who have suffered catastrophic on-track injuries. Since its founding in 2006, the fund has disbursed nearly $11 million dollars to permanently disabled jockeys. 

Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage:

The Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage will host live music from ILL Funk.

SUNDAY, JULY 31

Bowling Green and Amsterdam:

Closing out Jim Dandy weekend is the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green at 1 3/8 miles on the turf for older horses; and the Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for sophomores.

Stars at the Spa Presents Teresa Giudice:

Fans will have the chance to meet The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice at Saratoga Race Course. Fans can choose between a ticketed meet-and-greet for up to 50 guests in the new Paddock Suite, featuring food, drink (beer, wine and soft drinks) and conversation with the TV personality; or a ticketed meet-and-greet at the Jockey Silks Room Porch that includes a photo opportunity and signed headshot. Tickets can be reserved at NYRA.com. The “Stars at the Spa” series is presented by Saratoga Living.

Brunch at The Rail at the 1863 Club:

Fans are invited to enjoy a brunch buffet while experiencing The Rail at the 1863 Club, the venue’s first-floor banquet space. Tickets are $95 and include admission, a table seat for the day, brunch buffet, soft drinks, two mimosa or Bloody Mary drink tickets, Post Parade, tax and gratuity. Reservations are available by calling the NYRA Box Office at 844-NYRA-TIX or online at Ticketmaster.com.

Berkshire Bank Family Sundays:

The popular family-friendly weekly event features a wide variety of free activities, games, attractions and educational experiences from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Berkshire Bank Family Zone, located inside Gate A near the Saratoga Race Course Box Office.

Community Outreach Booth:

Christie’s Heartoberfest is dedicated to the memory of Christie Tolosky, a 24-year-old Siena College graduate who died suddenly from Sudden Arrhythmia Death (SAD) Syndrome. Christie's Heartoberfest builds awareness of SADS and raises funds for the SADS Foundation. 

Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage:

The Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage will host live music from The Twangbusters.

All events and activities are subject to change at the discretion of NYRA.