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Headlines

NYRA concludes memorable summer at Saratoga

Pat McKenna, Mark Bardack • Sep 1 2025

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today concluded the 2025 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which generated paid attendance exceeding 1 million fans for the 10th consecutive year and more than $790 million in wagering handle from all-sources. 

The meet was highlighted by a record-setting Whitney Day and memorable DraftKings Travers Day where a paid crowd of more than 48,000 fans witnessed Sovereignty, the Godolphin-owned and Bill Mott-trained colt, become the first horse in 30 years to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets, and DraftKings Travers.

Over the 49 days of racing at Saratoga in 2025, inclusive of the Belmont Stakes and July 4th racing festivals, wagering handle from all sources totaled more than $1 billion ($1,072,548,515) with paid attendance of 1,224,504.

“Saratoga is special in many ways, but it is the enthusiastic support from fans and horseplayers that transforms this historic venue into a summer long celebration of the sport,” said David O’Rourke, NYRA President and CEO. “We thank each and every fan who visited Saratoga Race Course throughout the season, and all those who watched and wagered from home thanks to the expansive television coverage on FOX Sports. NYRA applauds the owners, trainers and jockeys for participating here in New York, and the members of the backstretch community whose dedication and skill are the backbone of racing.”

All-sources handle for the 40-day summer meet was $791,129,471, including a record $49,651,341 of wagering on Whitney Day and $54,309,929 on DraftKings Travers Day, the third highest amount ever wagered on a single day in the history of the summer meet. 

While Saratoga recorded its 10th consecutive summer with more than 1 million fans, Saratoga Live, the critically acclaimed and award-winning show produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, celebrated its 10th season providing daily coverage and in-depth analysis of the summer meet to a nationwide audience on the FOX Sports family of networks. 

The partnership between NYRA and FOX Sports has since grown to include FOX Saratoga Saturday, which returned in 2025 for six consecutive Saturdays on FOX. The series was bookended by a special edition of FOX Saratoga Sunday, presented by Caesars Sportsbook, on the penultimate day of the summer meet for the 107th running of the Jockey Club Gold Cup, while FOX also broadcast the Belmont Derby Invitational on Independence Day during the July 4th Racing Festival.

Saratoga Stats: 2025 vs. 2024

  • All-sources handle: $791,129,471 vs. $803,806,964 
  • Average daily handle: $19,778,237 vs. $20,610,435 
  • Total on-track handle: $136,218,024 vs. $136,295,228 
  • Total paid attendance: 1,061,787 vs. 1,051,092
  • Average daily paid attendance: 26,544 vs. 26,951
  • Races off the turf: 33 vs. 45
  • Total races: 420 (244 dirt and 176 turf) vs. 412 (257 dirt and 155 turf) 

Highlights of the 2025 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course

  • Irad Ortiz, Jr. bested his brother Jose to repeat as leading rider and claim the Angel Cordero, Jr. title; Chad Brown and Todd Pletcher shared the H. Allen Jerkens training title; and Repole Stable secured the meet’s leading owner title.
  • NYRA Students of Thoroughbreds and Racing (STAR) tripled its membership with 2,579 youth participating in the popular program that launched a year earlier. Featuring behind-the-scenes access into the world of thoroughbred racing, NYRA STAR members experienced Saratoga through exclusive on-track events and educational opportunities. The inaugural Kids Day was held in conjunction with the NYRA STAR program and included a mascot race won by Gunner, the official mascot of the Adirondack Thunder.
  • NYRA celebrated first responders from across New York with special recognition given to members of the Saratoga Springs Police Department who rescued “Sly,” a 22-year-old quarter horse who fell through the ice this past winter. Sly appeared at Saratoga on First Responders Day to be reunited with his rescuers and to meet hundreds of adoring fans, where he was also recognized as a first responder after his owner gifted him to the Mounted Unit in appreciation of the heroic efforts of the local officers.
  • Saratoga hosted the inaugural Corgi Cup with four dozen Corgis from across the country participating in the dogged competition. The highly acclaimed and entertaining event featured two qualifiers and championship round which was won by 6-year-old Sam from Coram, NY. 
  • NYRA honored veterans and active-duty service members during its annual Military Appreciation Day, which included a memorable ceremony featuring Korean War Veteran Abram “Abe” Seeberger. The Rensselaer County resident enthusiastically showed off the newly minted high school diploma he received this past June after leaving school in 1955 to enlist in the Korean War. 
  • NYRA hosted and recognized the 2025 Class C Baseball State Champion Saratoga Central Catholic School Saints and the 2025 Class AAA Baseball State Champion Saratoga Springs High School Blue Streaks with a pair of named races in their honor. Both local programs captured state titles this past spring for the first time ever. 
  • Saratoga’s popular Breakfast and Breeding Farm tour, a fan favorite since its launch in 2022, hosted more than 1,000 visitors at Sugar Plum Farm, Old Tavern Farm and Song Hill Thoroughbreds. The program, which features Breakfast at Saratoga and a guided tour of a local breeding farm, was offered four days each week during the meet.

Live racing on the NYRA circuit resumes on Thursday, September 11 with opening day of the Belmont at the Big A fall meet. The 32-day meet, which will again be conducted at Aqueduct Racetrack due to the ongoing construction of a new Belmont Park, offers a total of 45 stakes worth $9.45 million in total purses and will include four Grade 1s and five Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” qualifiers. 

For more information, visit NYRA.com.

About the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA)

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is a not-for-profit corporation franchised by New York State to conduct thoroughbred racing at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course. NYRA tracks are the cornerstone of New York’s horse racing economy, which is responsible for 19,000 jobs and more than $3 billion in annual statewide impact.

NYRA is the parent company of NYRA Bets, LLC, the national advanced deposit wagering platform launched in 2016 and currently available to customers in 36 states. NYRA Bets provides bettors the opportunity to wager on tracks worldwide from anywhere at any time. The NYRA Bets app is available for download on iOS and Android at NYRABets.com.

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