Saratoga Ready For Longest Race Meet In More Than A Century

Thursday, 22 July 2010 10:00

With its West Coast counterpart Del Mar having enjoyed a record breaking season opener, New York’s Saratoga Race Course is hoping to get their summer season off to a successful start when they open for business on Friday. At the very least, they’ll have a record breaking meet in one area regardless of what transpires on the track and in the stands—this year’s Saratoga schedule has been expanded to 40 dates, up from 36 equaling the number of racing dates back in 1882. It’s the first expansion of the schedule at Saratoga since moving to a 36 date schedule in 1997.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the featured race of the summer at Saratoga. That will remain the Grade 1 Travers Stakes to be held on August 28th, with a purse of $1 million (US) and a number of the top three year olds in the country expected to compete. The day after the Travers could also be a big event, as reigning horse of the year Rachel Alexandra is being considered for the G1 Personal Ensign on August 29th. The traditional opening-day feature race is the Grade 3 Schuylerville Stakes for juvenile fillies, though this year’s running has only seven horses in the field and one of those (Final Mesa) is expected to be scratched.

While race tracks across the country are having trouble finding horses to fill races and racing dates, Saratoga’s move to a longer racing schedule is seen as something of a counterintuitive move. Trainer Rick Violette is confident that it’s a good move:

"There is a bottom-line aspect to the industry that just can't be ignored. When people start talking less is more, you have to have more than one sentence to make that work. The numbers have to show it; it has to be real cause and effect and not just a nice saying."

New York Racing Association (NYRA) President and CEO Charles Hayward concedes that there will be more lower priced claiming races to fill out the schedule, but doesn’t think that necessarily undermines the quality of the product or its appeal to horse racing enthusiasts:

"The good ol' days weren't necessarily good. And just because they're cheaper races doesn't necessarily mean they're not good races to bet on."

Last year, the NYRA projected a 5 percent decline in business from 2008, but in the end, the handle was down only 1.7 percent. With an improving economic climate, there’s hope that the 2010 Saratoga meet will wind up in the black. After four consecutive days of racing on opening weekend, Saratoga will run six days a week (Tuesdays dark) through Labor Day.

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Saratoga Ready For Longest Race Meet In More Than A Century

Saratoga Ready For Longest Race Meet In More Than A Century

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