What's Happening 2017 Week 3 Saratoga Race Course

by Pat McKenna; Mark Bardack

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2

• Shine Again: The day's feature race is the $100,000 Shine Again for fillies and mares going seven furlongs.

• Irish-American Day: The New York Racing Association, Inc. will continue the decade long tradition of celebrating the culture of those of Irish-American descent during the annual Irish-American Heritage Day at Saratoga Race. The day-long festivities will feature Irish music, dance, entertainment and food from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Berkshire Bank Saratoga Pavilion. The day's third race will be named in honor of the celebration. Fans are encouraged to celebrate by wearing green and decorating their backyard picnic tables with Irish-themed décor. Step dancers from The Boland School of Irish Dance will greet guests at the grandstand and clubhouse entrances beginning at 11 a.m. and perform trackside at approximately 2:10 p.m. following the day's third race.  A number of chefs from the greater Capital Region will provide tastings and cooking demonstrations of classic Irish dishes inside the Berkshire Bank Saratoga Pavilion throughout the afternoon. Traditional Irish food and beverage offerings will also be available for purchase at select concessions throughout the venue including: Stout Battered Onion Rings, Irish Quesadilla's, Irish Stew, Guinness Fish & Chips, Corned Beef sandwiches, Irish coffee and beer & spirits specials.

• NYRA Bets Late Pick 5: The NYRA Bets Late Pick 5 is available exclusively to NYRA Bets members across the country and to bettors in New York wagering on-track or through a simulcast facility. The popular multi-race wager covers the last five races of every card of live racing at Saratoga - and features the same 15 percent takeout rate and $0.50 bet minimum as the existing early pick 5. Fans who sign-up for a NYRA Bets account at NYRA Bets.com will earn a $200 sign-up bonus.

• 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 be able to 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. 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 K9s for Warriors, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering warriors who suffer from post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury by providing them with canines as a means to help restore a healthy emotional state.  

THURSDAY, AUGUST 3

• Birdstone: The day's feature race is the $100,000 Birdstone for 3-year-olds and up at one and 3/4 miles 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 Gallop NYC, a New York City-based non-profit organization which offers therapeutic horsemanship programs to children and adults with disabilities to support the development of emotional, social and physical skills for each rider. 

• 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, AUGUST 4

• National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame: Saratoga's feature race is the Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame for 3-year-olds on the turf going one and 1/16 miles.

• 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 Hope Soars, which provides education, programs and support to improve the quality of life for the Parkinson's patient, as well as their caregivers and family.

• 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 spot 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, AUGUST 5 

• Whitney Day: The 90^th running of the prestigious 1 1/8-mile Whitney, a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic on November 4 at Del Mar, will top a blockbuster day of racing that includes five stakes as part of the Fasig-Tipton Festival of Racing. The winner of the race will be feted with a special-custom designed horse blanket made of Marylou Whitney pink roses and receive a sterling silver, three-handled chalice trophy adorned with the Whitney crest. The Whitney will pair with the Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Test for 3-year-old fillies and the Grade 3, $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Waya for turf fillies and mares going 1 1/2 miles.The Whitney will go to post as race number 9 at 5:46 p.m. The Whitney will be broadcast live on NBC and will be preceded by coverage on FS2 beginning at 2:30 p.m. in a special edition of Saratoga Live. The Whitney will be the final leg of a $1 million guaranteed Pick 4 and will also be part of the NYRA Bets Late Pick 5, available exclusively to NYRA Bets members nationwide and to bettors in New York wagering on-track or through a simulcast facility.

• Fasig-Tipton Festival of Racing: The Fasig-Tipton Festival of Racing will return to celebrate the rich partnership between NYRA and Fasig-Tipton as a prelude to Fasig-Tipton's annual Saratoga sales at the Humphrey S. Pavilion on August 7, 8, 12 and 13. The festival includes the "Best Turned Out Horse" award, during which Fasig-Tipton will recognize the hard work that goes into daily grooming with a special prize for the groom of the best-turned-out horse participating in the Whitney. The award will be presented to the winning groom in the winner's circle prior to the race.

• 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 Christie's Heartoberfest, a non-profit organization which assists the SADS Foundation as it supports those who are predisposed to sudden death due to heart rhythm abnormalities and their families.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 6

• Troy Handicap and Alydar: Sunday's card offers two features races - the $250,000 Troy Handicap on the turf and the $100,000 Alydar for older horses on the dirt.

• Jockey Legends Day: Some of the greatest riders in the history of thoroughbred racing will gather at Saratoga Race Course for the fourth annual Jockey Legends Day. Angel Cordero, Ramon Dominguez, Robbie Davis, Jean Luc Samyn and Richard Migliore are among the top riders who will be honored at the track and signing autographs throughout the day.

• 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 Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, a non-profit organization which accredits, inspects and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retire, retrain and rehome thoroughbreds using industry-wide funding. 

MONDAY, AUGUST 7

• NYSS Cab Calloway: The day's feature is for 3-year-old New York-breds going one mile on the grass for a purse of $100,000.

• Saratoga Short-Sleeve T-Shirt Giveaway: Racing fans will take home the second giveaway of the 2017 meet, a gray short-sleeve t-shirt featuring a red Saratoga Race Course logo. All giveaways are free with paid admission, while supplies last. Season pass and season ticket plan holders are guaranteed a Saratoga premium giveaway item on the day of the giveaway contingent on the following: Season pass or season ticket plan holders must be in attendance at Saratoga Race Course, enter through the designated season ticket and pass holder lines and redeem the giveaway by 3 p.m. Redemptions will begin when gates open to the general public.

• 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 Skano Elementary School in Clifton Park.

• Community Outreach Booth: The Community Outreach Booth will host Friends of Moreau Lake State Park, a non-profit organization which partners with New York State Parks to enhance the experience for every visitor with education, events, and stewardship.

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