Saratoga Race Course

Horse Race Track
Saratoga Race Course

Location	Saratoga Springs, New York
Owned by	New York Racing Association
Date opened	August 3, 1863
Race type	Thoroughbred
Website	www.nyra.com
Principal Races
Travers Stakes (G1)
Whitney Handicap (G1)
Alabama Stakes (G1)
Woodward Stakes (G1)

Saratoga Race Course is a famous horse-racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. This article is about the sport For other uses see Horserace (drinking game or Horse race (politics. Saratoga Springs is a City in Saratoga County, New York, USA. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the It opened on August 3, 1863, and is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. ^[1]

1 History
2 Physical attributes
3 Racing
4 Burials
5 References
6 See also
7 Other reading

History

John Hunter, who became the first chairman of The Jockey Club, and William R. Travers built Saratoga Race Course. The Jockey Club, formed on February 9, 1894, is the keeper of the North American Stud Book William Riggin Travers (July 1819 &ndash March 19, 1887) was an American Lawyer who made a fortune on Wall Street. 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. Year 1864 ( MDCCCLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs New York. Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide Sport and Industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred Horses It is governed by different national The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 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 1890s/1990s it was lengthened to five weeks, and today a six-week meeting is observed, with Labor Day now being the last day of racing. Labor Day is a United States Federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September From 1943 to 1945, racing was not held at Saratoga due to travel restrictions brought on by World War II; in those years, the stakes races that would have been run at Saratoga were contested at Belmont Park instead. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including History and Information It is world-famous as the home of the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown.

Saratoga Race Course has two well-known nicknames -- The Spa (for the nearby mineral springs), and the Graveyard of Favorites (for the upsets that have occurred there). Man o' War suffered his only defeat in 21 starts while racing at Saratoga; Secretariat was defeated at Saratoga by Onion after winning the Triple Crown; and Gallant Fox was beaten by 100-1 longshot Jim Dandy in the 1930 Travers Stakes. Man o' War, ( March 29, 1917 Nursery Stud farm Lexington Kentucky - November 1, 1947, Faraway Farm) is considered by Gallant Fox (March 23 1927 - November 13 1954 was a United States Thoroughbred Horseracing champion Longshot is a fictional Marvel Comics Superhero best known as a member of the X-Men.

The track was closed on August 2, 2006 due to a heat wave which had hit the Eastern Seaboard. Events 338 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 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. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Charles Evans Hughes Sr ( April 11, 1862 – August 27, 1948) was a Lawyer and Republican politician from the State ^[2]

Physical attributes

Dawn on the Oklahoma Track, Saratoga Race Course, 1963.

The Oklahoma Track, in 1907

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: a main (dirt) track, which, like that at Aqueduct, has a 1 1/8 mile (1,811 m) circumference; a 1 mile plus 98 feet long outer turf track known officially as the Mellon Turf Course, in honor of the Mellon family, whose members include prominent Thoroughbred owner/breeder Paul Mellon and his father Andrew Mellon, a former United States Treasury Secretary, and an inner turf track, the circumference of which is 26 feet (7. The New York Racing Association is the non-profit management group that runs the three largest Thoroughbred Horse-racing tracks in the state of New History The racetrack opened in 1894 and was rebuilt in 1959 the 1959 design was by noted racetrack architect Arthur Froehlich of the architecture firm Arthur Froehlich History and Information It is world-famous as the home of the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown. Grass is the common word that generally describes Monocotyledonous green Plants The family Gramineae ( Poaceae) are the "true grasses" and include Paul Mellon KBE ( June 11 1907 &ndash February 1 1999) was an American Philanthropist, Thoroughbred racehorse Andrew William Mellon ( March 24 1855 &mdash August 27 1937) was an American banker industrialist philanthropist art collector The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States Secretary of the Treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, concerned with finance and monetary matters, and until 9 m) shorter than 7½ furlongs (1,509 m). A furlong is a measure of Distance in Imperial units and US customary units. Steeplechase races are also run at Saratoga and may take place on either of the aforementioned turf courses, depending on the distance of the race. The steeplechase is a form of Horse racing (primarily conducted in the United Kingdom, United States, France, and Ireland) and derives Additionally, there is the Oklahoma Track, which is about 1/3 mile from the main course, and is used for warmups and training. Oklahoma Track was the original track used for racing from 1863 until 1909, when the currently-used grandstand track was opened. ^[3]

A former distinctive feature of Saratoga's dirt track was the Wilson Mile chute, which branched off from the clubhouse (first) turn at a 90 degree angle. In Horse racing, the term chute refers to an extended path increasing the length of a straight portion of a racecourse particularly an oval-shaped one allowing races of a specified After the 1971 meeting, its use was suspended; following a brief resumption during the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was dismantled, leaving no distance available for dirt races at one mile. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999 A similarly-designed chute is still in use at Ellis Park Racecourse, a racetrack in Kentucky, and is the only such chute of its kind that can be found at any North American track today. Ellis Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Henderson Kentucky, just south of Evansville Indiana. The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( is a state located in the East Central United States of America.

Saratoga Race Course is rich with tradition. A lake in the middle of the track contains a canoe that is painted annually in the colors of the winning stable for that year's Travers Stakes winner. Also, prior to each race a bell is hand rung at exactly 17 minutes prior to scheduled post time for each race.

A new addition in recent years has been "twilight racing", where the first race post time is at 2:45 PM. After its introduction in 2006, it was expanded to the first and last Friday of the meet.

Racing

The following are Graded stakes races run at Saratoga:

Grade I Stakes races:

Grade II Stakes races:

Grade III Stakes races:

There are also quite a few over-night races, meaning races that can be entered a day or two before the race, and more than a few ungraded stakes. A graded stakes race is a term applied by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to a Thoroughbred horse race in The Alabama Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies. The Diana Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race. Named for the mythological goddess Diana, the race is run each year at Saratoga Race Course The Forego Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs New York. The Go For Wand Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race established in 1954 for fillies and mares age three and up The King's Bishop Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race. The Personal Ensign Handicap is an American race for Thoroughbred Race horses Run each year in August on the day before the Travers at The Spinaway Stakes is an American race for Thoroughbred horses open to two-year-old fillies. The Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap is an American race for Thoroughbred horses, aged three and up run each summer at Saratoga Race Course The Test Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies and run each summer at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs New York. The Whitney Handicap (often referred to as the "Whitney Stakes" is an American Grade 1 handicap race for Thoroughbred Racehorses three The Woodward Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race and is one of the premier races for older Thoroughbred horses in the United States. The Adirondack Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race first run in 1901 The Alfred G Vanderbilt Handicap is an American race for Thoroughbred horses set at a distance of six Furlongs on the dirt at Saratoga Race Course The Amsterdam Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the end of July at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs New York. The Ballston Spa Handicap is an American race for Thoroughbred horses open to fillies and mares age three and up on the turf at The Bernard Baruch Handicap is an American race for Thoroughbred horses run in early to mid August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs New The Fourstardave Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs New York. The Honorable Miss Handicap is a race for Thoroughbred Race horses run at Saratoga Race Course each year The Jim Dandy Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race. The Grade II race has been held annually since 1964 at Saratoga Race Course in The Lake Placid Handicap is a race for Thoroughbred horses run at a distance of one and one-eighths miles on the turf at Saratoga Race Course. The National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race set at a distance of one and one-eighths miles on the Turf at The Sanford Stakes is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race raced annually at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs New York. The Saratoga Special Stakes is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs The Glens Falls Handicap is a United States race for Thoroughbred horses open to fillies and mares age three and up The Lake George Stakes is an American race for Thoroughbred Race horses open to three-year-old fillies and run at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles The Saranac Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs New York. The Schuylerville Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs New York. The Victory Ride Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year old fillies run at a distance of six Furlongs on the dirt at Saratoga

Ungraded stakes

Burials

Buried at Claire Court are Fourstardave, Mourjane (IRE) and A Phenomenon. The Saratoga Dew is a Thoroughbred race for horses open to fillies and mares aged three and up The De La Rose Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in late July/early August since 2004 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs New The Union Avenue is an American ungraded Thoroughbred horse race race run annually at Saratoga Race Course. Fourstardave (1985-2002 was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Champion filly Go For Wand, who suffered a fatal injury during the stretch run of the 1990 Breeders Cup Distaff, is buried in the Saratoga infield. Go For Wand ( April 6, 1987 - October 27, 1990) was a champion American Thoroughbred Racehorse.

References

^ The Kentucky Derby first ran in 1875
^ Kinney, Jim. The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three year-old thoroughbred horses held annually in Louisville Kentucky, on the first Saturday in May "Too hot to trot at race course", The Troy Record, 2006-08-03. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 8 - Roman Empire General Tiberius defeats Dalmatians on the river Bathinus. Retrieved on 2007-05-03. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1491 - Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptised by Portuguese missionaries adopting the baptismal name of João
^ click http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&q=&ll=43.069452,-73.760405&spn=0.027087,0.05785&t=k&z=14&om=1 Oklahoma track is at top, main track in middle, 1-mile track at bottom is private. Two small tracks at lower left are Saratoga Raceway

Contents

History

Physical attributes

Racing

Burials

References

See also

Other reading