Saratoga to Celebrate 150th Anniversary Season with Special Events, Giveaways Press Release A century and a half of racing history will come alive this summer when Saratoga Race Course opens its gates on Friday, July 19, for the 40-day meet that brings together the finest horses, top jockeys, and best trainers in the country in celebration of the track’s 150th anniversary. Since its first thoroughbred meet in August, 1863, nearly all of racing’s legends have traversed the Spa’s famous oval, from Man o’War to Kelso, Beldame to Rachel Alexandra, Personal Ensign to Sky Beauty and Easy Goer to Curlin, all of whom will be recognized as part of the anniversary festivities. With the Grade 1, $1 million Travers on August 24 as its centerpiece, the 2013 meet offers 53 listed and graded stakes races worth $14.95 million. Supporting the “Mid-Summer Derby” are 15 additional Grade 1 races, beginning with the $300,000 TVG Coaching Club American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies on July 20 and concluding with the $300,000 Hopeful for juveniles on closing day, Monday, September 2. “Saratoga’s unsurpassed stakes schedule, which this year is worth nearly $15 million; the 2-year- old program, which serves as a launching pad for many of our sport’s future stars, and its long- standing tradition of turf racing on our two courses make it unique among racetracks,” said P.J. Campo, NYRA’s vice-president and director of racing. “Last year, champions Wise Dan, Shanghai Bobby, Questing, Royal Delta and Trinniberg all raced here, as did Orb, Oxbow and Palace Malice, who combined to win all three legs of this year’s Triple Crown. We’re proud of the quality of Saratoga racing, and we expect racing fans to respond enthusiastically to the product.” The leading trainers on The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit will make their annual trek north for the meet, including national leaders Todd Pletcher, Chad Brown – a native of nearby Mechanicville, N.Y. – Christophe Clement, David Jacobson and Linda Rice, as well as Hall of Famers Shug McGaughey, Nick Zito and Bill Mott, the latter of whom will try to continue the tradition of winning a race on his birthday, July 29. Fourstardave bobblehead, to be given away Aug. 11 Augmenting the powerful New York contingent is an array of the top trainers from across the country, including Tom Amoss, Wayne Catalano, Eddie Kenneally, Charles LoPresti, Michael Matz, Graham Motion, Kenny McPeek, Dale Romans, Al Stall, and Ian Wilkes. Hall of Famers Bob Baffert, D. Wayne Lukas and Jonathan Sheppard maintain strings at the Spa, with John Shirreffs, newly relocated to New York, stabled there for the first time this year. All will be vying for the H. Allen Jerkens training title, taken for the third straight time last year by Pletcher. Accompanying McGaughey, Lukas and Pletcher to Saratoga will be the three winners of this year’s Triple Crown – Kentucky Derby hero Orb, Preakness winner Oxbow and Belmont victor Palace Malice, who could use the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy on July 27 and the Travers as telling arguments for divisional supremacy. Making Saratoga their summer home as well will be 2012’s Horse of the Year Wise Dan and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Fort Larned, who on August 3 will try to become the first horse to put together back-to-back victories in the Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney Invitational Handicap since Discovery, who won it three straight times from 1934-36. For 2-year-olds, Saratoga is indeed the summer place to be; Orb, Oxbow and Palace Malice all ran at the Spa last summer. This summer will see the usual plethora of classy juvenile races including the traditional six-pack of graded stakes: the Grade 3, $150,000 Schuylerville (July 19), Grade 2, $200,000 Adirondack (August 11) and Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway (September 1) for fillies along with the Grade 2, $200,00 Sanford (July 21), Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special (August 11) and aforementioned Hopeful, taken last year by eventual juvenile champion Shanghai Bobby. Top-notch turf racing is traditional at the Spa, with the Grade 1, $600,000 Diana for fillies and mares on July 27 and the Grade 1, $600,000 Sword Dancer Invitational on July 27 capping the multitude of daily grass race offerings. Steeplechase racing as well gets a chance to shine, with the top jumpers in North America and abroad assembling for the Grade 1 A. P. Smithwick Memorial on August 1 and the Grade 1 New York Turf Writers’ Cup on August 22. Replica model of Saratoga, to be given away Aug. 18 Competition for the Angel Cordero, Jr. riding title is expected to be fierce, as the always-tough New York jockey colony looks to fill the shoes of the retired Ramon Dominguez, who won last year’s title with a record 68 winners. Among them are Hall of Famer John Velazquez, a five-time meet title winner who is poised to surpass Jerry Bailey as the all-time leading jockey (1976- 2013) at Saratoga; Javier Castellano, who has been runner-up the past three years; Derby- winning rider Joel Rosario; brothers Irad Ortiz, Jr. and Jose Ortiz, and Rosie Napravnik, who will rejoin the New York colony for the summer. The 2013 giveaway schedule is as follows: SARATOGA SHORT SLEEVE T-SHIRT Sunday, July 28 Enjoy a day at the races in a commemorative white, short sleeve t-shirt featuring the 2013 Saratoga logo on the front and the official Saratoga 150 anniversary logo on the back. FOURSTARDAVE BOBBLEHEAD Sunday, Aug. 11 Racing fans will take home their own “Sultan of Saratoga” with a commemorative bobblehead doll in honor of legendary thoroughbred Fourstardave who won at least one race at Saratoga each year from 1987 to 1994. SARATOGA RACE COURSE REPLICA MODEL Sunday, Aug. 18 Take a piece of Saratoga home with a replica model of one of America’s most historic sports venues – Saratoga Race Course. SARATOGA BEER STEIN Sunday, Sept. 1 Raise a glass to the 150th anniversary season with a ceramic beer stein emblazoned with some of the most legendary thoroughbreds to have competed at Saratoga Race Course. Saratoga to Celebrate its 150th Anniversary on Aug. 3 By Matt Hegarty Daily Racing Form NYRA photo NYRA will give away Saratoga Race Course replicas on Aug. 18. Saratoga Race Course will officially celebrate its 150th anniversary on Saturday, Aug. 3, the track’s operator, the New York Racing Association, announced Monday during a press conference designed to drum up publicity for the summer meet that starts July 19. The 150th-anniversary celebration will take place on the same day as the Whitney Handicap. Buddy Valastro, a celebrity chef who is known as the “Cake Boss,” will present a cake to mark the anniversary during the day’s races, and all fans will receive a commemorative poster with each paid admission. Also on Aug. 3, and for the next four Saturday cards, the track will conduct a lottery that will give the winner a $15,000 win bet on the track’s featured race. The money for the promotional wagers is being provided by Marylou Whitney and her husband, John Hendrickson, who is a special adviser to the NYRA board. Although many of the details of the Saratoga meet have already been announced, NYRA holds a press conference roughly four weeks prior to the track’s opening in order to generate coverage for what is already one of the most popular racing events on the U.S. calendar. The meet will run from July 19 to Sept. 2, with 40 total live racing days, running six days a week. NYRA also announced the dates for its Sunday giveaways, which often attract large crowds. On July 28, the track will give away a short-sleeve T-shirt branded with the Saratoga logo. On Aug. 11, the giveaway will be a bobblehead doll in the likeness of Fourstardave, the horse who won at least one race at Saratoga from 1987-1994. On Aug. 18, a Saratoga Race Course “replica model” will be the giveaway item, and on Sept. 1, it will be a beer stein decorated with images of “some of the most legendary Thoroughbreds to have competed” at the track, NYRA said. Saratoga also is planning on a number of promotions during the meet. On Aug. 4, the track will honor Funny Cide, a New York-bred who won the 2003 Kentucky Derby. The always-popular “Battle of the Brews” is scheduled for Aug. 23. The track’s only twilight card is scheduled for Aug. 30, with first post of 2:30 p.m. A $200,000 handicapping contest with a $100,000 top prize is scheduled for Aug. 7-8. The entry fee is $1,000, and the top four finishers will receive berths in the 2014 National Handicapping Championship. Daily Racing Form is a sponsor of the NHC. Saratoga Track to Celebrate 150th Anniversary Shawn LaChapelle—Special to The Post-Star A crowd at Saratoga Race Course cheers on the races on the last day of the 2012 season at the track. SARATOGA SPRINGS -- The New York Racing Association is looking to blend tradition with new experiences as the Saratoga Race Course celebrates its 150th anniversary in the 40-day meet that beings Friday, July 19. At the head of everything new is president and CEO Christopher Kay, who will be joining NYRA on July 1. “We’re thrilled to welcome him in time for the start of the Saratoga season,” said David O’Rourke, the Vice President of Corporate Development, at a press conference on Monday at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavillion.