What's Happening Week 7 at Saratoga Race Course

by Pat Mckenna; Mark Bardack

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30

• With Anticipation: The day's feature race is the Grade 3, $150,000 With Anticipation for 2-year-olds on the turf.

• Fan Appreciation Week: The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will thank its fans with a series of special events, savings and offers during the final week of the 2017 season at Saratoga Race Course.

Fans who missed the season's previous premium giveaway days will have an opportunity to purchase the 2017 Saratoga baseball cap, short sleeve t-shirt and Saratoga cooler bag for $5 each beginning Wednesday, August 30 through Monday, September 4, or while supplies last. Sales will take place at the Saratoga Silks store and at the concession stand inside Gate B.

Fans can also celebrate Labor Day weekend at Saratoga Race Course with a traditional end of summer BBQ beginning Friday, September 1 through Monday, September 4. The BBQ, hosted in the At the Rail Pavilion, is $45 for adults and $35 for kids (12 and under) and includes admission and a program book. Reservations can be made by calling the NYRA Box Office at 1-844-NYRA-TIX.

Numerous other ticket deals, including savings on reserved seats, boxes and reserved tables, and special offers for Saratoga Season Perks members are available. For details, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/visit/fan-appreciation-week.

• Italian-American Day: NYRA will celebrate the culture and traditions of the Bel Pease during Italian-American Day at Saratoga Race Course.The day-long festivities will feature Italian music, dance, entertainment, crafts and food from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Berkshire Bank Saratoga Pavilion. Accordion players Ralph Brooks and Peter Rizzo will greet guests with traditional Italian music as they arrive at the gates. Children with the Italian American Community Center Ballerini will perform a traditional Italian folk dance trackside following the day's fourth race. Italian tenor Angelo Mazzone, Jr. will perform Torna a Surriento trackside following the day's sixth race. The Berkshire Bank Saratoga Pavilion will host Italian music and dance performances throughout the day while guests will be able to purchase Italian food with all proceeds to benefit the Italian Heritage Association and Museum in Albany.

• Express Pickup with NYRA XP: NYRA XP allows guests to personalize and enhance their on-track experience through their mobile device. Guests can now use the app to purchase and reserve parking in advance and to order food, beverage and merchandise from select on-track concessions via Express Pickup. NYRA XP users can also learn about upcoming events, purchase tickets, pin their car location, 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.

• 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. The NYRA Bets Late Pick 5 features a minimum single-ticket payout of $150,000 daily and $300,000 on Saturdays. The single-ticket payout is available only to NYRA Bets customers online and on-track betting with a NYRA Bets account. Fans who sign-up for a NYRA Bets account at NYRA Bets.com will earn a $200 sign-up bonus.

• 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 through Sunday, September 3. Tram tours are NOT available on Labor Day.

• Community Outreach Booth: The Community Outreach Booth will host Living Resources, a non-profit organization which provides services to individuals with a broad range of disabilities and impairments, including brain injury survivors and veterans.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31

• P.G. Johnson: The day's feature race is the $100,000 P.J. Johnson for 2-year-old fillies on the turf.

• 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 hostHabitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties, which builds and rehabilitates affordable homes for low-income individuals and families in the local community.

• 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, SEPTEMBER 1

• Lucky Coin: The day's feature race is the $100,000 Lucky Coin for 4-year-olds and up on the turf.

• 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 the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, which aims to preserve and foster understanding of thoroughbred racing in America.

• 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, SEPTEMBER 2 - POST-TIME 1:00 P.M.

• Woodward Day: Labor Day weekend will feature a special first post time of 1:00 p.m. The Spa will celebrate the final Saturday of the 2017 meet with four graded stakes. The Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward, presented by NYRA Bets, and Grade 1, $350,000 Spinaway for 2-year-old fillies will be accompanied by the Grade 3, $300,000 Saranac for 3-year-olds on grass and the Grade 3, $200,000 Glens Falls for fillies and mares on the turf.

• Taste NY: Food, Artisans & Craft Beer: Saturday will feature Taste NY: Food, Artisans and craft beer, a lively on-track market where guests can sample and shop New York food and crafts, and now enjoy craft beer tastings from select New York breweries (five samples for $5) in the Berkshire Bank Saratoga Pavilion from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 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 Capital Region Toys for Tots, a campaign organized by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve to collect new, unwrapped toys to distribute as holiday gifts for less fortunate children.  

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 - POST-TIME 12:30 P.M.

• Prioress: Labor Day weekend will feature a special first post time of 12:30 p.m. The day's feature race is the Grade 2, $250,000 Prioress for 3-year-old fillies.

• Saratoga Wall Clock Giveaway: Fans will celebrate closing weekend of the 2017 Saratoga meet with the final giveaway of the 2017 season - a Saratoga wall clock, presented by Foxwoods Resort Casino. The clock features an image of thoroughbreds racing down the stretch against the iconic Saratoga grandstand and clubhouse roofline. 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.

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

• Low Roller Challenge: Sunday will include the Low Roller Challenge which allows aspiring handicappers the opportunity to experience the thrill of tournament play for $40, with $30 going towards live bankroll and $10 to the prize pool. Registration begins at 11 a.m. near the Fourstardave Sports Bar.

• Community Outreach Booth: The Community Outreach Booth will host the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital Region, which provides a home away from home, free of charge, for families with children who are terminally ill or facing life-threatening challenges.

LABOR DAY, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 - POST-TIME 12:30 P.M.

• The Hopeful: Labor Day will feature a special first post time of 12:30 p.m. The traditional final feature, the 113^th running of the Grade 1, $350,000 Hopeful for 2-year-olds, will afford fans a preview of potential standouts in next year's Triple Crown series, as well as the Jim Dandy and Travers. The Spa will also feature the running of the Grade 2, $250,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap for 3-year-olds and up on the turf.

• 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. The beneficiary of the final Monday of the season is Lisha Kill Middle School in South Colonie.

The first 500 kids, ages 12 and under, to visit the Pavilion will receive a free drawstring bag filled with school supplies, courtesy of Berkshire Bank and Hannaford Supermarkets. One drawstring bag per child, who must be present to receive.

• Community Outreach Booth: The Community Outreach Booth will host the Cohoes Connect Center for Youth, a non-profit organization which will serve as a community resource by providing a safe and secure environment for the children, youth and families of the City of Cohoes.

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