*Key: GI= Grade 1 Stakes | GII= Grade 2 Stakes | GIII= Grade 3 Stakes
SARATOGA SPRINGS – The 2023 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course opened on Thursday, July 13 and will continue through Monday, September 4.
Following the four-day opening weekend, racing will be conducted five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, apart from the final week, when the meet will conclude on Labor Day.
Admission gates will open for live racing at 11 a.m. First post time is 1:10 p.m. (with exceptions for Whitney and Travers Days and closing weekend; Travers Day gates will open at 7 a.m.)
The first week of the 2023 summer meet will feature the following events:
Opening Weekend
Thursday, July 13 - Sunday, July 16
Opening Weekend will feature the first Grade 1 of the season, the Diana, on Saturday, July 15. The four-day annual opening celebration will be highlighted by live musical entertainment and a performance by the Islip Horsemen’s Association Drill Team.
The Islip Horsemen’s Association Drill Team will perform for fans on Saturday, July 15 in the afternoon. Six riders and their horses will show off their pattern riding skills while moving in different formations to a variety of music. The Islip, NY-based team has performed across the state, including at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.
Week 1 Stake Races
*Mondays and Tuesdays = Dark Days. No racing.
Saratoga Live presents daily coverage of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on FOX Sports. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit NYRA.com/SaratogaLive.
Friday, July 14
Coronation Cup: F3YO, 5 1/2 - Turf, Purse $150,000
The Wilton: F3YO, 1 Mile - Dirt, Purse $135,000
Saturday, July 15
GI Diana: F&M 4&UP, 1 1/8 - Turf, Purse $500,000
GIII Kelso: 4&UP, 1 Mile - Turf, Purse $175,000
GIII Sanford: 2YO, 6 Furlongs - Dirt, Purse $175,000
Sunday, July 16
GIII Quick Call presented by Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation: 3YO, 5 1/2 Furlongs - Turf, Purse $175,000
Wednesday, July 19
GI A.P. Smithwick Memorial (Steeplechase): 4&UP, 2 1/16 - Turf, Purse $150,000
NYSSS Statue of Liberty Division (R): F3YO, 1 Mile - Turf, Purse $150,000
Thursday, July 20
NYSSS Cab Calloway Division (R): 3YO, 1 Mile - Turf, Purse $150,000
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 Jewish War Veterans Post 36 – Saratoga Springs, a leading Veterans Service Organization that supports and advocates for all uniformed service members, veterans and their families.
Friday, July 14: Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga
Saturday, July 15: United Way of the Greater Capital Region
Sunday, July 16: Operation Adopt a Soldier
Wednesday, July 19: Veterans & Community Housing Coalition
Thursday, July 20: Saratoga Center for the Family
Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage
The Purdy’s Summer Concert Stage will host live musical performances each afternoon of the season from popular local and regional bands. This year’s summer music stage is presented by Purdy’s Discount Wine & Liquor in Saratoga Springs.
Friday, July 14: Twangbusters
Saturday, July 15: Diva & The Dirty Boys
Sunday, July 16: Get Up Jack
Wednesday, July 19: Garland Nelson Trio
Thursday, July 20: Heard World Music
Saratoga Breakfast and Breeding Farm Tours
Every Wednesday - Friday beginning July 14
Expanded for its second year, NYRA is continuing the Saratoga Breakfast and Breeding Farm Tour. Tours this year will be offered Wednesday through Friday throughout the meet. Wednesday tours will travel to Song Hill Thoroughbreds, while Thursday and Friday tours will visit Old Tavern Farm.
Guests will enjoy a buffet breakfast at Saratoga Race Course before taking a CDTA trolley to the designated farm, where they will participate in a 60- to 90-minute guided walking tour of a working thoroughbred breeding farm. Admission to the races in the afternoon is included in the package. Tickets, which are $85 for adults and $35 for children 12 and under, must be reserved in advance at NYRA.com.
SUNDAY BRUNCH AT THE RAIL OF THE 1863 CLUB
Every Sunday beginning July 16
Fans are invited to enjoy a brunch buffet while experiencing The Rail at the 1863 Club, the first-floor banquet space at the 1863 Club. Tickets start at $100 and include admission, a table seat for the day, brunch buffet, soft drinks, two mimosa or Bloody Mary drink tickets per person, 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.
SARATOGA LOW ROLLER CONTEST
Every Thursday And Sunday beginning July 16
Horseplayers can enjoy the Saratoga Low Roller Contest held exclusively on-track every Thursday and Sunday at Saratoga Race Course. Fans can pre-register on contest days outside the Miller Time Fourstardave Sports Bar. There is a $40 buy-in, of which $30 will go to the player’s bankroll and $10 to the prize pool. The winner will receive a Saratoga Low Roller championship T-shirt in addition to the cash prize.
Taste NY Pavilion
Every Thursday - Sunday
New York-made food and beverages will be available for sample and purchase at the Taste NY Pavilion, located inside Gate A at the Top of the Stretch, where fans can enjoy New York craft beer, cider, wine, spirits, cheese, chocolate and gelato. This year marks a decade since the launch of the Taste NY program. In honor of the anniversary, NYRA will be expanding its offerings to include two dozen featured products, from Long Island to the Adirondacks and the Capital Region to Western New York, as a showcase of the state’s robust food and beverage industry.
Breakfast at Saratoga
Breakfast at Saratoga welcomes guests to enjoy a morning buffet at The Porch with a view of the thoroughbreds training on the main track. Breakfast is available every live racing day from 7 to 9:30 a.m., excluding Travers Day and Labor Day.
Fans can also go behind the scenes with a free, guided backstretch tram tour, driven by CDTA. Tram tours run from 7:30 to 9 a.m. and depart from the clubhouse entrance approximately every 15 minutes. Tours are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are 45 minutes in length. Tours are available every live racing day with the exception of Travers Day and Labor Day.
Berkshire Bank Family ZONE
Fans will enjoy 40 days of the Berkshire Bank Family Zone, an interactive play area for children located near Gate A, which will be supplemented by Berkshire Bank Family Sundays.
Berkshire Bank Family Sundays - Every Sunday:
Berkshire Bank Family Sundays will feature a wide variety of free family-friendly activities, games, attractions and educational activities each Sunday inside the Berkshire Bank Family Zone, located near Gate A at the Top of the Stretch. New this year, each week will feature a different theme. This week’s theme is Beach Day and will feature a DIY craft station, surf simulator, a steel drum performer and more.
HANDICAPPING SEMINAR AND MEET-AND-GREET
Every Sunday beginning July 23
Enjoy your Sunday at the races in the Spa’s newest hospitality venue, the climate-controlled Paddock Suite, learning betting strategies and tips from expert handicappers. Guests will also be treated to a meet-and-greet with Saratoga Race Course’s new track announcer Frank Mirahmadi, along with a rotating cast of on-track talent, personalities and VIPs. Tickets can be purchased through Fevo.
