Saratoga Highlights: Opening Weekend

by McKenna, Bardack

THURSDAY, JULY 14 

Schuylerville and Wilton: 

Opening Day kicks off the season with the Grade 3, $175,000 Schuylerville for 2-year-old fillies and the inaugural running of the one-mile, $135,000 Wilton for sophomore fillies to be contested out of the reconstructed Wilson Chute. The Wilson Chute, last in use in 1972, was named to honor the contributions of the late Richard T. Wilson, a banker and President of the Saratoga Racing Association for most of the first quarter of the 20th century. The reconstructed Wilson Chute will carefully follow the route of the original chute along the Clubhouse Turn just to the west of the 1863 Club and marks the return of one-mile races on the Saratoga main track.

 Taste NY Pavilion: 

Racing fans can visit the Taste NY Pavilion, located inside Gate A at the Top of the Stretch, to enjoy New York craft beer, cider, wine and spirits products, including: 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. The pavilion will be open from noon until 5 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and from noon until 4 p.m. on Sundays. 

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 7:00 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 during breakfast before taking a free, 45-minute 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 now available for purchase at nearly 180 Capital Region Stewart’s Shops and can be used to deposit funds automatically into a NYRA Bets account to bet Saratoga online in addition to hundreds of racetracks nationwide. NYRA Bets Gift Cards are preloaded with $50 for immediate use with a NYRA Bets account. NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download on iOS and Android at NYRABets.com. 

Saratoga Live: 

Saratoga Live will present 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: 

As part of NYRA’s season-long commitment to spreading awareness of local non-profits, NYRA will again host one organization each day in the Community Outreach Booth, located adjacent to the Jockey Silks Room, inside Gate B. On Opening Day, NYRA will host ACTT Naturally which transitions thoroughbreds from racing to new productive careers using the gentle techniques of natural horsemanship.

 Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage: 

The Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage will host live music on Opening Day from the Donna Tritico Band.

FRIDAY, JULY 15

 Forbidden Apple and Coronation Cup: 

Opening Weekend, presented by Runhappy, continues with the Grade 3, $175,000 Forbidden Apple at one mile on turf for older horses, and the $150,000 Coronation Cup at 5 1/2-furlongs on turf for sophomore fillies. 

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 three specially selected races. The NYRA Triple Play will kick-off with an all-turf sequence on Friday’s card, including the co-featured Coronation Cup and Grade 3 Forbidden Apple. 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.

Saratoga Breakfast and Breeding Farm Tour: 

New this year, guests are invited to enjoy breakfast at Saratoga Race Course followed by a CDTA trolley ride to Old Tavern Farm, where they will participate in a 90-minute walking tour of a working thoroughbred breeding farm. Admission to the races in the afternoon is included in the package. The combined breakfast and tour package is available exclusively each Friday during the Saratoga meet. Tickets for the Breakfast and Breeding Farm tour are available only with advance purchase at NYRA.com and may not be purchased during the daily Breakfast at Saratoga. Tickets are $55 for adults and $25 for children 12 and under. A limited number of tickets remain for this summer’s Saratoga Breakfast and Breeding Farm Tour.

Downtown Business Association Celebrate Saratoga Window Decorating Contest: 

NYRA will recognize the winners of this annual contest, held in partnership with the Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Association. The racing-themed window displays can be viewed at more than a dozen storefronts throughout downtown, including Caroline & Main; Crafters Gallery; Dark Horse Mercantile; Hatsational; Impressions of Saratoga; Lifestyles of Saratoga; Tailgate and Party; and Union Hall Supply Company, among others. The winners will be honored at Saratoga Race Course following the sixth race on Friday.

Community Outreach Booth: 

NYRA will host The Saratoga Arts Center which enriches the region by cultivating a vibrant arts community and by ensuring that the arts are accessible to all.

Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage: 

The Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage will host live music from the Don Young Band.

SATURDAY, JULY 16

Diana and Sanford: 

Saratoga's first Grade 1 of 2022 is the $500,000 Diana for turf fillies and mares, topping a card supported by the Grade 3, $175,000 Sanford at six furlongs for juveniles.

Chandon Garden Spritz Sampling and Photo Wall: 

Fans can enjoy complimentary samples of the Garden Spritz Cocktail, featuring Chandon Garden Spritz sparkling wine with an orange wedge served over ice. Samples will be available across from the Travers Bar from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for guests 21 and over while supplies last. 

Community Outreach Booth:

Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga will inhabit the Community Outreach Booth on the first Saturday of the summer meet. Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga supports retired racehorses in leading peaceful, safe and meaningful lives by rescuing, retraining and utilizing them in therapeutic programs. It partners with licensed mental health therapists to provide Equine Assisted Learning Services.

Garland Nelson Soul Session: 

The Saratoga Springs-based band will perform on the apron between several races during the afternoon in celebration of Opening Weekend, presented by Runhappy. 

Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage: 

The Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage will host live music from Get Up Jack.

SUNDAY, JULY 17

Quick Call: 

Sunday’s featured race is the Grade 3, $175,000 Quick Call presented by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation for 3-year-olds going 5 1/2 furlongs on the grass.

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, a brunch buffet, soft drinks, two mimosa or Bloody Mary drink tickets per person, the Post Parade program book, 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 will feature a wide variety of free activities, games, attractions and educational activities 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:

Second Chance Thoroughbreds provides Off The Track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs) and retired broodmares with a soft landing after the end of their racing and broodmare careers by giving them ample rehabilitation, retraining and transitioning to a new career. 

Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage: 

The Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage will host live music from Diva & the Dirty Boys.

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