What's Happening Week 2 at Saratoga Race Course

by Pat Mckenna; Mark Bardack

WEDNESDAY, JULY 26

• Honorable Miss Handicap: The day's feature race is a Grade 2, $200,000 sprint for fillies and mares on the dirt.

• Military Appreciation Day: The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will pay tribute to the nation's service members and veterans during Military Appreciation Day at Saratoga Race Course. The day will feature free grandstand admission for all United States military service members and veterans with valid military ID or proof of military service. Additionally, NYRA will welcome local service members and veterans to the winner's circle before numerous races on the day's card. Performers from the USO Show Troupe will greet guests at the Clubhouse entrance beginning at 11:15 a.m. and throughout the afternoon at the Berkshire Bank Saratoga Pavilion.

• NYRA XP: Fans are welcome to download NYRA XP, the new app which enables guests to personalize and enhance their on-track experience through their mobile device. Fans who download NYRA XP will learn about upcoming events, purchase tickets, find their seat location, wager through NYRA Bets, live stream races and customize their viewing experience from various camera locations, conduct wayfinding activities, and later in the meet, order food from on-track concessions and purchase reserved parking. NYRA XP is available for free download in iOS (Apple) and Android (Google Play) stores.

• Breakfast at Saratoga, presented by B95.5 FM Breakfast Club: Fans are invited to enjoy breakfast on The Porch of the clubhouse while the thoroughbreds train on the main track. Breakfast is held from 7 to 9:30 a.m. and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The morning buffet is $18.50 for adults and $10.25 for kids. Mornings at Saratoga also welcome fans to go behind the scenes with a free, guided backstretch tram tour. Tram tours begin at 7:30 a.m. and depart from the clubhouse entrance approximately every 15 minutes through 9 a.m. Tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are 45 minutes in length. Breakfast and tours are available daily, except Travers Day, Saturday, August 26.

• Community Outreach Booth: The Community Outreach Booth will host the Jewish War Veterans Post 36 Saratoga Springs in honor of Military Appreciation Day. The non-profit organization brings together military veterans of all eras in the greater Saratoga Jewish community to offer support on issues relating to veterans. 

THURSDAY, JULY 27

• The A.P. Smithwick Memorial and John Morrissey (NYB): The day's feature races are the Grade 1, $150,000 A.P. Smithwick Memorial (Steeplechase) and the John Morrissey, a $100,000 stakes for New York-breds going six and a half furlongs on the dirt.

• Taste NY: Cider, Wine & Spirits: Taste NY: Cider, Wine & Spirits offers guests a selection of cider, wine and spirits available for sampling each Thursday of the meet in partnership with the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets. Fans will be able to select five samples for $5 at the Berkshire Bank Saratoga Pavilion from noon to 5 p.m.

• Community Outreach Booth: The Community Outreach Booth will host the Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital, which is a nationally-recognized leader in neurological patient care.

• Tequila & Taco Thursdays: Each Thursday of the season, guests will enjoy specials on margaritas and tacos at The Post, as well as live flamenco guitar performances following the day's final race.   

• "At the Post Live: Serling on Saratoga": NYRA TV broadcast analyst and nationally recognized thoroughbred racing personality Andy Serling hosts this live broadcast on ESPN Radio 104.5 "The Team" at The Parting Glass in downtown Saratoga Springs from 8 to 9 p.m. 

FRIDAY, JULY 28

• The Curlin: The day's feature is a potential prep for the Travers at nine furlongs for a purse of $100,000.

• College & Alumni Day: This year's College & Alumni Day will feature the first-ever College & Alumni Handicapping Tournament at the Spa. College students and alumni will be invited to test their handicapping skills in a live money tournament for the opportunity to win up to a $5,000 scholarship for their alma mater from the New York Racing Association. Advance registration is required to participate in the tournament. Special group rates are available. To register your group of 10 or more, email [email protected].

• Taste NY: Craft Beer: This weekly event offers guests a selection of New York craft beers available for sampling in partnership with the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets. Fans will be able to sample five craft beers for $5 at the Berkshire Bank Saratoga Pavilion from noon to 5 p.m.

• Community Outreach Booth: The Community Outreach Booth will host North Country Wild Care, a non-profit organization that supports wildlife rehabilitators in Schenectady, Warren, Washington, Saratoga, Albany, Rensselaer, Montgomery, Fulton and Essex Counties.

• Woodford Reserve Fridays at The Post: Racing fans are invited to continue their day at Saratoga with Woodford Reserve Fridays at The Post, the lively bar and entertainment sport located adjacent to the paddock. Each Friday of the meet will feature a DJ and dancing, cocktail samplings and trivia at The Post following the day's final race.

SATURDAY, JULY 29

• A Travers Day Preview: A quartet of graded stakes headlines a blockbuster Saturday on the Saratoga calendar. The traditional local prep for the Travers, the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy, will be joined by the Grade 1, $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap, the Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam and the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green.

• Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund Awareness Day: Saratoga Race Course will unite with racetracks across the country as part of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF) Day Across America. Riders from the Saratoga jockey colony will sign autographs on the Jockey Silks Room Porch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with a suggested donation to PDJF.

• Taste NY: Food and Artisans NOW ALSO ON SATURDAY: Saturday will feature Taste NY: Food and Artisans, a lively on-track market where guests can sample and shop food and crafts in the Berkshire Bank Saratoga Pavilion from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The market will be held each Saturday and Sunday of the 2017 meet. The events will be complemented by handicapping tutorials and racing tips from the Bets Squad, as well as the opportunity to learn more about NYRA Bets and the all-new mobile app for Saratoga, NYRA XP.

• Ketel One Party at The Post: The fun will continue each Saturday of the season with the Ketel One Party at The Post. Saturday evenings at Saratoga will feature music from a DJ following the day's final race, cocktail samplings and giveaways.

• Community Outreach Booth: The Community Outreach Booth will host the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund in honor of the day-long celebration at Saratoga Race Course. The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund is a public charity which provides financial assistance to former jockeys who have suffered catastrophic on-track injuries.

SUNDAY, JULY 30

• Shuvee Handicap: The day's feature is the Grade 3, $200,000 Shuvee Handicap for fillies and mares at nine furlongs on the dirt.

• Taste NY: Food and Artisans: The Sunday edition of the market will welcome guests to the Berkshire Bank Saratoga Pavilion from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Community Outreach Booth: The Community Outreach Booth will host the Saratoga WarHorse Foundation, which helps change the lives of veterans by creating an interactive experience with retired thoroughbreds.

MONDAY, JULY 31

• Coronation Cup: The day's feature is for three-year-old fillies going five and a half furlongs on the grass for a purse of $100,000.

• Berkshire Bank Family Mondays: Monday will be highlighted by Berkshire Bank Family Mondays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Berkshire Bank Saratoga Pavilion. All kid-friendly games and activities, including the opportunity to pet a retired thoroughbred, are free of charge, with the exception of one designated activity which carries a suggested donation to benefit a local school or PTA. This week's beneficiary is Stevens Elementary School.

• Community Outreach Booth: The Community Outreach Booth will host the American Cancer Society, which researches cancer to find answers and better treatment, while promoting healthy lifestyles for prevention.

All events and activities are subject to change at the discretion of the New York Racing Association.