Saratoga Race Course

Saratoga Race Course is a horse-racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. It is typically open for racing from late July through early September.

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Saratoga Race Course Results

Saratoga Race Course History

John Hunter, who became the first chairman of The Jockey Club, and William R. Travers built Saratoga Race Course. The original track was built across Union Avenue from the present Saratoga Race Course at the current location of the Oklahoma Track (training track), which opened the following year. Since 1864 the track has been the site of the Travers Stakes, the oldest major thoroughbred horse race in the United States, which is the main draw of the annual summer race meeting. The Saratoga meet originally consisted of only four days, but over time was lengthened, and for many years, the meet lasted for four weeks. In the 1990's it was lengthened to five weeks. Today it is a six-week meeting ending on Labor Day. In 2009, NYRA extended the 2010 racing meet by 4 days. From 1943 to 1945, racing was not held at Saratoga Race Course due to travel restrictions during the war. During those years, the stakes races that would have been run at Saratoga Race Course were contested at Belmont Park instead.

Saratoga Race Course has two well-known nicknames -- The Spa (for the nearby mineral springs), and the "Graveyard of Champions" (for the upsets that have occurred there). Man o' War suffered his only defeat in 21 starts while racing at Saratoga Race Course; Secretariat was defeated at Saratoga Race Course by Onion after winning the Triple Crown; and Gallant Fox was beaten by 100-1 long shot Jim Dandy in the 1930 Travers Stakes. In 1999, Saratoga Race Course was rated as Sports Illustrated's #10 sports venue of the 20th Century.

The track was closed on August 2, 2006 due to a heat wave which had hit the Eastern Seaboard. This was only the fourth time in the history of the track that it closed, Previously it closed for three entire seasons during World War II and in 1911 and 1912 when it was not economically viable following New York State legislation enacted by the administration of Governor Charles Evans Hughes which outlawed all forms of wagering on horse racing.

As is the case with the other two tracks operated by the New York Racing Association - Aqueduct and Belmont Park - there are three separate tracks in the main course at Saratoga Race Course.

Saratoga Race Course Live Horse Racing Schedule

Dark Tuesdays

Horse Racing Schedule

Post Time at Saratoga Race Course

1:00 p.m.

Saratoga Race Course Track Code

Current Weather Conditions at Saratoga Race Course

Saratoga Race Course Graded Stakes Races

Stakes Race	Grade	Purse
Schuylerville Stakes	III	$100,000
Coaching Club American Oaks	I	$250,000
Sanford Stakes	II	$150,000
Lake George Stakes	II	$150,000
Jim Dandy Stakes	II	$500,000
Diana Stakes	I	$500,000
Fourstardave Handicap	II	$150,000
Ruffian Handicap	I	$250,000
Amsterdam Stakes	II	$150,000
Test Stakes	I	$250,000
Whitney Handicap	I	$750,000
Honorable Miss Handicap	II	$150,000
Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap	I	$250,000
National Museum of Racing HOF Stakes	II	$150,000
Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap	I	$500,000
Adirondack Stakes	II	$150,000
Saratoga Special Stakes	II	$150,000
Alabama Stakes	I	$500,000
Lake Placid Stakes	II	$150,000
Bernard Baruch Handicap	II	$200,000
Victory Ride Stakes	III	$100,000
Ballston Spa Handicap	II	$200,000
Ballerina Stakes	I	$250,000
King's Bishop Stakes	I	$250,000
Travers Stakes	I	$1,000,000
Personal Ensign Stakes	I	$300,000
With Anticipation Stakes	II	$150,000
Forego Handicap	I	$250,000
Woodward Stakes	I	$750,000
Saranac Stakes	III	$100,000
Spinaway Stakes	I	$250,000
Glens Falls Handicap	III	$100,000
Hopeful Stakes	I	$250,000